The Old Lantern Dreams. 7. Farewell to Childhood

"TALES OF GHOSTS"

about Love and Death from the Land of Mists
a collection of short stories
in the “Playing Another Reality” series

"The OLD LANTERN's DREAMS"

7. FAREWELL to CHILDHOOD

Birthday is a sad holiday. It’s good that it doesn’t happen very often.

The guests, repeating the same wishes from year to year, had already gone. However, that time Peter felt an elusive Something leaving his life together with the guests, but forever, and he could neither stop nor return that Something. It left the boy alone with the enormous adult world, so unlike a fairy tale, while the teddy bear was boring in the armchair and waiting for Peter to pay attention to him, to caress him and say something kind and affectionate.

Immersed in sad thoughts, the boy moved the bear to his bed.

Suddenly someone sighed in the room. Peter turned around and noticed a little man on the windowsill, dangling his legs and shaking his head sadly.

The boy went to the window and, squatting down, looked at the stranger: a blue velvet suit, red boots with gold buckles, a red hood on his head…

“Hey!” Peter greeted the stranger. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

“I’m saying goodbye to you,” the stranger replied sadly. “Dwarves live with children until they grow up. I liked being your invisible friend and helper, because you’re kind-hearted, but you stopped believing in fairy tales, so it’s time for me to find another kid.”

“Wow! Can’t you stay?”

“I don’t want to get disappointed in you. You’ve grown up, your childhood is over. Earlier than I thought, but every child has his own path on Earth. However, you will believe in ghosts.”

He seemed to be reading the boy’s mind! Peter wanted to, but could no longer believe that the dwarf was not a dream. The boy even felt ashamed of himself. However, he really believed more and more in ghosts.

“Why didn’t you show up before?”

“To go away easier.”

“But I… I don’t want to grow up and be adult at all! I want to be a little boy forever!”

“You can’t do that, and you know it. Every fairy tale is bound to be replaced by something, perhaps by another fairy tale. This is the law of life, and if it didn’t exist, you would regret it, because the history loses its meaning without constant movement forward. However, I suggest that you quickly go to the Land of Dreams, where my little gift is waiting for you!”

Peter obeyed reluctantly and… found himself in the Magical Land where all the fairy tales lived!

The boy walked through that wonderful city, past gingerbread houses painted in bright colors, the Sun smiled at him with its rays, the joyful singing of birds was heard everywhere, the elves looked out from the flower petals and waved their airy wings to Peter. Many children were frolicking in the pedestrian streets.

Suddenly Peter noticed the hero of his favorite fairy tale, who didn’t want to grow up as well, but, unlike ordinary children, was able to remain a child forever.

“Hello Peter Pan!” the boy rejoiced. “Please, take me to your Island! I want to be just like you! And to fight the pirates! And to play with your friends, the lost kids!”

“Sorry, I can’t,” Peter Pan smiled. “This is wrong. You should always be yourself and live your own unique story. Believe me, this is much more interesting than playing the same role in an already known in advance fairy tale! However, I’ll reveal you a little secret: Time doesn’t exist. It is conditional and relative. You will learn to manage Time when you realize that it doesn’t matter how old you are on Earth, the main thing is who you feel you are…”

1989–90