Old Tim and the Sky Lantern [English - Short Story]

-3-

Thin threads of rain fell on earth like Cupid's arrows. Lexi welcomed them with raised hands, like a child that was playing under it for the first time. She was laughing, but her eyes were shedding tears, which she thought was perfectly hidden by the rain. But aside from her, someone above the clouds knew she was crying, and he was watching her at the moment.

When Lexi went home soaked, her mother scolded her. She stormed into her room and threw away her cap. She shut the door as she leaned back on it, sliding down to a sitting position. If it was her brother, she knew her mother's reaction would be exactly different. Their mom would welcome him with concern. Of course, he was their precious son while she--Lexi--was the worthless daughter. Her mother didn't even remember it was her birthday. She sobbed with this thought. For many years, Lexi had been dreaming of a fairytale-like debut party, but none of her parents cared about what she liked, what she dreamed. All their plans were exclusively for her elder brother Matthew. Was it her fault she wasn't born in her parents' gender preference? What was the difference between a male and a female child? A son and a daughter? These cluttered her mind while she was sitting still by the door, pouring emotions to herself like before. She always kept everything to herself because she feared to trust anybody, for if her own parents rejected her, what more to expect from the others.

Through her room windows, Old Tim glided toward Lexi. He knelt down beside her, looking at her soaked clothes. Then, he embraced her.

"Please don't cry, Lexi,"  he whispered.

Lexi felt a gentle air enfolding her that soothed her emotions. Suddenly, she felt warmth and soon was surprised to find out that her clothes had dried up. Goose bumps covered her body. She rose from the floor, trying to figure out what miracle had happened.

Old Tim studied her reaction, and he realized that he shouldn't have done what he did. After all, it wasn't his duty as a Guardian of Time. Meanwhile, he heard a long sound of a horn: a signal that it was time to go back to the Time Tower, and so he left.

The Guardians of Time were already assembled in the sky to begin the sunset when Old Tim arrived at the tower. He tried to join the rank and flew toward them but was stopped when he saw that the sun was beginning to set. Floating in the air, not too far from his fellow Guardians, he watched them moving the sun toward the west while the others pulling the moon and the stars to their positions in the sky. It was the sacred duty for a Guardian of Time like him, but for the first time, he wasn't a part of it. Old Tim felt liquids running down his face. He touched his cheek and uttered in disbelief, "Tears?"