MaNan OS~ Stardusts & Fireflies

Stardusts & Fireflies

Little Manik's World

Manik looked up at the sky; it was a starry night with lots of stars twinkling high up. As he sat on the garden swing that was slowly moving due to the gentle breeze, his eyes caught on something. What was that, he wondered aloud; it looked like one star was not glued to the inky blue dome of the sky above him, anymore! It somehow fell off, and now it was flying across the sky leaving a shiny trail behind!

"Grams, what is that?" he wondered, in awe.

"That's a shooting star, my child" he heard his grandmother's voice from behind. He quickly turned to her, looking confused.

"What's a shooting star, grams?" he asked curiously, now looking back at the shiny trail with eagerness in his eyes.

"It means a star just died, my love" she said with a soft smile playing up her lips, as she gently came and sat next to him with a plate of food in her hand.

Manik looked troubled, his lips puckered a little when he noticed his grams' smile. "But grams, stars are my favourite! How can you smile, when one just died?" he asked earnestly looking at the elderly woman.

"When a star dies, it leaves a trail of stardust behind; can you see the shiny trail my child?" she asked, pointing her finger up at the sky. Manik nodded with excitement, as she continued, "It is said that if you look at it and make a wish, an angel is born from that stardust! Then, she descends from the high heavens, to fulfil all your wishes.." the elderly woman indulged his imaginations.

Manik looked at his grams with wide eyes, "Grams, can I make a wish?" he asked earnestly, as the older woman smiled at him encouragingly. Manik quickly looked up at the now slightly fading trail of stardust, and made a quick wish. His brows were knitted, eyes shut, soft pink lips inaudibly moving animatedly, making a wish.

"What is it that you asked for, my child?" his Grams, asked him after a while, as she put a morsel of food into his mouth from the plate she was carrying. Manik had a sparkle in his eyes and a goofy smile; his grandmother knew that face very well, it meant he did something twisted.

"Grams, I wished for the angel to come and stay with me forever, and fulfil all the wishes I make everyday! That way I get so many more wishes to make!" his eyes sparkled in excitement as his face gleamed at his little victory.

His grandmother laughed heartily at his antics; her Manik was a bright child who always knew how to bargain for a better deal. She knew Manik had inherited this trait from his father, her son; but for the sake of Manik's innocence, she wished that he inherited nothing else from him, least of all his father's cold manipulative and calculative nature.

"Grams, what would you ask for, if you had made a wish?" Manik's sudden thoughtful question brought her out of her reverie.

"I.. well I would wish for you to start acting like a responsible, grown up five year old, who ate his dinner on time and didn't need his grams to run after him with food" she replied with a feigned sad face; Manik giggled, as he took another helping of the food from her.

"I was only waiting for Mom to arrive home, so she could feed me and tell me a story! She had promised last night that she would tonight!" he replied innocently.

"She won't be returning tonight child, she has left for London this morning, for work." his grandmother replied quietly.

"Again? Again Mom left without saying goodbye to me? Last time she promised me that from now on she will remember to bid me goodbye" Manik said, as his face fell in disappointment. The elderly lady sighed. If indeed she were to make a wish, she'd wish for her son and daughter in law to be better parents; to be deserving parents to a sweet, innocent and sensitive child, like Manik.