Jonathon Quest slowly opened his eyes. He rolled over in bed and stared blearily at the digital clock on his bedside table. 1.30 AM. The date at the side showed one of the emptiest days in his life.
Mother's Day.
Jessica Bannon yawned and stretched as she walked out of her room. Way too early to be up, but she needed a glass of water. Trooping downstairs, she poured herself a glass of water, gulped it down and placed the empty glass in the sink. Then she proceeded back upstairs.
The whole Quest Compound was quiet, but as she passed Jonny's room, she heard an odd noise. She paused outside his door, then turned the knob and walked in quietly. In the darkness, she could make out Jonny's form on his bed.
"Jonny?" she called out.
His head snapped up from where it had been buried in his pillow and looked in the direction of her voice.
"Jess?" His voice was hoarse from crying, and Jessie didn't miss it.
"Jonny, are you crying?"
"No." His voice hardened. "No."
He lay down and turned to face the other way. "I'm fine. Just leave."
Jessie hesitated, then weaved out the door, closing it behind her.
Later that morning…
Jonny cracked his eyes open for the second time that morning and saw the sun just rising. Rolling out of bed, he walked over to his study table and opened the top drawer. After rummaging in it for a while, he pulled out a surprisingly clean, smooth and uncrumpled sheet from the bottom.
After changing into his usual black T-shirt and blue jeans, he folded the paper and put it in his back pocket.
Quietly, he made his way downstairs. Once he was out of the house, the morning breeze greeted him and ruffled his blond hair. As he walked along the shore, his bare feet kicked at the warm surf. Finally, he reached his destination: the cliffs. He sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge.
"Hi Mom," he whispered to the soft breeze. "How're you doing? I'm fine, Dad's okay too. Bandit's getting fat; maybe I've been giving him too many biscuits." Jonny smiled to himself.
"School's getting pretty tough, but Jessie and I are handling it okay, I guess. You know what, Mom? I really miss you. After all these years, I still miss seeing you when I wake up in the morning, I miss the sound of you making breakfast… You know what else, Mom? I'm scared that…that I'll forget you. I'm afraid that once I forget all the little things about you, the memory of you will fade altogether. I never want to forget you. Mom…would you forget about me?"
His only answer was the sound of waves breaking and crashing on the jagged rocks below.
"It's Mother's Day, Mom. I wrote something for you…it's not much, but I remember that you always told me that it's the thought that counts."
Jonny took the paper from his pocket and gently started folding it into an aeroplane.
"I'm sending this via air mail. I don't know if letters need any postage to reach Heaven…but I just hope you get the message in it."
Jonny stood up and launched the white aeroplane with all his strength. A breeze came along and played with the aeroplane, like a kitten would play with a ball of yarn. He watched it dance on the breeze as he remembered what he had written inside.
These paper planes I fly for you today.
I meant to fly some everyday,
But there was always homework,
And a thousand other things;
My planes are broken birds with pinioned wings.
I've thrown my last one now.
I hope the wind will lift its wings to you,
And you can judge how well
I've tried to make my planes.
If only my spirit could be airborne like yours was…
I suppose you're happier now,
Riding on your imagination's flight,
Away from the dull earth you understood better
Than I do.
Poor pieces of paper
Are all I have left for you.
When the wind was done toying with the aeroplane, it went into a nosedive, landing on the choppy waters below. As the water drowned the plane, the words in it were carried up to Heaven on the quiet wings of the wind…
"I love you, Mom."
Copyright Gerri 2000
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