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The Starwatcher

The sky was an up-side-down ocean above, with glittering stars, shining down from the cold distance. The blue forever changing canvas above never gave me any peculiar impression; it's just like staring into empty space to me. Long ago though...

'Hey Remi.' I looked up from my desk and out the window. It was Rina's voice; she was my neighbor from the next apartment and our room windows were next to another. You could even jump the little fence that was separating the balconies to get from one place to another. She made her way to my balcony and I left my book on the desk to join her on the balcony. 

'What are you doing up so late, Rina? Aren't your parents worried?' 

'Don't you think the stars are pretty tonight, Remi?' 

'Well...I guess?' As far as I knew, stars were very big gas and materia balls, far-far away in the galaxy. I read it once in a book of fathers' so I didn't of them as 'pretty'. 'Why do you like the stars, Rina?' She turned her big, dark blue eyes towards me. I don't know why, but they seemed so shiny and lively, more than any time I would've seen them during the day when we'd play together with our friends. The sky reflected in them as she turned towards it, grabbing my hand and making me look the same way.

'Look up Remi. The sky I see and the sky you see are the same. I think it's nice. The way it connects people even if they are far away. Look at the stars Remi, do you see the constellations? Stars have ties too, like people. Look, those form the Swan. And that's the North Star. They are all pretty, in groups or alone, just like people are. Some shine more brightly than the others and some are solitary. Some form groups, some are far-far away, some are a little closer. Some fall, some fade. Some light so brightly then they disappear. Some stay with us forever.' 

'Remi, do you like the sky? Sky isn't just blue. Sky is grey, sky is red, sky is purple, sky is turquoise, sky is purple, sky changes colors. Just like people change. Sometimes they are happy; so the sky is clear and light blue without a cloud. Sometimes they are sad; and the sky sheds tears and wears grey clouds. Sometimes they are angry, and the sky dwells in grayish red, brewing a storm. Sometimes they are feel lonely, and the sky is purplish blue, adorned with stars to keep them company.' 

'Remi...my parents decided to move. Father got a new job somewhere far away...' she said, while lowering her gaze and gripping my hand stronger. 'I'll miss Remi and everybody here...' 

'Rina...' I turned her around by the hand; tears found solace in the corners of her eyes. I pulled her lightly in my arms into a warm hug as she began to cry harder. 

'Rina...didn't you say that the sky connects people? I'll always be with you. Whenever we'll look up the sky we'll remember each other and one day we'll meet again.' 

'Remi...' She freed herself from my embrace carefully and stuck out her pinky finger while wiping her tears with her sleeve. 'Promise you'll never forget me?' 

'Promise.' I curled my pinky finger around hers and sealed the promise, under the star-filled sky above us.

Tonight the sky is just like that day. I'm not a kid anymore and I moved from that place too at some point. I lay in the grass on a hill close to my place. It's a nice place, you can see most of the city from here. 'The stars have ties huh?' 

'...just like people do.' I sat up and turned around to follow the voice. Black long hair and those blue eyes...

'Rina?' She stepped closer; she's so grown up but her face, I could never forget that light in her eyes under the starry sky. 

'One day we'll meet again, was it?' She smiled and nothing mattered anymore as we both hugged each other.

'That's a promise.' I said, a faint echo of the words back then that brought us together today.