My Blue Sky

Music from old times, dancing in the sky, pushed by the sweetest breeze, came to tickle me while I was still sleeping. It was soft, like when Mommy strokes my hair. The song felt funny and nice, like candy for my ears, and it made me wiggle in my dream. I yawned so big my mouth felt like a cave, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was floating. Floating way, way up high in the big, blue, beautiful sky.

Then I looked down at myself. My arms weren’t arms anymore. They were puff-puffs. Fluffy and white and round, like cotton candy. My legs were gone too. I looked all over my body and saw that I was a cloud. A real cloud. Me! I puffed myself bigger, and little wisps floated off me, curling like smoke rings. I tried to make them into a bunny, or a ball, but they wiggled away before I could finish. I laughed so hard I almost blew myself apart.

But then… I looked up.
And I saw them.
Big clouds. No, giant clouds. Huge mountains in the sky. Taller than buildings, wider than the park, maybe as big as the whole world. Some were bright white, glowing like marshmallows in the sun. Some were dark gray, heavy and serious, like elephants standing close together. They weren’t just floating, they were marching, rolling across the sky like a parade. And they were humming. Deep, rumbly humming that made my puff-body shake. It sounded like drums.

I stared with big, round eyes. They were so, so, so much bigger than me. I felt like a crumb, or a toy block under the couch.
Then, WHOOSH! A gust of wind pushed me right toward them. I squeaked, “Wait! Stop!” but I couldn’t stop. I tumbled right into their path.

They noticed me. Oh no.

One of the giant clouds bent low, his eyes glowing golden like lamps. He boomed, “Well, well, what is this little puff?” His voice rumbled through my whole body.
Another one, with swirly edges like whipped cream, chuckled. “It’s a baby cloud! Look how tiny!”

And then a whole bunch of smaller, but still way bigger than me, clouds came zooming over. They circled me, giggling and poking me with their gusts.
“Puffball! Puffball!” one sang.
“You’re so small you couldn’t cover a bird!” another teased.
They made faces, puffing themselves big and then squishing back small to mock me.

I didn’t like it. I wanted to run away, but there was nowhere to go. Just sky, sky, sky.

My puff-shape trembled. I whispered, “Please don’t.” But they laughed louder.

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“Enough!” roared the biggest cloud of all. He was so wide he covered the sun, and when he spoke it sounded like thunder rolling through the mountains. “It is time for the rain!”

The other giant clouds rumbled in agreement. They puffed their chests, turning darker and darker, ready to storm. Their bellies glowed silver. Their humming grew louder, like a hundred drums.

I floated back, eyes wide. The sky changed colors. Blue turned gray. Light turned shadowy. Then, splash! Drop after drop after drop fell from the clouds. Rain poured everywhere, hitting the ground below in shiny splashes. The trees stretched their arms to drink, the rivers filled, the fields sparkled. It was beautiful.

I wanted to do it too. I wanted to make it rain, to be part of them.

So I tried.
I puffed my cheeks. I squeezed my body tight. I shook and trembled and pushed with all my might. But… nothing. Not one drop. Just a sad little squeak of mist. My eyes filled with hot water. The bully clouds roared with laughter.

“Ha! Can’t even drizzle!”
“Little puff can’t even spit!”

They zoomed around me, shoving me side to side.
“Go away, baby cloud!” one shouted.
“You don’t belong!” another sneered.

Their voices were mean and sharp, and they made my heart shrink small. I wanted to hide, but the sky was too big, and there was no corner for me.

“Stop it!” I cried, but my voice was tiny, like a squeaky toy.

They didn’t stop. They puffed harder, their laughter like thunder claps. I shook all over. My puff-arms wiggled. My tummy hurt. And then, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

I cried.

Big, big tears rolled out of me. First one. Then two. Then a hundred. Then a thousand. They fell and fell, splashing down to the earth like raindrops. Real rain. My rain.

The bully clouds froze. Their laughter stopped. Their eyes widened. They stared as my tears poured out in a shiny waterfall, glittering as they fell. The ground below sparkled. The trees swayed happily. The flowers lifted their heads to drink.

The biggest cloud drifted close. His huge misty face softened. His thunder-voice wasn’t scary now. It was gentle, like a drum played quietly.
“Little one,” he said, “look at you.”

“I didn’t mean to,” I sniffled. “I was just… sad.”

He chuckled softly, a sound like rain pattering on a roof. “Don’t be scared, little one. You did make it rain. You fed the world in your own way. That is a gift.”

I blinked. “Really? Even crying?”

“Especially crying,” he said. “Every cloud has a way. Some bring thunder. Some bring lightning. Some pour heavy storms. You bring gentle rain. That is your way. And it is good. But it should be happy tears.”

The other clouds rumbled softly, not laughing now. They looked at me differently. One even nudged me with a puff, but it wasn’t mean, it was friendly. Like saying, “We see you now.”

Warmth spread inside me, brighter than sunlight. For the first time, I didn’t feel too small. I felt… special. I puffed a little bigger, proudly letting my tears-fall rain sprinkle below. And the earth below drank happily.

From then on, the clouds didn’t push me away. They floated beside me, telling stories of all the places they’d rained: the deserts, the oceans, the mountains. I listened with round, amazed eyes. I wanted to see it all too. I wanted to float forever.

The music came back, soft and floaty, old songs from long ago. The breeze brushed my puff-face. My eyes grew heavy again. I drifted, and drifted, and drifted. Back into sleep…

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