DEBUT FLASH: 'Journal 43' by W Keller

We watched a movie in class today, Teacher said it was because today was “Christmas”. Teacher almost cried when Johnny asked what Christmas was. I knew she was gonna cry because her eyes got all wet like mommy’s do when she’s about to cry. All the adults seems to cry a lot, even though they’re big.

The screen was old and covered in dust because we aren’t allowed to waste power, but teacher said it was important. The movie was called It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s about this boy named George Bailey and most of the rest is just weird. Like when that one girl tries to couple with him but he goes for the other one. Why didn’t people have the coupling system back then?

I heard mommy talking with daddy about how much better things had been when a boy would ask a girl out. How would that be better than now? Now all you have to do is wait until you turn 16 and the government will get you a girlfriend, can’t get much easier than that.

Another weird thing is how George wanted to see the world, and it wasn’t because he wanted to be stationed at a new garrison. He wanted to go see other countries. How would he get past the border?

The rest of the movie was just more weird stuff. What’s an angel? What were those things they used to communicate from house to house? Why wasn’t that old house torn down to make space for apartments? What’s candy? What’s marriage?

The entire movie didn’t make any sense at all, the only part that I understood was when he was standing on that bridge, I see a lot of people like that when I go to the bridge on the way to the ration station. Mommy said that those people stand on the rail to get a better view of the river below, but she also told me that the reason they fall down is that the rail is all slippery and that I should never try it.

I saw daddy standing on the rail one night, I laughed at him and he told me not to tell mommy, she would just be jealous that he saw below the bridge.

When the one boy in the movie lost all the money the principal walked in and started yelling at Teacher. Saying things like “We told you not to try this again” and “You’re just making things worse for them”. When he unplugged the screen and dragged it out of the room we all told Teacher not to be upset about the guy losing the money. We told her that money didn’t matter anymore, that’s why our parents are paid in ration stamps.

Teacher cried for the rest of class and we all talked about the movie.  No one else understood the movie either.