“I dreamt I could fly” Ziggy whispered into Babu’s ear and ran to the big tree in the playground.
Babus ran after her. They both sat on the grass their backs on the tree.
“This is the third time,” Babus said looking at a grasshopper that settled on her leg. She stretched forward slowly, cupping her hands together, creating a compartment where she would trap the insect.
“it will fly away” Ziggy whispered focusing on the grasshopper.
“Shhh!”
The grasshopper hopped away and Babus ended up hitting herself.
“I almost had it” She arranged her dress looking around for another grasshopper.
“Tell me what happened in your dream” she looked at Ziggy.
“In this one, I was flying like superman” she straightened her hands forward imitating how superman flew.
“ay!” Babus clapped her hands excitedly.
“Superman! Were you wearing any cape?”
“Cape?” Ziggy scratched neck.
“Yes cape, superman wears a red long cape on his back” Babus touched her shoulders.
“I can’t remember”
“Show me how you flew” Babus stood up and dusted the sand from her dress.
Ziggy stood up, she straightened her hands forward and she ran from the tree and stopped.
“Like that” she shouted
Babus ran to her “that is exactly how Superman flies”
She smiled as if her friend did actually fly.
“The first time I was flying like a bird” she ran around Babus raising her hands as if they were wings; like a bird.
“The second time I was flying like I was swimming in water” she made swimming strokes in the air.
Ziggy dropped her hands “and now this — “. She frowned at Babus.
“You are not happy that you are flying? Babus asked taking Ziggy’s hand.
“I want to fly in an aero-aeroplane, I want to go and see Baba in heaven. I can’t see Baba if I am not flying on a plane.”
“ay! Don’t cry” Babus cleaned the tears from her cheeks and wrapped her arm around her.
“One day”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
“What are you doing up there?” Babus stared at Ziggy shading her eyes from the sun.
Ziggy was standing on a short fence; she placed a mattress at the foot of the fence.
“What are you doing with this dirty mattress?” she kicked it and leaned on the fence. She used her fingers to pick the meat that was stuck in her teeth.
“I want to fly” Ziggy answered.
Babus laughed “okay”
“Let’s see you fly” she looked up at Ziggy.
Ziggy could notice her sarcasm; she hissed “I said I want to try”
Ziggy looked up at the sun and down at the mattress. She stretched her hands forward, closed her eyes and jumped.
“Look at Ziggy fly!” Babus shouted pointing at Ziggy who laid flat on her face.
Babus laughed hysterically, she sat on the mattress.
Ziggy turned over and faced the sky.
“I knew I wouldn’t fly,” she said
“How did you know?” Babus asked still laughing.
“Leave me alone” Ziggy screamed hitting her hands and legs on the mattress continuously.
“You want to fly and you are jumping from a short fence” she pointed at the fence.
“You want to fly you jump from a tall cliff!” she raised her hand above her head showing the height of the cliff.
Ziggy sat up.
“A tall cliff?” she asked
“Mhmm” Babus answered
“But — but what if I don’t fly?”
“Why did you use the short fence?” Babus asked
Ziggy scratched her neck “because –“
“Because you weren’t preparing to fly, you were preparing to fall” Babus laughed.
“I wanted to try flying” Ziggy slammed her hand on the mattress.
“You want me to jump off a cliff?”
“If you really want to fly, you have to jump off a cliff” Babus answered
“Who said so?”
“I said so”
“Who are you?” Ziggy smirked
“I am Babus!” she beat her chest.
“I will not jump off a cliff” Ziggy said
“And you will not fly” Babus shrugged her shoulders.
They sat still.
“Will you jump off a cliff?” ziggy turned to Babus.
“Why will I do that?” she screamed looking at Ziggy as if she was mad.
“But you are telling me to jump”
“ay! You are the one that can fly in the dream” she answered.
“Do you believe I can fly?”
“I did until you fell flat on your face” Babus answered.
Ziggy stared at her hands “I do not understand” she cried.
“I do not understand too. A 10-year-old dream that she can fly like Superman and the next thing you know she is jumping from a short fence”
Ziggy giggled at Babus referring to her as a third person.
Babus smiled at her.
“Let’s go inside”
They drag the mattress from the fence.
“You will fly Ziggy but maybe not today,” Babus said
“I will not jump off a cliff” Ziggy answered.
“Who said anything about a cliff?” Babus replied.
