There's balloons and balloons, and one for everybody

The sky was an azure blue. Heraldic and tinctured. The woods were dark and must be cold. What do you choose? Which direction do you take?

You were one of the many balloons that were tied with a cotton string. Held tightly in the dirty fist of the little girl who’d saved up all her money to buy balloons. Handing over the grimy coins, she was told she could choose eight of them.



You’d never seen a happier child. A dirtier one too, but well, happy anyway.
She began choosing them one by one. She had all the time in the world. It was then that you knew when you saw her shining eyes that you wanted to belong to her. While the other times you hid behind the blue and red ones that got picked first, this time you strutted forward, “Pick me. Choose me”, you nestled closer to her hovering fingers.

When she touched you, you know for sure. It was a touch that caressed. You’ll keep the air longer for her, bounce merrily in the wind for her… stay alive longer just for her.

When she held the string that tied you and the others tightly in her fist, it hurt a little. You knew but that she held it so, because she didn’t want to lose you. Her eyes still shone with the joy and you skipped happily along with her. After all, one is made to bring joy to the others…

It was the first thing she ever bought. Out of her own hard earned money; chores around a wedding that happened, running messages between lovers, selling flowers... Every penny that she’d saved, she’d done so to buy you and when she puffed out her chest and showed you off to her friends, you puffed up a little more too and beat a tattoo with the wind.

You stayed so for three days. Longer than the other seven. You wanted to stay longer… but the strength and vitality no longer was taken for granted. Even balloons grow old…

You were her favorite and you felt good about it. She played with your every night. Carefully so, so that you wouldn’t fall and prick yourself on the nails on the wall, on the sooty lamps that were around or fall a prey to her envious neighbors.

Your strength left you each passing day, but you did your best. When she untied you and blew her hot breath tainted with spit, you could have popped with joy. Or you didn't pop because of your joy.

You worried over the pennies that she was saving again. You worried over the smiles on her face when she counted her savings everyday. A foreboding feeling. Even balloons have feelings…

When she came home with glass bangles on her wrist, you knew you’d been replaced. How could balloons replace bangles or vice versa? Ah- we are talking about attention here. The red and golden bangles on her wrist made her eyes shine. Every night after she came back from work, she would put them on and watch them shine in the light of the sooty lamp. They would clink merrily and roll on her arm. You knew you’d make a better bangle, because you’d be redder and clink louder without breaking; but just for her.

Love is such a silly thing. Even balloons have a heart…

The cottages were at the side of the woods. All of them looked alike. Shabby, dirty and cluttered. And full of life.

It was the boy next door, who’d always pull her hair who’d cut the string and carried you to the field, walking till the edge of the woods.

Bright colored balloons dotted the sky. You could see them.



When he let you go, you weren’t really sure. It was painful living on seeing her rub her red bangles with the same love she once touched you with. But go where? You were tired already. Watching your love go unnoticed is exhausting.

You’d never reach those bright ones up there. You’d even faded in color from what you once were. Dull and lifeless. Almost.

The woods were lovely dark and deep. Ah- that was almost poetry. But for sure some poet must have said that already. The best ideas were already taken...always…

They were dark and deep. Lovely, you really didn’t know.

You fluttered slowly towards the woods. You didn’t want anymore heartache and pain. No more love and no more loving.

Pine needles are sharp. It hurt when it pricked your almost saggy body.

Everything’s just rubber and air ultimately.

With a tired sigh, the air inside you joined the air outside. A sigh of two people who’ve been apart too long… There are lovers everywhere.

And they lived happily ever after.