My Life, My Flight

It was the spring season and there was more glee in the butterfly park than one could imagine. Everyday, new butterflies opened up shedding their old dry cocoons. And oh! what cheer, what celebration of the varied colors that emerged every hour– from flawless white wings to a melange of colors on each wing. Each butterfly was a treat to the eye.

The hugs and kisses as the older butterflies finally found their friends and wished.

"Here! Here! The newest of us is emerging", one of the butterflies shrieked as she saw a new butterfly struggling to come out. All the butterflies crowded around him and tried to peer through – they were all eager to see the new melange of colors.

But when the butterfly finally emerged, there were no greetings and no cheers, but a complete silence.

After a while, one of the most thoughtful butterflies mustered the courage to speak up, "What had you been eating as a caterpillar? You were supposed to eat only leaves."

"You are a black spot on our community", piped in one other.

"Which flower will allow you near her?"

The kinder ones sobbed and sympathized. "How sad!", "How terrible!"

But the new butterfly was startled. "I am fine and can fly as good as any of you", he said fluttering his wings happily.

"Oh! Dear", many butterflies shook her heads in disapproval.

"I can be as hospitable to the flowers as any of you", he added uncoiling his long proboscis and flappingly his wings as gracefully as he can.

"YOU ARE BLACK. PITCH BLACK.", finally one of the butterflies spat at him.

"So, what? What is wrong with black? Do not many of you have black ", the Black Butterfly did not understand.

"That's not being completely black."

"Don't you see? The Rainbow doent carry black"

"So what? The rain clouds are black. So is the night sky", the Black Butterfly replied.

Many, in fact most of the butterflies flew away from the black butterfly.They did not like him no matter what. Some others decided not to give him much thought.

The black butterfly knew that it did not matter. He still had a few friends who did matter. He knew he had the wings to fly far and wide. During the bright sunny days that followed, he visited many many flowers fluttering his black wings wide. He tasted nectar from flowers of all colors – red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and ofcourse black too. He delighted all the little children with his magic. Cheering and clapping, clad in colours red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and ofcourse black too, the children ran behind the Black Butterfly.