It felt wonderfully peaceful in the field as Jamie looked around to see the maize blowing ever so slightly in the gentle breeze. There were just a few clouds passing overhead with the morning sun resting on Jamie’s face. He was on his own now and he liked it.
‘Pssst!’
‘What was that?’ said Jamie as he flinched at the surprise of an unexpected noise.
‘Pssst! Oi, down ‘ere!’
Jamie looked down to see where this strange voice was coming from. ‘That’s it, over ‘ere!’
Jamie suddenly noticed a tiny green caterpillar on the ground, by his foot, staring directly at him.
‘W… was that you?’ Jamie cautiously asked the small insect.
‘Course it was me! I don’t see anyone else round ‘ere. Do you?’
‘Well no, I don’t.’ Jamie replied.
‘Fantastic then! Just you and me eh?’
‘Yes, I suppose it is.’ said Jamie, who was not quite sure whether or not he was dreaming.
‘Clifton’s my name. And yours is…?’
‘Jamie. My name is Jamie.’
‘Well then Jamie, tell me – do you like secrets?’
‘Yes, sometimes I suppose.’
Jamie looked baffled, ‘What sort of a secret is that?’
‘Only the best of secrets, that’s what it is!’
‘But I don’t understand it?’
‘That’s the beauty of it my friend! Who’s to understand the wonderful mysteries of life? Not me, and certainly not you. But you just gotta trust ‘em, if you know what I mean?’ said Clifton.
‘I’m not sure I do know what you mean,’ Jamie responded.
‘Well, if you don’t always wanna be low, then where are you gonna go?’
‘...up high?’ Jamie replied.
‘Up high! In the sky! You don’t know why? But you can fly!’ with those words Clifton leapt up high above the maize then landed far off in the distance.
‘WAIT!’ shouted Jamie. ‘Where are you going? What does it mean? I don’t understand?’ But there was no reply this time. Just like that, the tiny caterpillar had vanished leaving Jamie standing alone, once again, in the field.
