A Battle Unseen

[Elena1012]

A Vision of No More Tears.
Xsampa, Metz-Leonid, New Hope District
October 10th, 5617
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Bhutia was exhausted. Another day, another headache. Reforming Xsampa was easier said that done. While he was done with work for the day, the stress was still there. He figured a stroll in the streets of Metz-Leonid would alleviate that stress. It was late evening, and the sun was setting. A nice orange hue in the sky. It almost made him forget what day today was. October 10th. It didn't help that the 20th anniversary of the Bargas Chenpo was 2 years away. As he walked, he thought to himself on what he's done to heal Xsampa. Whether he was living up to Comrade Aurousseau's vision of a gentler, kinder, hopeful Xsampa. It all felt surreal. It felt like weeks ago, he was just being sworn in during a national calamity and now? He was walking the streets of Metz-Leonid. It was hard to believe that it's been 17 years since the Bargas Chenpo. It wasn't even dealing with the Party that had him stressed. Every October 10th felt more difficult then the last. Families grieving, children grieving for their parents, now all grown up and traumatized. 

As he walked, he ended up finding himself at the epitome of October 10th. The Memorial to the Victims of Nuclear War. It was tranquil. Most Xsampans paid their respects during the day, so only a handful of grieving families were left. The memorial made him feel disconnected from the world. Seeing all the names engraved on the black stone. The gentle sounds of muttering, the wind and the reflection pools. So many lives. So many hopes, snuffed out in an instant. Bhutia's heart started to ache. It was clear that despite his best efforts, Xsampa wasn't healing. Sure, a handful were looking to the future and believing him. But he was no Aurousseau. He couldn't give the people hope. He couldn't restore their sense of optimism. He did his best and that wasn't enough. His reforms weren't enough to inspire the people. He could feel tears forming at the edge of his eyes. He was failing Xsampa. He couldn't honour the dead.

That was when a middle aged Xsampan approached him, his voice rough but genuine. Still looking at the reflection pool, Bhutia remained silent.
"Comrade. I share your grief. Everyone does. My sister.." he paused, seemingly choking on his own words full of grief before continuing. "My sister was apart of those who died in the Bargas Chenpo. She was just accepted into MLSU. She was ecstatic, it was something she dedicated her entire life towards. Then the Bargas Chenpo happened. And before I knew it, that happy girl I knew was gone. Torn away from life in an instant. Every day, I kept asking myself if there was something I could've done. Anything to have kept her home that day. After the 10th, I couldn't do anything. I mean, my own sister was taken away in the blink of an eye. It was bad." He hesitated to continue, the pain in his voice only growing. "It didn't help that Comrade Aurousseau was killed in it. I remember her rallies, her daring optimism. The future seemed bright. And then it was snuffed out. Like a candle. I genuinely believed she would create a better future. When the Bargas Chenpo happened, it felt like the world was falling apart. The hope of the nation was strangled, my own sister taken away. But then I remember your words comrade. You did everything you could to help heal Xsampa. You did everything you could to heal the wounds, and care for every Xsampan hurt. You gave hope to the hopeless." He seemed genuine, as Bhutia silently listened.

"I know that every October 10th isn't easy. Believe me comrade. It's painful remembering what we lost. What I lost. But I see Xsampans starting to hope again. Daring to believe in a future. A future you are providing. I'll admit, at first I was skeptical of you. What could some Party bureaucrat do that Aurousseau couldn't? Then you proved me wrong, again and again. You gave medicine to the ill, food to the hungry, houses for the homeless. I know it doesn't seem like Xsampans are healing. But you've given many Xsampans, myself included, a hope for the future again. You've inspired me to try to do what my sister would've wanted. Make Xsampa a better place for all. Now look at me here, rambling on like an old man. Comrade, I just want to thank you for everything. You've given this old bitter man hope for the future again. I hope you know that." 

Bhutia remained silent. Paralyzed by the story he was told. Had he actually given hope to Xsampa? Before he could ask, let alone turn around, the man walked away. Bhutia turned back to the reflection pool, seeing his own reflection. He was responsible for one person being hopeful. Or maybe even more. Maybe he couldn't capture Aurousseau's hope, but maybe he could capture something close. Just knowing that he had helped even one Xsampan was enough. He couldn't give up, not yet. Xsampa needed him. It needed his reforms. A new vision. As the sun gradually continued to set, he found himself reinvigorated. He had to continue on. For Xsampa. For the future. He didn't know whether his reforms would work, or whether he could heal all of Xsampa. But he knew one thing was certain. No more tears.