He saw a school of fish in the shallows suddenly dart away from the shore. Looking up, his magical eyes saw what no-one else can see. The invisible dragon was hovering, just above the shallows. “Good Morning, my son.”
The dragon loved being seen, despite being invisible. “Good Morning father!” He did a quick, enthusiastic loop the loop. “Why do you think not many people are in Paradise?”
The magician looked around, feeling a cool November breeze touch his face. “I guess it's off-season for Paradise. People have forgotten about the magic of the universe, because they are too caught up in a world they call advanced.”
The dragon had a question on his mind for a while now. He had flown to see his father to ask for some help, perhaps to find an answer. “Father, people fall in love. So do butterflies, and dolphins. Even flowers fall in love with the help of the bees. They all find someone.” The magician needed no magic to know what question was coming. “But there are no other invisible dragons! Will I not ever fall in love?”
The magician continued strolling along the beach, silent for a few moments. He knew the time had come to offer his son the wisdom of love. Like all fathers at times like these he wanted to get it right. So he found he was a little nervous about communicating with his own son.
A butterfly flitted past him... and gave him an idea. “Can you fall in love with a butterfly, my good son?”
The dragon was a little hurt, he felt like his father did not understand him and was not taking the issue seriously. “Perhaps I should speak to the enchantress, father.”
The magician realized he had been too cryptic. “Please my boy, trust me on this one. Love is not an easy thing to explain or understand until you have truly felt it. Think for a moment about my question, we are going somewhere with this. Imagine you met the most beautiful butterfly in the world, with sunlight in her wings and a voice like tinsel. Could you fall in love with her?”
The dragon didn't know his father struggled to communicate at times like this. He thought his father had misunderstood what he needed. But out of respect, he answered seriously. “I suppose so, father.”
The magician ventured further on the path. “And if you encountered a playful dolphin, filled with energy, who leapt from the waves whenever she saw you, could you fall in love with her?”
The dragon thought to himself I'm going to have to ask the enchantress but continued to answer to get the conversation over. “Yes father, of course I could.”
The magicians eyes suddenly sparkled. “Alright my boy, that's good. Let me on your shoulders.” The dragon landed next to his father, who climbed aboard. “Now, fly high. Fly us all the way to the moon.”
The dragon was perplexed by his father's request, but did as he was told. With a beat of his enormous wings they rose above the beach, and soared out over the Aegean sea.
The magician spoke again. “Pull up here, my good son.” The came to a halt. “Now, look back.”
The dragon hovered in space, then turned away from the moon and uttered a gasp. He was awestruck by the beauty of the earth from space.
He heard his father's voice. “This is not the first time you've seen the earth from far away, is it, my son?”
The dragon gazed on the breathtaking blue and white planet. “No father. Every time I see the earth I... well... something happens to me.”
The magician patted his son's neck affectionately. “You are feeling love, my boy...”
They hovered silently together in space, enjoying the moment, feeling their connection.
After a few moments, the magician felt he could now offer his son the wisdom of love. “Alright my boy. Perhaps you could fall in love with a beautiful butterfly of a playful dolphin, yes?”
The dragon found the question annoying. Why was his father continuing like this? He answered distractedly “Yes... yes of course.”
The magicians eyes shone like the son. “Could you fall in love with the whole world?”
The dragon gazed on the earth, feeling the magic of his fathers words reach him. He felt the wisdom of love offered to him, circling around his dragon heart, warming him, leading him to grow. He accepted the gift. “I think I could... I think I could fall in love with the world, father.”
The magician was pleased with his wonderful son. “Fall in love whenever you can, my boy. Fall in love with whoever you like. Life is long, and I wish only that everyday of your life is filled with love.” They hovered in space a little longer, feeling the wonder of the world, then descended to earth once again.
The dilapidated “Paradise” sign is on St George's beach, Naxos
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