The Lonely Wish Upon A Star (Part One of Two)
Deleting tood at the bank of Willey Creek, well into the old growth woods of Danbury Proper, lazily tossing small stones towards the ripples. He was lost in thought about his lonelinest was easy to decipher that slightly, sad and pensive glaze which masked his usually, brightly lit glow.
Iasn’t as if Bi had no friends, or loving family. There were an abundance of kids in his age group, who eagerly welcomed him into their mid-teen circle of hormonal based, miscreant members. He just never really felt as if he fit well into their mihis lingering sense of being somewhat ‘different’, invited much opportunity for him to wander alone through the maze of adolescent journeyinhe local bike and hiking trail often beckoned hit whispered of secrets to be found beyond the mortal eyes of his earthly peero, there he was once again; deep into the magical woodt was a place where butterflies circled him, sometimes landing to perch upon his soft shouldeurtles would break the surface of Willey Creek to give multiple winks towards hirogs mostly sat and stareccasionally performing athletic hops in an attempt to impress Bobbymidst this patch of forest, young Binny had grown like the saplings surrounding him now, swaying to the gentle wind; he knew them welhey coaxed the blue jays, the robins and finches to flutter and sing for him; sweet songs of eternal graclly knew the twinkling stars as well, in the early evening sunsehe deep azure sky gave hint to what billions of shining orbs lay beyond, waiting for darkness to envelope; patiently preparing to light the night ske had once heard about a cluster of stars huddled together named Centaurhere was Alpha A and Alpha B…a bianary pair with their sister Proxima, glowing closest to eartroxima was the star to make a wish upon for faster results, but even then…it would take nine long years for that wish to be fulfilleillysense of loneliness transformed his daydreaming into a conscious wish that day. He had envisioned a young, beautiful woman walking alongside him through a misty forest. She was smiling and he could feel the tender warmth of her hand, clasped in hit was in that moment he made a wish upon Proxima…hoping what he had heard about a nine year wait would prove incorrect. His grandmother once told him, that wishes may take nine years to be answered, but a miracle happens in a flash; within the blink of an eyhe said that angels hear every wish, ever made and decide whether to turn that wish into a miracle, or simply allow it to travel out into space for Proxima to procesrandma had also explained to Biy when he was just a little boy, that wishes may take ‘up to’ nine years to be granted because a wish has to fall in line with all the wishes that came before it from other wish seekers. In wishfully slow years, we have a chance of a speeder resullly turned against the deepening, early evening sky to face the trail homeetrieving his blue Schwinn from the handlebars, he raised it off the grass and with a short hop and a leailly was pedaling homewarmiling, he replayed the daydream and wish over again in his mine was confident that his wish would be granted, perhaps sooner than nine years if the angels saw fit with a miraclears floated by after that last day in the woods by Willey Creekpon returning home his mother informed him that dad had received an unexpected transfer notice, at his place of employmenhey would be packing and preparing to follow him, as soon as possiblad would be leaving within a few short days; the company had already provided lodging for hie was just shy of his sixteenth birthday when his new adventure began, one hundred and sixty miles away from the only home he’d known since birth. Before long, he was traveling again to a four year universitfter graduation, his student draft deferral no longer shielded him from having to serve two years in the militarhile in the military, Willy received a job recruitment offer from a company quite close to his boyhood homeanbury Proper was a mere stone throw from Sander Logistics, and he smiled at the thought of being close once again to Willey Creee accepted the job without hesitatioilly’s readjustment back into civilian life, was greatly aided by the well paying job begun shortly thereafter, along with his return to not only Danbury Proper, but miraculouslo his old home near Willey Creek as welhortly before being discharged from service in the Army, Bill had acquired a copy of the Willey Creek Daily, in order to search for at least temporary housing in the aremazingly, in the homes for rent section of the classified ads, a listing appeared for rental of his boyhood homhe older couple that had purchased the home for their retirement from his family had decided to enter a senior care retirement communityhey planned to sell the property eventually, but in the meanwhile decided to rent the home ouome months after moving into his family’s old house, Spring had well set in with warm gentle air. It was the weekend, and Biy had an urge to spend one of his days off from work, venturing up the old bike and hiking path by Willeis heart sent waves of melancholy memories throughout his soul. Wandering the familiar trail, he recognized old growth Oaks, Maples and Sycamores dotting the landscape around himhey all seemed healthhick, standing tall with an abundance of shimmering leaves, occasionally cascading down to silently nourish the earth beneath their graceful limbshe giant Elm in a small clearance still had that giant split limb, half resting on the ground, from an old lightening strikenough of it remained intact; enabling the sweet, life giving sap to flow and feed each newly birthed bloom.
Part One: Published March 20, 2018 Written by @averageoutsider