The Hot Air Ballooner and The Star

The hot tea tasted good sliding down Alfred’s Mulberry’s throat as he sat in his large armchair. Marjorie the cat jumped up on his lap and curled herself in an orange ball of puffy fur, purring quietly. Some people thought it weird he named his cat after his wife, who had passed away a year ago, but Marjorie the cat, brought Alfred so much comfort after his wife’s death that he felt the name was appropriate.

            He stroked the soft furry head as he went over a mental checklist for that night’s voyage. The sandbags were in place. The gas tanks were full. The rigging was neatly pulled and straightened. He had checked the basket twice and just about every hour he was out scouring the Everything was just as it should be. 

            Alfred was suddenly taken from his thoughts by a loud banging on the door. Marjorie scampered off his lap and ran underneath the sofa. Alfred grumbled under his breath as he lifted his aged body from the armchair. Setting his tea on the table he walked toward the door. The banging continued.

            “Okay! Okay!,” he yelled, “I’m coming,” The knocking stopped momentarily and then to Alfred’s annoyance started up again. Alfred flung the door open, exposing a young girl in the processes of knocking one more time. The girl, sheepishly dropped her closed fist, tucking both her arms behind her back.

            “Sir, I know you told me to just leave your paper on the doorstep, but I really wanted to hand deliver this to you,” she said holding out a rolled-up newspaper.

            “It really is quite a disturbance when you knock on my door Danny,” Alfred said taking the paper. 

            “Sorry, sir. I only thought you might appreciate it.”

            “Don’t you have more newspapers to deliver,” Alfred said closing the door slowly.

            “Yes sir,” the girl said walking from the door staring dejectedly at the ground.

            Alfred shook his head and walked back to the armchair where he spend most of his morning reading the newspaper and sipping his tea. He then watered his small garden, and sat on the porch watching the world go by around him. Alfred took a small nap back in bed and when he woke it was basically time for supper, which tonight consisted of toast and jam and some more tea.

            When he finished, excitedly, he went upstairs to change. It was time. He came back downstairs in his old pilot uniform from his days in the military. He said goodbye to Marjorie and walked as briskly as he had ever out back where his magnificent hot air balloon awaited him.

            She was his pride and joy. It had a large wicker basket with sandbags hanging over the side. From the four corners of the basket were tied thick rope with extended along the ground to where the large canvas balloon lay spread on the ground. Above the basket was attached poles which held up the two burners.

            Alfred had trouble by himself getting the balloon off the ground. It had been much easier when he had Marjorie to help. But now he was forced to do it all alone. His bad back and old knees didn’t make the process any easier as well.

            After getting the balloon filled with enough air, he climbed in the basket and lit both burners. The flames ignited quickly and burned hot so that it wasn’t long before the balloon blossomed in all its splendid colors above Alfred’s head. The canvas was striped with all different colors.

            Alfred, with one final goodbye to Marjorie the cat watching from the window, untied the anchor rope and the balloon lifted off the ground. Alfred loved the sensation if floating weightlessly in the air. The balloon took him above his rooftop and above the town. Sending him higher and higher Alfred rose high above all the neighboring farms and villages. The setting sun was casting large shadows on the world below.

            But Alfred had seen these views before. No, this voyage was going to be one of a kind. He was going to fly higher then he’d ever gone before. And so, giving the burners more gas, his balloon lifted even higher until the air became thin and Alfred found it hard to breath.

            He could now see the great city of London in the distance. He saw the blue ocean behind it. And as he climbed farther into the sky he could see the outline of England, its rugged earthly cliffs forming a rough silhouette against the ocean blue.

            Still Alfred commanded his balloon higher. The sun faded behind the curvature of the earth and he couldn’t tell if it was getting darker because of the setting sun or the altitude.

TO BE CONTINUED…