I
I remain still, bored, looking at the time just passing by, watching how the nearby trees cast their shadows on the brownish ground, and how they enlarge themselves as the sun sets far on the horizon. It’s that time of the year where all the trees are golden, instead of wearing the glamorous green colors that embellish them during the spring and summer. Hanging from a branch, I take a look around. Nonchalantly, I stare at the leaves beside me. They all have a different coloration; some are brownish gold, others are darker, with specks of yellow and orange. I look at myself. I am just a plain, brown leaf.
Nothing exciting has happened to me for the past few months, except for the day when that cat with the white spot on its eye tried to climb the tree. But right now, I am so bored that I start searching for some interesting activity I can perform. But, hanging from a branch is not precisely the better place to find things to do. So, I just listen to the sound the wind is making, without paying too much attention it. Little by little, the sound attracts my attention. It is steady, soothing to the ears. I feel movement; all the leaves, myself included, are dancing to the wind’s rhythm. I am amazed by its musicality, its tenderness, its sweetness. After a while, it starts fading slowly, and no sooner than later the leaves of my tree are sitting still again. I comment with my fellow companions about the wind’s visit, but none of them seems to be too thrilled; they like the wind, yes, it is certainly something special, yet, it is me the only one among them who has fallen in love with it. I hope he comes back some day soon.
II
Oh, yes! It’s back! Here comes the wind, can you hear it? Can you feel it? Ah, how it makes me move, I love dancing with it! Yes, I’ve caught its attention somehow. The wind has been visiting my tree very often lately... I wonder if its really interested in me. The wind and I talk for hours as I watch how some of my leaf friends start falling to the ground. I know I won’t fall down yet, my branch still holds me tightly, so, I’m not worried. Besides, the wind always promises it will be back next day to chat with me, and I go to sleep happy. I dream with it, no worries trouble my mind.
What?! Oh, the wind wants to take me with it! I... I just can’t! Look! The branch is still holding me! What if I fall down to the ground, just like the other leaves? Besides, I can’t just detach from my branch whenever I want- can I? No, I can’t go! Though... I really want to... Oh, I’m so confused! I don’t know what to do! ... Oh, god, the wind has stopped blowing! Hello? Are you there? Please answer! Yes, you are there, but you’re angry or sad, you’re just hiding from me, you don’t want to blow on me anymore, I can hear you, I can see how you make the leaves on the ground move, shift, change position...
III
I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go with the wind. I realized it was not the branch the one holding me; it is me the one who is grasping it too tight because I am afraid to fall, but my branch is not holding me anymore. I can let go whenever I please. So, I call the wind, and he comes, blowing merrily after hearing the good news. He says he will never let me fall down, we will always be together, and whenever I’m about to touch the ground, it will be there to lift me up. So, I decide to listen to what my heart says: Let go! Let go that branch and fly with the wind, it’s the best thing you can do! So, without any fear at all, I let go my branch, and start falling down slowly, but I never touch the ground. The wind is always there to save me, to tickle me with its gentle, invisible hands and to carry me up in its arms.
I would have never thought I could ever see such wonderful things and feel lots of great and new sensations! The wind takes me to places I didn’t even know existed! Oh, he helps me see how beautiful the world is! Here we go, flying together, flying so high we can almost reach out and touch the clouds. He tells me he will take me to the Sun, to the Moon and to the stars someday, and I can’t wait! I can’t imagine my life without the wind anymore, how dull and boring it would be.. how empty would I feel. But I’m sure this is going to last forever! The wind tells me so every time. I trust it blindly, I never stop to think there could be any problems between us because it seems impossible to me. What could go wrong?
IV
I feel so close to the sun, the moon and to the stars already because the wind has taught me what love is. Yes, I know I have never seen what the wind really looks like, or even touched it. You can’t really touch the wind, can you? But I know he’s out there, thinking about me and making me happy every day. Thus far I have only heard his voice, his soothing humming, which is the main thing that tells me he exists. But I keep hoping that someday I’ll see his face or that I’ll be able to stretch out and see what it feels to really touch him and not only be touched by him. In the meanwhile, it keeps lifting me up and up, I can see lots of houses from here, I can see lots of trees with no leaves at all, because of winter. I would have died as well, but the wind keeps me alive! It’s so precious to me that I’ve decided to spend the rest of my life by his side.
We keep flying until I lose sight of the houses.. all I can see now is a huge bluish thing that reflects the sunlight and seems to be in movement. The wind tells me it’s the ocean. I have never heard something similar! It explains to me what the ocean is, my god, the wind never ceases to amaze me with its intelligence, he knows a lot of stuff I don’t have any idea about! I know I can learn a lot from him, and that makes me very happy. My wise lover! Aww, he says he’s not sure about when I will ever see his face, but I really don’t care. I’m willing to wait the necessary time. I will wait. Wait.
V
What?! But... I don’t understand! The wind takes me all the way up here and now he wants to drop me down back to where we started? No! No! Please, tell me this is just a nightmare! Why? What made him change his mind? Was it something I did? Has the wind found another leaf, prettier and smarter than I am? Oh, please, please reconsider, wind! You are my world, you’re everything to me, don’t leave me alone! Can’t you see this is killing me? I’m crying! The wind doesn’t want to leave me either, but then why is he telling me all this? Again, he’s so wise and I am too stupid to understand its reasons. I don’t now if I ever will understand them anyway... I see it is lost now, there’s nothing more to do or say. I’m so sad!
I’m falling! I’m falling down, and I’m SO scared! This is even worse than falling from that tree branch! The wind had lifted me up so high and now I must fall down all the way! I’m falling! I can still feel his presence as I fall down, if he hadn’t been there I would have fallen straight to the floor, but no. I go down, twirling, changing path now and then, something I wouldn’t have done had the wind not been there. He tries to make the fall less painful for me, I can see. He thinks about what’s good for me, and tries to ease my pain, but I’m too hurt I don’t see the wind’s efforts. All I see is a life of love, dreams and happiness being carried away by the wind. I’m blinded. But... what do I see now? Oh, gods! I’m falling down into the ocean! It’s water! I’ll drown! I am going to die, please wind, don’t ignore me! Don’t be distant, can’t you see I’m dying?! I can see the water nearer and nearer! I’ll fall in it! I’ll die! I’ll- What? I’m not dying... the water feels soft, the fall didn’t hurt at all... I can feel the water all right, and it’s not hurting me. I float! I float! Oh look, the ocean is playing with me! Geez, I’m all wet now! This is fun! I think the ocean likes me! It’s friendly, and unlike the wind, I can touch and see the ocean! I like it here!
VI
The ocean and I are playing. We’ve grown fond of each other, even though I still look for the wind when I listen to his music. We talk now and then, but it’s not the same. The wind misses me as much as I miss him, and sometimes I wish I could fly with him again, but that’s impossible. The wind would have to blow on me a lot so as to dry me, but the wind is merely blowing. I try to sit on his path to dry a little, but it’ll change direction. My place is in the ocean now. Sometimes the wind comes back unexpectedly and tries to take me away, but, I’m all wet now, and I’m too heavy for the wind to pick me up.
***