Introduction
The little yellow kite was now starting to slowly ascend in the deep blue sky. Bobby was holding the wire nervously, painfully scampering and wishfully hoping that the kite would not crumble on the ground.
-"Am I doing it well Uncle Charlie? The kite won't fall right?" The little boy asked the balding middle aged man running next to him.
-"No you are doing just fine, just keep running and it will fly high!" Charles answered, looking as preoccupied by the kite as his eight year old nephew and remembering his own desperate attempts at kite-flying.
As the kite was rising higher, a smooth breeze started to blow, the kite tumbled down, Charles sighed and Bobby ran faster, unwilling to let the wind spoil his fun. Charles was relieved when the kite ascended again, matching its previous altitude.
-"I am good at it right Uncle Chuck. I bet that I am better than you at flying this thing". Bobby's playful scorn stroke a vicious blow at Charles' pride.
-"Give me this kite bobby, I will show you how it's done". Charles answered, uneasily faking a cocky smile.
The child then handed down the flimsy wire to Charles. As he took the kite in his shaky and tired hand, Charles took a deep breath. What a pity, Charles thought, that a ripe man like him can be so anxious at the simple idea of flying a child's kite. Charles focused deeply:
-"Don't worry Charles, you'll make it-he thought to himself- there is not any tree in sight, the wind is quite feeble, you have grown up Charles there is no way you can't pull this off."
-"come on uncle chuck. I'm dying of boredom right now. "Bobby insisted
Charles closed his eyes and started to run, trying not to think about the thousands ways the kite could fall, crumble, drop or collapse, trying to forget about the snarky look on his nephew's face.
Charles sped up and to his surprise the kite's wire was unraveling before its very eyes, he quickly glanced behind him and, lo and behold, the kite was fleeting elegantly in the sky above him.
Charles could not believe it, for the first time in his life, he finally managed to do it.
Charles knew that taking pride in flying a kite was certainly a most pathetic feeling for any well-rounded person and that this miserable deed would not suddenly erase his misfortunes but as of now, the flashy yellow object was dancing with the clouds and it was all that mattered to him.- That and the impressed look on his nephew's face-.
Charles felt like nothing could reach him now and started to race aimlessly, the wire firmly in his hand, all of his troubles were now far, as far as the clouds above the toy kite. He closed his eyes, chuckling awkwardly. The world seemed to wither away all around him.
For once he was happy and proud. Memories came back to him, happy memories from a time long gone; he could even hear again the faint barks from his regretted dog running alongside him.
As he was hurrying up the barks grew louder and louder. For a brief time, Charles 'reminiscence felt almost real, he was once again this merry round-headed boy and he sure did not want to turn back into this jaded, aging man. Then Charles opened his eyes again and his cheerful daydream disappeared. Here he was, a frail man of 40 years old trying to prove his worth to an 8 year old kid who loathed him.
The next thing he heard was a loud crack and an unknown force pulled him from behind. Charles turned back desperately wondering what could be so cruel as to mercilessly crash his childhood dream and then he saw it.
In the middle of the grass a massive tree was standing fiercely, the sole tree in the whole horizon. In its branches the little yellow kite was deeply engulfed as were Charles 'treasured memories. It was as if the tree's presence was self-evident; after all how could he imagine that flying a kite without encountering any tree would be even possible for him.
-"I told you chuck, that I was better than you at this thing. Let's come home now, mom has certainly made dinner." Bobby admonished, suddenly looking every bit like his mother.
-"Good grief" Charles moaned.
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