Jane's Wish

Chapter One

ONE

“Jayna,” My brother asks “Do you still wish on stars?”

I look down at my little brother who is sitting on my lap. We’re gathered around a fire and have been staring at the stars for a while now. It’s quiet, and like most times this constant quietness keeps me very conscious and weary. However, when I hear my brother’s soft, childlike voice it seems to calm me down so that I may relax a little. I look around our little home. It’s nothing big and certainly not the best out there (especially if you count on fire to be a sufficient way of most of your heat, food, and lighting). My brother has never seen a television in his life, and except my friend Sarah’s cellphone, they’re also unheard of. I spend the money I earn on blankets, food, pans, water, and clothes for Zane and me. I can’t afford much else, and thankfully Zane doesn’t know better to mind.

I turn my attention to the question he asked seconds ago. “Sometimes, yes. Everyone needs a good wish.” I say.

“My wish is to make a friend.” Zane says. It breaks my heart to hear him say this, because I know he’s probably never met anyone his age and spoken to them. I wish I could give him a friend, and that’s only part of the wish I carry with me.

“What’s your wish Jayna?” My brother always calls me Jayna, I don’t mind as my mother used to call me that also.

 But his question… my wish.  I wish for a lot of things. I wish my mama and papa were still alive, I wish Zane had a friend, and I wish I could provide better for the people I love. If only it were that easy- to just wish for something and it come true. I know that no matter how much I wish for my parents to not have died in that fire, they still won’t be here today. No matter how much I wish to have all my family again it won’t ever happen because my family is already broken. It’s me and Zane now, and you would think that for four years to have gone by I would have been okay with this by now, but I’m not. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about how I wish I could make Zane have friends. Or how I wish I could get a better job to help us get the things we need. But I suppose I should be content with what I have, because I know many people are out there starving and wishing for that leftover rice in the pan across from me. But if only I could, if only my wish would just come true, then things would be so much less stressful.

“Jayna…” Zane nudges me gently, as I’ve been stalling to answer this in a way he’ll understand.

“My wish is love.” I say looking down at his huge blue eyes.

He nods, and I realize this four-year-old is pretty smart. I can tell even in the dim lighting that he’s thinking about what my wish meant. He’s really the cutest kid. His thinking face suddenly disappears as he jumps to his feet and is pointing excitingly at the sky. “Look Jayna it’s a shooting star!” He screams with a grin.

“You know what that means, Zane?” I say making him sit back down. “Your wish is going to come true. You’ll get a friend.” I promise.

“And Jayna, you’ll get love.” Oh right- and I’ll get love. You gotta love my brother.