In the next moment, another portrait appeared on the screen, next to Ama’s image. Rather, it was the same Ama, but much older.
Seeing this, the normal media audience was completely confused. How could it be that the photo of the elder Ama had already arrived on Earth? What was happening? They asked each other. This state of public bewilderment did not last long. The next moment, they heard the explanation that that really stunned them one more time.
Medea said, “On the left is Ama from Neia, on the right—Iason Azgo.”
After a pause she, with tears in her eyes, finished her announcement, “Look, people, do you see what has happened? Love and science have helped my ancestor to reach the stars.”
Epilogue
Billy, wiping his bloody nose and dragging his broken bicycle with him, walked to the wicket of his yard. There he came across Raul, his neighbor and schoolmate.
“Who painted your phiz?” he asked.
Billy didn’t want to talk. His felt a splitting ache in his head, and he tried to avoid his neighbors seeing him like that. Fortunately, there was no one in their little cul-de-sac now. Obviously the heat had chained everyone to their air conditioners. Now there could be no normal people on the street. Although Billy knew for sure that Raul didn’t belong to them.
“Nobody. I just wanted to ride the railing,” Billy admitted reluctantly.
“Ha, William, you’ve found the right time for that! Your grandpa and grandma will soon become millionaires, and you decided to cripple yourself! You will get it from your parents tonight!” Raul started taunting him.
“What millionaires? What nonsense are you talking about?” Billy frowned.
“Oh, come on! Stop pretending! Now all the TVs are inviting them to talk about those guys.” Raul said with the air of a man wise in the ways of life.
“What guys? Those Neians are now almost eighty! They are my grandma’s peers, ha, ha, ha, you blockhead!” Despite his condition, Billy didn’t miss the opportunity to make fun of him.
“Then why did they send us a photograph of their youth? They could show their real photo!” Raul didn’t want to give up so cheaply.
“Because their messages take fifty…ahem, six years to arrive on Earth! Those Neians already have grandchildren, and if they send a photo of their grandchildren today, it would come here when we also would have grandchildren," Billy explained to him edifyingly.
Raul pondered on what he heard and then concluded, “We need to exchange photographs with the Neians without these delays, otherwise we will never become friends with them...”
Space for Evolution Page 48
