Aya & Luca and the two nuclear stones 💥
“What’s that?” Aya asked, pointing to a photograph of a great white cloud rising above a city.
“A nuclear bomb,” replied the teacher.
“What does it do?” asked Luca.
“It can destroy a whole city. And kill many, many people.”
Aya looked troubled.
“Who are the bad people who use them?”
The teacher hesitated.
“Only one country has ever used them in war. Twice.
But several countries have them. Some are our friends. Some are not.”
“If they’re so awful, why do we keep them?”
“So that others will be afraid to use theirs.”
Luca picked up two stones and gave one to Aya.
He raised the other, saying,
“Don’t throw yours.”
“Why?”
“Because then I’ll throw mine.”
Aya tightened her hand.
“Then I want to keep mine even more.”
Luca looked at his stone. Slowly, he lowered his hand.
Aya opened hers.
Two stones fell quietly into the grass.
“No one won,” Luca said.
Aya smiled.
“Good.”
The teacher looked down at the stones.
For a long moment, no one said anything.
26 September, International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 🕊️
