Folding

I was in fourth grade when the 2011 Japan earthquake occurred.
My teacher gave us a lesson the next day.
On how to make origami cranes.
Have you heard of that Japanese legend?
One can be granted a wish from the gods.
By folding a thousand paper cranes.
Or the gods may grant happiness and good luck.
My teacher intended that we collectively make a thousand cranes.
So that we could send them to Japan.

It was rather easy to learn.
In no time.
I became much better at making paper cranes.
Than my teacher.
And then I was folding them faster.
Than the rest of my schoolmates.
My parents thought it was a little bit worthless.
They asked why we didn’t just start a donation drive.
I thought they had a good point.

Regardless.
I continued to fold my paper cranes.

I folded them at school.
It was mindless.
As I listened to my teachers.
I folded them at home too.
At first.
I did it only in my free time.

It was a rewarding experience.
For my classmates.
Many decided to experiment. With all sorts of origami.
They folded different animals.
And even little weapons.
Like ninja stars.
I liked cranes the most.
I did try other shapes.
But I never found them as elegant.

I folded my cranes wonderfully.
All my edges lined up.
The pleats were flat and crisp.
I could fold quickly.
But I preferred not to.
I liked to take my time with each crane.
To ensure everything was perfect.

The buzz around the earthquake quieted down.
We never sent our cranes to Japan.
But my peers never forgot their paper-folding skills.
And once in a while.
I would see a little animal pop up on someone’s desk.
However.
For the most part.
The origami craze died.

I continued to fold.

We did not care about Japan anymore.
But I still intended to reach one thousand cranes.
Even if it had to be all on my own.
I kept all of them in a box.
I counted them every so often.
And the number grew slowly.
But steadily.
It would be a while before I could reach my goal.
I persisted.
My parents asked multiple times.
If they could help me.
I said no.
They would not be able to fold as well as I did.

I continued to fold.

Around me the world began to fall apart.
My parents made me attend summer school.
Like always.
I spent those classes folding my cranes.
I needed to get a bigger box.
I started to bring my cranes with me.
Wherever I went.
I attached straps to the box.
And carried it on my back.

I continued to fold.

My parents forced me.
To go outside.
But I took my papers with me.
I walked around the streets.
Carefully folding.
There were many sights to see.
Buildings were being demolished.
The playground was being upgraded.
All of my friends had moved away.

I continued to fold.

I spent that summer sitting.
On the swings.
Carefully making birds.
While real cranes were across from me.
Lifting piles of wood.
And steel.
And people.

Sometimes I ran.
With my box of cranes still attached.
To my back.
I ran up and down the street.
Until my legs couldn’t take it.
Then I lay down in the grass.
And watched the clouds pass by.
And folded more cranes.

I continued to fold.

It was only when we had moved.
When my parents decided.
We couldn’t afford to stay.
We moved into an actual house.
I took my box with me.
Into my new room.
And I counted.
For the first time.
In a long time.

And.

There were one thousand cranes.
In that box.
I had already reached my goal.

…

I stood up.
I backed into the wall.
And stared at my box.
My thousand cranes.
They were so small.
That I could fit them.
All in one small box.

It had not even been a year.
I kept walking around my room.
Circling the box.
Eventually.
I tripped.
Over my stack of papers.
The papers I had yet to fold.
That I had been planning.
To fold.

The sheets spilled all over the floor.
I was lying on them.

The box was in arm’s reach.
I only intended to look into it.
But I accidentally poured them.
All my cranes.
My one thousand origami cranes.
All over my body.

Have you heard of that Japanese legend?

One can be granted a wish from the gods.
By folding a thousand paper cranes.

I lay there.
Amidst my creations.
I felt their pointy little wings.
Itching at my skin.

Dear Gods.

Please let me fold.
A thousand more cranes.