THE WRATH OF THE RIVER PRINCESS Circa 2000
The waves lash gently on the seashore. Pure white and wide sandy beach. Sea shells and cockles. Tiny crabs scurrying to their holes. Perhaps they are scared of the strange tourists. Cool breeze blows across the seashore. Palms sway side to side heralding the arrival of the new tourists on a budget and other back-packers who have never seen a beach in their lives with grains of sand so white. The fishermen have returned ashore in their boat. They will soon be hauling in the nets. People strolling on the shore stop and watch. The tourists too join in lending a helping hand. They are seeing a net, let alone touching it, for the first time. The sea gulls dive to survey the fisherman's catch. 2001 In the distance a lone fisherman is tending to his nets. What a glorious sunset, he thinks, as glances towards the horizon. The skies are red. Promises of a good catch. He has plans for the next day. He has neatly piled his mammoth net on his boat. Other folks prepare the boat, check the oars and the ropes. Children are running around the boat. The fisherman is surprised and worried to find a huge ship 'River Princess' dangerously close to the seashore that is stuck in the sand, wondering like others like him, when the day would arrive to see it being towed away. Tourists flock to see rather amused. Some of these tourist have never seen a ship before in their life as they have been living far away from the sea. The ship's owner - a king, has abandoned his daughter, a princess. 2004 Politicians rally with promises to refloat the 'Princess'. The king still does not care about his princess. Salvage companies themselves float away along with their tenders unable to keep their promises. Chief Ministers come and go. Governments change. Lot of talk. No work. Can we save the ship? No, we can't. 2009 Water line is now dangerously close to the fisherman who's been living near the seashore for years. The empty seashells and crabs are much less now than before. The seashore has narrowed in width. Erosion has set in. The waves have washed of the sands around the roots of the coconut trees. The 'River Princess' is still there, and in distress. The world-famous letters on the side of its prow: R-I-V-E-R P-R-I-N-C-E-S-S are still visible from a mile away. Millions of pictures. Cameras click away. Never have so many pictures been taken of a beached ship before. Can we still save the princess? Yes, we can. There is hope. But no much time. 2011 The fisherman has shut down his business. His boat is missing. And so are the number of shacks nearby. The coconut trees have gone, beaten by the ravages of the seas that have closed in. The myriad seashells and cockles have been washed away too. The habitat of the crabs has been ruined and the 'River Princess' has still not yet been moved. 2011 The fisherman's house has collapsed. The sea has closed in much more. The white sands have turned rusty red. Stumps of fallen coconut trees clutter the coast. The 'River Princess' still awaits salvage plans. The king is quiet and relaxed not far away from the sea. He has made his money. 2015 The sea is furious trying to cut through to the king's bungalow a little away from the beach. The sea has joined forces with the Princess. To re-float itself once more and glide through a river that will named after her. That river will be called the 'River Princess'. Tony Fernandes _________________________________________________________________ Create a cool, new character for your Windows Live™ Messenger. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9656621
