As Ali walked toward Applehall Square, he noticed grass sprouting from between the paving stones beneath his feet. "Life even comes out of the cracks in the concrete," he thought. "But they will destroy this too."
In his pocket was the page he had torn from his father's diary. The last sentences still echoed in his mind:
"Silence is treason."
In the square, a few people had gathered around a mulberry tree that was about to fall. He saw Eren among them.
"What are you doing here?" Eren asked, the sleeplessness in his eyes obvious.
Instead of answering, Ali pulled a small sycamore leaf from his pocket. A symbol from his grandfather Kamil's Wellspring Park resistance.
A municipal official pointed a megaphone at the people in the square:
"Dear Aurentialists! The development of Applehall Square is vital to the future of our city. This project will:
Relieve traffic
Revitalize commerce
Give us a modern city center!"*
A woman in the crowd shouted:
"Lies! You destroyed Wellspring Park for the same reason! Now there are only offices for the rich!"
The police stepped toward the woman.
Ali looked at Eren. "Enough," he said quietly.
He picked up a stone from the ground. Like the first stone his father threw in the Blacktown Riots...
The stone hit the municipality's "Aurentia is Modernizing!" banner.
There was a moment of silence. Then, a young girl threw her notebook to the ground. A worker took off his helmet and hit the ground.
The police megaphone sounded again:
"Disperse! This is an illegal demonstration!"
But it was too late.
When Ali returned home, his mother, Fatma, was looking out the window.
"I heard about what happened at Applehall," he said quietly.
Ali saw the concern in his mother's eyes. But there was something else: pride.
Fatma took her grandfather Kamil's old thermos from the cupboard. "Should I make some tea?" she asked.
This small gesture said everything to Ali.