“I won’t wear the mask.” Jenny protested for the umpteenth time. This almost infuriated her mother and she shouted at her, “I am not going to hear any of it. You have to and that is final.”

Her mother’s sudden anger made Jenny soften her protest and she only managed a meek rejoinder, “But Rachel won’t be wearing one.”

Jenny’s father intervened after putting on his jacket, “But Bina will be wearing one.”

Jenny interjected, “But…”

Jenny’s father tried to reason, “Darling, wear it. It is for your good. You look sweet wearing it.”

“No, I hate it. I don’t look good wearing it.”

Jenny’s mother turned from the mirror a d said to her husband, although intending to give the message to her daughter, “I don’t want her to go out without the mask and on the way feel uneasy and make us hurry her back home like the last time.”

Jenny’s father looked at his little daughter, smiled and raised his shoulders with a finality to indicate the end of the discussion.

When the three of them reached Bina’s house, Jenny was wearing her pink oxygen mask. And so was Bina, though a yellow one, because the house was not fully oxy-conditioned. While Jenny’s parents sat with Bina’s parents to chat, Jenny escaped with Bina into the playroom to conspire. The two children made a pact that when Rachel comes, they will exclude her from their company. So when Rachel came she was surprised to be cold shouldered by Jenny and Bina. But she intruded into their company. This made Jenny howl at her, “Go away from us. You are not one of us. We are special.”

Rachel retorted cunningly, “Special! You’ll are weak. That is why the doctor has advised you’ll to wear oxygen masks. I am strong.”

Jenny said angrily, “No. That is due to oxygen depletion and increase in carbon dioxide.”

Bina added, “My father says that soon there will be more special kids than normal kids.”

Jenny was about to push Rachel when Rachel’s father’s booming voice entered the playroom. He was announcing aloud in a dramatized voice, “It’s breaking news. One more dyke has given way in the south.”

The children froze on hearing the loud voice. It was Bina who recovered first and, leaving Jenny and Rachel in the playroom, slipped into her parents’ bedroom. The other two girls soon followed her there. They found Bina standing in front of the television and watching a news channel. A news anchor was reporting on the deplorable situation of the refugees who have fled from the areas in the north, which have been rendered uninhabitable due to a sudden heat wave. Rachel asked Bina to change the channel to something nice. Bina did so only to find a programme on the UN embargo on countries that have still not put a ban on high energy consuming electric light bulbs. She changed the channel again. This time it was a documentary on the water folks and how they have adapted themselves to living on the water bodies. Now Jenny urged Bina to change the channel. Bina next tuned to a channel where on a reality show there was live coverage of a police chase and apprehension of a smuggler who was bootlegging a can of fossil fuel. Bina changed the channel yet again. An old movie was playing. A group of children together were running and shouting in a garden in open air.

Bina remarked, “No one has a mask on.”

Rachel said in amazement, “And the garden is not covered.”

Jenny whispered, “The sky is so blue. I have never seen such a blue sky.”

Soon the children were called by their parents. They joined hands, made peace, and went to have lunch together.”