In the beginning, there was ice … and cherries
Once upon a time there was an ice cube, his name was Fox, but everyone called him Bright. Since the day he was born, Bright had always lived in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator. Or maybe I should call it “the” refrigerator…
You need to know that inside a refrigerator information about the outside world is scarce.
But, let me be clear, from the “inside” point of view even what is “outside world” is not very clear.
The only information that reached “The” refrigerator is coming from “something” or “someone” that was outside or from someone who talked with someone that was outside once. Sometimes it could be from someone who talk with someone who talk with someone that was outside. As you can imagine rumors about the outside world abound.
Also, the information is only passed talking one to the other, no one ever writes anything inside the refrigerator.
So, anything is passed: old ice cube to freshly made ice cube, lemon juice to milk carton, old lemon skin to recently cut lemon skin…
No matter how they got the information “they”, meaning those inside the fridge, got to know a few things. They knew that “outside” there was something called a “coffee shop”. Someone believed that “there was even an outside of the coffee shop” but those where only unproven rumors.
There were even different opinions of what the coffee shop was. They knew that once ice cubes left the freezer they went into the coffee shop and they did not come back. Most of them were sure that, once “outside” they soon ceased to be ice cubes at all. Different theories had been developed to explain where, if anywhere, ice cubes went after “melting”.
But even what “melting” actually meant, was not clear at all in the refrigerator.
They knew that there was something called “bartender hand”. A bartender hand would, once in a while, get in the fridge and grab a thing of two, sometimes that same hand would place a thing or two in the fridge. But very rarely anything “grabbed” made it back.
Such was the life inside the fridge.
One day a bartender hand placed a box full of cherries in the freezer right near where Bright lived, the cherry box was piled right on top of a tray of freshly made ice cubes.
One of the newest ice cubes complained: “Is it true that we are all destined to end up melted in someone’s drink?” All the ice cubes stood silent, but one of the cherries laughed and made fun of the little cube. “Ah, ah, ah, you will end up melted, you will end up melted.”
Just then the door to the Freezer opened, a bright light got in, then a hand quickly picked up right that new ice cube … And the Fate made it that the same hand picked up a cherry … You guessed it! The hand picked up the impertinent cherry that had just made fun of the ice cube.
Some cherry and some ice cubes crashed into laughter, but they all knew that it was only a question of time before their turn would come.
While he was sitting in a corner of the refrigerator, Bright had observed the whole happening, he was not amused at all.
North Pole, the Promised Land
One of the cherries started to talk in a weird way, maybe sort of thinking out loud… “If only these ice cubes knew about the North Pole … Then they would not be laughing, they would be trying to figure out how to get there … Oh yes, they would not be laughing”.
No one paid much attention to the words of this old cherry, but Bright did.
He moved a bit closer and then, timidly, asked: “North Pole? What’s the North Pole? And what would a cherry know about where an ice cube would want to go?”
“Well, I know a thing or two!” Started the cherry. “Because I was once outside.”
Now most of the freezer was paying attention. No one had been “outside” and got back.
“I was placed in a drink once.” The cherry continued. “But I was not eaten!” A roar of surprise invaded the fridge. “Then I was placed back in the cherries box, and never picked up again. I am probably the oldest thing here!”
Now many freezers items where pushing around to get closer to the cherry and Bright was having a hard time listening.
“While living outside I have heard of a place called North Pole! It is the dream of any ice cube.” The cherry now had the tone of someone telling a fairy tale. “The North Pole is covered with ice and ice never melts. There is no freezer there! There are no hands getting inside and grabbing you. The North Pole is ice cube’s promised land.” The cherry had finished her story and everyone in the freezer was looking nowhere and dreaming.
Bright looked around and felt an unexplainable certainty that, one day, yes, one day, he was going to visit the North Pole!
He immediately made it into his mission. “One day I will go to the North Pole!” He exclaimed without realizing he was thinking out loud.
But nobody was paying any attention to him; everyone was immersed in a dream of never melting ice.
Out
As time passed, Bright was every moment more determined to, one day, reach the North Pole. He had made a plan: hide in the fridge waiting for an occasion to leave.
He was spending his days in a remote corner where no hand could reach.
One of the youngest ice cubes once noticed Bright and asked: “what are you doing over there, old ice?” Bright felt ashamed to be addressed that way. He also felt a little ashamed of having this great plan, he was afraid of talking about it, he felt it was “personal”, but addressed that way he had to respond one way or another.
“I’m planning to go to “out” on an adventure and I’m trying to figure out how.”
“You are planning to go “out” on an adventure?” Asked an orange juice box making fun of him. “Let me tell you how things work!” Continued the orange juice box with a tone of contempt. “Ice cubes go out, melt and that’s the end of it!”
Many ice cubes burst into laughter while Bright felt very small and, for a moment, stopped believing he could reach the North Pole.
Then, like once before, the certainty that he was going to make it reached him again! Bright moved to the middle of the freezer and with a laud and firm tone said: “I will reach the North Pole weather you like it or not!”.
Right at that moment the freezer got suddenly full of light, a hand entered and reached in and grabbed Bright, together with a few more ice cubes.
Everyone in the freezer was left without words.
Out (of the juice)
Everything happened very fast. Bright was placed in a glass with more ice cubes and juice. He realized that soon he would be melting. “As melted ice I will never get to the North Pole” he thought.
A quick look around gave him the situation; the glass he was in, was sitting on a table with 2 children at each side. A few more glasses with more ice cubes and juice were also on the table.
One of the children placed a straw in Bright glass and a laud “slurp” noise invaded the juice. Bright made a great effort to pay no attention to this hypnotizing noise claimed on the straw and jumped out of the glass.
There was a big commotion among the children, then one hand picked Bright up and started to head toward the child mouth.
“Don’t eat me, please…” Implored Bright.
The girl looked at Bright unsure if she should be scared or happy. She barely made it to say: “Wh… Wh… What?”
“I need to go to the North Pole”. Explained Bright.
All the kids started to laugh. “A talking ice cube, a talking ice cube!” Exclaimed a boy.
The girl, meanwhile, was back into herself and was now feeling great compassion for the talking ice cube.
“You are a talking ice cube and you want to go to the North Pole! Did I get it right?” asked the girl. “And, by the way, my name is Donna and I am a girl, nice to meet you ice cube.” She continued.
Hope
“You got it!” Answer Bright. “You are not going to eat me, right?” Continued the ice cube, getting more confident.
“How could I eat a talking ice cube?” Laughed Donna.
“What’s your name?” Asked one of the boys sitting at the table. All the kids at the table were now silent and paying close attention to the ice cube.
“My name is Fox, but all the other ice cubes in the fridge call me Bright. I will be the first fridge ice cube to travel to the North Pole. Does anyone know which direction it is?”
The entire table burst in a laugher, again. “How are you going to go? By water?” asked one of the kids. “For the North Pole turn right at the corner, then straight 5,000 miles.” Said another.
But after looking at the ice cube reaction the kids understood that Bright’s was serious.
“I think we can help you!” said Donna. “Guys, are you with me?”
No one said anything but they all wanted to help.
“This is the plan:” She said and everyone listened.
Plan and Execution
Quickly Donna had come up with a plan.
“I don’t think this Santa story is real” Said Donna. “And I have never written a letter to him and never thought I will …” She paused.
“We are going to ship Bright to the North Pole and ask Santa to take care of him” She said with a big smile in her face.
“We can send him together with our letters to Santa” Said Roby, Donna’s little brother that had been silent this whole time.
“We will need something to keep him cool.”
“I have an extra lunch box at home.”
“I have one right here!”
“I have a bunch of stamps … at home”
All the kids where now excited and everyone was coming up with one part of the plan.
Bright was temporarily placed in one lunch box with some ice packs to make sure he didn’t melt. Then taken to Donna’s and Roby’s home and hidden in their fridge while the kids prepared a letter.
Dear Santa
“Dear Santa,
Every year we send you letters asking you for all the presents we would like. By the way: Thank you very much for last year’s, we liked them a lot!
This year, together with our letters we are sending you a present. Bright is a talking ice cube and he is very nice. We hope you guys will keep each other company.
Donna, Erica, Aziz and Roby.”
Once they finished this letter, the kids each finished up early their own letters, and then they packed up Bright in an old lunch box with lots of ice packs. The next day they all together went to the post office and shipped their present to Santa.
“We are sending a present to Santa.” Said Donna to the postal worker at the window.
“Oh, that’s a great idea!” answered the postal worker. “I wonder why no one thought of this one before.”
North Pole, oh my…
A few days later, Johanna, a very dedicated postal worker, was wondering in the immense ice flats of the North Pole looking to deliver a package. She wondered around for a while looking for someone named Santa. She returned a few days later and quit her job.
Presents
Finally, the day to open the presents arrived, the kids had almost forgotten about Bright, but they had not forgotten about the presents they hoped to get.
After opening everything Donna felt a bit empty, she got pretty much everything she had asked for but the excitement was now gone.
Donna and Roby were spending the school holidays together with Erika and Aziz family so the group of friends was together.
Finally, Aziz screamed: “There is one more present!”
It was a very small package but it didn’t cause any less excitement.
“Who is it for?” asked Erika.
It says: “Bright’s friends!” Screamed Aziz excited. “I had almost forgot about Bright!”
The paper was quickly ripped off and a small ice cube shaped night light emerged. The kids looked at each other and at the light again with a bit of disappointment.
“Ok, a night light, that’s nice.” Said Erika taking notice that the enthusiasm had fainted.
“That’s nice?” A voice said. “That’s all you have to say to an old friend?”
It wasn’t just a night light; it was Bright, turned from an ice cube into an ice cube shaped night-light.
Everyone screamed with joy and surprise.
Bright is back
Bright explained that he loved the North Pole, but it got boring with only one friend. So, he asked that weird bearded man he was living with, to send him back.
The man asked a fairy to do some magic so that Bright would not have to worry about melting.
“That’s how I became an ice cube shaped night light! I was packaged, shipped and … here I am!” Bright explained.
The kids were surprised but also very happy. Now they had an ice cube shaped talking night light as a friend.
What kind of new games could they come up with now? They could take Bright in the sun without worrying, for starter. They could play with him at night, and he could light things up.
“I find it funny that your name was ‘Bright’ even before becoming a night light.” Laughed Aziz.
That night nobody slept very much. They all spent time in bed passing Bright around.
THE END (for now)