Purple

Feeling blue is not when you feel becoming a bit bluish from cold or when your tongue catches the colour of a chemical blue candy from a pack of happy Skitles. Alex's mom said, feeling blue was when your soul changes its bright yellow colour into dark blue. The boy didn't get the transformation, because no one actually saw the colour of a soul. So how could they know, which colour it had been initially before changing into blue? Maybe it was always blue or maybe it stayed yellow. Or (and this no one had ever thought about) it was green or even red.Who could prove which colour the soul is? If they could take it out for a moment to examine, then Alex would believe it, but they couldn't.
Blue is a nice colour. But Alex personally thought that if the soul existed it must have been purple, and stay purple. At least his soul would be purple.
Alex was sent upstairs after his mom told him she felt blue again and needed to stay alone for a while. Recently she had felt blue so often, that the boy was afraid that not only her soul but her whole body will turn blue. And what then? Becoming all blue she will look like an ice-statue. She already felt much colder than before. Before... Her hands weren't as warm and she stopped smiling at the sun in the morning. Instead she would now close the curtains and sit in the dark as if being afraid of the sunshine, as if she could melt.
Alex jumped off his bed he was sitting on for the last 1,5 hours, came up to the door and slowly opened it. Low voice came from downstairs. His mom was speaking on the phone with someone. He guessed the 'blue-period' was already over and wanted to rush down and ask to go to the park, but suddenly he heard his mom raising her voice and saying:
-Dr. Noledgy, I'm ready for any kinds of treatment, any experiments, but you just cannot leave me like that. You cannot just say you are unable to do anything and that's all.
Silence for a minute.
-Yes, but...
Another minute. And then she burst into tears.
-How dare you!! You're not even a doctor! What am I supposed to do? Commit a suicide or kill my son?
Alex stopped breathing. He was horror-stricken. His mom banged the kitchen door and probably went to the living-room as her voice resembled a buzz now. Or was it in Alex's head? He didn't know. His knees started trembling and only the cat passing in between his legs brought him to senses. He gulped and moved back to his room. Tears were gathering in Alex's eyes. He drooped along the wall, held his knees and began to weep silently.
So many thoughts were flickering in his head, but the main thing he felt was pain. His soul was becoming black from pain. It hurt so much. Black was covering him from outside and it made him cry more and more.
Alex knew his mom was not the same as before. She wasn't happy anymore, wasn't laughng anymore, wasn't cooking anymore – all they had for dinner was a pizza or some chinese take-away, which Alex hated. But he never told her, because of the fear she'd get even more sad. But now it was worse than ever.
He felt he was not loved anymore. Why? - Alex didn't know. Maybe it was the blue, that ate his mom's love, maybe it was his father, who took the love away with him when he left them last year. But it was clear now that mom didn't love him at all. She was upset by him, she was unhappy to have him around, she cried too much because of him. Because of him she was turning blue. Alex couldn't understand what he did wrong, but obviously there was something.
Thinking all this he stood up from the floor and opened the door again. His mom was still in the living room, still on the phone. Very quietly Alex tiptoed downstairs. The house was all made of wood, so the stairs were crunching but mom didn't hear. By touch he reached the front door and took his coat and got ready for the hardest task – getting out. The front door had a small bell next to it, like in shops. So each time someone opened it, the bell rang, as if saying 'Welcome' or 'Goodbye'.
Alex hesitated for a moment or two, but obviously there was no other way than through the door. Through!!!!!!! Yes! The dog's hole! They had never had a dog. Never. When mom and dad bought the house two years ago, they all thought that they'll buy a dog in addition to the old cat Riddle. But they never did. Later dad wanted to patch it up, but this also never happened. Alex test fitted the hole. He was still a small boy in his 11 years. He could make it. He really could. Mom finished her conversation and her heeled slippers were clip-clipping on the floor. Alex had to hurry up. He opened the latch and quickly sneaked out.
And then Alex ran. He was running so fast, the fastest in his life. He knew that on the left there was a street that will lead him to the main station. And there he'll buy a ticket from the money he saved on his lunch and head to the nearest town, where his dad's mother lived. She always loved Alex. She will not let him feel this bad and she'll not be bothered by him that much. Seemed his mom didn't notice him gone. It was a double feeling. On the one hand, Alex didn't want her to mess up his plan. On the other, he'd better had her running after him and screaming how much she loved his son and wanted him back home. But she didn't follow him.
Turning left Alex immediately felt the station atmosphere, though it was another couple of kilometers to it. There were more people, more shops, more cars and scooters, so he had to slow down as he was bumping into people all the time. No one gave him any attention. No one asked who he was and why he was alone. In another 20 minutes Alex finally reached the main town station. The ticket window should be somewhere inside in the right corner. He went in.
It was better to ask where the ticket office was, he thought to himself. Bumping into another person Alex gathered his braveness and said:
-Excuse me! Could you tell me where's the ticket office here?
The woman touched him by the shoulder.
-It's there.
Alex didn't get where she pointed and was standing confused.
-Come. I will show you.
The woman took him by the hand and followed him to the ticket office.
-Here it is. But tell me, where are your parents? Are you alone here?
Alex tried to look as confident as he could.
-My mom is parking the car. She'll be right here in a moment. She asked me to take a place in the queue.
The woman seemed satisfied with the answer.
-Mmm...Ok. There are only two people in the queue. So she'd better hurry.
Saying that she chucked his top of the head and went away, mumbling something about modern mothers leaving this kind of children on their own.
Alex counted his money again. It was just enough for one-way ticket. When his turn came up, he stood on his toes and put the whole pile of money on the sill.
-One-way ticket to S******, please.
A young cashier looked at him for a minute and then asked:
-Are you traveling alone?
Alex nodded.
-Children under 14 aren't supposed to travel alone. I can't sell you the ticket.
-I am 14.
It was a lame attempt but he should try it. The cashier laughed and said:
-Next one, please.
Alex was thinking, it was always like that. No luck and...
-Excuse me!
His thought were interrupted by a jingly voice. Alex turned his head and there he saw a woman standing behind him. He really saw her! The blonde shining hair, blue, deep-blue, eyes, warm incredible smile. He stared at her not understanding how it was possible – such a beautiful lady with such a warmth comming from her?!! Meanwhile she continued:
-Forgive my son. He's always playing games. We are going together to S****** to visit his grandma Maria. He just wanted to pay for the ticket himself and ran forward. You know, children acting like grown-ups!
The cashier smiled. He was also charmed by her way of talking.
-So, please, two one-way tickets to S******. And Alex, you can pay from your own money.
To say that Alex was shocked would not be the right description for his state at the moment. How could she know all this?! The name of the town – well, that she may have heard standing behind him. But his grandma's name, that he was going to visit her and his name. And the way she looked, the way she smiled at him, the way he felt having her close by.
The stranger lady took the tickets, grabbed Alex's hand and they went together to the platform. Touching her was like laying in bad on Sunday mornings when you don't have to go to school and can stay in the depths of your blanket for half of the day. It was as good. Touching her was like a bright light in the summer streets when you can see all the colour shades around you. It was as amuzing. Alex closed his eyes for a moment. This happiness was too big to endure.
-Don't close your eyes. It maybe the only day you will be able to see the beauty. Look, how amazing the sky is today!
Alex looked up. It was already getting dark. They were standing on the platform in a crowd of people. But now Alex could see the sky only. He had never seen or dreamt of such an indescribable sunset. He could see all the colours: pink, red, yellow, orange and purple, lots of purple. It was glittering under the last sunshine of the day. It was so beautiful, that he couldn't take his eyes of the sky.
-Awesome! - the lady said. 
-Yeah...
-Sometimes it surprises even me. I wonder if this is the best sunset they've ever made.
Alex looked at the lady.
-Made? What do you mean? Someone makes the sunset?
-Of course! - the lady laughed in her jingly manner. And Alex couldn't help laughing too. It seemed now to him that it was just natural someone made sunsets.
-You know, every day dozens of souls gather to celebrate the beauty of our life. They're of so many colours. What you see – she pointed at the sky – is the culmination of the celebration. Souls are dancing and singing and having fun.
-All this are the souls?? So many colours!!
-Yes. - The lady sat on her huskers and looked straight in Alex's eyes. - All souls have different colours and tones. When they're happy, the colour is red or orange. When they play games, dance or sing, the colour is yellow or green. When they are sad...
-When they're sad the colour is blue.
Alex finished the sentence.
-Yes. Sometimes it's blue.
Alex nodded. Then something crossed his mind.
-And purple? Why some of them are purple then?
The lady sighed.
-You should know by now. It's the colour of love. If you really love someone very-very much, - she gripped his shoulders, so that it even hurt, - your soul turns into bright purple.
-Are those souls in love?
-Yes. They are. They are in love with life, with each other, with the sky, with the Sun. - The lady kept on smiling. - But enough. Your train will come soon. Send my regards to your grandma.
-Do you really know her?
The lady stood up and looked somewhere far at the horizon.
-Yeah. We met once, when your grandpa died. She was all blue at the time.
They kept silence for a minute.
-So..., what shall I tell her?
-Tell her “Angie sent you kisses and Mark too”.
Mark was the name of Alex's grandpa.
-But...
-Here's your train! Hurry!
Angie grabbed his hand again and rushed to the front. In the crowd Alex lost hold of her. He stopped but there was no way he could find her. He didn't see the sky anymore, neither did he the people or the train.
-Alexandre!
Someone screamed his name from the crowd.
-Alexandre! Alexandre!
For others it was someone. But Alex knew the voice – the dearest voice in the whole world. His mom's. She grasped him, fell on her knees and clasped her son tight to the heart. He felt the tears comming down his cheak.
-Dear!! How could you..? Why? What if you...? How could you come all the way all alone?
She was choking with tears.
-Mom, don't cry! Please. I am ok. I know the way to the station. And here Angie helped me.
-Who? Who's Angie?
Mom looked even more worried now.
-Is it your friend?
Alex hesitated for a moment.
-Yeah... Mine and … and grandma's. She's nice and beautiful.
-Beautiful? How do you know? Are you imagining friends again, dear? I thought we were over with Sandy and Sam siblings.
-No! I saw her!
Alex's mom sighed just the way Angie did a couple of minutes ago.
-Alex, you...
He knew what she was going to say.
-No, mom. I did see her with my own stupid eyes. Her and the station, the hall and the pink marble there, and the woman who sells cakes and sweets next to the platform, and the sky! Do you see the sunset,mom? Do you see the colours? Do you see pink and orange and lots of purple? Look! These are the souls who are in love and loved.
Alex felt his mom's hand holding him tighter.
-Yes, dear! I see them. I see them all... It's..It's...
She started crying again.
-Do you see the sunset, dear? Do you really see it?
-No, mom. Not anymore. It's all black again. When Angie left it became all black again. But I see that you're not blue anymore, are you?
-No, dear. I am not. I am not. I will try not to be blue, ok? I will try for you!
-Purple is much better than blue!
-Yes, if you want so, I'll be purple.
-Do you believe, that I saw, mom?
-Yes, my heart, I believe you. Tomorrow we'll go to another doctor and he'll help you. Maybe he'll manage.
Alex heard the announcement that the train to S****** was leaving in 2 minutes.
-Mom...
-Yes, darling.
-Can we see the doctor on Monday? I have two tickets for the train. Can we visit grandma, please? I must tell her something.
There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.
-Yes. Why not! We can go on Monday. And while in the train you'll tell me what else you saw, ok?
-Ok.
-Here, I took your cane with me.
Alex's mom took from her pocket a white little stick, that turned into a middle-length white cane.
-Remember, you promised me to use it every time you're out until we find a cure for you?
-Yes, mom. I forgot. Sorry.
Alex took the cane in one hand and his mom took him by the other hand. And it felt the same as with Angie – warm and sunny inside. Alex didn't see the colours or people anymore. Just some shades in the darkness of his vision. But he saw his mom's soul turning purple.
-I love you, mom.
-I love you too, my heart.
Today they joined the sky celebration – the most beautiful of all times.