It was a bright cold day and the clock was striking three. The long grasses undulated pleasantly in the breeze, with bees humming dreamily all over the places. Liza was standing in the basket of a hot-air balloon beside a bunch of strangers.
“Nervous? Huh?”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything. I am not scared.”
“I am John, by the way. This is my family. I love them. They are so gorgeous.”
He pointed his chubby finger to the locket hanging around his neck.
“I am Liza.”
“On holiday with family? Australia is a smart choice.”
Liza nodded.
“Lizzy?” A familiar voice interrupted.
Liza gave him a vague smile and turned around. Her mother was looking for her.
“Hey! Look up! It makes you feel better,” John shouted.
Liza lifted her head. She could see a huge colorful envelope fluttering in the crystal-clear blue sky. However, the “rainbow” did not really calm her down because of the fire below. The golden-yellow flame caught her eyes and made her heart thump even harder. She took it to be a bad omen.

A sudden shout of triumph distracted her. The balloon had finally taken off! The humming sound ceased gradually. She took a quick peek outside. The white clouds were flitting rapidly in the dodger-blue sky and the wind was gently stroking her dark hair. She was totally lost in the ecstasy of the moment until she noticed what was below her. A sudden sweat soaked through her. She did not dare to take another glimpse and moved to the center of the basket where the pilot worked. He looked busy, checking seriously some wires connecting to the fuel bottle seriously. Beads of sweat were pouring off him and he spoke loudly into his walkie-talkie though he did try to lower his voice and mute his emotions. But it was no use. Everyone seemed to notice his abnormal behavior. They stopped taking photographs and chitchatting and stared at the pilot who went scarlet with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and said something was wrong with the burner. Because of his broad accent, most of the passengers could only catch his last word “jump” which was maybe the most important one. The pilot jumped from the basket which was about three meters from the ground. He did not die but seemed to be hurt. Their concern soon turned to fear.
“Boom!”
A tiny fire was spreading along the burner cord and the balloon. They saw the flame, they felt the heat, they knew what was going on. A chubby man pushed the panicked passengers and climbed onto the edge of the balloon. Without any hesitation, he jumped. The silver pendant which included a black and white family portrait hanging around the man’s neck flashed in front of Liza’s eyes. He left his family and pals alone in the air.
“Coward!” “Weathercock!”
Everyone was cursing John except Liza. She did not feel the rage and she even thought John was brave. Facing death or danger, all you care about was yourself. It was instinct. We are programmed to stay alive, to breathe. He knew that he would be blamed by the rest of the world but still, he followed his heart. He was brave.

The crowd was buzzing, screaming and wailing. To jump or not to jump? That was the question. They were scared of death, no, the pain. When they had the guts, it was too late. The flame was getting closer to the basket. The balloon went higher as the weight of the basket has become lighter. They were 30 meters above the ground. Now, people plucked up the courage. The rest of John’s family crossed their arms and slid from the ruddy brown basket. The ones whose deaths were yet to come heard an extremely loud thud. They looked away.
“Come with us, Lizzy,” Liza’s mother said squeezing a pained smile.
“Nope, I am scared.”
“It’s gonna be fine, sweetheart,”
Liza shook her head and her parents gave her the right. People kept committing suicide, no, they were just striving to live. They were not stupid. They perfectly knew that it was not possible for them to survive jumping 30 meters. Hope was what they were holding on to. They were gambling with lives. They had the courage which Liza thought she lacked.

The sun was still shinning bright in the sky and the clouds were still floating in the sky. People kept jumping like bombs dropping onto the ground and that could not get out of her mind. The balloon did not rise anymore. Black smoke was pouring from the burning envelope. She knew the moment had arrived. She looked at the balloon on fire. She accepted what she was going to do but part of her spirit was waiting for Captain Rhett Butler to bring her out of this hell, like saving Scarlett. But it would not happen. She turned around and saw an old man kneeling and crossing his fingers. He didn’t give up his belief even facing such a disaster. He was also brave.

She heard the long-hoping deafening sound. She felt her flesh begin to char. Everything went black.

Sometimes, bravery doesn’t have to be like standing up to your enemies or saving lives. It could be simple, bravery is staying alive.