The Styrofoam Collectors

Look! The scavenger is coming!" Son Sty pointed its silver-gloved little hand.

"Hide now!" Papa Sty shouted discreetly.

They rushed among the garbage hills like squirrels eluding from superior and dangerous animals. They shot through an open manhole by the road like basketball.

The scavenger arrived at the foot of the highest garbage hill. He rummaged through it. Picked up empty plastic bottles to be sold to a junk shop. Picked up styrofoam containing leftovers from McDonald's nearby. Accumulated leftovers, wash them later, and re-cook to be served to his poor family.

"Papa, he's going to see it," said Son Sty excitedly, head poking out the manhole.

"That's great!" said Papa Sty, smiling.

The scavenger looked around for spotters. He picked up a silver wallet and tucked it open. He scoured through it. Empty. Except for a neatly folded white paper. He opened the paper and struggled to read against the dim light of the nearest post.

02-49-08-26-30-11 WILL WIN, LOTTERY

"I'm sure he'll gamble tomorrow," uttered Papa Sty.

"Hope he will," whispered Mama Sty.

The scavenger inserted back the paper into the wallet. He then hastily gathered the garbage bag which contained plastic stuff in any sort. In his left hand was a plastic bag with the leftovers. He walked in long strides, unaware of the bright future waiting ahead and willing to embrace him and his poor family.

The Stys came out of the manhole, headed to the garbage hills, collected all styrofoam, and squeezed them into one compact ball.

Son Sty rolled the ball to the manhole and dropped it into a silver capsule below.

"Done," said Papa Sty, as he brushed his gloved hands with dirt.

They too slipped into the capsule. When the hatch slid closed, it concealed them like sardines in a can.

"I wish I can help more scavengers," Son Sty spoke up, as the capsule whirred silently.

"I wish too, son," said Mama Sty.

"Nothing better we can do to humans than to remove styrofoam from Earth," Papa Sty said.

"To eliminate the only garbage that will last for thousands of years," Mama Sty and Son Sty both said, as they always do.