Some Ten Years Ago

            The first blanket of snow had covered the small village in its snowy whiteness that night.

            It was a devastatingly cold December, but everything was cheerful in the Mallory household.

            “…and please bless all the people in the world who have nothing to eat tonight, Amen,” piped up little Jesse Mallory, his small hands clasped reverently on his chest, and his eyes likewise shut tight.

            Jesse opened his eyes and smiled back at his parents who were grinning back at him, the light from the blazing fireplace twinkling off their eyes with pride.

            “Your first prayer,” his mom, Dr. Miriam Mallory, mused as she scooped a heaping pile of mashed potatoes into Jesse’s plate, “and you made it all by yourself, didn’t you?” she added fondly.

            Jesse nodded excitedly as his dad, Sergeant Steven Mallory, reached over and ruffled his dark hair playfully.

            “My son here certainly has a way with words now, do you?” he said in his gruff voice between mouthfuls, “and at such a young age. I couldn’t be any more proud of you, Jesse.”

            Little Jesse beamed at them through his bright blue eyes.

            “I want to become a writer someday,” he said, “then I’ll write poems and books, then everybody will get to read them!”

            His mom chuckled and placed a napkin under his chin. “But before all that, my little writer has to eat his dinner so that he’ll grow up wise and strong.”

            Jesse nodded and began to eat obediently. Soon afterwards his mom had helped him get ready for bed.

            “Won’t you stay home with me tomorrow, mommy?” he asked her as he fumbled with his toothbrush. His mom gave him a sad smile.

            “I’m sorry, honey,” she said, “but mommy has a lot of work to do at the hospital tomorrow. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” She added with a wink.

            Jesse pouted, “I miss the times when you get to read me bedtime stories…”

            “Why? Doesn’t daddy read them to you anymore?”

            “He can’t do the voices just like you do.”

            Dr. Mallory giggled and hefted Jesse from the stool by the sink, “Oh, Jesse. Daddy must be doing his best. Now, off we go. We mustn’t keep daddy  waiting.”

            His mom tucked him in bed and opened the curtains to let the moonlight in.

The night sky  was clear outside, and Jesse can see the full moon taking up most of all the space. What caught his attention was the myriad of stars that twinkled and glimmered high above him. Just then did his dad came in with a book and a puppet in his hands.

            “Ready, my little soldier?” Sgt. Mallory said, turning on the lamp on Jesse’s bedside table. Jesse turned his head away form the window.

            “Daddy, can you tell me something about the stars?”

            Sgt. Mallory stopped, and thought a bit.

            “The stars? Hmmm… I’m not sure if I know much about them. Don’t you want to play with Little Miss Fluffy here?” he said, wiggling the puppet at Jesse’s nose. Jesse giggled but shook his head.

            “We can do that tomorrow, daddy,” he said sweetly. “Tell me about the stars… Please? With a cherry on top?”

            Sgt. Mallory hesitated, then put the storybook and puppet away.

            He sat beside Jesse by the window as Jesse moved a bit to give his dad some space. They both gazed at the night sky as Sgt. Mallory cleared his voice and said quietly.

            “My mom – your nana – she used to tell me about stars once. She had said that they were far away – really, really far away. She said they were the daughters of the moon, whatever she meant by that. But she did tell me that every so often, a star would fall from the heavens, and come down to earth in a streak of white light. And when that happens, anyone who can see it can make a wish. And the star will make your wish come true.”

            Jesse stared in awe at his dad, “Really, daddy? Can they give me anything I wish for?” he asked quietly. His dad shook his head.

            “Only when the person that wishes has a pure heart.”

            Sgt. Mallory smiled down at the face of his astonished son.

            “I guess it’s time for you to get some sleep, buckaroo.”

            After that, Sgt. Mallory tucked in a still awed Jesse and turned off his lamp.

            “Good night, Jesse. Don’t forget to say your prayers,” Sgt. Mallory said, kissing Jesse on the forehead.

            “Okay, daddy. Good night.”

 

            For a few more minutes Jesse lay awake on his bed. The moonlight streamed into his room and illuminated his little face.

            In his four-year-old mind he’d wondered if he’ll ever get a wish granted by a star. They always seem so cold and far away – out of reach of a boy. Every night he’d look at them and marveled at their glittery spectacle. They’d twinkle purple, red, blue and white against the ever black sky, and he’d imagine what it would be like to touch them.

            Were they like gems? Diamonds? Or were they as fragile as gumdrops? To which Jesse never had an answer to (until about a few years later in his first science class). But in the meantime he contended himself with only looking at them, and longing for them.

His mom would say that patience was a virtue (to which he had asked, “Mommy, aren’t those the people in the hospital?” To which his mom replied sweetly, “No, darling. Those are patients”).

So young Jesse Mallory decided to wait – and patiently at that – until he felt like sitting by the window.

He scrambled out of bed and hopped up the window seat.

Just then a streak of white light penetrated through the night sky momentarily and then vanished in a blink of an eye.

“A falling star!” Jesse exclaimed. He remembered what his dad had just told him. Eagerly, he squeezed his eyes shut and whispered something in the wind which he kept between himself and his falling star.

Something that he will forget sometime later, but will remember again eventually.

After that, Jesse crawled back into bed and snuggled between his blankets. After a few moments he was fast asleep.

Everything was quiet once more in the Mallory household.

 

Meanwhile in Mr. and Mrs. Mallory’s room, Dr. Mallory couldn’t seem to sleep.

Sgt. Mallory stirred in his sleep and squinted at his wife in the darkness.

“Is there a problem, Miriam?” he whispered. Dr. Mallory sighed.

“Jesse asked me just after dinner if I can stay at home with him tomorrow.”

“What’s the matter, then?” Sgt. Mallory asked, sitting up.

“I don’t know, Steven… It’s just that with so much work to do at the hospital, I can’t seem to find some time to be his mom… I wish there would be something that would happen so he won’t be lonely anymore,” she replied somberly.

Sgt. Mallory placed an arm around her and pulled her close.

“It’s not your fault, Miriam,” he said consolingly, “and I know Jesse will understand.”

“I hope so,” Dr. Mallory sniffled.

Just then a loud keening noise pierced the frigid night air.

The couple bolted upright in fright.

“What’s that noise?” Dr. Mallory whispered nervously, grasping her husband’s arm tightly, “It sounds like some madman’s out there!”

“I have no idea ,” Sgt. Mallory replied a tad weakly, “I’ll go check it out.” He rose from bed and threw a bathrobe on. Taking a flashlight from the bedside table, he fished out a strong metal baseball bat beside their closet.

“I’m going with you!” Dr. Mallory said urgently, dangling her legs over the side of the bed. Sgt. Mallory shook her head and grabbed her shoulders to ease her.

“No,” he said with finality, “you stay here, Miriam. Look out for me through the window and I’ll tell you when everything’s okay. Besides, it’s below freezing out there, and I want you to watch out for Jesse’s room.”

With that Sgt. Mallory stalked out the door and as quietly as he could, dashed down the stairs and out the front door.

Dr. Mallory crept towards the window and cautiously peered over the edge. She could only see so much where the snow had not settled on the windowsill, so she couldn’t see the hedge out in their lawn a few feet beneath their window. After a while Sgt. Mallory’s head appeared from the front door.

Her heart beat furiously as the wailing didn’t stop.

She waited with labored breaths as her husband’s head vanished fleetingly with the hedge hidden from her sight by snow. It was until a few tense minutes that she heard her husband’s voice mingle with the somewhat suppressed cries from their front yard.

He called out to her in a strained voice.

“You’ll never believe this, Miriam!”

There was a mixed tone in her husband’s voice, and Dr. Mallory hadn’t missed it.

Was it disbelief? Astonishment? Or fear?

It was until Sgt. Mallory returned with a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket in his arms that Dr. Mallory understood.

And she was pleasantly puzzled herself.

As these events were happening, Jesse slept soundly.

He slept…

 

… and slept…

 

…and slept…

 

…