Mother hid the bad news from me, and instead, she alleviated the misery by telling me that he
was very busy and he might not be able to come back again. She suffered all the painful news by
herself, without anyone to share her feelings with. Dad promised her not to tell me before he was
pronounced dead due to an incurable cancer, and ever since that day, Mother did all she could to
make sure I was always happy and comfortable. “Your mother was the best woman I could ever
ask for. She was, is and will always be one in a million.”, he said, and I could’ve sworn there was a
tear in his eye. Whatever Mother said about my Dad watching me, keeping me safe from trouble
and evil spirits, was true. He explained that he was always there with me, watching me in school,
in my graduation ceremony, in work, every day. I’ve never noticed it, but when I thought about it,
it all made sense. “So you were the one who dropped my journal from the shelf that night?” I
asked. He chuckled and replied, “I was also the artist of the graffiti.” I replied with a huge smile
and hugged him again. “I had to remind you about your dream, you silly boy. It is never too late
to chase your dreams. Thank me, you are fulfilling your dream,” he laughed. “Oh, and how long
has it been since you’ve visited your mother?” I couldn’t remember, it’s been so long since I’ve
seen my mother. “You must visit her.”, he reminded me. “Tell her about how dashing I still look,
will you?” I laughed. I remembered how my dad used to carry me over his shoulders and run
around the house. I even excreted in his hands while carrying me. Thinking about that made me
giggle. He told me that I couldn’t stay here for long, since he was only allowed a certain period of
time to have a chat with me. He explained that we were literally standing in Heaven, and that was
why he could talk with me. “I am very grateful I could see you for one more time, Dad.” “Don’t
worry, kiddo. I will always be there by your side. You won’t be able to see me, that’s all,” he
ensured. He walked me to the gates, and we bid our farewells. I hugged him very tightly for one
last time. I didn’t want to let go. I felt so safe, so loved. Then, he vanished to thin air. The gates
disappeared as well, and I was back to the Gobi Desert, where the stars were glistening above.
Morning was nearing, since the atmosphere got warmer and warmer. I packed the tent, and
walked back to the motel. I caught the tour bus, and caught the flight back to London. On the
airplane, I put my backpack up to the upper compartments. I sat down, and thought about the trip.
I cackled quietly, and let out a big sigh. Then, I realized, I forgot to write on my travel journal. I
quickly reached for my backpack on top, and took out the forest green paperback. I flipped to the
first page, and under the heading “What happened in this trip?” I wrote down, “Magic.”.
