In one breathless motion, she maneuvered herself around the boy. She caressed his dark curls of hair as he fumbled through the puzzles he was playing on the rock. Soft rushes of cool water splashed against the hard stone. She tried to gain his attention but he wouldn’t face her.
Desperately, she placed herself next to him and whispered slow, mesmerizing lullabies that she had once sang to him but he wouldn’t look up. Instead, he continued to play with his puzzles.
The sun was fading slowly. Hues of magenta and auburn blended in the sky. For a while, the boy paused in his play and stared in awe at the scene before him. He glanced longingly at the flock of seagulls heading south. But soon, his eyes wandered back to his puzzle where he hummed a tune to himself.
A tear lingered within the corner of her left eye. She reached out for him but withdrew for she was afraid of his response. There must be a way he would know.
Swooping around him, she tugged his shirt but he only saw it as a mere breeze and shook her off. She blew into his face but he showed annoyance in his expression and turned away from her. Heart-broken, she sat once again on the rock and sighed.
“Why can’t you see me?” she murmured.
At this, the boy looked up with his pitch-black eyes. At first, he thought he heard a sound; something like a whisper. She eagerly sat straight up.
“Maybe he does hear me”, she thought.
But then, he was back amusing himself with his stupid puzzle. She cried out in fury.
The boy’s name was heard. A young man with fair blonde hair called out to the boy. Quickly, he plopped the puzzle pieces inside the tin box and hurried towards the house. She trailed behind his steps and soon found herself in the house she loved. The lavender fragrance filled her nose. A fire crackled in the hearth next to her.
Soft satin curtains draped lazily over the windows. It was already night. Candles illuminated the kitchen that stood before her. She drew in one breath and followed the boy as he skipped along the flight of stairs.
Cautiously, she tip-toed her way to the youngster’s room. Opening the door ever so slightly, a field of stars greeted her from the boy’s ceiling. He was fast-asleep.
Kneeling beside him, she gazed at his smooth face. It was a beautiful sight to behold. She ran her fingertips against his forehead. He swarmed.
“Don’t”, he whispered.
She backed away, surprised.
“Can you hear me?” she questioned.
“Yes.” His eyes were still closed.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes. You are my mother.” A small smile tugged the corners of his small mouth.
“Then why did you ignore me today?”
There was a pause. She nervously waited.
“Because I can’t see you. You’re dead, Mother.”
His response was alarming. She stared at her little son. Her face was pale in the luminescence of the moon.
“I only feel you as a wind”, he continued.
His lips stopped as he drifted onto sleep, his dreams waiting to take him away. But she wasn’t ready for that. Feverishly, she tugged and shook him. She wanted to know more. But it was already too late. And then, something inside her felt strange. Her son’s room became blurry in vision and then a bright spark of light struck her. She felt like being hit by a tornado. Pain ripped through her body. Heat scorched her eyes. But then, tremendous joy filled inside, overcoming the pain, and no longer was she kneeling by her boy.
Rays of warm sunlight seeped through the curtains of the room. The dark curly-haired lad awoke and smelled the aroma of fried bacon and eggs. He smiled greedily and plopped out of bed.
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