Child of Thunder and the World

"Was he afraid for others as well?" the old woman asked. The firefly smiled and nodded.

"Won't you be afraid for others if there's a chance you'll hurt them. In some way?"

"I will be but I'll try my best not to hurt anyone around me. I don't want to leave anyone," the old woman replied.

"That's the right answer," the firefly said. "But even still, that was the choice the child chose. He was afraid it would be too much for him at the same time, the burden was becoming too much for him-"

"And so he left?" the old woman asked. She stretched her arms as she yawned. The raging storm outside the cabin kept on. The lamp's lit stayed warm for the two.

"So sound disappointed," the firefly asked.

"I don't know. I just feel like, I sort of understand the child but.. I don't think I can fully place myself in his shoes. I know it will be troublesome for everyone and even to myself but I should have tried more."

"He did tried. The span of his wings never matured. His aching face always showed it when he tried to fly with everyone. He pushed himself further away from everyone sometimes closer to the ground and sometime somewhere in the sky no one could reach. He did all that, he tried to be normal, all the while retraining himself-"

"- But he must even try harder," the old woman said. "Restraining himself while trying to be normal?"

"He wanted to be normal, like everyone else. And so in the process, he hurt himself. He kept on. Until he could no longer."

"Hurt himself?"

"Only himself, no one else."

"Where is he now?"

"Who knows. He said he'd fly off to greater clouds where only he himself and some distant travelers would hear his flight."

"So he lived his life as a hermit then?"

"Yes. That is until he met with a firefly."

"You found him?"

"It was just a chance encounter. Apparently, it was him who found me."

"I wanted to know the details but first please tell me what happened to the child?"

"He was happy when I left him. He, actually, just needed someone to talk to."

"Everyone does. Especially those who are lonely and are going through something they can hardly bear."

"So what happened?"

"At first he asked me why I was sitting on top of a mountain. I don't quite remember why, but I guess I just liked scenery. Even on cold dark nights, the view was awesome. But I didn't tell him that. I'm quite a liar back then and so I told him, I was waiting for him. Something to jest him about and nonchalantly apologize to him once I became acquainted with him. Something like an ice breaker.

"You know what happened next? He just let out his wing in full span. I got blasted back since I wasn't fully aware of it. His wings were most amazing and pretty loud. But all I could say was he had a beautiful wing. Wings made of sounds are something one cannot see with eyes but hear with ears."

"Did he ran away after he saw you getting flung?"

"I don't think he saw me, after he stretched out his wings and me being flung away, after I went back to him, he was crying. I made him cry. I made a total stranger cry."

"You're a mischievous sort back then?" the old woman asked.

"Right now, I am as well," the firefly smiled.

"Why did he cry? I know for sure he wasn't crying because of you."

"He wanted-"

"Wait! Before that. You said he found you, right? Was he looking for you?"

"Fireflies stick out in the cover of darkness," the firefly said as he showed her his tail light.

"So he just got interested in a light from the darkness as he was traveling?"

"Apparently so," the firefly said. "You seemed to be much talkative right now, my dear friend?"

"I'm interested in your story," the old woman said. "You should be glad you're telling such a fantastic story even though you were hesitating earlier."

"Are you fine?" the firefly asked. "Do you need something else right now?"

"I'm alright," the old woman answered. "Please continue your story. What happened? Why was he crying?"

"Oh! Right, as you said earlier, he was lonely and he was bearing his problem all on his own. Something like a pair of ears would be nice change for a conversation. And so, I was there. And my ice breaker apparently broke through his walls. I wanted to apologize as he cry but suddenly he told me everything about him.

"His wings were a pain to everyone around him. Even though it stings a bit whenever he flies, he could bear it. His ears have grown accustomed to the loud crashes. Imagine hearing thunder every moment as you fly. Other than that, he told me of how he restrained himself while trying to be normal just like everyone else."

"Did he wanted to be normal?" the old woman asked.

"With a gift like his, he does. He saw his wings as curse," the firefly said. "He told me that he tried cutting them off but he couldn't. Nothing can break his wings except for himself. And so to remedy his desire to be normal, he restrained his wings. He tried so hard to never fully mature his wings. He bent it's crashing sound, more or less silence it. His efforts bore him flight in silence. But it was all too bothersome to him. And even so it was less deafening, those around him were still fearful."

"It was all in vain?"

"Yes."

"Why did he bothered to be normal?"

"Exactly, what I told him. And he answered me with: because I wanted to be with everyone."

"And what he did was totally opposite of what he wanted. He leaving everyone, that is."

"Well, the child was kind. That was his fault. He wouldn't want to bother anyone else. He'd rather be lonely than hurt anyone."

"He should never be normal!" the old woman angrily said. She coughed. The firefly tried to help her.

"Are you alright?" the firefly said but the old woman's palm stopped him. She nodded, she gestured she was fine.

"He should never be normal," the old woman said as she took a deep breath. "With wings like his, he should be happy."

"Say," the firefly said. "Would you mind telling me what you would have told him and what you would have happened next?"

"If I was there," the old woman said. "I'd slap him a sense or two. He should be proud of what he is. Strive not to be normal, since that wasn't him. And him cutting off his wings, what a terrible deed to do. His wings that were made of sound is spectacular in its own sense, what more they were made of thunder? If I had something like that, I'd go flying everywhere. And without worrying of anyone not noticing my entrance, just from my sound of flapping my wings, they know I'm coming."

"You'd be like a superhero or something?" the firefly asked.

"Yes! I'd used to help everyone, somehow."

"Still, I'd tell him that his wings are special and that he was special. And him wanting to be normal is a waste of his gift. It's a waste of being who he is. It's like denying one's own existence. It's pathetic. That child is pathetic. Even though he has amazing wings and all. He is pathetic."

"Are you sad for him?"

"He is pathetic and yet I feel pity for him. I'm sad for him. No one deserves to be alone. No one deserves to be like that. Did someone loved him?"

The firefly smiled to the old woman's question.

"I never told you he was never loved. I only said everyone was afraid of him. But no one hated him. He misunderstood the world."