Chasing the Sun

A faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon. Jan plowed towards it as fast as his little legs would carry him. He left bold footprints in the snow, then one large hole as he fell headlong into the powder. His mittened hands pushed downward as he attempted to find his feet.

"What are you doing, Jan?" Aksel asked his son.

"Chasing the sun, papa," the four year old replied, brushing himself down. "Why does the sun run away so much?" Aksel had no real answer to that; at least none that Jan would understand. Close to the Arctic Circle there were many endless nights in Norway. A brief glimpse was the best they could hope for at this time of year.

It was confusing for a young child, not knowing day from night. As an adult, Aksel could look at his watch. Jan had not yet learned to tell the time. Jan looked once more toward the horizon as grey faded into black. "The sun's run away again, papa. Can we go look for it?"

"Not today, son, but some day."

*

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Halina asked as she put more items into the case. "It's a long way to go. What if we don't like Australia?" Aksel too was nervous about the move. It was not just the change of lifestyle or leaving friends and family. Jan was settled. He loved his school, his friends, his whole way of life. At sixteen, he could decide to stay without them.

The one question that stuck in his mind was when Jan had asked why they were going. Aksel had only one answer to that. "Chasing the sun, Jan, chasing the sun."

286 words