My name is Tina. I am 9 years old and I live in Dresden in the year 2226.

Today is a very special day.

A little while ago, I had breakfast with my parents, and now we are driving to the school sports festival.

Actually, our car isn't really a normal electric car.

My dad calls it a classic car.

The old vehicle has been passed down from generation to generation, and it rattles every time we drive over a bump.

“Dad, you promised to repair the air conditioning before our next trip!”

Dad smiles.

“Oh, right... I forgot.”

That happens more and more these days.

When we arrive at the stadium, I immediately spot my friends:

Thomas,

Robert,

and Tina.

Yes, we actually have two Tinas in our class.

It gets confusing sometimes.

Our parents are sitting together in the stands, waving at us.

The first event is the 75‑meter sprint.

The starting signal sounds.

I run as fast as I can.

This morning, my mom sprayed a little dandelion oil onto my sports socks.

It smells wonderfully fresh.

Maybe it even makes me faster.

Apparently not fast enough.

Thomas and Tina run like rockets.

They pull me along, and in the end I achieve my personal best.

We all cheer together.

Next comes ball throwing.

An 80‑gram rubber ball.

My favorite event.

My first throw lands five meters farther than the throws of my friends.

“How do you do that?” Robert asks.

“Secret training,” I say.

Of course, that's not true.

A girl has to keep some secrets.

We all laugh.

By now, it has become dark.

A clear sky full of stars stretches above the stadium.

In history class, we learned that about 200 years ago people used to sleep at night.

Hard to believe.

Today, most people sleep during the day and stay active at night.

Back then, children would lie in sunny meadows and read books.

That sounds somehow wonderful.

The final event is the long jump.

Or at least what long jump means today.

A long time ago, children landed in sand.

Today, we jump into a huge pool of water.

And everyone has their own landing style.

I do a cannonball.

Thomas does a belly flop.

Robert and Tina dive in headfirst.

Water splashes all the way to the judges.

We laugh so hard that our stomachs hurt.

After the competition, we sit together on the grass for a long time.

We talk about our jumps.

Our records.

The stars.

And the strange stories from history class.

Late in the evening, we finally drive home.

In our rattling family classic car.

I am already looking forward to dinner.

Mom has made my favorite lentil stew.

We sit together around the table.

Mom and Dad enjoy the stew.

And I get a large extra portion.

A wonderfully refreshing charge of electricity.

A pleasant tingling flows through my muscles.

Exactly the right frequency after a long day of sports.

For a while, we talk about the competition.

About Thomas.

About Robert.

About Tina.

About my throws.

Then everything becomes quiet.

I look out into the night sky.

And suddenly, a thought comes to my mind.

What was a school sports day like 200 years ago?

Back then...

when humans had to recharge themselves with food.

🌿