When I was seven years old, I had a conversation with this white-haired girl from class during lunch time at school. I was studying her flowing white hair and how amazing it was that her hair was the same color as the cloud above us that very day.
“Lily, isn’t it fascinating?” I said to her. She was sitting beside me on the grass reading a book while the other kids were playing and talking, making good use of our one hour break from class on the playground.
“What is, Jean?” She answered, not taking her eyes off the pages.
“Your hair was like pulled off from a cloud!” I said as I pointed above the white silver cloud above us. “It’s exactly the same color. It’s amazing. Look! They look like they’re made from cotton candy, but white!”
“Don’t be silly.” She said rudely as she snapped her book close and stood up. “Clouds aren’t made from cotton candy, Jean. You should start reading your science book instead of your story books.”
She walked away. Unsatisfied, I walked towards the nearest kid and asked the same question.
“John, isn’t it fascinating how Lily’s hair looks like it’s pulled off from the clouds?”
“No, it isn’t.” He said and ran off towards a group of kids playing tag.
I was left there standing all alone watching the other kids. I was asking the question to myself, why couldn’t they pay a little attention to Lily’s hair and the fascinating silver clouds? It was then that I understood that maybe I wasn’t like them at all. I saw the beauty of the clouds but they ignored it. I found a deep fascination with Lily’s cloud-like hair but they didn’t. We were all children on that playground but I guess I was the only one with an imaginative mind.
“I think you all need some imagination!” I shouted at them.
I laid on the soft green grass taking shade under the majestic Sycamore tree. The sky above me was fascinating. I couldn’t help but to smile on the very sight and the very thought of me reaching for the clouds and eating it! Like a cotton candy!
But something was very odd. On one of the clouds that was shaped like a bear, I thought I saw someone sitting on top of it, waving a hand on me. I rubbed my eyes with my hands for I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was a white-haired boy my age – and he was flying towards me!
“Fly with me, Jean.” He said when he reached the ground. His hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were all white. His skin was like diamonds sparkling under the sun shine. His clothes were all white, too, yet they look dashing and shining. He extended his hand. Because of my amazement, I couldn’t say a word. Without hesitation, I placed my hands on his, and together we flew towards the sky.
“I don’t understand! Who are you?” I asked him. His hand was so warm and he was smiling all the time.
“I am the guardian of the clouds! Everybody calls me the Cloud Guardian.” He said as we landed on the bear-shaped cloud. “I am giving you a trip to my kingdom because I heard your thoughts, Jean. Thank you for thinking that the clouds are fascinating! They truly are!”
“This is amazing!” I jumped in excitement, but a question suddenly came to me. “But what are the clouds truly made of, Cloud Guardian?”
“Why, they are made of every children’s imagination of course!” He declared. “Without your creative and colorful thoughts, there wouldn’t have been any clouds up here! The sky is the storage of your imagination! And I am guarding them from the thoughts of the wicked. Those dark thoughts turn these fluffy clouds into black and gray. To turn them to white again, I have to squeeze those dark-colored clouds one by one to remove the wicked thoughts away! I return them back to the ground in the form of rain! But they are wicked no more, for I feed them to the plants so they could grow!”
“Amazing! I didn’t know that!” I said in amazement.
“And oh, did I mention these clouds are also made of cotton candy?” He winked.
“I knew it! I knew Lily was wrong!” I declared. “Can I have some?”
“Help yourself, Jean!” He giggled.
I quickly took a handful of cotton candy on the cloud where I stood. It tasted heavenly! I’ve never tasted anything like it. I couldn’t stop myself from eating. My mouth was so full.
“Jean! Be careful” Cloud Guardian shouted. “You’ll fall down!”
I looked down on my feet and realized that I had eaten all the cotton candy on where I stood! I then realized that I was sinking down and was about to fall. At last, the cloud gave up on my weight and I started to fall. I shrieked to the tip of my lungs when I heard someone calling my name.
“Jean! Jean!” The voice said. I woke up only to find Lily desperately trying to shake me. “Wake up, you silly! The class is about to start! And why are you shouting?!”
I stood up, looked around. Cloud Guardian was nowhere to be seen. I looked back to Lily and gave her a grin.
“You wouldn’t believe what happened.” I told her. “You should meet my friend Cloud Guardian. He will surely tell you that clouds are made of cotton candy!”
“That again?” She rolled her eyes. “Come on! The class is about to start!"
Fifteen years later, I still laugh at the memory of me insisting to the other kids at school that clouds are made of imagination and cotton candy. I also keep on telling them that they are being guarded by a boy who called himself Cloud Guardian. The thought never failed to make me laugh up to this day as to how wide and colorful the imagination of an innocent child is!
*This is my entry to Steemjet Writing Contest made by @olanrewaju. Thanks for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
Here's a precious quote for you:
The power of imagination makes us infinite.
-John Muir
STEEM ON!
Image Sources:
Lily
Cloud Image by @olanrewaju
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