Floating Above This Great Mass Of Rock
It really started with vivid colours spread in the field, and a hint of orange touching the edges of the clouds in the sky. Some spurts of flame and various little tasks that seemed altogether too simple, considering where we would be taken.
At first, my heart beat quickly and I feigned bravery. The firm, comforting soil that had a moment ago been beneath my feet fell away, too quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid prolonging my discomfort. As we gained height, everything became somehow too tiny and surreal, and fear faded. We nestled snug in the cane basket, with only hot air holding us almost a kilometre above the earth's surface. The winds drew us across the landscape and we gazed down at the land, while I gripped the basket nervously, as though I would somehow be drawn over the edge.
We fell towards the earth at around 2 metres a second, a patchwork of fields with cows and a creek and trees in it materialising beneath us. I turned to her as casually as I could muster, pulling a small box out of my pocket, cautious not to attract her attention. I started innocently. "Mina ei ole must mees, aga mina olen su mees". I continued, "Sinuga, elu on õnn ja ilusaid, ja huvitav ja armas"... She wrapped her arm around me, assuming I was angling for a hug.
I took a quick breath, and then pulled the box from behind my back. "Abiellu mind", I said. Her face went totally blank and for a bit everything felt like being in shock. Just us, the balloon, the sky, and our French balloon pilot, Vincent. Vincent may as well have not been there, as he did not speak Estonian and had his hands rather full, guiding our balloon towards a relatively flat spot next to the river.
"Noh, kas on Jah?", I eventually asked.
"Jah", she said.
I gave her the ring, and placed the amulet around her neck. We hovered excruciatingly above a field, whispering just over the top of a fence, and moments later, came gently crashing into the ground, once... twice... and then on the third time, finally, still. The balloon began to gently deflate, and we found ourselves newly re-united with the earth... and newly united with each other.
At first, my heart beat quickly and I feigned bravery. The firm, comforting soil that had a moment ago been beneath my feet fell away, too quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid prolonging my discomfort. As we gained height, everything became somehow too tiny and surreal, and fear faded. We nestled snug in the cane basket, with only hot air holding us almost a kilometre above the earth's surface. The winds drew us across the landscape and we gazed down at the land, while I gripped the basket nervously, as though I would somehow be drawn over the edge.
We fell towards the earth at around 2 metres a second, a patchwork of fields with cows and a creek and trees in it materialising beneath us. I turned to her as casually as I could muster, pulling a small box out of my pocket, cautious not to attract her attention. I started innocently. "Mina ei ole must mees, aga mina olen su mees". I continued, "Sinuga, elu on õnn ja ilusaid, ja huvitav ja armas"... She wrapped her arm around me, assuming I was angling for a hug.
I took a quick breath, and then pulled the box from behind my back. "Abiellu mind", I said. Her face went totally blank and for a bit everything felt like being in shock. Just us, the balloon, the sky, and our French balloon pilot, Vincent. Vincent may as well have not been there, as he did not speak Estonian and had his hands rather full, guiding our balloon towards a relatively flat spot next to the river.
"Noh, kas on Jah?", I eventually asked.
"Jah", she said.
I gave her the ring, and placed the amulet around her neck. We hovered excruciatingly above a field, whispering just over the top of a fence, and moments later, came gently crashing into the ground, once... twice... and then on the third time, finally, still. The balloon began to gently deflate, and we found ourselves newly re-united with the earth... and newly united with each other.