Chapter 10 - An instant

Grandmother Juana smiled affectionately at her grandson's words. "The sun can be intense, it's true. But without it, none of this would exist."

"What do you mean, grandma?" Arturito asked, frowning.

"Look around you, Arturin. The beautiful sea you enjoy so much, the fresh air you breathe, even the grains of sand beneath your feet... all of that exists largely thanks to the sun's energy."

Arturito made a face. "Well, I like the water, but not its salty taste. Wouldn't it be better if we could have vacations without this unbearable sun?"

Grandmother Juana laughed softly. "Oh, Arturin, the sun is not expendable at all. It is the very source of life on our planet. Without its light and warmth, nothing could survive."

"Really? Not even us?" Arturito looked skeptical.

"Not even us," his grandmother confirmed. "You see, the sun is a blazing star, over a million times the size of Earth, that shines with unimaginable intensity. Every second, it releases colossal amounts of energy in the form of light and heat."

Arturito looked up at the sky, squinting against the glare. "That much? Wow, it must be enormous!"

His grandmother nodded. "It is. And that energy travels an even longer path to reach us. Imagine a journey spanning millions of miles, through the void of space."

"Millions?" Arturito's eyes widened in amazement. "That's a lot, grandma!"

"Indeed," said his grandmother with a smile. "And throughout all that time, the sun's light and warmth have traveled tirelessly, just to reach our little corner of the universe."

Arturito frowned thoughtfully. "But why? Why would the sun make such a long journey just to warm us?"

His grandmother looked at her grandson with shining eyes. "Why, I don't know Arturin, but that energy is what sustains life itself on Earth. Every ray of light, every particle of heat, is absorbed by our planet and used to fuel the natural cycles that keep us alive."

"Really?" Arturito looked astonished.

"Yes, dear," his grandmother continued. "That intense, powerful energy coming from the sun is what makes plants grow, what warms the oceans and moves the winds. It is the driving force behind everything around us."

Arturito looked around with renewed wonder, as if seeing the beach for the first time. "So all of this exists thanks to the sun?"

His grandmother nodded. "Exactly. And not only that, but the energy the sun provides us is also returned to space, continuing a cycle that has lasted billions of years."

"How's that?" Arturito asked, intrigued.

"Well, at the Earth's surface, that energy is radiated back into space in the form of light and heat," his grandmother explained.

Arturito fell silent for a moment, taking in his grandmother's words. Then he looked at the sun with new appreciation. "So the sun isn't dumb, is it? It's more like... impressive."

His grandmother smiled with pride. "Yes, Arturito, the sun is truly impressive. A blazing giant that gives us its energy without asking anything in return, allowing life to flourish in our little corner of the cosmos."

"I was wondering, grandma, how old is the sun?"

"As I recall, over 4.5 billion years... Something like an eternity..."

"So the sun is eternal?"

"No... The sun, which will give us its light for billions more years, is a constant reminder of our own transience in the face of the infinity around us. At first glance, you might think it's something infinite, but in this case... the light, the energy it emits, is what will never be destroyed."

The child fell silent, reflecting on his grandmother's words. The wind blew softly, carrying the scent of nearby flowers. The grandmother looked at the child and saw the spark of understanding in his eyes.

The grandmother paused, then remembered something that could help her grandson better understand. "Do you remember the exercise you did on the calculator when you divided one by three and then multiplied the result by three?"

The boy, with a furrowed brow of curiosity, fiddled with a small calculator, his mind working on a puzzle he couldn't seem to solve.

"Grandma, why when I divide one by three and then multiply the result by three, I don't get one but 0.9999999...?" he asked, looking up at his grandmother.

The grandmother smiled, her eyes reflecting the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime. She gently stroked the boy's hair before replying.

"The universe has two faces, the finite and the infinite. Let's say one is represented by the number 1, though it may seem this would be the finite it is not, imagine this represents a perfect, indivisible whole. The other by that 0.9999999... you got where the nines continue eternally in an endless succession. Imagine each day we live is represented at some point in those nines and all the nines together would be 1."

"Grandma, I understand what you said about one and 0.999... but what does it have to do with the sun?" the boy asked, looking curiously at his wise grandmother.

"Though the sun may seem imposing and eternal, it is really just some of those nines in the succession, just like you and me."

Arturito nodded in understanding.

The boy fell silent, reflecting on his grandmother's words. After a moment, he said, "Grandma, if the sun is some of the nines in 0.99999..., what will happen when the sun goes out completely?"

His grandmother looked at her grandson with warm, understanding eyes. "Ah, Arturin, that is a deep question. No one knows for certain what will happen when the sun reaches the end of its cycle. But remember, even if one of those nines disappears, its effects will endure forever in the tapestry of the universe."

"You see," his grandmother continued, "even if the sun goes out, the energy it has radiated for eons will continue to propagate through the cosmos, interweaving with other forces and shaping new wonders. Nothing is truly lost, only transformed into something else."

"So the one never disappears, does it?"

His grandmother smiled, proud of her grandson's wisdom. "Exactly, my child. The one is eternal, it is the very essence of the universe. And we, human beings, are part of that one, small fragments of the totality striving to understand the mystery around us."

The boy remained silent, thinking about what his grandmother had said. After a moment, he asked, "Do we never reach the 1?"

His grandmother shook her head gently. "No, we will never reach it. We are destined to an existence of continuous 'almosts', of ever-closer approximations of the whole, but never touching it. The 1 is the totality we can never fully access. The unreachable goal we strive towards."

"So life is like a bunch of nines, and each one of them is special," the boy said finally, a shy smile appearing on his face.

His grandmother nodded, her eyes shining with pride. "Exactly. Each nine is a moment, an experience. And though we may never become one, each step brings us a little closer to understanding. Living is appreciating each of those nines and continuing onward, knowing that every instant is a little miracle."

The boy snuggled up to his grandmother, feeling comforted by her wisdom. Together they watched the sun set, each lost in their own thoughts.

For the boy, the universe had taken on a new meaning, full of mysteries and wonders to discover.

For the grandmother, every moment shared with her grandson was a precious memory, a new nine in the finite succession of her life.

As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, the grandmother thought of her own life, of all the instants that had led her to this moment. The beauty of the universe, she thought, lies in its infinite complexity and the constant search for meaning that drives us forward. Every instant is a little miracle that we must learn to appreciate.

With this reflection in mind, the grandmother felt at peace.

End

Disclaimer

Attention, curious readers! This story is not a scientific treatise on the Sun and does not intend to provide direct education. While there are some sparks of science, don't expect a master class in astrophysics. What I really want is to ignite your curiosity and try to make you marvel as much as I do.

Explanation

This project is my way of showing you that I know how to craft satisfying endings to stories. If you liked it, you know what to expect from me, although I don't plan to philosophize too often in my other stories... If you didn't like it, well...

Anyway, think of this story as a small but powerful promise of my ability to take you on an exciting journey. It's short and easy to digest, but it's packed with emotions and surprises that I hope you enjoyed as much as I did writing it.

If you enjoyed this story, I invite you to read my other works. I would love to hear your opinions, comments, and constructive criticism... destructive criticism is... Why not! I have a heart of steel (orz D':)... Help me continue to improve and offer better stories each time. Thank you for joining me on this literary journey!

Dedication

To my mother, the main inspiration for this story. Much of what I learned when I left home is reflected here; this story is a tribute to her love and wisdom that have guided me every step of the way.