Balloon: Wind and Sky

The little girl lay there, staring up at the huge expanse of blue above her. She could hear her mummy off to one side talking to a friend. They laughed. She wondered if the sky ever ended.
“Sweetie!”
The little girl sat up and looked at her mummy. She thought her mummy was very pretty. She liked the clothes mummy wore. She would be like mummy when she was older.
“Sweetie, do you want a balloon?” She looked at where her mummy was pointing. An old wrinkly man stood there, holding a bunch of balloons of all shapes and sizes and colours. He looked like a garden gnome. She smiled and nodded. Her mummy smiled back, her teeth all yellow.
Teeth were supposed to be white.
“Take yourself off and buy a balloon then.” Her mummy gave her a small coin, before turning back to her friend. Wrinkling up her nose the little girl turned and ran down the grassy slope to the old wrinkly garden gnome man. She stopped. Other children surrounded him now, claiming balloons from him. She hung back. Watching as the balloons bobbed in the air. Did they know if the sky went on forever? The gnome looked over at her.
“A balloon there young miss?” he smiled. His eyes were blue, like the sky, and his skin crinkled like a paper bag. The little girl nodded, and handed over the small coin her mummy had given her. The gnome looked surprised.
“These balloons are more than a penny young miss.” He looked at her with his crinkly sky blue eyes, peering into her face.
“I want to know if the sky goes on forever.” She said bravely. His smile was small, his eyes sad.
“Nothing goes on forever.” The little girl frowned at the gnome man.
“Love lasts forever. Mummy said so.” The old man smiled wider.
“Where is your mummy young miss?” The little girl pointed to her mummy and her mummy’s friend. The gnome looked back at the little girl in front of him. Her clothes were scruffy from over use, holes showed in her socks, her hair was un-brushed, her checks dirty. A sparrow amongst the bright winged