Mysteries of Two Paper Planes

Mysteries of Two Paper Planes

By: Wilbert C. Laforteza

Two folded papers, two sheets of a Grade – 1 pad turned into paper planes. They are simple things but they made priceless stories that worth to treasure. Truly, paper planes are simple objects but they worth lot for a person who once toyed with them during childhood. Toying with these little things means letting oneself go carefree. A personal experience, I once made two paper planes, each made a single flight but with different fate. Their flight made mysterious interpretations that remained unveiled within fourteen (14) years.

When our class dismissed on the cold afternoon, Monday of January 24, 1994, I made a paper plane just before I left the room. When I reached outside, I launched the paper plane for its maiden flight. It soared smoothly and gently landed on the ground. Unluckily, an envied classmate, Reymard, took it quickly and sped away. Oh! my paper plane it’s captured! I have to save it so ran after Reymard in hope I can get it back. The chase started from school going to plaza until we reached Reymard’s home, which is a kilometer away, and it’s in the next by Barangay.

Realizing that the rescue doomed to be futile, I started to walk homeward…it was drizzling and cold! While walking, I felt a strange thing inside me…I was bothered for unknown reason. People on the way were looking at me sadly, none of them smiled but they murmured. I heard few words that puzzled me, “here comes the son…”

I know that on the dawn of the same day (Jan 24), my mother was hospitalized but I wasn’t aware of her condition during the whole day because I was at school.

As I drew nearer at home, things grew more and more strange. I was uneasy to see many people now walking with me on the same direction…we’re all walking towards in our house. Few meters away from our gate, my instinct seems cleared…something was wrong. There were people coming in carrying bunch of flowers tied with ribbons with written “Condolence.”

Soon as I reached the gate, my father met and quickly hugged me and said, “Your mama is gone.” Really, she’s gone because when I entered in the house, I saw her lifeless, laid in a coffin.

Several days after the tragedy, I returned to school. Again, I made another paper plane during the windy recess time. This paper plane is better than the first one and it’s the best paper plane I knew in the history. I launched it in our playground. It was awesome; it swiftly soared until the strong wind took command on its flight. The winds maneuvered it.

From the playground site, the paper plane’s flight went further and further…it was drifted away until it reached the nearby forest, then the nearby hill and furthermore. Ten minutes later, were still tailing the paper plane just to witness its awesome flight. We crossed the meadow, forest, and hill just not to miss watching it until we reached the fenced cemetery. Later, the paper plane finally landed at the perimeter of the cemetery…it’s almost half kilometer away from our school playground!

After those incidents, the mysterious message remained unknown for fourteen years. Just last year, 2008, I realized that the paper planes’ flight cradled lessons long unveiled. The lesson to value good things whether they’re small or big things in life. And when time trials come, learn to struggle. Don’t be afraid to fail because success means not by never failing, success means rising from every failure. First failure doesn’t mean it’s enough but try again. Short flight of the paper plane means a challenge to struggle to achieve a longer flight…a flight towards prosperity in life. Another lesson is that in order to achieve personal tranquility, learn to let go when necessary. A paper plane can’t make a good flight if it is kept handled by the hand, you have to release it! Move on!