Born Again

“If i’m born again I would want to live my days as an owl.”

“You mean you would want to live your nights as an owl, but considering the fact that you’re rarely awake during the day as a human, I'm sure there won't be much of a difference for you as an owl.”

My younger sister shrugged. “Hmm, I suppose you’re right, but I wouldn't want to be just any owl. I would want to be a barn owl.

I furrowed my eyebrows confused at what my sister was getting at. “And what exactly might the difference be Tolani?”

My younger sister stood from her seat on the bench and faced me. “Well, for starters, barn owls are in a league of their own. Didn’t you know? Not only do they look way different than every other owl, but they don’t even hoot when they call out to each other. Instead they let out a harsh, rasping screech to communicate.”

I stood from the bench and removed a leaf that landed on Tolani’s head. “And that fascinates you because…?”

“Thank you, and because it's unique and I'm unique so it's only right. Don't you think so?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure there’s been weirder comparisons, so this doesn’t seem entirely far-fetched?”

Tolani beamed, shaking her head in agreement. “So, where should we walk to next? The park? Our tree house? Jane’s Ice cream parlor? The world’s our amusement park or whatever the saying goes? We’re free to do anything we desire!"

"No, You’re free to do anything you desire, you're dead remember?"

The visible excitement in her eyes vanished and was replaced with lifeless brown eyes

“Tolani, I’m S-” I began, but was cut off by a pained chuckle

“I almost forgot. You know what? Don’t even worry about it, Nola. Why don’t we just head back to grandma's house?” She said as she extended her hand out and entwined her fingers with mine.

-

“Hey Nola, If you’re born again what would you want to be?“

I shrugged, “Hmm, I never really thought about it.”

“Well, this is the perfect opportunity to think about it! Come on anything in the world think of the endless amount of possibilities”

I chuckled, “Nothing in this world is endless.” I glanced over my shoulder at Tolani, who was walking to my right and noticed her pursed lips, an action she often did when she was deep in thought about something.

She had a soft warmth to her voice, one that I hadn't heard in a while as she hesitantly said “But don’t you think that just maybe there might be an end to everything, just so that there can be a beginning to something far more beautiful that awaits on the other side? "

I rushed forward ahead of my younger sister, unclasping our hands in the process, feeling a queasiness in my stomach. I began to speak in a voice that mimicked the sound of gravel underlined with a choking heaviness that forced me to pause after each word uttered. “Yeah, you’re absolutely right there’s definitely something far more beautiful that awaits.” My watery eyes closing with a tear, as crystalline as a waterfall, trickling down my face. Biting my lips I lowered my head down deeper and eventually submitted myself into releasing a painstaking sob.

-

“Grandma appears to be home.” Tolani said, smiling vibrantly at the outline of our grandmother’s posture that could be seen sitting on her favorite chair in the living room.

“Do you think we can go to the backyard and sit beneath the old pomegranate tree for a while?”

“Of course we can”

-

As we sat beneath the old pomegranate tree, Tolani laid her head down on my lap and sighed as she gazed at the sky above through the spaces not covered with leaves or pomegranates between the tree. “Now this is what I call relaxation. If I end up falling asleep don’t blame me”

I combed my fingertips through her hair and whispered “I could never blame you.”

Tolani chuckled and said “Then can you recite me a poem, something that I could fall asleep to easily?”

Searching my head for a poem I murmured the first one that appeared in my mind. A poem I had read a while ago.

“Grown from the same strong root,

Nurtured, protected and cared,

Life moves on, and the truth is not pleasant;

Life takes them to opposite directions,

Siblings do not always remain together,

They have to follow different paths;

Just like the branches of a tree,

They spread out in different directions,

To grow, develop and rise;

But in their connected hearts,

The attachment and affection remains,

Love grows each day, to remain forever.”

“Tolani, If i’m born again no matter what I would want to be your sister, and although nothing in this world is endless our love extends far across the distance of life over to where something that is beautiful awaits on the other side.”

-

No longer feeling the warm embrace of Tolani, I knew that our time together came to an end.