Night.
Lying on a meadow, a woman turns her gaze to the sky, the silence is total, it even seems as if the Wind has agreed with the Night itself not to disturb that magical moment.
Watching the starry sky and waiting for a shooting star to grant her wishes, this was Alma’s favorite game on summer evenings…until she turned forty-three. On the very night of her birthday, Luca had told her that their story was over, that he would disappear from her life. She had listened to him, she had seen Luke walk away, she had looked up at the sky with a face wet with tears just as a shooting star streaked across it, and it was in that instant that Alma had cursed the Universe and all its stars.
Night.
The Wind, for the second time in many years, had agreed with the Night to give Silence and return to make every moment magical, so that those hours could revive intense emotions for those who had forgotten. The stars really tried hard to attract the gaze of the woman who was once their dear friend; they had the secret hope that, just for a moment, that face would come alive again by looking at them.
But Alma continued to stare into the void indifferent to everything.
She had stopped believing, after Luke a couple more stories with the hope that someone would fill her heart with emotions she never felt again, and instead the nothingness, that emptiness had continued to oppress her until she got used to it and then made her decide that there would never again be room in her life for Love.
It had been a painful decision that led her to indifference, her only weapon that could keep her from suffering.
That, however, was a strange night, Alma could not know it but her life would change precisely because of those stars she had cursed – a star! a star! – the scream had broken the silence, and Alma’s gaze was suddenly filled with the landscape around her, emptying her of thoughts. Who could it have been at that hour to have shouted all his joy to heaven? Leaning out from the balcony of the nursing home could be dangerous, but curiosity was high and perhaps it was worth understanding.
A stool to raise his head over the balcony, a stroke of a comb through his hair, a smile for a forgotten gesture.
Alma’s eyes, by now accustomed to the darkness, saw in the meadow below, on top of a plaid, a man pointing to the sky with a sweet smile – I give my wish to those who will come to keep me company – a wish? Alma no longer had any wishes to express especially at the age of eighty-three. She shook her head-it’s not for me-the stool returned to its place, her legs made her go back to her room where she would go to sleep and forget that baby-sounding voice.
Once it would take hours before he finished his wish list, he would list them one by one and then throw them to the stars who would fulfill them, perhaps slowly, but they would.
And each time a sigh of hope accompanied his gestures.
This time the sigh sounded like one of abandonment.
On the bedside table the photograph of Luke, images, regrets and, like every night, the inevitable tears – gift my wish – that phrase kept haunting her, echoing in her head. That scream had shaken her, almost like tremors of life returned to take over her body and mind, sensations forgotten but ready to remind her that everything could be like it used to be.
After all those years it had taken very little to make her a child again. The look now was determined – I want that desire. I want it with all my heart – Alma opened the door to her room being careful not to wake anyone, walked barefoot down the hallway hoping not to be noticed, arrived at the front door, turned the key thankfully forgotten in the lock, turned the handle and breathed in the cool night air as the grass tickled her feet wetting them with that night dew.
A short driveway would take her to the meadow, and there she would make her own the wish the man wanted to give her-I should go back, how can I keep company in the middle of the night with a man I don’t know? – a moment’s hesitation, just a moment as his feet continued to insist on continuing.
He had to listen to them. He wanted to listen to them.
The man was always lying down staring at the sky waiting to give what a shooting star would give him-really can you give me this gift? – Alma asked almost in fear of a negative answer.
The man nodded, spread out the plaid, signaled for her to lie down – only if you will keep me company – Alma had left aside all worries, she believed those words, she was happy, she never wanted to stare at emptiness again, she wanted colors around her, children’s laughter, the warmth of the sun and the sweet caress of the moon – I would like to be a child again. I would like to see Luca again. I would like to swim, to run. I would like to eat a whole pizza. I would just like to live again – the man looked at her – close your eyes just for a moment, promise me this and every wish will come true as if by magic – Alma closed her eyes, savored the silence and waited for the magic…
A few moments passed then Alma opened her eyes, the sun was still in the east, she was lying on the plaid and next to her there was no one-I dreamed. I swear! this is the last time I let myself down, which I think – he noticed that the robe was not wet with dew, strange.
Alma hoped that no one had noticed her disappearance, she had to get to her room before the nurse came for treatment, they certainly would not have understood why she spent that night out, and perhaps they would have increased her medication doses worried about that seemingly meaningless outing.
Then Alma realized that…
The nursing home no longer existed, in its place a cottage fenced by low hedges – I’m dreaming – my mouth open in surprise – it’s not possible! That man really gave me his wish – a noise, the door of the mansion opening – hello – Luca looked at her as if for the first time, to Alma he seemed to always look at her like that. Luca had white hair, an unkempt beard, but despite the years that had passed, he was gorgeous and charming – you are more and more beautiful – Alma turned back, there was no one there, Luca was really talking to her – you were gone – Luca looked at her – it was just a business trip, you know I can’t be without you – Alma couldn’t believe it, in just one night her life had radically changed – I love you Luca, it’s as if time stopped so I wouldn’t change how I’ve always felt about you. I missed you-a rush to him, an intense kiss, and the pleasure of holding him close as if afraid that everything would vanish, that the nursing home would reappear, and that the emptiness in the heart and soul would return never to leave her again.
A smile of one who knows that none of that could happen, her fears could disappear, she was now with Luke and finally Life, after so much suffering, was smiling back at her.
Morning.
A light mist was slowly advancing, giving the landscape a peculiar appearance, as if someone had worked magic that night and now wanted to hide his spells from human sight for who knows what arcane reason.
The nurse had entered Alma’s room–wake up, you need to take your therapy–the windows wide open to a new day that had nothing new, turn around and realize the bed was empty, worry and leave to go see where Alma had gone.
The short driveway leading to the garden began to fill with tired people, tired nurses. When they arrived at the meadow, everyone saw a lady lying on a plaid, her robe wet with dew, her hair perfectly combed, her face smiling and serene as if she were dreaming of not being in that place.
Alma was walking on a tree-lined avenue in the company of her great Love, she had turned around and saw some people looking at an examining body, she had taken Luke’s hand-I love you Alma-she was happy, finally a sigh of love-I love you Luke-the haze was getting thicker and thicker hiding Alma and Luke from the World’s view.
And an Angel smiled sitting on a plaid.
