Happy Story

As Mr. Eriksson drove down his 1936 classic open-roof Ford down the open country road with a sligthly bored pair of faces in the back seat, the WMA Montana radio station played the chorus of the legendary Coldplay song 'Yellow'...

"Its true look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine

look at the stars look how they shine for you
and all the things that you do".

Now, Mr. Eriksson was driving his 9 years and 9 years, 21 minutes young sons George and Jimmy to their grandparents' place in the country. It was a wondeful night with clear skies and a peppy breeze aided by the speeding car playing guess-what-this-shape-is with Jimmy and George's hair.

Adjusting the rear view mirror, Mr. Eriksson recognized the look of boredom on his young sons' faces. With a
knowing smile and deciding that keeping young boys tied down to their seats for too long is treason by the laws of any state, he pulled the car to a stop at the side of the open country road.
"Come out boys. I know you are bored. Go. Run. Be back in 20 minutes though, we have to reach granpa's place by dinner.", said Mr. Eriksson while moving out of the car and pointing to the open field on the side.

A pair of suddenly excited and looking more like themselves faces rushed and gushed out, ran to the edge of the field, looked back at their for a final nod and then, really started running. Like young boys of 9 years and 9 years & 21 minutes run. Both of them in skin tight tees and short shorts and with long, thin legs and exhilarated faces and gaping mouths to draw in the lovely country air. Looking up, at the open sky and far away stars, they ran. The picture of freedom, if any of us, knows what that feels like. Freedom.

It was a wheat field, with the wheat crop reaching only their knees. Though this is no ordinary field, mind you. Strange, yet mighty interesting things have been known to happen in this field. Mighty intersting in a good way.

As Jimmy and George ran to outrun each other, looking up at the washed-with-stars sky, almost at the same
instant, they tilted their heads down a little to shout at the top of their voices, "look!".To their left, was a circus tent with all the wondeful lights in the world. And at the gate to the gateway to the circus tent, stood a clown. Behind the red ball for his nose and his make-up though, was the face of the average grown-up. He was juggling wise-coloured balls, rolling his eyes as he struggled to keep up with the so-many balls. As the boys ran up to him and slid to a stop in baseball run completing fashion right in front of him, he started speaking...

"With me and this setting sublime,
the night says in mime,
all the world's a circus, boys
go on, run along, boys,
although,
listen, before you go,
in this life, in this game of poker,
like everybody else, don't be,
an aspiring-trapeze-artist joker"

With amused faces and excited about what might happen, the boys continued with their run. With the same looks of exhiliration in the same frame of picture perfect freedom.

As i said before, this is no ordinary field. Strange, yet mighty interesting things have been known to happen in this field. Mighty intersting in a good way. And exactly as the last time, almost at the same instant, they tilted their heads down a little to shout at the top of their voices, "look!".

To their right this time, was the most lovely icecream van. It said MagicFields icecream on the white background of the side of the van, in big bold letters, in red. The icecream man was just applying the finishing touches (cherries) to a pair of his masterpiece black currant icecreams in lovely cones.As the boys ran up to him and slid to a stop in baseball run completing fashion right in front of him, he handed the cones to the boys with the bestest smile a grown-up can manage. And, started speaking, just as the clown had done before...

"Here, feast on this icecream, boys,
go on, run along, boys,
although,
listen before you go,
in the freeway of this life,
take time out for icecream vans,
in this life full of strife,
allow for fun and sun tans,
and as you run along and depart from this van,
look ahead and find a singing countryman,
he'll tell you what to do,
run along, without any more ado"

And even more excited than before and positively merry from the icecream, they run, now looking straight ahead for the singing countryman. Young boys are young, by the way- don't get tired easily. And surely, after a few minutes of running straight ahead, there, under an invisible spotlight right above him, sat the countryman. His mysterious face glanced out from under his tilted country hat as the boys ran up to him and slid to a stop in baseball run completing fashion right in front of him. And, strumming on his guitar, he started singing...

"Though you think they are quite afar,
find your happyness, reach for the stars,
this is all i can tell you, boys,
go on, run along, boys,
though you think they are quite afar,
find your happyness, reach for the stars"

A little perplexed with their task, that they must reach the stars, the boys again started running. Straight ahead. But, after a few more minutes of running, they came to the edge of the field where they saw their father with the car. But, eager to complete their task, they ignored him standing there and kept on. But perplexingly, they reached the circus and the clown again. And there, as they came to stop, panting from their long (even for young boys) run, right in front of the clown, he spoke...

"Hmmm...go on, run along, boys,
back to where your father stands, o boys,
the stars you haven't reached, your happyness not yet found,
because in a circle, you've been goin' around,
he'll tell you what to do,
to reach your stars what you must do"

Now, a little bewildered, they ran. Back to where their father stood, arms folded. leaning on the side of the car and smiling.

"So, you are back, boys. I guess you are dying to find out what you must do next?"
"yes!!!", they shouted in unison.
And with his ever-so-large smile, he said, "Look up straight at the sky, boys. At the washed-with-stars sky. Doesn't it look like they are very very far?"
"yes!!!", they shouted in unison, again.
And continuing to smile his ever-so-large smile, he said, "Now, while looking up, close your eyes. Your stars are right here, with you, boys."
The closed-eyed boys smiled in understanding-young-boy fashion.

credits: Ms. Dhaliwal for "they are near if you close your eyes"