One thing you should always remember as a cloud jumper is: never fall asleep on a cloud for too long. You never want the night to catch you unawares.
That was the lesson our Papa always made Tuli and I recite each and every day before we went out to learn how to jump from cloud to cloud. Tuli and I were best friends turned siblings amongst the new generation of cloud jumpers. We would always laugh, feeling the wind on our faces as we jumped from cloud to cloud, the soft, fuzzy landing always warm but never dry. It was like jumping into a hot spring made of the softest cotton.
Each day, we would leave our flagllac (ground dwellings) and whistle or hum our calling tune to bring down the first cloud that would take us to the sky. That was Tuli’s favorite part. She always loved to sing and we all loved her for it. Tuli was the kindest person I knew. She would talk softly to each cloud we jumped on, thanking them for their kindness and bravery. I never understood why. I always thought to myself that they never understood her words. But I didn’t say anything about it. Sometimes, I found myself doing the same.
We would gaze at our world from our positions in the sky and marvel at various creations life had to offer. But we always made sure to return before the night came upon us. My favorite part of cloud jumping was the sunset. Even though it was moments before night, I always stayed a little bit longer to watch the rays of the sun hit the clouds, giving them an orange-yellow glow. It was truly magnificent. Papa always scolded me when I got carried away sometimes.
One day, Tuli was sick and Papa was afraid to tell me how bad it was. I knew because Tuli’s face was so pale; a far cry from her chocolate brown skin. She couldn’t even sing. Papa said some herbs could heal her but one of them had to be gotten from the mountains which were very far from our dwelling. When I looked at Papa, I knew what he meant. I would have to cloud jump without Tuli for the first time in my life. Alone.
Though I was scared, I didn’t dare show it. I was more scared of going without Tuli than facing any dangers. But I already knew I was going to do it. I went into the flagllac where Tuli was, held her hands and told her it was going to be okay, and set off on my journey.
As the day broke, I set off on foot to gather the herbs that were closeby. I was saving the last herb for last but the truth was, I didn’t want to call on the clouds just yet. It felt like betraying Tuli. In a way, I believed the clouds were hers.
It didn’t take long to gather the leaves and stalks I needed. Papa always made sure we knew everything about our world. As I closed my eyes and began whistling the calling tune, it was still noon. I thought of my location and the cloud sliced through the air taking me to the last place I needed to go. By the time we got to the mountains, I noticed the shadows had grown longer. I frowned and my heart rate quickened. I had to hurry. I jumped down and willed the cloud to go back to where it came from. We were always taught not to use the same clouds for our return journey. After collecting the last herb, I whistled the calling tune again for the last time that day. A tiny cloud floated over to me and I almost panicked. I didn’t want to think negative thoughts. I had to get back to Tuli. She needed me. I jumped on the cloud and willed it to go where I wanted. Home. I didn’t know when I fell asleep from exhaustion.
I woke up from a buzzing feeling below me. The first thing I noticed was that the cloud I was on was now translucent and very very orange and I wasn’t home yet. Sweat broke out on my palms and forehead. I tried to will the cloud to move faster but it seemed so tired like it was fading. A second later, I felt myself falling.
I was going to die.
As I closed my eyes, I prepared myself for the impact and my thoughts were of Tuli and how I failed her. Then I hit something so soft and became still. When I opened my eyes, I was on a cloud. But it was fully nighttime. I couldn’t believe it. I was riding a cloud in the night. And I was still alive! I didn’t waste any time. Immediately, I willed the cloud to take me home and I sensed it telling me not to worry about Tuli, that she would be okay. Without being told, I knew I was being saved because of the kindness of my best friend. Tears I didn’t even know was in my eyes fell onto my hands and I started sobbing tears of joy.
When I got home, I thanked the cloud profusely knowing it could hear and understand me. It glimmered and floated away. Papa had been waiting for me and when he saw me, he ran to give me a big hug. We prepared the medicine for Tuli and when she got better, I told them the story of how I survived my journey. It was an adventure I never forgot.
- Flagllac: ground dwellings
Written by Doreen Eke