The Flower That Survived 19 Years of Drought

The Visions And The Sign of the Shooting Star

The Visions And The Sign of the Shooting Star

I stood on an island referred as the Caribbean basin. I stood at the front of a restaurant situated in the stomach of the town gazing at the soothing diamond blue green sea. The restaurant had lavish glass doors and windows, and I could easily see inside. The interior was painted in a dulcify yellow and was furbished with varnished wooden chairs and dining tables. Around each table were families and couples dining from distinct countries. Around one table was Aunt Michelle.

"A Pina Colada please," I begged a waitress with short blonde hair.

On both sides of the road were people walking like a swarm of ants. The road was heavily congested with vehicles, horses and chariots. I saw buildings that I've never seen before in my life. My next stop was at a bridge where I stood overlooking the harbour of the town. Abruptly the cell phone alarmed, I jumped up and looked around realizing it was just a dream but a very real dream. Even after I woke up, I could still feel a strong impact of it in my memory like an old picture. My mind and soul vibrated in one accord to the message of the dream. I have never in my entire lifetime, had a dream that vivid and real. Unable to keep it to myself, I shared it with SunShine. She said that dreams could provide an insight into the future and our deepest thoughts, but she doesn't fully

understand what it means. Approximately a month later in the summer of 2009, I had totally forgotten about the dream because I didn't know the significance of such a dream.

Zeke and I were playing cards, unexpectedly, the phone began ringing. It rang five times before SunShine could reach it to answer. She stayed on the phone for a long time. Suddenly, the door was flung wide open, and she had a huge smile on her face.

"Lisa is sponsoring both of you to go on a vacation to the Bahamas, Paradise Island. You'll be spending a week there at a hotel," she said with a smile of approval.

Lisa was Aunt's Michelle eldest daughter from California.

Two weeks later, Zeke and I, Aunt Michelle, her teenage daughter and son were on a Jamaican Airline to Nassau, Bahamas. Upon arrival at the Bahamian airport, "Caribbean Calypso Medley" greeted us warmly as we went through custom. After checking off, we met upon Lisa and her husband Alfred. We were transported by a Majestic Tour Bus to Paradise Island's Harbour Resort All-inclusive twelve story tower, located on the south shore and overlooked Nassau Harbour. The island was covered by a blanket of tropical diamond blue skies. The rooms that we stayed in featured exotic décor polished with pastel yellow walls, coral-coloured ceramic tile floors and beaming floral bedspreads. The pool had a spectacular shape looking almost like the map of Jamaica along with a Jacuzzi. The pool was filled with tropical blue water and encompassed by palm trees up to about seventy meters tall. There were tourists relaxing in the blue and white chairs aligning the pool side, soaking up the warm sun and inhaling sea breeze. I saw booze and cruise boats passing by with people drinking and swaying to Soca music.

The following day we took a ferry boat to go into the town. On our way to the town, we heard a detail history of the island from men hustling for a dollar. The town was heavily congested with vehicles, horses and chariots. After spending six days, the seventh day marked our last day on the island, and I wanted it to be unforgettable.

During the day, I played volley ball with people from other countries. At about 10 pm after dining under a canopy of stars, we went to the bar situated beside the pool. Inside, were people doing limbo and boogieing to hot hip hop songs. The electrifying energy from the speakers shook the bar and vibrated the wine glasses on the counter, compelling everybody to boogie to the popping beat. One hour later the DJ drop the last song and shut down the music. Everybody scattered like sand on the sea shore including my family relatives. A few persons were still in the Jacuzzi. I lingered by the pool side like a leaf from a tree and relaxed in one of the chairs that aligned the pool side, drinking cranberry juice. I began looking at the stars reminiscing on the harsh life that I had gone through and how I wanted to make a significant change in my life in order to help SunShine and Zeke. The light was dimmed, and the area was quiet. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the sea waves smashing and bashing on the huge rocks along the harbour. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. A bright yellow light flashed across the dark sky for about three seconds disappearing before it could fall into the sea. It was a shooting star. I held my head to the sky and made a wish of three things that I would like to see happen in my life. As I wished, I felt like I was making a pledge. Instantly, I began to feel selected like I had a huge purpose and destiny to fulfil.

A few minutes later, I went into the elevator and punched the seventh floor button. I swiped the card to open the room door, as I entered I was attacked with a question.

"Where were you all along?" Aunt Michelle asked while packing her things in the suit case.

"I feel like God has a great plan for my life. A while ago, I was outside by the pool meditating about life and then the unthinkable happened. A shooting star flashed across the dark sky right in front of my face. Definitely, that shooting star was meant for me to see, it was the sign of something great," I replied.

She glanced at me as if I was going crazy.

"Don't think I'm crazy because this is not my first time seeing a shooting star but this one seemed very special. Maybe, it is the sign of the change my heart sorely desires. Why the shooting star didn't come when we were at the bar dancing? Why it showed up when I was there thinking about life?

"It must be for a reason. All is required of you is to believe in yourself. Once as you believe in yourself, you can make all the impossible things become possible. Any ways, get some rest, we have a flight to catch early tomorrow morning," she said.

In the morning while on the bus to the airport, the feeling that I had last night hit me with a strong impacting force. It lingered in my system for hours. Immediately, after the plane took off, something snapped inside my head, the dream, and the shooting star. I realized instantly that the dream I had a few months ago standing at the front of a restaurant overlooking the islands harbour have become a reality.

"I experienced Déjà vu," I muttered in my head.

After that weird encounter, I took up the broken pieces of my life and put them together again. My life was on a next level, my relentless quest towards reaching the top had just begun, but I knew I had to first conquer all my obstacles and self-defeating attitude. Inside myself, I had a long journey to complete, which was evident in my dreams.

I stood at the bottom of a hill looking up to the top. The hill was tall, dark and dusty. Forest trees and wild ferns covered the slopes making it difficult to see the way. My aim was to reach the top but every time I tried to climb to the top, there was always something blocking the way whenever I reached halfway. Stood in the way was a gruesome black bull cow with long bent horns and flaming eyes. To get to my destination, the beast had to be conquered. I tried on several occasions to pass, but it refused to give way. I took a good glance into its flaming eyes, and I witnessed death and obstruction. However, I was fearless despite the look of its haunted eyes. I decided to face the obstacle head on. It huffed and puffed scratching its left foot on the ground and bolted towards me with a destructive speed. I tried to run, but my feet were frozen and planted into the ground. My only choice was to face it like a strong brave warrior with my bare hands. As the beast dashed closer my hands became frozen as well. The only part of my body that wasn't frozen was my heart and if I could use my heart as a weapon, I could conquer the obstacle and move forward. I thought in my mind that this was the end, but without fear I closed my eyes and prepared for impact.

Three seconds after, I began wondering how I didn't feel anything.

"Am I dead," I said in my mind.

Slowly, I opened one of my eyes and took a peep. The great beast stood before my face and breathed the air of death. The earth stopped moving. Suddenly, everything was utterly still, and I couldn't desist staring into its eyes that looked like a ball of fire. It stared back into my eyes for about thirty seconds and then stepped aside. Triumphantly, I conquered the obstacle that was blocking the way to the top of the hill, all because I didn't fear. I then ascended to the top and looked down from where I came. Immediately I jumped up mystified by what I had dreamt. I was destined to rise like the morning sun and settle in the evening like a star in the night sky.

Eventually, I could feel from inside that a new chapter of my life had just begun, but as one chapter ended another one began.