The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

Prologue

May 2004

Kimberly

Question #75: There are 42 fruits in each crate. Twelve crates of these fruits are being delivered to a store. Four pieces are rotten and have to be thrown away. The remaining fruits are to be packed into boxes of 10 pieces each. How many boxes of fruits are there?

I look away from the workbook and stare at the window of my room. The curtains sway as the air from the fan reaches them. And I count the remaining days until school starts again. To that day when I can be with my best friend or other people in general, and when I can get outside more often. Not that I'm not allowed to or something. I impose this habit upon myself. I intend this summer as the time to prepare for senior year and college admissions. I've decided that I have to get into a good school so that I can get out of this town. But I need to do impressively well on the tests.

I go back to the word problem and write my answer: 50. There are fifty boxes.

Question #78: A bus and a car leave the same place and travel in opposite directions...

My mind wanders off again. And I think about him this time.

I went to the mall earlier this week and ran the errands my mother asked me to do. My brother also wanted me to bring home a box of donuts, so I lined up in front of the Dunkin' Donuts stand. Then I heard someone laughed from somewhere behind me. I thought the sound was familiar, so I turned and looked. But I was wrong. He was not there. It was not him.

I started making my way out. And there he was. My high school crush. He was at the other side of the mall, strolling around with his sister. He was casually dressed in a plain back t-shirt, jeans, and Nike shoes. I blinked and immediately looked away. Then I adjusted the glasses on my nose and continued walking out of the mall. I was not wrong after all.

...If the bus is traveling at 50 mph and the car is traveling at 55 mph...

I don't want to think about him, but numbers remind me so. I guess that's the worse part of associating someone with something or something with someone. Once it sticks, it stays there. And he has been a part of my high school life, or life in totality. Despite the bad things that happened from last year up to the first quarter of this year, he's a constant part of my days—or most of the time. But the thing is, he doesn't know. And I'd like to keep it that way.

...in how many hours will they be 210 miles apart?

I solve it. The answer is: in two hours.

And I wonder if I'll ever encounter a word problem in here where they ask when the two vehicles would meet.

I sigh and drop my pencil in the middle of the book. I stand up from my chair and turn the radio off. Then I go out of my room.

I hear my brother's laughter as soon as I open the door. He's slouching on the couch and watching a classic local movie on the TV. I quietly slouch on the other end and watch it with him. Then we laugh at the same time after the King of Comedy blurted out a joke.

***

The stillness of the house envelopes me the second I step out of my room.

I open the front door, but I leave the screen door locked. My parents don't favor it when I do this, and I'm alone inside, but I'd rather allow light and air to enter this house.

They're already out for work. My mother left a note on the dining table this time. My brother went to University yesterday, so he's in the Metro, and it's just me here.

I open the backdoor as well. Then I go back to the living room and crash on the couch.

I surf the channels for something to watch this morning. For some reason, I end up at the local movie channel. They're showing another classic comedy film. I've seen this one before, but I still keep on watching. I don't turn away from it, even though half of my mind keeps thinking of some other things.

I stayed up a bit later last night, studying past lessons again, and I slept at around two in the morning. I had a weird dream, and he was there. Same shirt, jeans, and shoes. I don't remember much of it, but I'm certain that he's there. Then I woke up, and this is reality.

I want to fast forward time, to next year already, to the day when I'd finally leave this place. Well, I know I'd still come back here from time to time, but I mean, at least I won't have to spend each day like this. Alone, in this house, with my parents.

I'm used to this, but I'm also tired of this. I want to go out there and see the world, to do more and be more. But I have to study first. Then I can be on my own after I'm done with school. So on and so forth.

I think I need a bit of a break, though.

I focus back on what I'm watching. The actors in the movie crack a joke. And I laugh out loud, it breaks the stillness of the house.