Castles In The Air

       

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        “There!  There they are!  Do you see them?” she asked, pointing up in the air with one hand, holding mine with the other.  

        I looked up at the sky and saw nothing but clouds.  “Of course I do!  They're very pretty, lovebug.”

 

        She slapped my hand and giggled.  “Don't call me that, daddy.  That's a silly name.”

 

        “Well, you're a silly girl,” I retorted.

 

        “Then you're a silly dad!” she cheered, and she ran off towards the swing set.  I think I could live with that.

 

        I watched her ran off towards the playground and leisurely strolled her way, choosing to take a seat on a bench not too far off.  Her mother didn't like it much when I brought her here  —  the park.  But she was a city girl, never saw much green.  I don't blame her.

        After what happened here those months ago, I can't hold it against her.  Almost no one came here the first weeks after.  Still, she's safe here when I'm around.  She'll always be.

        I wouldn't say a word about it at home, though.  Wouldn't make that mistake again.

 

        “Daddy! Daddy!  You have to come push me higher!  I'm almost there!”  Guess reading the newspaper would have to wait until home.

 

        I got up from my seat and walked my way towards the swing set.  It must've been red at some point.  As red as a firetruck.  Now, it'd have to content itself with a paled brownish color.  That's city life, you suppose.  “What's up there, honey?” I asked her.  “Why do you wanna go there?”

 

        “I told you, daddy!  There's castles in the air.  A lot of castles!”  She rattled the chains and turned back to look at me.  There's no one in this world that could resist those eyes.  God, she's gorgeous at this age.

        I began pushing her seat, swinging just a bit further every time.

 

        “There's so many empty castles there!  I could be a princess, daddy!”

 

        I swung her again, the steel chains cold in my hands.  “And what about me then, huh?  Are you going to forget about this old man when you're a pretty princess?”

        I pushed, just a little harder than before and she laughed all the way up.

 

        “NO!  You have to come live with me in the castle!  I'll make you a knight.”

 

        I can't help myself but smiling.  Maybe it's this environment, or maybe it's just her.  Maybe it's me, being a sentimental old hack.  But that fantasy of hers is just amazing.  Normal parents have to tell their kids a story when they put 'em to bed.  But me?  I get to listen to my child telling me a story instead.  It just seems to good to be true sometimes.

        “A knight!  Great!  Then I'll protect you from the dragons!”

 

        As the swing set carried her up, she laughed again.  “You're being silly again, dad!  The dragons are nice!  You need to protect me from the evil queen!”

 

        I indulged her little fantasy.  “The evil queen?”  

 

        “Well, she's not really an evil queen,” she said. “She's the sister of one of the princesses who got really, really jealous and then she turned evil.”  She looked over her shoulder for just a second as she came down, and she smiled at me. “But it's okay, daddy, you don't need to worry.  One of the other princesses saved her!”

 

        “Did she now?”  In the corner of my eye, I saw the streetlights flicker on.  They were early, of course.  But it was about time to go.  I didn't want to be here with her at the wrong time.  Don't think anyone'd be making that mistake again, not anytime soon.

 

        “Yeah!  But you have to come with me, daddy!  And momma, too!  I don't want to become like that princess.”

 

        My attention snapped to again.  “Why not, honey?  I thought she saved the other princess?”  Maybe just a few more pushes, there'd be no harm in that.

 

        “She did, but she's really sad now.”  I didn't push as hard anymore.  She's a smart kid, she'd know we almost had to go.  

        “And why is that?”

 

        “Because her friends don't like her anymore.”

 

        The swing set creaked to halt.  “We should go home, lovebug, or momma'll be real mad at both of us.  You can tell me the rest of your story on the way home, okay?”

 

        Still perched on her seat, she nodded.  “Okay, daddy!”  

 

        I turned back to get my newspaper and for some reason I'm not quite sure of, I looked up at the sky.  And there, for just a moment, I could've sworn I saw a spire, and atop of it, long, waving strands of hair, dancing in the wind.  I rubbed my eyes with the palm of my hand but when I looked back, there was nothing there.

        I felt her lay her hand, tiny and frail, around my forefinger and she tugged at it.  We began walking.  

 

 

        “Her name is Twilight.”

 

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