Yesterday I was worried that the world was going to
end. It happened during an English
lesson.
There are many legends about how the world will end. According to some, it will end in a great
fire. But according to the Norse,
it will end in ice. They used to say
that after a terrible final battle, the sun would turn black, the gods would
die, and the whole world would be frozen.
I live in Nerima in Tokyo.
We have been having a heatwave recently, with temperatures of 34, 35, or
36 degrees Celsius. So it was very
surprising when I heard lumps of ice hitting my windows.
It started with a thunder storm. Normally I quite enjoy thunder storms, as
long as I feel safe and snug inside my house. But the rain came down so heavily that my
student and I couldn’t hear one another without shouting. And the thunderclaps were loud enough to
make me jump every time they occurred. It
already felt frightening, as if weapons of war were exploding right
outside. Then hailstones started pelting
the house. They were hitting so hard
that I thought the glass in the windows would shatter.
[By the way, the world didn’t end at this point. I’m just telling you because you look a
little nervous. Okay, if you say you’re
not nervous, then maybe you just look a little concerned. Don’t worry.
It will all be fine at the end of this anecdote. Let us continue the story.]
I had to stop the lesson.
Then I closed the curtains in case the window shattered and sent broken
glass flying into the room. And I turned
off important electrical appliances like my computer and air-conditioner
(the two things I couldn’t live without).
The hail continued for a while, and then stopped. The thunder storm, which had been right above
our heads, passed over us and became quieter as it moved on. We were even able to resume the
lesson.
So yesterday wasn’t the end of the world after all. It was just a little reminder that the ice is
always there, waiting. And one day it
will cover the whole world. So if you
have anything important you want to do, you had better do it while you have the
chance. Don’t delay those English
lessons any longer. Contact Nerima
English for details while there is still time.
Vocabulary:
the Norse – Vikings; people who lived in the north of
Europe, especially Scandinavia
a lump – a piece of something, pushed together in an
irregular shape
snug – comfortable, warm and cosy
a thunderclap – the sudden noise produced by thunder
(electricity moving in the air)
a hailstone – a piece of ice which falls to the ground like
rain
to pelt – to hit with thrown or falling objects again and
again
to shatter – of glass, ceramics etc., to break into many
small pieces
an anecdote – a short, amusing story about a real person or
incident
an electrical appliance – a small, useful machine, such as a
vacuum cleaner
to resume – to restart after a pause
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