Going Away

Baba was putting a cake in the oven when I ran into his arms and cried all over his favorite sweater. He patted my back and said everything would be alright. He saw this coming, and he knew exactly how to make me feel better.

“Once upon a time,” Baba said, stroking my hair, “there was a princess named Zara who lived in a big, beautiful castle. She spent her time studying hard, eating lots of baklava, and most of all, flying her kite. She loved the feeling of the string unraveling as her prized possession ascended into the fluffy white clouds.”

I wiped my eyes with Baba’s apron and smiled a little.

“Then one day,” Baba said, “something magical happened. Zara’s kite came to life and started speaking to her. He said his name was Safar, and he asked Zara to fly him a little higher. Zara happily agreed, and released more and more string, until Safar was just a small, diamond-shaped dot in a big blue sky.

When Safar came down, he told Zara everything he saw, the mountains, oceans, forests, and villages. Together, Safar said, they could explore them all. Zara’s eyes lit up. Her mind raced with the endless ideas for adventures. But then she got distracted by the shadow of her big, beautiful castle, falling over the meadow. Zara felt butterflies in her stomach. She looked down at her feet, and told Safar she couldn’t go.”

“Did Safar get sad?” I asked.

“Safar was heartbroken,” Baba said, placing his hand over his chest. “He thought Zara was the brightest, prettiest, and kindest princess. He knew the world would welcome her with open arms, if only she would let it. So, the next day, Safar made a special request. He asked Zara to fly him even higher. And for the first time, Zara released all her string. Safar was flying above the clouds, and the two of them were having the time of their lives. But then, a powerful gust came, and the string was severed. Safar was swept up by the wind and carried into the horizon. Zara dropped the kite and sprinted through the forest, overcoming thorny branches, fallen trees, and unfriendly creatures to track down her best friend. But Safar was gone. Zara was caught between her castle and the rest of the world.”

“What did she do?”

Baba’s mustache smiled. “She thought about the future,” he said. “If she returned to the castle without Safar, she would spend the rest of her life wondering what happened to her best friend. On the other hand, she could—”

“She should look for him!”

“And that’s what she did!” Baba said, lifting me up and spinning me around. “Zara faced her fears. She searched the world for Safar, knowing she was brave enough to conquer any level of danger that came her way, as long as she was doing it for someone she loved.”

“So, did Zara ever find Safar?”

Before Baba could answer, the oven beeped.

He got up, took out the cake, and set it down in front of me. Then he smiled. His eyes were a little wet. He looked like he wanted to say something important, but couldn’t. Instead, he grabbed a tube of icing and squeezed out big pink letters: America awaits you, my princess. Make Baba proud!