#10 Chasing The Breeze: Searching For Wings

 

 

The morning sun sparkled across the surface of the billabong, sending shimmers of light dancing through the crystal-clear water. Tiny bubbles rose to the surface as a beautiful light blue dragonfly nymph made its final journey upward. Climbing onto a smooth paperbark branch that hung low over the water, the little creature began its magnificent transformation.

 

As the morning warmth grew stronger, Caspian stretched his newly emerged wings, marvelling at how they caught the light like stained glass windows. The delicate veins created intricate patterns that reminded him of spider webs covered in morning dew. He watched, fascinated, as other creatures moved about the swamp with their families—a mother duck leading her ducklings through the reeds and a mob of kangaroos grazing peacefully nearby.

 

"I wonder where my family is," Caspian whispered to himself, his wings now dry enough for flight. He lifted off from his perch, wobbly at first but quickly finding his balance in the air. The Australian bush stretched out before him, filled with flowering bottlebrush and golden wattle that swayed in the gentle breeze.

 

As he zoomed around a cluster of tea trees, he nearly collided with a rather flustered-looking fly who was bouncing from leaf to leaf like a pinball.

 

"G'day!" Caspian called out politely. "I'm looking for my family. Would you happen to be related to me?"

 

The fly paused briefly, his large compound eyes swivelling to look at Caspian before immediately becoming distracted by something else. "Nah, mate. Can't stop to chat—too many things to see, places to bump into!"

 

"But wait," Caspian persisted, hovering closer. "Your eyes are quite big like mine. Maybe we're cousins?"

 

The fly buzzed in circles, barely able to stay still. "Big eyes? Yeah, sure, but crikey, mate, look at those fancy wings of yours! Mine are like tiny paper planes, yours are like those helicopter things the humans fly. Besides," he added, bouncing off a leaf, "I can't hover smooth like you. Too jumpy, too busy! There's a whole world to bump into!" And with that, he went zooming off, pinging between the branches like a wayward boomerang.

 

The morning grew warmer as Caspian continued his search. The air was filled with the sweet perfume of native flowers, and that's where he spotted his next potential relative—a busy bee covered in yellow pollen. This insect's wings did look a bit similar to his own, though much smaller.

 

"Excuse me," Caspian called out hopefully. "I'm searching for my family. Could we be related?"

 

The bee looked up from where she was gathering nectar from a bright purple native iris. "Sorry, love, but I don't think so. Your wings are much too flashy for our lot."

 

"But we both love flowers," Caspian suggested, watching her work. "And your wings have that lovely transparent look too."

 

The bee chuckled, her fuzzy body dusted with pollen. "True, true, but watch this." She demonstrated her signature move, buzzing rapidly between flowers while doing her important pollination work. "See how I dart about? You glide like a graceful swimmer, mate. Different styles entirely. Though," she paused thoughtfully while sipping more nectar, "I did see some creatures that looked a bit like you near the old river red gum, just past those banksias over there. They were putting on quite the air show!"

 

As he approached the ancient river red gum, its massive branches reaching toward the sky like weathered arms, he noticed a large green grasshopper resting on one of the lower branches. The creature had enormous eyes, just like Caspian's.

 

"Hello there," Caspian said, hovering nearby. "I've been looking everywhere for my family. At first, I thought you might be one of them because of your big eyes..."

 

The grasshopper chuckled warmly. "Ah, you're a young dragonfly, aren't you? I can see why you might be confused—we both have big eyes to help us see danger coming, but that's where our similarities end."

 

"Could you tell me more about what makes us different?" Caspian asked, settling on a nearby branch.

 

"Well," the grasshopper began, stretching his powerful back legs, "your wings are made for dancing in the air, while mine are better suited for helping me make mighty leaps. Watch this!" He demonstrated with a spectacular jump that carried him three branches higher. "Plus," he added, climbing back down, "your body is built for speed and agility in the air. Mine's made for powerful jumps and blending in with the leaves. But mate, you're in luck! There's a whole group of dragonflies just like you over by the water lilies in the deeper part of the billabong. You can't miss them—they're doing aerial acrobatics that would make the Roulettes jealous!"

 

Following the grasshopper's directions, Caspian flew toward the centre of the billabong. As he approached, his heart began to race. There, swooping and gliding above the water lilies, were dozens of dragonflies with wings just like his! They shimmered in gorgeous shades of blue, their wings catching the sunlight just as his did.

 

"Hello!" he called out excitedly. "I've been looking for you!"

 

A group of dragonflies immediately flew over to greet him, circling around with genuine joy. "Welcome home, little one!" they called out. "We've been waiting for you to join us!"

 

An older dragonfly with silvery-blue wings glided forward. "Let me show you our special moves," she offered, demonstrating a spectacular spiral flight pattern. "We dragonflies are the most skilled flyers in the whole billabong. We can hover like helicopters, fly backwards, and even catch our dinner in mid-air!"

 

Caspian's eyes widened with excitement as he watched his new family demonstrate their aerial prowess. They showed him how to dart and weave between the reeds, how to catch the sunlight on his wings to create dazzling light displays, and how to use the warm air currents to soar high above the billabong.

 

As the day progressed, Caspian learned the secret spots where the juiciest mosquitoes could be found, the best perches for basking in the sun, and the quietest corners of the billabong for peaceful reflection. His family taught him their special warning signals and showed him how to spot approaching predators using his keen eyesight.

 

Now, as he darted and dived with his family above their beautiful billabong home, Caspian realised that sometimes the longest journey could lead you right back to where you started—but with a heart full of new friends and the knowledge that you were exactly where you were meant to be.

 

From that day forward, Caspian spent his days exploring the swamp with his family, mastering new flying techniques and sharing stories of his adventures. Each morning, he would greet the bouncing fly (if he could catch his attention), share a moment with the busy bee as she worked her way through the native flowers, and stop for a chat with the wise old grasshopper who had helped him find his way home.

 

Life by the billabong was everything he had hoped for and more—a perfect blend of family, friendship, and the freedom to be exactly who he was meant to be.

 

 

This Grand Little Story for Grand Tropique, was co-authored by Ben Davis and AI, and edited by Cat Davis. Visit ⁠⁠Grand Tropique Pyjamas⁠⁠

Narrated on Spotify by Alex Davidson ⁠⁠Alex is on Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Alex's Facebook Page⁠⁠⁠⁠Hire Alex on Upwork