The moon walks with us

´Come walk with me to the river´, says June while gently pinching Dodo´s cheek.  

But Dodo does not fancy this idea. The couch is cozy and the screen is full of stories.

´How long is the walk?´ she asks her grandmother

´Just right. One hour. Enough for the sun to set and the moon to rise´ answers June

Dodo sighs, slowly dragging her feet.

Her grandmother stops in front of every house and greets all neighbors with a smile.

´How long is one hour?´ Dodo wonders. ´Can we cut it in half, like a big ham sandwich, and only eat one piece?´

Mister Jones has rough hands and a bright colorful tool belt.

His overalls are always splattered with paint.

His smile is the first thing you see — right after the ladder, the hammer, and the second floor still waiting for a roof.

´ If I were Mr. Jones,´ says Dodo, ´I’d be upset my house is not ready´

´Sometimes, good things take time´says June. ´Brick by brick, my dear Dodo — that’s how we build our dreams.´

The sun, like a juicy orange, disappears behind Amelia´s house.

The cherry tree is in full bloom. Each breeze sends a storm of pink confetti petals twirling — a tiny tornado.

Dodo takes a deep breath in.

Amelia waves from her window. June waves back. The house is quiet.

‘Do you think Amelia ever feels scared, living alone?’

´Some people like being alone, my dear Dodo´ says June ´ If your heart feels calm, it doesn’t matter who’s around. ´

Dodo looks down the street, now hushed in the dusk. The evening breeze whispers secrets only she can hear.

She smiles to herself. ‘Maybe being alone isn’t so scary after all’

June walks slowly.

´How long does it take for the sun to say goodbye?´ Dodo thinks. ´Less than an hour´ she decides.

One tall brick house is painted blue. Sometimes, its color melts into the sky.

The Big Family lives there. Dodo can feel her mouth watering.

The air smells delicious — tasty, mysterious, a storm of spices.

The kids shout a chorus of ´Hi!´to  June and she smiles back.

They speak a different language.

´They weren´t born here´, says Dodo. ´I’m afraid they miss their home.´

June nods.

The river stretches out ahead of them.

´Just like the river, my dear Dodo,´says June, ´ we don´t stand still.

We flow. We sparkle. We hug new shores.

And sometimes, we find a place we love so much… it becomes our new home´

The moon floated above them. Round like a button and cold like ice cream.

´An hour is a journey from day to night´thinks Dodo.

´It´s short. Too short. An hour should be longer´

´What are those shades on the moon?´

´Whatever you want them to be, Dodo. Mountains. Rivers. Volcanoes. Forests.´

´I think someone lives up there,´says Dodo.

 ´A shepherd with his sheep. Do you see him, Granny?´

´I see him,´ June smiles softly.

´Now let´s go home´ she says, taking Dodo´s hand

´The Moon walks  with us.´