Being half

I lay on the grass, looking at the sky, squinting at the sun which randomly appeared and disappeared. I asked father:

“Why there is less sunshine in England than in France?”

He lay next to me:

“Because England is further north than France.”

“Is there anything further north than England?”

“Scotland.”

“There is even less sunshine in Scotland?”

“Yes.”

“And something further north than Scotland?”

“Iceland”

“Sounds cold! There is no sunshine at all there?”

“There is very little of it.”

“Then I would never want to go there! I love sunshine! That's why I love France so much! You know, it's really hard being half something.”

“Being what?”

“When I was little Aurélie told me I was half French and half English. I couldn't quite get then what it was like, I was trying to find those halves in my body. Now I’m better at understanding what it's all about, but it means I have to love two totally different countries. If I weren't half something, my heart would forever belong to only one of them.”