Starry Nights

Life was never easy, never is nor will be. But every ounce of hope that she felt came from looking up at the stars. Life was harsh at times, Sophie knew that best after suffering from depression for most of her marriage. Her husband cheated on her and then, when she tried to end it all by swallowing a handful of pills, he saved her.

“Life is such a hypocrite,” she mumbled as she walked back from work.

The city was buzzing with people. They probably looked like aunt from above, always moving from one side to the other, always in a hurry, always with a phone in hand.

But Sophie could barely hear them, could barely care what they were doing. Nothing mattered, not right now. She was tired, she spoke for four hours about Romeo and Juliet and she was sick of it.

“Students these days are so perceptive and yet they still believe in the star-crossed lovers,” she said and chuckled to herself. “

Sophie walked for a while before she ended up in the park across her apartment building. Nobody was there to wait for her so there was no need to hurry home. Instead, she sat on a swing and looked up at the sky. Very few stars could be seen from the city but she found joy to catch glimpse of one or two.

“What is a youth, impetuous fire/ What is a maid, Ice and desire/ The world wags on…”She sung, the lyrics and melody of the song still fresh in her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled as she continued, “A rose will bloom/ It then will fade/ So does a youth/So does the fairies maid,”

“That sounds sad, don’t you know any happy songs?” A voice interrupted Sophie’s little moment. It was a man with a low yet comfortable voice. “Aren’t you going to open your eyes?” He asked walking closer to her.

“I’m afraid that if I do, I won’t be able to hate you.” Was her spontaneous response.

The man did not expect such a reply because he laughed rather loudly and joyfully. He took the empty swing next to her and swayed lightly as he watched her. He was one of the believers that a woman looks so different when immersed into her own world, so serene and happy. This one in front of him was stubborn but also fun.

“What if you fall asleep?” He asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Oh, for a moment I thought you left.” She retorted before she finally opened her chocolate brown eyes.

“Are you a fan of Zeffirelli? Or just his Romeo and Juliet adaptation?”

Sophie was surprised that he knew any of that. But then again, at a second look, he did seem to glow with knowledge. His eyes were sparkling in the night as if they were two tiny stars and he was watching her with so much interest.

“Why did you approach a lunatic that chose to sing of youth in a children’s empty playground?” She ignored his question and asked what she was genuinely curious of.

“You looked lonely.” He replied bluntly. “Actually, why don’t you take a closer look at my face? Don’t I seem incredibly-“

“Uncomfortable? Creepy? Persistent?”

“Familiar.” He said with a chuckle. “I only know one person who ever sung that song while looking at the stars. Do you remember?”

Sophie tilted her head to the side with a frown. This handsome face was speaking gibberish. She stared at him as he leaned in, forcing her to lean back. They were quite a funny sight from the point of view of a passer-by.

“You are freaking me out, right now.”

“Five years ago.” He started gaining her attention. “Five years ago I met a woman in Lyon, France. She came to a foreign land just to search for her mother’s tomb.”

“Wh-what?”

“Do you know why she remained in my memory for so long? Because she was afraid of the dark so every night, she’d turn on her small projector and transform her room in a corner of the Universe. I only got to see such a sight once and to be honest, I miss it.”

Sophie’s eyes widened as her mind went through a rewind of her little trip to France.

“Pierre,” She breathed his name out gaining a soft smile in return. “It’s been a very long time, I don’t remember you being so good at creeping people out.”

“I’m not. I saw you wandering around and decided to follow you.”

“You’re not making yourself sound better, you know.”

Both laughed and stared at each other. Sophie remembered him, she asked him if he liked her before she left and instead of answering, he ran. That was a disappointing moment in her life as a woman but thinking about it now, it was for the better. He was there and she was all the way in Seoul, South Korea teaching Shakespeare. What a weird world. What a small world.

“I still have it,” She mumbled averting her eyes. “The projector, I mean. It still works although I don’t use it anymore.”

There followed a short yet tense pause before she spoke again.

“Do you want to re-experience that night? We’re both different now, all grown up, and we’ll probably feel different when we find ourselves in my little Galaxy.”

Pierre agreed right away, almost as if he was waiting for it. His eyes lit up as she led him to her apartment. Entering the elevator felt awkward for Sophie but Pierre was excited. He was standing next to her with his arms linked in front of him, fidgeting with every level passed. When the doors opened, both the elevator’s and her home’s, Pierre realized that everything he’s been waiting for five years was finally happening.

“Sorry for the mess, I wasn’t expecting any guests.” Sophie informed him as she took off her coat and abandoned her bag on the counter.

Pierre followed her closely although he also started to realize how awkward it was. Two people who haven’t seen each other in so long were now together in a house…it rung of some 18+ novel. It could be seen as a perfect setting in a drama, especially being in the land of corny dramas.

“Your apartment is very small.” Was his bold deduction.

“I know but it’s home. Come on, this is my room.” She said as she opened the farthest door. He was ready to step inside when she placed her hands over his eyes.

“What-“

“Enter with your eyes closed. I’ll let you know when I turned it on.” She whispered incredibly close to his ear. Pierre shuddered but quickly regained his composure.

“Fine.”

Sophie smiled and helped him sit on the floor, his back against the bed. He could hear her move around but did as he promised and kept his eyes closed. After a few more minutes and a few silent swears whispered by Sophie, he finally heard the magic words.

“Alright, you can look now!” She sounded more enthusiastic than she wanted to.

The sight was one of a kind, one that brought back good memories. Sophie was sitting next to him with her head back so that she could fully grasp the starry sky. Pierre couldn’t keep his eyes away from her. Just like back in the playground, she looked so serene.

“Look up,” she said and slapped his arm playfully. “It’s really beautiful even if it’s not real. I forgot how it made me feel.”

“Unafraid of darkness?” He joked to which he got a playful kick in the leg.

“I was never afraid of the dark. What I meant back then was about my life. I am nothing but a little human whose movements may mean nothing in this great space.”

“Maybe. But you don’t have to compare yourself to the Universe. Your so-called unimportant movements can make a difference for someone else thus you can become the sun in his galaxy.” Pierre said understanding why she felt so small and irrelevant.

The two watched the stars with different thoughts until Pierre started to sing.

“Comes a time when one sweet smile / Has its season for awhile / Then Love’s in love with me.”

Sophie smiled and felt all her annoyance and fears wash away for the moment. She ended up joining him, their voices harmonizing although they didn’t mean to.

“Death will come soon to hush us along/ Sweeter than honey and bitter as gall/ Love is a task and it never will pall/ Sweeter than honey and bitter as gall/ Cupid he rules us all.”

As the song finished, Pierre grabbed her hand but none looked at each other. Their eyes were set on the stars.