Benny’s Paper Airplane #2

written & directed by Eli Barraza
sound design by Erin Bark
[BACK]

[[SFX: Music fades in softly, ongoing low violins and the ring of a bell.]]

BENNY: Dear Peri,

I swept out the bottom floor today. I didn’t realize how much dirt we track in. Swept it all out into a desert. You hate deserts, huh. Your look of disgust every time we arrived at one said as much. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing that expression again if it meant that you were here to make it.

I’m sorry for going through your things by the way. I had to, to find an ID for the hospital and in case you needed to travel. I found a passport. You. A passport. You told me of a time before all this. When your pulse would quicken at the thought of the world beyond your doorstep. And yet a small part of you that existed before all this hoped. Hoped for a future in which you could experience far flung places.

The more I clean, the more questions I have. I found a violin. You never mentioned playing and yet there it lay without the expected layer of dust. You played it recently enough that particles didn’t have time to rest there. I’m sorry if you stopped playing because of me. You’re quiet about your love for music but it had a way of sneaking in.

[[SFX: Music swells.]]

Your humming permeating every level of the house. You couldn’t help singing with a mountain. I hope your humming returns soon. I’m no good at filling the silence with Mo like you were. Maybe. Maybe I could hear you play with your violin, if that’s alright. I’ll stamp out a beat and you can play and maybe we’ll even get Mo to sing. With you here, I think that’d be possible.

Possible. That’s what it feels like when you’re around, like things are possible. But with you gone, I don’t know how finding you is possible. You’d probably tell me to take it one step at a time. Go take a nap. Start fresh tomorrow. You’re great at giving yourself time but I’m not like that. I’m afraid I’ll get stuck in a rut again, making excuses for myself with every sunrise. There’s a place in between the push to find you and the pull to become the world’s most well traveled hermit, never stepping outside again else risk losing the lighthouse.

Whatever happens, I hope these letters find you. I hope that you know that I’m thinking of you. You haven’t been abandoned.

See you soon, Peri.

-Benny

[[SFX: Music fades.]]

ELI BARRAZA: We hope you’ve enjoyed Benny’s Paper Airplane. We have two more until our season 2 premiere and from July 30th until August 27th, you will get a special edition paper airplane sticker if you become a patron on our Patreon at patreon.com/thefarmeridian. We are also conducting a listener survey! We at The Far Meridian would like to know who’s wandering with us, what you love, and if you might be interested in merch. Check out at whisperforge.org/tfmsurvey. And as ever, may you always find your way.