The Story of Evangeline

‘‘It is story time, Michael!” The grandmother said and looked at the child sitting in front of her.

Once upon a time not very long ago there was a young girl named Evangeline. She was an ordinary girl although she was looked upon as a strange and mysterious little girl. Nevertheless she had friends. The group of three young girls would come from the nearby village behind the huge mountains to explore new ways of having fun. They thought of Evangeline as their only way of having fun, because she was so different from the children in the little village they came from. Evangeline lived with her parents, who even loved her more than anything and gave her everything she had ever wanted. They lived together in a big domicile with a huge garden both in front and behind. Some would even call her home a castle, but she was not a princess, she was in fact the opposite. She really loved building things out of wood and she did not mind getting dirt on her hands and clothes. At one time the group of the three young girls passed Evangeline at the same time as she was digging a hole, and they could not believe what they saw. ‘’You are a girl and you are not supposed to dig a hole.’’ They yelled and continued in a more civilized approach ‘‘why are you digging?’’ Evangeline was ashamed; never has she had so many eyes looking at her. The sudden attention frightened her a bit. ‘’I heard that paradise is at the end of the tunnel and I have also heard that the access ticket is only given to the most assiduous and hardworking people’’ Evangeline replied and she clearly shocked the group of three young girls that was standing right beside her. The group of the three young girls was confused. ‘’Why do you want to go to paradise?’’ the group of three young girls asked. You are merely a child. Evangeline was worried by the fact that they could even ask such a question, because it seemed very obvious to her that paradise and the idea about getting and having everything you ever wanted is the goal of life. ‘’I want more than this. I want everything I have not got and everything I would like to have in the future and that I can get in paradise’’ Evangeline replied silently. ‘’We recommend that you stop now, because we have heard that at the end of the tunnel you are not getting riches but the lungs of an old smoker due to the high volume of nickel in the underground’’ The group of three girls said. Evangeline kept digging more and more and at an even higher rate she began to cough, but she knew that only those who were assiduous and hardworking would receive the access ticket to paradise. So she continued for 13 days, and by that time she was not breathing but purely coughing. She began to realize that she had not the opportunity to climb up anymore. She had been digging a hole so huge that there was only darkness beside her. At some point she began to freeze and some hours later she was dazed by the apparent dilemma she was facing; she could not get food or rest. Eventually Evangeline died a slow and painful death, which in some sense could be described as paradise. ‘’Grandmother, is this really a story about greedy businessmen’s way to the financial crises?’’ Michael said. ‘’No, how did that thought appear in your mind? The grandmother replied. ‘’Well it is about a girl named Evangeline, and she already has a great home and lots of riches, and she wants more and more. It is just like the greedy businessmen’’ Michael said. ‘’I do not think it is healthy for a child to watch television about economy, my dear, you should get some sleep’’ the grandmother said and continued ‘’goodnight Michael’’. ‘’Goodnight Evangeline’’ Michael said quietly.