Caterpillar

It was a Monday night when I was roaming in my room. I usually sleep at this time, but tonight I'm sleepless.. I saw bunch of papers on my desk so I decided to sit there and try to write. I did so, but I noticed something.. I had a jar, I kept my caterpillar there.. Some of you might think that I'm weird because I'm raising a caterpillar but I love her, yes it's a “her” -I think- and tonight I didn't find her in my jar. I thought she died and that made me feel horrible because I couldn’t take care of a fragile thing, but again I noticed something; I squinted and yes it was a cocoon! My caterpillar didn't die, she's in there, hiding, feeling warm and I'm happy for her. I brought the jar closer to me.. And started singing,

'Caterpillar in the tree..

How you wonder who you'll be?

Can't go far but you can always dream.

Wish you may and wish you might,

Don't you worry, hold on tight

I promise you there will come a day..'

Then Aisha walked in my room without knocking the door and she stared at me with her tiny dark eyes and said "watcha doing?"

"Nothing sweetie I'm just glaring at my caterpillar."

"What's a caterpillar?" She took a closer look at the jar while playing with her short dark hair.

I lifted her and said, "Caterpillar is a tiny thing just like you, it starts small and then she build her own tiny home and lives in it so she can learn how to deal with her life when she grows up and fly." I avoided any kind of scientific explanation because she likes to get a simple description.

"But we can't fly" Aisha giggled.

"I know dear, but we fly when we go out and try to figure out this world and how to deal with things and people just like the caterpillar when it becomes a butterfly! She learns how to deal with the things that might hurt her and she learns how to adjust with things when everything seems wrong."

"Why do you sound sad?" She whispered.

"I'm not sweetie." Yes, I lied to her.. I lied because nothing seems right now, this person keeps on hurting me and I wish I was the caterpillar in that cocoon, away from everyone just living with myself; alone, sleeping and hoping that I'll wake up when things get right.

I remembered that Aisha is still staring at me, so I cleared my throat and said, "one day I'm going to be a butterfly who'll fly away, and I'll forget who's that human." Then we left the room so the caterpillar can sleep soundly.. Hoping one day I can be that caterpillar.

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Hope and Love

Maitha the Parrot