Decision

When I was a child and I heard the thunder while I saw the lightning illuminating the house where I lived, I was scared and ran to my mother. She would console me by telling me.

"Daughter, don't be afraid; that's Daddy God; he is bowling in the sky". She liked storms.

I imagined a very big man with a long white beard walking on the clouds and throwing bowling pins that crashed and made that loud noise.

I later learned that the time that had passed since I saw the light in the sky and heard the noise told me how close the lightning was to where I was. And that's because light travels faster than sound, the teacher told us standing in front of the big green chalkboard that spanned the entire width of the white wall.

Some twenty years have passed since those days of innocence and games, of unconcern for what was happening beyond the limits of home and school, and my fascination for that energy that communicates the sky with the earth has not diminished.

Looking out over the apartment balcony, I watch the lightning strike on a thunderstorm night. The sky is illuminated with yellow and blue colors that glow every second, and I hear a thunderous sound.

"They are falling very close here."

"Yes, Esther and I are afraid of them. The frequency of thunderstorms has been increasing". Marta, a young brunette with big black eyes, comes a little closer to the balcony.

It is a fairly high floor, and from there you can see much of the city, and the spectacle is impressive. The river that zigzags with its dark waters between the buildings and, in the background, the lake.

"What time should the others arrive? I am already nervous".

"I told them that we are meeting at 8 p.m., and I hope everyone arrives on time. We don't have much time, and today we have to decide what to do". Esther moves away from the balcony and goes to the kitchen.

"I need a coffee, do you want one, Marta? Let's enjoy this delicious drink while we can".

"Yes, please, give me one with plenty of sugar".

Esther pours the dark, steaming liquid into two white cups. Its aroma spreads throughout the kitchen.

"I remember when we used to drink coffee behind Mom's back. We would go to the backyard and sit on the trunk of the fallen tree".

"Mom didn't like to give us coffee hahaha she told us that we wouldn't grow much. I think she was wrong about you. If you grew any bigger, you wouldn't be able to get through the door".

"Don't exaggerate, Marta!" With a customary gesture, she grabs her long brown hair and rolls it forward.

"Ring", "ring"

"Come on! They've already started to arrive."

Esther goes to the door, and when she opens it, a tall, gray-haired man in his sixties enters, accompanied by a short woman with short silver hair.

"Hello, nieces, it's freezing out there, and those lightning bolts keep striking". He takes off his coat and hugs them.

"Hi, Uncle Jose, and Hi, Aunt Lourdes. Come in to close the door. It's warm in here".

Marta accompanies them to the living room.

"They want a cup of coffee?".

"Give me something stronger".

"I want coffee, I haven't had any for days. It's hard to get it in stores. How did you buy it?". Aunt Lourdes settles into the comfortable

"My mother has always been very foresighted and I would say she's a fortune-teller. She has several packets of not only coffee but also sugar in her stash, about a year's worth".

"That's a luxury! I bought from the neighbor 100 grams that she was selling like gold".

"I used to call your mother a little squirrel because she kept everything. Hahaha, she would get very upset and take off her sandal and throw it at me. It's a good thing she didn't have much aim".

"Here, uncle, is a brandy to warm your body".

"And also the soul, dear niece. We need it. And what did your brother tell you, Esther? What time is he coming?"

"He called me about an hour ago and told me he was on his way, but communications are interrupted. We have to wait patiently".

"Let's hope he arrives, your brother is a crazy head".

And as if he were lured by his mind, as sometimes happens, the doorbell rang again.

Marta went to open the door. A tall, thin young man with tousled hair entered with a cat in his arms.

"Hi sis, hi guys. What a cold and dreary night. Forgive me for bringing Mimi, I couldn't leave her alone".

"She's cold". The black cat with green eyes curls up in Martha's arms, who takes her to a cushion near the fireplace. "Stay here, Mimi".

Everyone is sitting in the living room, while lightning continues to strike one after another.

"We don't need electricity for light anymore, we have a permanent source, and the best thing is that it's free".

"Don't make fun of Ernesto, it's not a joke. You know this is going to get worse and everything will change".

"Esther, you are always so serious. You have to look at the positive side of things. We don't know what will happen in the future. So let's smile".

"Nephew, I don't think this meeting is about laughing and being happy, we have a decision to make, and it's not easy".

Esther begins to speak, she is the older sister, and she knows she must.

"Our mother is lying in her bed, attached to life by devices that at any moment are going to stop working. It has been two years since the accident, and she has not come out of this state. We have been ordered to vacate this city, and most of us have left. The question I ask it should we pull the plug and let her die in peace here at home with her family, or wait for the world to go into chaos".

"I agree to pull the plug today. We don't know if we can get together again. She is my sister, and I love her very much, but she must rest from that body. And my wife, although she is not a direct relative, supports me in my decision".

"I don't agree!". Ernesto gets up from the sofa. "As you say, sister, we don't know what could happen, maybe today or tomorrow she wakes up. And if we disconnect her, we will kill her. We shouldn't decide that, it's not fair".

"Ernesto, the doctors already told us that her brain doesn't work", Marta speaks, and tears cover her face. She approaches her brother, and they both embrace.

A bolt of lightning, stronger and more powerful than the previous ones, falls near the lake, and from the balcony, we can see the flames.

"My God, I hope there are no people there", Lourdes thinks to herself.

The building and its surroundings go dark.

"Mom!"

Everyone ran into the room. The appliances were turned off, and the thin, pale figure, barely visible through the lightning, remained with her eyes closed.

Esther approaches, grabs his hand, and takes his pulse.

"We no longer have to make a decision, the storm has done it for us. Rest, mother"

Anguish gave way to sadness and sadness gave way to tranquility and peace. Fugacez flashes of light illuminated the darkness of the sky and thunder could be heard farther and farther away. The storm was receding.