Flash Fiction #18

As I said in the previous post, I'm writing on a tablet. This is a first. I'm really not sure how it will look like, and I'm not used to typing on a tablet compared to a desktop. Forgive me on that. I thought of this idea when I looked at a painting. :) Hope you enjoy!

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Today seems like a nice day. The bright sun shining overhead in the clear sky. I'm particularly jealous on the weightlessness of birds flapping their wings through the wind. It seems so fun for them to fly and feel the air surround them. All I can do is to be stuck on the ground, and just hopping to get to places. If I could be reborn, I wanted to be a bird than a frog. I keep these secret thoughts to myself because all of my family and friends think I'm crazy to want to fly. They always tell me that we have an advantage over birds, and that is we can swim.

I wasn't convinced until that fateful day.

I had crept up to a lone robin perched on a low branch, possibly looking for something to eat. I was watching closely at every movement and action to try to learn from the robin. I thought I was being sneaky until the robin turned his head to look at me peeking from the trunk. "Who's there?" he asked, worried. "I know you're there, whoever you are."

I took a nervous hop out to show myself, and bowed. "I'm sorry. I was watching you because I was curious on how you fly. Ribbit."

The robin laughed. "Why would you be curious on flying, little frog? You don't have wings like me."

I said with wide eyes, "is that how you fly, ribbit? I don't have those." Then I took a look at my webbed legs and feet.

The robin nodded, then asked, "why are you curious about flying, little frog? You're the first one that I met to express that desire."

I hopped closer to him, difficult to hide the grin on my face. "Swimming is boring and small. Flying looks so fun and there's no restriction on where you go! Ribbit!"

"Flying is as restricted as swimming. We can't go anywhere as you imagine." The robin laughed again. "But I have a secret to tell you too. It's a little embarrassing so I never told anyone else."

I looked up, surprised and curious what was the robin's secret.

The robin glanced up at the sky as he said, "I always wanted to swim too. I see your family and friends look so happy and fun while swimming. Besides when it gets hot, I want to take a dive too."

After the robin told his secret to me, I thought he was just like me and curious about others different from either of us. I couldn't help but smile at meeting a like-minded individual that day. I said carefully, "we can't change who we are, or what we do but can we meet here everyday? You're the first one to share the same idea as me. I'm very curious to know more about you and flying."

"Me too. I would like that too." The robin chirped in agreement.

Then I heard my sister yelling from a distance, "where are you, Croak?! Mom and dad are worried about you."

I turned back to look at the robin, agitated. "I should get going. Tomorrow, same time here?"

"I'll be waiting here just like today." The robin nodded, then said after I started to leave, "my name is Hyperion. Nice to meet you."

"Bye, Hyperion. Nice to meet you, ribbit." Then I continued to hop my way home, impatient for the next day to see my new bird friend again. Ever since that day, I started to appreciate being a frog because I got to meet Hyperion. I learned to accept the advantage of swimming since it was something that birds can't do. I never had that thought of jealousy again because of that day.