Mistaken Identity

He rushed into the kitchen, breathless with excitement. His hair was wild and his eyes huge and brilliant. His cheeks flushed, trousers damp around the ankles, hands flailing wildly. He must have been about four years old and something had just changed his life.

He couldn't speak. He gulped for air. He looked at his mother. Expectation was high.

"What is it darling?" she asked.

The words tripped and tumbled over each other like puppies at feeding time. He stopped, took a deep breath and started again. Just as quickly, but with marginally more sense, he started to speak again.

"It's just I... oh, MUMMY!" his eyes were imploring, beseeching. "It's no good. You'll never believe me... But it's TRUE!"

"Darling! What? Tell me!"

He took another gulp of air and tried again.

"I just... oh, Mummy..." his shoulders drooped in despair. His head hung down, eyes looking up at his mother. "You won't believe me."

"Please, sweetheart. Tell me. What is it?"

He squared himself once more. Puffed out his chest. Forced himself to take his courage in both hands and present it to his bewildered mother.

He rushed out his words, almost as though thinking too long would block them again.

"I just saw a pterodactyl in the garden. It crashed into the field!"

An internal struggle began for his mother. Laughing now would crush his little spirit. And yet, he was right. She couldn't believe him. Her face remained smooth and calm, not a flicker of her mind's battle was betrayed. She answered him calmly.

"Show me, darling."

He took her hand and led her into the garden, down the hill, to the gate.

There, in all it's glory, was a microlight.

Guy was, thankfully, unharmed. A little bit of Tom, however, died that day.