Elif was exhausted from writing.
She had started four times. Torn it up four times.
Paper scraps lay scattered on the floor.
"Why can't you write it?" her grandmother asked.
"Because Selin doesn't have an address. I don't know where to send it."
Selin had moved away last month. Far away. Elif didn't even have her phone number. She had only said, "I'm going somewhere very far."
The Window
Elif opened the window.
The wind rushed in.
It scattered the papers everywhere.
“Hey!” Elif called out. "You've made a mess!"
The wind swirled. Then stopped.
Elif called out playfully: “Can you deliver a letter to Selin?”
The wind didn't answer.
But it didn't stay either.
It left through the window.
Writing
Elif sat down. She took a fresh piece of paper.
This time, she didn't write an address. She simply began:
"Selin,
I miss you so much. Ada Village is the same, but it feels different without you. We still fish at the dock. But you're not here. Grandma burned the pastries again. I laughed, but my heart felt heavy.
Where are you?
Elif"
She folded it. Wrote the name: Selin.
She went to the window. Held the letter. Let it go.
The wind took it.
And carried it away.
Waiting
Three days passed.
Elif waited.
Of course, no reply came. Letters didn't travel that way. The wind didn't carry paper.
Elif knew this.
But writing had made her feel better.
The Answer
On the fourth day, her grandmother called. "Elif! There's someone at the door."
Elif went downstairs.
A small child stood there. She didn't recognize him.
“Selin gave me this,” the boy said. He handed her a piece of paper.
Elif took it. Opened it.
"Elif,
I'm here. This new city is big. So crowded. Very crowded. I miss Ada Village. I miss you. Something flew in the wind today. I caught it. Was it your letter?
My new address is: ..."
The Wind
Elif looked at the letter.
Selin had written “I caught it.”
The wind had really carried her letter.
Or—Selin had left her own letter by the window that same day. And the wind had carried it to Ada Village. And this boy had found it.
Elif didn't know which it was.
But she smiled.
Sometimes, believing was enough.
What We Learn From This Story
1. Writing down our feelings—even if we can't send them—lightens our hearts. 2. Separation isn't permanent; paths always find a way to reconnect. 3. Believing doesn't always create miracles, but it inspires us to act. 4. True friendship survives distance and never forgets. 5. Small actions like writing a letter or waiting can have big impacts.
Questions to Ask Your Child
1. Have you ever written a letter to someone far away, or wanted to? 2. Do you think the wind really delivered Elif's letter, or is there another explanation? 3. Where is your best friend right now? When did you last see them?