The Kite

By Angie Bromeland

Beams of light streamed through the attic window. Silas looked around. It was filthy up here. It probably hadn’t been dusted in 30 years. Maybe even longer. He squinted in the sunlight and looked at the dirty floor. He wasn’t sure he trusted the old floorboards. Would he burst through to the living room below if he walked on them? There was only one way to find out.

Silas had always dreamed of exploring his grandparents’ attic. But until today, there had been an old lock with a rusted key hole keeping him from doing so. He wondered who had taken it off. And why? He walked carefully, taking small, light steps. There were piles of trunks, stacks of papers, even old clothes hanging from ropes strung between the walls. He touched a white dress that hung there. The dress was so old, it felt stiff and crusty. Silas shuddered. What else was up here?

Maps and old photos hung on the wall. But there was something else that caught Silas’s eye. It was blue and green, with a long strip of yellow hanging from it. It was the most colorful thing he’d seen in the attic. At first he couldn’t tell what it was, but when he took it from the wall, he saw it was a kite. His eyes lit up as he rushed to the door as carefully as he could. His grandparents were still at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper when he accosted them.
“Look!” he shouted. “Look what I found! Can we fly it today?” His grandpa adjusted his glasses and squinted at the kite. When he saw what it was, his face broke into a giant smile. Silas smiled back. This was turning into a day he’d never forget.