Story Fractal

“Dad! Why is there gravity?”

“Because space is a cold place. The molecules get together to keep each other warm, just like people gather around in cold weather.”

“Dad! Is it very hot in the stars?”

“Why do you think so?”

“When there are a lot of people in a room, it gets really hot. So I thought if there are a lot of molecules together, it could be the same…”

“In fact, yes. Stars are extremely hot. They are bakeries of the universe where new particles are cooked.”

“Dad! Do stars smell good?”

“They do! They smell like a mixture of blue, red and yellow. But, exactly what they smell like depends on what is cooking.”

“Dad! What is cooking in stars?”

“Different elements, like helium, carbon, nitrogen… I tasted many of them. The most delicious one is iron!”

“Can I taste them, too?”

“Sure! In fact, you have been tasting them throughout your life.”

“Really? How come?”

“When something is cooked in an oven, you take it out, right? Same thing! When the elements are ready to be eaten, they are taken out of the oven. They are served in trays that we call planets.”

“I see!”

“You see what?”

“You’d said that molecules get together, because it is very cold in space. So when planets separate from the stars, they get colder. And thus, we can eat them. We wouldn’t be able to eat them otherwise.”

“Yeah, you are right.”

“Dad! Do planets have cream on them?”

“Oh yeah! And it is so delicious. It is so delicious that you plunge your nose into it at birth, and don’t take it out all along your life.”

“Dad! God is the best baker, right?”

“Yes He is; and He is the best host, too. He provides comfortable seats for His guests, and plays joyful music for them, and serves refreshing drinks. He ensures the cleanliness of His guest room by putting small but hardworking creatures into work. He even changes the scene of this room continuously so that His guests are not bored.”

“… Dad! Are you going to die?”

“Perhaps, I am going to leave this guest room before you. But eventually, we are all going to meet.”

“Am I going to die?”

“Each of us has a house in the heavens. It is being constructed during our lives here. When the construction is complete, we go there.”

“Is that why mom left us?”

“Yes, dear…”

“Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“The shooting star!”

“No, I missed it.”

“No, you didn’t. Look up there! Can’t you see the moving light?”

“That is a satellite. They keep moving always like that.”

“Why don’t they come down? Don’t they feel cold in space?”

“They do, but they keep running to warm up.”

“Dad! I feel cold. Tell me a story.”

“A story? All right. Once upon a time, when these houses carved into rocks did not exist, nor did the rocks themselves; when these plain areas used to be underwater, and these mountains, the magnificent harbors opening to heavens, used to be minor hills overseeing exquisite beaches; there was a rock in its crawling ages. You know what a baby rock looks like?”

“A small pebble?”

“No! That’s a small rock, not a baby one. A baby rock is molten fluid in the depths of the earth. Just like babies long for walking and talking, the baby rocks long for freedom. That’s why they burst out of the volcanoes, and flow to uncharted territories. So, there once was a baby rock. Its desire for exploration was actually the response to the prayers that would come millions of years later. Of course the baby rock did not know of anything, yet. So, unaware of its future inhabitants, it searched for cracks and holes to escape to infinity. And one day, it did find what it was looking for. The baby rock flowed with an unquenchable thirst. Before long, it realized that it was not a baby rock anymore, but a grown-up hill. And actually, a good looking one. For many years, it beheld its majesty. In the meantime, it further grew to become a magnificent mountain. Sometimes even the skies were so jealous of its glory that they would veil its summit with thick clouds. Of course, the mountain would not like it, but the destiny had twined its fate with that of another explorer: water. The mountain and the water had seen each other many times, but always with an urge to make the other disappear. So, the water would try to form crevices into the mountain or enlarge the existing ones; if possible, it would try to start cracks that could grow to split huge boulders apart from the mountain. The mountain, in return, would try to absorb the water and hide it deep inside so that it would never ever see the day light again. Millions of years passed by like this. Despite everything, the mountain further grew while harboring many valleys and caves. The water never ceased pouring down on the mountain. In short, they were bored of each other, but they couldn’t get rid of each other, either. They were in love. As a present to their union, they were given countless herbs, trees, insects and animals. As the mountain grew older and higher, it enshrouded its head with a white, permanent veil. The irony is that this was what the water had been trying to do in their young age before their union, and now, the mountain was doing it voluntarily. With its tall stature and frozen summit, the mountain felt cold. It wanted to come down and join the young rocks to partake in their warmth. Contrary to this will for descent, new baby rocks under the mountain wanted to explode to the skies. Stressed by these two opposites, the mountain started to bend. And that’s when it witnessed the prayers that initially accompanied its birth from underground. There was a group of young humans gathered in one of its caves seeking the warmth of their Lord’s protection.”