This week’s element is AIR

Today’s word is CALM

She was quite disgusted when she opened her gift from her brothers and discovered it was a balloon ride.

“They obviously don’t know me and that I would never go up in a balloon,” she announced to all the kids as they huddled round her to see what lay in the gilded envelope she held.

The kids didn’t like seeing their mother unhappy, but they urged her to think about taking the balloon ride as it would be a chance in a lifetime.

She didn’t think a chance in a lifetime was any reason to put her life at risk and made it clear to all who listened that she wouldn’t be partaking.

But the kids were persistent and so by the time the day she was booked to go came around they’d convinced her to go and that they would be there for moral support.

The appointed day arrived, and everyone was up early to get to the launching spot. It was a crisp morning, but there was not a puff of wind.

She looked out the window as we drove along and to the cries of encouragement from the kids that it was a calm morning she could only utter: “The calm before the storm”.

The kid’s excitement was infectious, and each one would have gladly taken their mother’s place, but by now she was basking in the encouragement of her children and thought that for once she was on side with them.

At the launching spot, a small crowd had gathered as the participants gathered in nervous expectation. There were a few final instructions from the pilot, and the kids watched as their mother climbed into the basket below the huge balloon.

As the balloon rose above them, the kids waved farewell to their mother who by now was hanging on grimly to the side of the basket.

We had been told to drive to the destination to collect their mother. We were there in no time, and the kids lined up beside the car and peered into the sky awaiting their mother’s return.

While we waited, we enjoyed the picnic we had packed knowing those on the balloon would be given breakfast as part of their flight.

There was a gentle breeze blowing by the time the balloon came into sight, and the kids feared their mother would be ‘freaking’.

Above us, the balloon descended and a relieved mother climbed out grateful to be on land again as her kids swarmed around her congratulating her on putting her fears aside.

By nightfall, her nerves had calmed down.

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/elemental-writing-challenge-april-3/