“Let’s go Harold." It was a hot day at the beach.
“Don’t go too far Charlie” shouted Mom.
I waived at her, “I love you too Mom, I’ll be alright”
Harold and I walked by the water quietly kicking the odd rock and splashing the water against the gentle waves. On a rock by the water there was a seagull, “She looks friendly” I said to Harold who acknowledge with a shake of his head. Harold is not chatty.
“Hi, I am Charlie Moore and this is Harold, what’s your name?” I shouted to the seagull as we approached.
“Hi Charlie and Harold, my name is Lilly. Are you enjoying this beautiful day?” she said with a smile.
“We came with Mom and Dad, to play in the water. What are you doing?”
“Oh, just taking it easy, watching around.” said Lilly.
“I’ve always wanted to fly Lilly, I wondered how does it look from above?”
“Ha, Charlie is different from above, you dominate the whole world from above.”
“I’ve always wanted to fly, do you think you can teach me.” I asked as I raised my shoulders.
Harold sat watching me with his typical face of disapproval.
Lilly looked around and then look at my eyes and said “It’s easy if you really want to fly I can teach you.”
“Yuuppy!” I jumped of happiness. I sat right beside Lilly. “What do I need to do to fly like you Lilly?”
“First of all stand on the sand there.” She pointed with her wing. “Do you know where the wind is coming from Charlie?” she asked.
“Yeah, I can feel it in my face” I yelled excited with my eyes almost closed.
“Open your arms, like they were wings and lean forward.” She said.
“Now this is what is most important,” she said in a lower voice “how bad do you want to fly Charlie?”
“I want to fly Lilly, I want to fly” I screamed jumping.
“OK, keep facing the wind with your arms opened, close your eyes and think hard, put your thoughts in your belly. Don’t open your eyes until I tell you. Do you understand Charlie?” she said quiet excited and walking from one side to the other of the rock. Harold looked up interested.
“I understand Lilly, here I go...” I took off the ground really easy, I felt I was flying in the air. I opened my eyes and I plumed into the water.
Lilly was laughing and holding her belly with her wings. Harold runed into the water to get me.
“Are you OK Charlie Moore?” he barked at me. “You are always getting in troubles, what is that I am going to do with you Charlie Moore? ”
The water was not that cold, and Lilly couldn’t stop laughing. Three other seagull friends of Lilly came to the commotion, they landed nearby squawking loud. She looked at me seriously and said. “Come here Charlie, now this time you will do what I say. Do you agree? I’m having a great time with you guys.” And she continued laughing loud. The other seagulls stopped squawking.
“One more time Charlie Moore, Face the wind, stretch your wings, bend down a bit and concentrate hard with your eyes closed thinking that you can fly! Now Charlie!!” she shouted with a commanding voice. Harold took his place close to Charlie and the other seagulls were following Lilly’s instructions as well.
I got in position, closed my eyes and put all my effort concentrating in wanting to fly. I felt my feet leaving the ground, the sensation of flying was so cool. I kept my eyes closed. I felt the other seagulls flying besides me but I didn’t want to look. I don’t know how long was flying until I heard Lilly whisper on my ear. “Open your eyes Charlie Moore, don’t be afraid of the height, just enjoy the flight.”
I slowly opened my eyes and a sensation of emptiness invaded my belly for a second. “Just fly Charlie, there is nothing to be afraid of now, I am here with you.” Lilly said in a comforting voice. She was flying right beside me looking at me in my eyes, giving me confidence. The view from above was amazing I have never imagined that the ground was so different from above. I was flying over the water, high enough that I could see on my side the beach I left behind moments ago. I could see the trees, the houses, the roads, the people everything.
“How do we turn around Lilly?”
“Simple, just lean to that side with your head and you will turn, to go down, gently lean your head down and you will go down. Watch out, going down you gain speed and we don’t want to fly that fast just yet Charlie.”
“Yes Lilly, thank you this is fantastic, I am having so much fun.” I said super excited. I started trying turning to one side and then to the other it seems easy. I tried going down, I went really fast, my eyes began to cry so I lean my head up to slow down. I was doing really well.
“OK Charlie Moore, our first lesson will end with a landing. Now listen to me carefully, landing is not that easy as taking off. You need both eyes wide open so you don’t crush in the floor, you need to go down and reduce your speed at the same time, it’s tricky at the beginning but with a couple of landings you are going to be an expert Charlie.”
“Understood” I said.
“One more thing Charlie, follow me and you will do exactly what I do, understand? Ha! I almost forgot to tell you, we always land against the wind. Can you tell where is the wind coming Charlie?”
“Not really Lilly, not really.” I said concerned.
“Easy, just look at the trees, the branches, the ripples in the water, anything you can see moving with the wind. This time just follow me.”
