Fly

fly - verb 1.to move through the air using wings. 2.to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency 3.to float or flutter in the air 4.to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft. 5.to move suddenly and quickly

Do you remember that feeling? When you were a child, and ran as fast as you could, maybe down a hill, and you truly knew that if you just ran a little faster, you would take off and fly? I remember that feeling well.

A couple of summers ago, I observed one of the most devious and clever schemes I've ever seen. I sat in the sun, I think I ate an ice-cream, but maybe I was drinking soda, or maybe I just sat there. A family of four came walking towards me. A very pink princess (around 4), a tough older brother (around 7) and their parents. I overheard their conversation, and it went something like this;

Pink Princess: Mum, may I PLEASE have another ice-cream, please, please?
Mum: No, you've already had 2 today. You cannot have 3 ice creams in one day.
Pink Princess: But muuuum, please?
Mum: No, don't be silly.

Now, the denim-clad brother was playing his NintendoDS and couldn't care less, but I think the Pink Princess felt that someone was about to give in.

Pink Princess: Daaaaaad?

Mum immediately intervenes. She knows how these situations work, she sends Dad a warning look and he sighs.

Dad: Yes?
Pink Princess: Can we run and see who gets to the car the fastest?
Dad: Uhm.. sure?
Pink Princess: Daaaad? If I you run as fast as you can, and I run as fast as I can, and I still beat you to the car. Then may I have an ice cream?

And something happens inside this poor doomed dad. He knows he can beat his daughter to the car. He knows there's no way her stubby little legs can match his long, strong daddy longlegs figure in a race. This can end this constant begging for ice-cream. He will win this, he will win!

Dad: Yes, you may.
Pink Princess: Do you promisecrossyourheart?

Warning bells are obviously going off in mummy dearest's head, but Dad ignores her.

Dad: Yes, I promise.
Pink Princess: But daaaaad?
Dad: Yes?
Pink Princess: Since your legs are soooo long and mine are so short, can I start here and you there?

She points at two spots, no more than 2 meters apart. Not a distance to be feared from Daddy-O, so he agrees. Pink Princess holds a thin pink jacket in one hand, and her (open) backpack in the other. She takes her place, and crouches down in the obligatory get-ready-set-go-position of four-year-olds all over the world. Daddy winks at mum, and gets ready as well. Big Brother is granted the honor of yelling 1-2-3.

Big Brother: 1!
Big Brother: 2!

The split second before 3!, Pink Princess jumps up, throws her backpack and jacket up in  the air, and starts running the instance her feet touches the ground. Daddy dearest runs into a hailstorm of buttons, stuffed animals, crayons and the backpack itself, he stops and tries to catch it all in the air. It takes no more than a second before mum realizes what happened, and yells for dad to run, run, run!.

But it's to late. His momentum is lost.
Before he gets up to any speed at all, Pink Princess is almost at the car.

She calls out to him when her hand touches the hood,

Pink Princess: I think I'll have a strawberry ice-cream, thank you.