The Shooting Star

The night was here and the stars looked brighter than ever. Anita was a dreamer. She usually came up with these fairytale wishes and most of these wishes happened at night because that was her only spare time. In short, Anita was a workaholic dreamer.

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"Maa!" She yelled as she opened the door that led outside their wonky apartment.

"Yes?" Anita's mom responded from the backyard.

"I'm stepping outside the house for some time. If you need me, I'd be on the wooden bench outside; stargazing" she said with a renewed form of energy.

"You and this your stargazing thing. Make sure you don't stray too far away from home" her responded.

"I wouldn't" Anita said as she slammed the door shut behind her.

Outside, the night breeze felt so cool and cold. The stars light up the velvet dark skies, twinkling, as if they are trying to share a message. Anita grabs the bench from the veranda and places it outside in the open.

She and her mother had lived at the back of beyond for as long as she could remember. They were banished from their community because she was born a twin.

Due to the hardship and turbulence, her mother toiled every single day, just to make them comfortable. Along the line, her twin couldn't survive anymore due to the entourage of illnesses that usually visited her. She gave up, leaving only Anita and her mother for over thirteen years.

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Under the night skies, Anita laid there, making the same wish she always made; I wish I could feel what it feels like to be a normal teeneger. I wish I had friends to talk to and play with. I wish my mom and I were teleported from the back of beyond to somewhere comfortable.

With teary ears and a yearning heart, she kept repeating this wish and in the moment, a shooting star zoomed by. She wasn't entirely an expert when it came to the stars but she remembered when her mom had told her stories about shooting stars and how people wished upon this star. Like a controlled robot, she repeated the wish once again but this time around, with much more faith.

After her encounter with the shooting star, she called it a night as her internal organs were screaming for warmth.

The next morning was already planned out. There was a routine that she and her mother stuck with and there was no bending the routine. They were going to spend the whole day in their farm just a few kilometres from the house they resided in.

Anita picked up garden tools as she tried to keep up with her mom who was already ten paces in front of her. She hated this tedious life but it was the only life she knew. If she didn't till the soil and plant, she wasn't going to get anything to eat.

Many hours into their humdrum routine, Anita heard footsteps approaching. She tapped her mom.

"Mom, do you hear that?" Her mom who was lost in the rhythm of the soil tilling stopped to listen for a moment.

"Footsteps?" She dropped her tools and pulled Anita protectively towards her "nobody ever comes here. Maybe it's a wild animal, "she suggested.

Anita and her mother stood there, expecting the unknown but praying that it was a good unknown. The suspense came to an end when two young men and a lady came to light. Anita's mom pushed Anita behind her and stood there with her head held high.

"Well, hello there" one of the strangers spoke "I am Anthony and these are my colleagues Mark and Stella"

"Hmmm." Anita's mom grunted.

"We're here on a land survey because the state government just claimed this land. It's government property now."

Anita's mom couldn't find the right words to mumble out. Their home was about to be snatched from them. Like a swift little dove, Anita came forth and began speaking.

"Hello Mr. Anthony. I'm Anita and this is my mother. I have lived here all my life because we were banished from our village. My village people believed that twins were evil children so they were either killed or banished. You cannot take our home away from us because we have nowhere else to go" Anita said with all innocence.

"You are one very smart child my friend. I do not plan to take your home away from you. How about I tell you that we are taking you to another home?" Anthony said

"That isn't possible sir."

"That is very possible. The government provided funds for such casualties. If there are ten other banished families in this bush, they all would get a new home too with basic amenities all provided by the state government."

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Anita kept trying to comprehend what was going on. Was the strange man telling the truth?

"So sir, we get to live in a real house"?

"Yes"

"With real people around?"

"Yes"

"People I can make friends with?"

"Yes my dear"

"Mom, are you hearing this?" Anita asked in so much excitement as she turned in her mom's direction. Her mom had broken down in tears. Tears of joy.

"One more question, when do we leave sir?" Anita asked.

"Whenever you are ready. Even if you want to leave this very moment"

Anita ran towards the man and gave him a warm and hearty embrace.

"Thank you very much, kind sir."

"You're welcome Anita. You are most welcome"

Anita walks briskly towards her mom and mutters something indistinctly. Her mom nods in assertion.

"We will be leaving tomorrow sir. We have to say our goodbyes."

The day took a sharp twist for everyone involved with one party feeling grateful and the other party feeling accomplished.

That night, Anita performed her usual night ritual where she stargazed and wished but this night was different. She thanked the stars immensely for the dream come true. Now, starting the next day, she could live the life she always wanted to.

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Love,Wongi✨