Follow Your Heart

Walking out of the door, my eyes were assailed by a blinding light. Blinking furiously, I raised my hand to ward off the brilliant glow. Simultaneously, I noticed the mist coiling all around and became puzzled. It was supposed to be a hot summer afternoon.

“Wait a second...how’s the sunlight so bright even though the mist is so thick?” Shaking my head in bewilderment, I walked forward trying in vain to locate the sun. All I could see was the gradually thickening mist and the somehow omnipresent light.

Glancing back at the building behind me; slowly being engulfed by the wispy haze, helplessness bubbled up inside of me.

This was the fifth time! The fifth time my proposal had been rejected!

“Dreams always come true...you just have to believe in them enough.” I recalled making my way through a denser layer of mist.

“Ugh...‘Dreams’...What a load of crap!” I yelled, waving my arms madly as though I was tearing through the vapours...when a voice called out.

“Dreams aren’t worthless, kid. They are...the essence of life!”

I twisted towards its source and gasped in disbelief.

I was standing on a field in front of an airplane from the 1900s. And striding from the shade of its gigantic wings were two smartly-dressed men carrying bowler hats.

One of them, a tall, bald and clean-shaven man addressed me, “Hello, I am Wilbur-”

“And I,” The other man sporting an Italian moustache continued, “Am Orville-”

“Wright.” I finished for them, stunned.

The two genius inventors whom my father had told me stories of when I was just a little kid were standing in front of me. From childhood, I had been fascinated by airplanes...after all, which kid isn’t? And when my dad told me about the people who had built it...how could I not be drawn to them? The Wright Brothers were my childhood idols!

So, at the sight of them, a million questions that I wanted to know about their lives flooded my mind...but the words that tumbled out were, “How aren’t dreams useless?! Even you, my idols, faced so many setbacks!! But unlike you...I can’t face failure after failure!”

“We don’t remember any failures,” The Wright Brothers smiled at me, “We only remember learning.”

“You are special!” I spat. “Not everyone’s like you; I am not like you!”

I would never have imagined that if I could meet my idols my behaviour would be so obnoxious but at that moment all I felt was defeated.

Suddenly, feeling a familiar hand fall on my shoulder, I whirled around.

“Dad?!”

“Come with me,” his gruff voice echoed and the world fell away.

*****

An infinite azure ocean stretched in front of me.

We were on a beach. The beach. The last place my dad and I went for a trip.

“I miss you, dad.” By now I had figured out I was dreaming but I couldn’t help but ask out, “You always told me what to do...any advice now?”

I laughed dejectedly as I skipped a stone.

As I turned my gaze, the stocky profile that was so familiar yet distant greeted me. His deep-set blue eyes were peaceful...as they had always been. The thick walrus moustache fluttered slightly in the sea breeze.

“You are so scared of your own choices. Be like those Assassins’ Creed characters you like so much. Take a leap of faith.” He advised.

“Exactly what you said when you were alive, huh...” I teared up a bit, remembering old times. “Dad, did you ever acquire your goals?”

He looked out at the sea for a short while and then turned his back to me and began walking away. I thought I would not receive an answer when his gruff voice came to me, carried by the wind.

“I will when you do. My goal is seeing your dreams being fulfilled...Follow your heart, my boy, follow your heart...”

His voice lingered on as he disappeared into the mist.