A Wish Come True
by Yolande

I could swear that I had just seen a shooting star. Just a flash of white across the darkening midnight blue sky. I made a wish at the balcony once I saw it…what I wished must not be revealed…I heard Oniisan told me once when I was young, never reveal a wish you made. I’m listening to him…as I think that this wish is important to me…to my future…

The first time I saw a shooting star was when I was five years old. Wearing a pink dress with pretty yellow flowers printed all over it, I pranced about the field, dancing with the butterflies. It was still early then, before sunset. I remember Oniisan standing by the side, watching me, smiling. He had a basketball in hand. He dribbled it, but I could feel his eyes on me all the while. He was protective of me. I remember I tripped over a stone, and I hugged my knee tightly, hot tears streaming down my chubby cheeks. He hurried over and took a look at it and comforted me. Soon, the sun set and the moon came out, round and yellow. But the brightness was not as bright as the shooting star, which shot down quickly after a while.

He pointed it out to me and said, “Look, Haruko that’s a shooting star. Otousan told me that one could make a wish once the person saw it. Lets make a wish.”

With that, I closed my eyes and clasp my hands together, wishing that I would get a new dollhouse for Christmas. I opened my eyes and turned to look at Oniisan, who was still concentrating on his wish. I saw another shooting star. I quickly wished for a new dolly for the house. When I opened my eyes, Oniisan helped me up and said we should go home. On the way home, I tugged on his hands and asked what he wished for. He smiled and told me not to ask. I asked why. He replied saying that a wish would not come true if revealed. I could feel my eyes grew big and my head nodding. We kept quiet all the way home.

I never saw another shooting star, all till I was thirteen. I went out for a birthday party for Matsui…and I went home with Fujii after the party. The road was lonely, the sky was ebony. We walked on, trembling and fidgeting, jumping at every owl hoot. We walked past a big lonely field and sat down, warming our toes and hands. The moon was bright, just like years before when I first saw a shooting star. We stared the bright moon, which seemed bigger and rounder than usual for a minute or two, before I said, “I wonder if there’s a shooting star tonight.” I could feel Fujii eyes on me.
“A shooting star…is it pretty?” I smiled softly, still staring at the moon.
“Very. My Oniisan told me that wishes would come true once a person saw a shooting star and wishes.”
Fujii nodded. “I heard some old people said it before, but I never actually took it seriously.”

I remember the cold midnight breeze, I remember the whispering of the grass. Both of us sat there for a long time. It was not until half and hour later or so, a flash of white appeared before my eyes. And it was gone. I gasped and grabbed Fujii arm.
“That was shooting star!”
With that, I quickly made a wish and turned to Fujii, wondering if she made one too. She did. I saw her mumbling some words, her eyes closed. After she was done, she got up and I followed after. We started walking home quietly once again, not saying a single word to each other. But the atmosphere was not as scary as before. I could hear Fujii’s soft humming all the way. She has a melodious voice, my friend.

I never told anyone about that second time I saw a shooting star. Nobody seems to even bother. But seriously, why should I? Coming to think of it, the wishes were never granted, except for that one single time.

It was last year…I remember having a crush on Rukawa…Kaede. I remember making friends with Hanamichi Sakuragi. I guess you could say that all along, I know Sakuragi-san likes me, just that, I did not want to face him. I remember the time before the fight between Mitsui-sempai and the others started, I mentioned to Yohei-kun that Sakuragi-san is improving a lot, when he replied that I should tell Sakuragi-kun myself, I understood what he meant. I guess I just did not want his feelings for me to develop…probably the reason why I pretended not to know. The more I spent time watching basketball with Yohei and helping Sakuragi-kun with him, the more I liked to be with him. By the end of the year, I felt myself drawn to him, drawn to his kindness and coolness. It was almost as though I fell in love with him…but if what I felt for him was love…then Rukawa-kun…is not? I was fairly confused and went to the beach for a nice walk.

Once again, I saw a shooting star. I made another wish. I wished to know who my true love is. When I was walking back home, I heard a voice behind me said, “Haruko…I love you.” I remember gasping out loud and spinning around, only to see a kind and friendly face staring back.
Yohei-kun’s face. Is it my wish come true? I did not know…but all I could say…is that I certainly hope so. I remember very clearly, the pressure of his dark mysterious eyes on me. I remember being speechless, tongue-tied. I only smiled and ran away, as though hiding from the truth. But maybe that was the only thing I could do. After all, how could I face him with my face so red…so red that I reminded myself of the tomato I ate during dinnertime. I was confused that night. I did not sleep a minute. If Yohei-kun was my love, what was Rukawa-kun? I could still hear his voice in my head, what he shouted after me before I could run away from sight.
“I love you with every little space of my heart, but only if you would give me a chance…I will be waiting for you, because I love you.”

That might be an example of a wish granted. I saw the next day, in a dark corner…Sakuragi-kun and…Rukawa-kun…I could say that I was shocked and upset, not to mention disturbed by the image before me. But after thinking over, it does not matter as long as they love each other. And starting from then, I decided that Yohei-kun, yes, Mito Yohei, was the one for me.

Now as I looked down from the balcony, I could see that my wish was once again granted. There, Yohei-kun appears with a bunch of wildflowers. Not exactly like the dozen of red roses I wished, but it would do. As I ran downstairs to greet him, I quickly decided on something. It does not matter if my wish came true or not. The only thing that matters is that my heart loves him more than I would allow. And to me, that was already magical…

I glanced up towards the sky as I enveloped him, and once again, in the beautiful cloth of black sewn by the fairies looking down on us, a sparkling bright flash of white shimmered by. Is that a sign that my wish was granted? In the safe arms of Yohei-kun, I closed my eyes and wished that Yohei-kun would never leave me, no matter what happened. Before I opened my eyes, I heard his voice whispered into my ears, his breath felt warm against my bare neck.
“I would never leave you, Haruko, no matter what happens. I want to be with you through thick or thin, rags or riches.”
I smiled and whispered back, “You are my wish come true, Yohei-kun.”

Was it my imagination? I could swear that I saw a star brighter than the rest winking down at us as our lips met.

2001(c) Yolande