Cross your heart.

This is a little sequel on the film UP:

'Granddad died yesterday', I tell Ellie, my little sister who doesn't understand much. She is only six, you know. I'm much smarter, because I am eight. 

Ellie looks at me with admiration. She loves me, because I know how to fly and how to scream at the top of my longs, without scaring myself. I love her too, duh, but not like her. I have to love her because she's my sister.

We are sitting in a beautiful car. '

It's a funeral car', dad tells us. 'Don't throw up', he says with a cautious look at me. 

I can't stand fast, fancy cars, I always have to throw up in them. Last time I threw up, it was in my other-other granddads beautiful car. 

I say other-other, because I have three granddad's. That should be three granddads. My granddad who has just died, was not my real granddad, but he was like a dad to my dad. Carl Frederickson was his name. He could tell beautiful stories about talking dogs and Kevin, a fast, colourful ostrich. 

He told us that Dog could speak too. I had believed him once, but not anymore. Dog is a stupid dog. When he sees a squirrel, he is petrified and can't breathe  anymore. We always have to give him a punch. Dad explained to us, it was because Dog got old. 

'But', he assured us, 'he really could speak.' Still, I can't believe them.

Driving by the school, Ellie starts to scream. 'Granddaddy is not dead! Granddaddy lives in Paradise Falls! He told me!' I don't try to calm her down. 

I know Granddad is dead but I don't want to tell Ellie. She is too young to understand me. I've tried many times to explain you can't fly with a house. She didn't believe me. 

'With balloons! I love balloons! All colours! Red balloons, green ones, blue, yellow!' 

I walked away en didn't listen anymore.

When we finally arrive, it's raining. There are balloons everywhere and Dog is howling. It makes me sad. I don't want Granddad to be dead. I want to hear his stories. But it's a beautiful funeral. 

A lot of old dogs are there and all the wilderness explorers. I don't know them, but they all know dad. 

'Russell', they say, 'the old Mister Frederickson. I couldn't believe it. I thought he was immortal.' 

'Obviously not', my dad mumbles. 

Then, they turn to me, 'oh, that's little Kevin!', yes, I'm called after a bird. 'Well, you grow faster than my savings! That's for sure!' Then, they laugh and my father laughs with them. I don't know what's so funny about it. I just smile.

Dad had insisted I was not to lose my sister on the funeral. But just when dad isn't paying attention, she pulls herself from my grip and runs away. I try to follow her. Finally, I catch up, when she's trying to open a door.

'Help me', she gasps. I help her. The door is heavy and old. Slowly, it opens and we enter a small room with a lot of boxes.

'It's boring, here', I say and start going back. 

'Oh come on! Kevin!', my sister says and opens the first box. The first thing we see is a lot of dust. After blowing it away, a brown cover of a large book appears. 'My adventure book', it says. 

'What is it?', I ask. 

'Wasn't it too boring for you, scaredy-cat?', my sister says with a know-it-all face. 

I just laugh and ignore the question. 

'Give it to me', I order her. 

'No', she snaps back, 'I found it, so I can keep it.' 

I laugh. 'You can't keep it, smarty. It's not yours.' 

Ellie slowly opens the book. 'It is ours', she whispers. 'Look.' She holds the book too closely. 'It's Granddaddy!'

I can see the glimmer in her eyes. She loves secrets. 'And a woman.' That triggers my curiosity and I go and sit next to her.

It is Granddad. But, like twenty years younger. He is fatter and looks healthier. And happier. The woman next to him is beautiful. 'Ellie' it says underneath the picture. 

'I think it is granny.' Ellie whispers. 

'It says 'Ellie'.' I point at the text. 

'Ellie', she whispers. 'It is my name.' With big eyes she looks at me. 'I'm named after her.' 

I nod. 'Yes, congratulations, I'm named after a bird.' 

Ellie laughs and turns the page. 'Wait! Here is the bird. Look, Kevin, that's you! You are beautiful!' 

I carefully take the book and look at myself. It is in fact the ostrich. Not me. But he is beautiful. Finally I'm proud of my name. I'm named after the most beautiful bird in the world. And next to the bird is... 

'That's dad.' Ellie whispers. Beneath the picture, it shows: 'Russell and Kevin.' 

'Wow', Ellie says. 'That's amazing!' I turn the page and what I see next takes my breath. 

'I knew it!' Ellie gets up and dances through the room, taking the dust with her. 'I knew you could fly with a house and balloons.' 

She was right.

The picture shows a house, flying with balloons. Granddad is hanging out of the window, laughing and waving. Dad a bit older than in the last picture, is sitting on the porch and has his legs  dangling. It is not the same house as in the picture with the woman.

'I think they went two or three times.' I say. 

Ellie nods. 'I want to go there too', she answers. 'I want to go to Paradise Falls. Granddad lives there.' 

I shake my head. 'It's impossible, Ellie, we are only children.'

'No, we are adventurers!' Ellie finds a leather aviator's cap and whizzes through the room. 'Welcome on board of the Ellie-flight. This is your captain speaking.'

'Ellie, shut up! We are never going anywhere!' I burst out. 

Ellie looks at me angrily and puts her hands on her hips. 'We are going. Promise me.' Her angry, mad face makes me doubt. 'Promise me, Kevin. I want to go find Granddad. He lives there, I know. He is not dead.' 

I remain silent. 

'Promise me, Kevin.' She crosses her arms over her chest. 'Promise me. Cross your heart.'

And I do.