Silver Wings


  

       
    We find ourselves in a little southern town in México.
   There is a house surrounded by a garden filled with bright flowers, trees and tropical plants. Pink clouds color the sky and a soft perfumed breeze cools the earth. Six o’clock in the evening. Complete silence.

Time and space stand still.

 

   In this house lives a seven year old girl. Her parents work in the city. She plays alone; she speaks to her dolls and invents stories. She is very lonely. Her long blond hair falls straight to her shoulders.




    Vanesa enters her bedroom. The window is open. She observes the green ravine. She listens to the whispering stream. The sun is slowly sinking. She waves goodbye to the clouds, the birds, the flowers and the sun. Sighing peacfully, she speaks to God:

 

–Lord, you can do anything. Help me to become a fairy child able to grant the wishes of other children. Please give me swift wings and a magic ring which will light up whenever I am needed. I know you have angels to do your bidding but I confess I have never seen them nor would. I know how to call them to my aid.



    Her eyes are closed tightly. She knows he is listening. The sincere pleas of children are closest to his heart. Suddendly a tiny pair of silver wings sprouts on her back. A luminous ring appears on her finger.

 

   The wings flutter rapidly. The fairy child flies out the window and high into the sky.

 

   How beautiful everything is from such heights. How wonderful to feel the wind in your face, to see the earth as a spinning sphere. How marvelous to fly...Fly!

 

   Silver Wings turns toward the north. Mountains, volcanos, rivers, lakes, desert... more mountains.

 

   Flying above a grand city, the ring emits a golden glow. Silver Wings descends. A child is in need.

 

   The sun has set. In the city of New York lights are spreading.

Tiny, shining lights in constant motion.



    She searches for the child. There, sitting on the edge of a curb is a small, sad boy. His dark hands cover his face. He is sobbing.

 

   Silver Wings approaches silently:

 

–What is wrong? Has anything happened to you?

 

   No answer.

 

–Why are you crying?

 

   The child removes his hand and a tear-filled eye appears.

 

–Who are you?

 

–A fairy child. My name is Silver Wings.

 

–Do you live around here?  I have never seen you before. 

 

–I live in México.

 

–Is that far away?

 

–A bit more toward the south but still in America. Tell me, little one, why are you like this.

 

–Iike what?

 

–Weeping.

   

 

  

    John, this is the boy’s name, answers after loudly blowing his nose:

 

–I want the impossible.

 

–Nothing is impossible for a child who has faith.

 

–Foolish girl!  I behave myself. I have faith but I also have this black skin.

 

   Silver Wings emraces him.

 

–So, you want to change the color of your skin.

 

–So, why not?

 

–What color would you like: red, yelow, brown...?

 

–White would suit me fine. What do you say to that?

 

–Nothing at all. Do you really thing you would be happy that way?

 

–Happy? I would be so happy I would never ask for anything again in my life. Not even a birthday cake.

 

   The fairy child, pensative, speaks:

 

–John.

 

–Yes?

 

–I think I am going to try.

 

–Try what?

 

–Try to see if you can sustain your promise.

 

 John leaps to his feet.

 

–Of course I can! I know what I want. Will you help me to become white?

 

   Silver Wings whispers almost secretly:

 

–You shall be white for two hours. If the idea and the color suits you, I shall ask for you to remain white.           

 I must warn you, this will not function unless your wish is sincere.

 

–If sincerity is the question. Stop worrying. Sincerity you have!  

What must I do?

 

–Sit. Close your eyes. Think of nothing.

 

   John moves his arms and blinks his eyes. He is finding it hard to believe this is happening.

 

–Now, let me see. You want me to sit down. Done!  Close my eyes.      

Done! Think of nothing. Done!  Hey!  This is easy!

 

   Then as if realizing that this is far from being a game, he asks timidly:

 

–Silver Wings, what if this really works.

 

   Silver Wings does not answer. She removes the magic ring and places it over the boy’s heart as she chants:

 

–Change is yours, do not doubt

   Take the ligth from my ring

   The swiftness of my wings

   Skin of John, turn inside out.

 

   The child becomes lighter and lighter. He opens his eyes, looks at his hands and leaps in the air shouting:

 

 

 

 –I am so happy!  More than happy!  Look at me, I am so handsome!

 

Silver Wings shows him his reflection in the magic ring:

 

–What, is this really me?  How strange!  I seem to be someone else ?   

Now what do I do?



 –Whatever you want to do. Your wish has been granted.

 

   Jhon disappears around the first corner. How will Silver Wing’s first mission end? The earth continues to spin on its axis. The fairy child entertains herself watching the neon signs. One hour goes by. She prayes all is going well.


    The second hour is coming to an end when John appears around the corner. Silver Wings has the feeling he is not as happy as when he left. What is more, his face is painted black!

 

–John, what have you done?

 

   The child whines:

 

–Oh, how I have suffered. Tell me, Silver Wings, can I be me again?

 

–Inside you still are.

 

–That is precisely the trouble!  I am only white outside. I had to paint myself with shoe polish.

 

–Silver Wings was worried.

 

–Why did you paint yourself?

 

–Nobody wanted me with this new color. My own mother didn’t even know me. I embraced her lovingly and told her how happy I was to be white. 

 

 

 –What did she say?

 

–She cried. She said black people were good people and it was not necessary to change the color of one’s skin to find happiness.

 

   The fair child hugged John.

 

–Did your Daddy see you?

 

–Yes, he laughed. He laughed hard saying I looked like an unbaked cookie.

 

–Nobody liked you like this?

 

–Nobody!  Even my dog barked and wouldn’t come close to me.

 

–And your brothers and sisters?

 

–They looked at me as if they were seeing a rare animal.

 

–What about your friends?

 

–I don’t have anymore!

 

   Sobbing, John continues:

 

–If I went to heaven today, I’m sure they wouldn’t recognize me, either. Isn’t that so?

 

–I don’t know, John. I really don’t know.

 

   John: pleaces his hands on his cheeks as he pleads:

 

–Be good, Silver Wings, make me a black child again.

 

   The fairy child holds the ring over John’s heart again as she sings:    

           

 –Change is yours, do not doubt

  Yours is the light from my ring

  The swiftness of my wings

  Once again, switch John about!

 

   John became a boy again.



 Silver Wings wraps her arms around the boy, saying:

 

–You know John, children are like flowers. All of us are beautiful even though we have different colors.

 

–Oh, Silver Wings, will you return to visit me soon again?

 

–I promise, John. Now, I must leave. Goodbye, dear John.

 

–Goodbye, Silver Wings.

 

   The fairy child rose swiftly in the air and flew to her home in México where she awaits the calls of other boys and girls in need.