The boy who ran and hoped

The boy was barefooted and the sky was blue and wonderful. He sliced through the air and spread arm like one with wings.

The grass felt soft on his feet but he ran so fast that he can hardly feel the

beating of his heart. The wind blew the clouds, and the plane he was chasing

was now clearer in his eyes. Far away from the village, no one can hear the

calling of a boy to his father. But he thought he did. Every afternoon he

waits. In this big field of grass and wild flowers. A stream was near but it

was never shallow. He would lay and watch the clouds and then chase the planes that flew by. There were couple trees here and there that he climbs hoping he'll be nearer to the skies. At night he would count the stars and draw them and the dark sky before he sleeps. Hoping his father would bring him a dozen when he comes back. He needed the stars he said to his mom. For when the next time his father had to leave, he could wish on one of the stars whenever he missed him the most. But for now, until his father brings him stars, he would whisper to flowers and believed that the wind would carry his message. He would dip his hand in the stream, hoping it'll send his touch to his father.

He would cry sometimes and he would shout his love but never his anger. He would hope that the mountain would be touched by his love and move to create a path for him to the sky, to his father. When his feet could never take the running. He would stop and catch his breath. He will wave his hand as high as he can with hope that his father would look and see him.

When he couldn’t sleep, he will look out the window and get a flashlight. He would tilt it up to the sky and click

it on and off. Maybe he could see the light and let his father know that

he was there waiting for him, the boy thought. He would watch the sky till the sleep would take over. He would feel the breeze hoping he’ll hear a whisper. And when he doesn’t, he would believe that it was comfort from his father.

Some nights he does loose hope, he will run home and hug his mother. The boy would look at his mom in the eyes and the stars would reflect from his own and it would remind him of her mother's love for his father.

He once thought that when it snowed, his father was feeling sad. So then he wore his coat and went to the field. He hugged a tree, begging for it to send this message to his father. He would then slip in to his mother arms and hug her instead to take away the sadness of his own.

He promise himself that he wouldn’t give up. He would stumble and fall, but he will chase again tomorrow, because he thought there would be one in the million times he ran, his father would see him far up the sky and if he didn't, then he'll try again for another million.

He would dream at night, that he would keep running and down came a

parachute. His father meeting him and hugging him right then and there in the big field. Then they would spend the time there every afternoon,

having a picnic, looking for shapes in the cloud while laying in the grass. He

would paint his father and mother under the big blue sky, and the wind will secure them in an embrace not letting them away from each other. They'll hang up a swing and his father will give him a push and he would feel like he was flying for a short while. They would build a tree house and play pirate for the whole day or they could pretend that it was a plane.

He told the other children, that he would someday be like his father.

So whenever he needed to go back to the sky, he would be coming with him. He would be at the top of the plane while his father would drive, he said. And he will spread his arms like a bird. he showed his painting and drawings of it. This time he won't be running and chasing anything. He would be one with the wind this time, and he would be content. Some kids would laugh but others will look at him in admiration. But he didn't seem to care, because he know that he will make it happen. And when he finally did then nothing else would matter. So he kept running and chasing even if he trips. The wind will carry him and help him with

his speed. The sun might blind him but he will continue on. The grass would

tickle his toes but he will never stop. The big plane came into view. He

smiled at the huge plane and remembered that when he asked his mother how would his father fit in a plane if his toy plane look the same size like the one flying up the sky which was smaller than his hand, his mother told him that the planes are bigger once they land on the ground.

He kept running faster and faster. Thinking that he'd be closer. He was so determined that he didn’t notice a loud sound nearing. The breeze swept the clouds and more planes came to view, More than what he could count. They were all gigantic and loud that he thinks his father must be calling his attention. The boy saw something fall down. It could be a shuttle like from those films he watches.

he pushed himself further thinking it could be his father coming to meet him. But then the shuttle that

he thought, met the ground and with the smile on his face, the boy finally

met his father. He spread his arms and became one with the wind.