Summer, vacation time, has arrived. The Albornoz and Echenique families had planned to take their children on a surprise trip. They had planned everything perfectly, so that nothing would go wrong; they had even included a balloon ride. Their children would love the experience, flying through the air, and watching as they slowly climbed into the sky. That adventure would turn out to be an unexpected event, keeping both families in suspense, while for the teenagers, it would be something wonderful.
The week before leaving, Froilán, Azucena, Eustaquio, Magaly and Ernesto met, as usual, at Mrs. Albornoz's house. There they tasted a delicious chocolate and cherry cake, prepared by Mrs. Echenique, an expert pastry chef. They celebrated that they all got good grades. Magaly has always liked both writing and magic. In school she won a prize for the best fantasy story. She is a dreamer who brings to life everything she writes. With a prodigious imagination, she comments with her friends:
-They haven't told us where we're going on vacation. There is a strange secrecy. What do you think? Something different?
Azucena, the youngest of the group, intervenes:
-You're the one who imagines things.... come up with something we all like. That way, later on, you have another topic for your stories.
-Yes, yes, do that, answered the other teenagers.
-Well, I'm imagining nature talking. How about flying through the air with special birds? Or trees hugging and sheltering us with unfamiliar characters. In short, a wonderful world that adults don't know about.
-Fantastic, says Froilán, the eldest of the group and a stubborn naturalist.
Froilán always improvises walks to interpret nature. On the last walk they all collected butterflies. One of them is being investigated at the university for being a rare specimen. Eustaquio and Ernesto remain silent. They always accompany them but they are more inclined to sport. While Azucena, the photographer of the group with a talent for painting, wishes to exhibit, someday, her small abstract art paintings.
Suddenly, the quiet Ernesto, after listening carefully to his friends, reacts by saying:
-What if we ask our parents for a balloon ride?
Everyone is speechless .....
-I don't think they would like the idea; they would consider it a risky adventure. We'd better wait for the surprise. Eustaquio, the group's thoughtful analyst, replies.
A week passed. With everything ready, the families set out early in the morning by road to Los Andes. They estimated that it would take them 8 to 10 hours to reach their final destination. They first took the highway and then continued on a road with beautiful landscapes. They would make several stops. The first stop, two hours into the trip, was for breakfast. Here the boys stopped quickly to watch the beautiful sunrise. They all decided to have the special breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese, bread, coffee and pancakes filled with caramel milk. When they finished they continued the tour, the next stop would be for a short rest. At the next stay they would discover an area known as Old Town. There, the people maintained their customs and dressed as they did at the beginning of the 20th century. The boys didn't seem to like the idea but agreed to go, hoping for a surprise.
In that place the adventures would begin...when they arrived they entered the colonial house. There the youngsters were separated from their parents momentarily. It was in the living room of the house where an elegant old woman, with silver hair and a sweet smile, told them about the enchanted tree and said goodbye:
-The birds will guide your way. Listen to them.
The only one who believed was Magaly. She insisted on knowing the tree. Everyone agreed. They crossed a short, winding path where birds of all kinds flew. The birds did indeed guide them. When they arrived they saw a leafy tree but did not perceive anything strange until they heard a soft, almost imperceptible rustling sound.... they followed that clue and arrived at a branch of the tree in the shape of a giant eye. Still in disbelief they touched it and, something opened....there they found a beautiful lady, Lady Rose. Her skin, hair and eyelashes were a soft iridescent pink. She wore on her chest a pink cameo that, when she moved, gave off a fragrant scent of roses. She, calling each one by name, said to them:
-I was waiting for you.
And how does she know our names? Azucena asked intrigued.
-The wind told me. Today I propose that you take a flight with my friends.... Answers Mrs. Rosa.
Suddenly several black feathered birds appeared, with a scarf of white feathers around their necks, which they did not know......
Lady Rosa guessing their thoughts explains:
-They are my friends, The Andes condors. But they are special, they talk...
-They are real birds! says Froilán excitedly.
The condors introduce themselves one by one: Aurelio, Tomas, Pablo, Claudio and Ambrosio, the group leader. He proposes a quick flight.
Ernesto's huge black eyes look even bigger. He can't find a way to express his excitement, he just says:
-This is better than a balloon flight. Let's go!
They all accepted the proposal in amazement. Each young man was carried by a condor. They soared rapidly through the air, the cold breeze burning their cheeks. They saw the snow-capped peaks of the high mountains and strange, steaming lakes. The birds explained to them that these were hot springs that no one knew about, and also revealed the formation and secrets of these mountains. Then they returned, promising them another surprise. The young people left to meet their parents in the small restaurant of the mansion. It was there that they learned of the promised surprise, a balloon ride. For this they had to wait an hour. During that time they drank hot chocolate to take the edge off the cold. None of them dared to comment on the amazing flight with the condors...
The balloon arrived on time. All the visitors got on the balloon. As they were rising, the condors appeared. People were frightened. Some screamed frantically, others cried out of fear. The young people tried to explain to them that these wonderful birds were special. They did not believe them until, one by one, he was taken by the five condors. It was there that the mass hysteria was unleashed. The parents of the youngsters watched, dumbfounded, as the birds took their children away. They just wanted to get off the balloon. After they landed, they immediately alerted the authorities about the kidnapping of their children by five condors. They did not believe them. The news spread like wildfire in the small town. A reporter arrived who had experienced the same thing the year before. He told them what he had experienced with the condors and, thus, the anguished families were reassured. Everyone awaited the return of the young people. The teenagers arrived two hours after the flight. They all hugged their parents saying:
-This vacation was wonderful, spectacular, unforgettable...we have never enjoyed and learned so much.
Raptor Condors by María del Carmen Sánchez Copyright © 2023
March 16, 2023
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
