Whenever someone asks me what's the most unforgettable moment that happened in my life, i would always say the same answer over and over again. Seeing a silhoutte of a girl sitting on our swing every night.
It was this one night when i heard a faint screeching sound which automatically gave me chills. It came from outside the house. I looked out the window and saw a silhoutte of a girl sitting in the swing, gazing at the stars.
I was scared, terrified. But as I stared at the silhoutte, i recognized her. She was our neighbor. Cassie, if im not mistaken. She was oddly mysterious. She didn't have friends. She just stays home. Never comes out.
As nights passed, I became curious. I really wanna know why you always sit in our swing and gaze at the stars. I badly wanna know, but i don't know how. I didn't have the courage to approach you.
One night, as she was gazing at the stars, she suddenly turned to look at me. I was shocked, i hid and took a peak at her. You giggled. It's now or never. I slowly went outside and silently sat beside her in the grass.
"Wanna know why i'm always here?" She asked. I nodded. "Being here makes me feel at ease. I always look at the stars because my parents said that one day, i'll be the brightest star there is coz I always light up their dark days. After all, they named me after a constellation. Cassiopeia."
"'O-oh. I-i'm.."
"Martin. I know."
"H-how did you?"
"I just do." She said with a smile.
"Don't you feel scared out here? It's dark and creepy."
"Nope. Not at all. You're always there watching me. It makes me feel safe. Oops, gotta go, see you around mister."
And with that she stood up and started walking, passed through a hole and went home.
After that night, we were always together. Her, sitting on the swing, me laying on the grass. Talking 'bout random stuff. We liked the same things, though you love paintings and i love taking pictures. Which made me grow fonder of her. Being with her every night makes me happy, it completes my day. But she becomes paler as nights passed.
A month has passed, we were both star gazing, she suddenly sat beside me on the grass. "If I will be gone, will you miss me?" She asked. My heart skipped a beat.
"Of course. Who wouldn't miss you?"
"Well, you're the only friend i've got. And i like you."
"W-what? Y-yes i know. Y-you like me as a friend."
"N-no! I-i like you. Romatically." She said. I suddenly became deaf. The sound of my heartbeat clouded me.
I looked at her straight in the eyes and noticed something. She was awfully pale. "I-I like you too."
She smiled sweetly and pulled me into a kiss. Fireworks. Heartbeats booming loud. She broke the kiss and smiled. "I have to go. Bye mister."
Funny, she said she hate saying goodbyes. "Don't say goodbye if we're still going to see each other. I hate bidding farewell." That was her line. But i didn't mind it because i was overjoyed. Extremely overjoyed.
The next night, she didn't came. I thought she was just late. Or maybe she slept early.
So i slept.
Mom woke me up with a terrible news. Our neighbor's daughter has died because of leukemia. She died. Cassie died. It broke me. Why didn't she tell me? I locked myself in my room the whole day. I just sat down and cried. Remembering all the memories we had under the stars.
I heard a knock on the door, "Martin, let's go to her wake." Mom said. So i got up, fixed myself and went out.
When we arrived at her house, the moment I saw her in her coffin, tears started to form. I was on the verge of crying when her mom approached us.
She looked so tired. Weary. "Thank you for coming." Her mom said with a sad smile.
"Condolence madame." I said.
"You're Martin, right?"
"Yes madame."
"Cassie wanted to give you something." Tears started to form in her mom's eyes. "Before she died, she left us a letter. At the end of that letter she said to bring you to her room. She has gift for you. Come, follow me."
Her mom started to walk. I looked at my parents and they just nodded. We went upstairs to her room. Heart beating fast, i entered your room. I was amazed because your room was filled with paintings. Different things, different faces, different scenes. But, 2 paintings caught my attention. The first painting was about a boy and a girl. The girl was sitting on a swing and the boy was on the window. Memories started to flash back in my mind. I went close to it and held it. "Cassie painted that a couple of days ago. She always talked about you too. It was the first time we have seen her happy since she knew she was sick."
"Didn't she have any operations or anything to heal?" I asked. Voice shaking.
"We did. But it was already critical. She didn't want to be bedridden though. She wanted to enjoy her final days outside the hospital. Thanks for making her happy, Martin." Her mom said while crying.
I turned to look at the second painting. Tears started to fall faster. Harder. At that painting, the boy and the girl were standing near the swing. The boy was looking up the stars while the girl was looking at boy. Then there was a quote at the bottom part of the painting.
"And it's so hard not to see constellations when you smile. After all, is it possible not to see stars when you're looking at the galaxy?"
I broke down. Literally cried my heart out. I was crying like a baby. Then her mother started crying too. Silently. "Can i keep these paintings, ma'am?" I said in between sobs.
"You can dear, after all, Cassie wanted to give it to you. And oh, she left you a note."
"Whenever you feel troubled or down, or when you feel that the world has given up on you, just look at the stars. The brightest one is me. Smiling at you. Telling you not to give up. -Cassie"
I took the paintings and bid my farewell to your mom. I went home and hanged the paintings in my room. Stared at her paintings and cried. Why didn't she tell me that she was sick? Of all people, why her? The world is so cruel. I cried. Cried myself to sleep.
The time of my life was really unforgettable. It may be heartbreaking but i'm still happy because all her troubles are now gone. And I know, she's out there. Watching me. Protecting. Shining brightly like the star she is.
Whenever someone asks me, "What's the most unforgettable thing that happened in your life?"
I would always smile and tell them this, "Seeing a silhoutte of a girl sitting on our swing every night."
