CHAPTER – New Years 2108
The workers in the colony had planned a gala celebration for new years
eve. It was new years on Earth but who knows what it is on Mars. That didn't
matter these folks had always celebrated new years and this would be no
exception. When Tim arrived at the colony there was a group of Government
employees that had organized a little Country and Western band and were
entertaining from time to time when people gathered. They even played on
Saturday evenings at the mess hall dining room and many couples and singles
went over there to dance.
Some of the Government employees, like Paul had done had figured out
ways to get some booze shipped in. It was against company and Government
policy which tended to make it very expensive, but the ones who had been
there for a while had their ways. A few folks always had a few drinks on
Saturday evening at the mess hall.
Not to be out done several of the people who had arrived with Tim had
also formed musical groups. There was one that played pop music and another
what was also country and western. Each of these groups had made at least
one appearance at the Saturday night dance and all three bands had their own
shows on a different night of the week on MARS-TV.
All three bands played in the two mess hall dining rooms, rotating from
one to the other. Almost everyone celebrated at one place or the other. They
enjoyed the music, danced and generally had a good time they even counted
down the last ten seconds of 2107 and everyone was kissing everyone else and
someone shouted “This is January 1, 2108.”
___________ JANUARY 2108 _____________
Still there was something missing, alcohol. Oh for sure there were a few
that did not drink, and would not drink but very few. The Company had not
hired anybody that was a recovering alcoholic or had ever had a drunk driving
arrest. So many times on Mars the demography of the population raised it's
ugly head. The strangest thing about living on this planet was the fact that there
was no old people and no children and no babies and no one who did not speak
good English. That had never been driven home more than at the new years
celebration. Even though there were no alcoholics among the population more
than ninety percent of them missed not having a drink on New Years eve. They
had their ten second count down to usher in the new year, but some how it
didn't seem the same.
0 comments:
Post a Comment