Children of Heaven

By: Taylor Smithson

The young boy, Ali, in dusty khaki pants and a sweater vest, climbs up the grey steps to his home. The ground is covered in sand and sounds gritty under his shoes. He peers into the blue, foggy windows of the paneled door to find his little sister sitting on the carpeted ground waiting for her brother's arrival. She is surrounded by blue walls and a multitude of patterned clothes hanging about the room. She is patiently babysitting the sleeping infant who is bundled in blankets on her lap when she glances up to find the young boy with sad eyes. He hesitates slightly before slowly entering the room. The little girl stands with a smile as she asks him if he has her shoes. Ali tries to change the subject and looks at the ground. His sister gives a puzzled look and asks again. Ali tells her that her shoes look lovely and the sparkle returns back in the young girl's eyes. She stands in her long pink garment and colored leggings with great enthusiasm. She begins to head outside to find her newly repaired shoes. Before she reaches the door, Ali's chin begins to quiver as he tells her the shoes are not there. The smile fades off the young girl's face and is replaced by a face generally found at a funeral. Ali notices the sincere disappointment in his sister's eyes and hustles to fix it. He grabs her tiny, tan, arm and promises, gasping for air, that he will keep looking as long as she does not tell their mother. The little sister, head in hands, weeps for fear that she will not be able to get to school without her shoes. Ali panics, wanting his little sister to be happy and runs out the door, down the steps, and continues his quest to find the missing shoes.