The eleventh star.

She lay on the bed for quite some time thinking. Thinking of what was going to happen next. She closed her eyes but the darkness scared her, she blinked; opened her eyes again. The windows were open, but it was dark; too dark for her to see anything at all, she blinked harder, no; definitely there wasn’t any moon tonight.

An unknown feeling swept all over her. Was it helplessness? She wondered. No. it was something more than that, something more intense, as the feeling grew stronger, she twisted and turned. It was strange. Strange how alien she felt in her very own room.

Her father was in the next room, he was discharged today; No. the doctor had bluntly said there was no hope left. And so she thought, what was going to happen next. She somehow knew he would go. He would not stay, no matter how much every one cried and prayed. She knew he had to leave, for he had whispered in her ears last night, had asked her to take care of herself and be a good girl. And yes, definitely to continue her painting classes which she was so determined to leave…

So what will happen next, Tracy wondered…

She could see the dark blue sky outside, who says you can’t count the stars, there she lay back and counted... one… two… three… four… ten… tomorrow, there will be eleven, Tracy was pretty sure. Her dad always said, once you leave this world, pop! You become a star… so tomorrow night; there shall be one more star up in the sky.

No. she wasn’t being a pessimist, she knew her dad had to leave, and she could not understand why people wanted him to stay, could they not see what her dad was going through… it was immense pain. She wanted him to go; she wanted to free him from this pain. She would not see him again, was all that they said, but… she saw him every night didn’t she? Every night he would come in her dreams, she knew it was not real, Tracy was a big girl now; but no one could deny the fact that she did not see her daddy every day that he did not come to visit her- just the way he had promised… all daddy’s always keep their promises…

Next morning, she heard them. She heard their cry. She sat and listened for quite some time, till she could take no more. Away from everyone, she sat by herself. Yes; it was over. It definitely was over. But so was his pain.

Daddy will come back, Tracy thought, but only in her dreams now. She smiled, while a tear made its way down…