Trip in a balloon.

Jesse, Marion and I were wandering in the fields behind Mr. Robertson’s. The gentle slopes were perfect for a Sunday morning walk and enjoying the company of my best friends. The fields were covered in short green vegetation dancing with the breeze’s compass, scattered trees and a bunch of white cotton clouds in the blue sky. The soft wind whispering in our ears and the smell of a fresh day and the tweeting of the birds completed the symphony.

We were talking about school and other light subjects, we were in grade eight, my eyes were delighted when I saw a hot air balloon blown full up not too far from us.  Before we knew it, we were running in that direction, screaming “Balloon!”  We were running with our hands in the air, simulating wings and pretending to fly.  It didn’t take long to get to where the balloon was.

Excitement was all over our faces when we arrived at the open field.  The balloon was light blue with pink, purple and black vertical stripes shapes. My heart was beating quickly from running and from seeing the majestic balloon rising in the air.  Three men were around the balloon, preparing themselves for the trip.  They were wearing leather jackets and leather tuques, like old pilots.  One of them was working the flame, starting and stopping it at regular intervals the others were working on arranging some boxes they had close by.

Slowly we got closer and closer, until they noticed us.  “Hi” we said at the same time, “Where’s you going?” Jesse asked them. The man who was working the flame said “We are going for a raid today, we are going South, the wind will takes us South”. In my mind I was wondering how we could ask them to give us a ride. “How many people can the balloon carry?” I asked.  We were getting close to the basket and we could smell the burned gas and the peculiar mix of hot air and the nylon fabric from the balloon.  As we got even closer, we leaned over the wicker basket, its texture was smooth and hard and it had a woven texture that my fingers wanted to follow.

“How many?” I asked again. “Just three,” the man said in a deep voice. As the balloon was getting more and more hot air, it was wanting to climb. “Kids,” he said “would you like to help us?” we looked at each other smiling “yes” in a chorus. “OK.  Climb in and help me keep the heat going while I help my friends finalize what they are doing, climb in.  And you,” he said looking at me “you pull this rope every one minute”. Before he was even finished talking, we were rushing into the basket and taking our positions.  The man smiled at us and walked over to help his friends.

Without thinking we untied the three ropes that were holding the balloon to the floor and the balloon jumped gently up. I pulled the rope and held it for a while and the balloon pulled us up even faster, the soft breeze was pushing us away slowly from the three men. We were flying.