Silent Twinkle
Cherished moments of silence
I looked up at the sky, amazed at the starry blanket, as if it was ready to engulf me. The band practice had finished quite some time ago. And yet we all found it hard to step away. The frustrations of the day and worries of the future dominated our talks. Every now and then someone hummed a haunting tune or strung the strings that felt like a splash of water on our face.
Finally, we looked at the clock; it was way past midnight. We climbed down the stairs, crossing the long stretch of grass from the practice room to the gates.
The others were still chatting away, but my eyes were transfixed to the stars above. With my rudimentary knowledge of astronomy, I searched for the only star I knew vividly enough — Sirius, shining from light years away. The discussions that I was having just a few minutes ago seemed trivial. As I reached the end of the lawns, I paused. I needed more time.
Parking my bag on to the rocky steps, I sat down. The sound of the tiny little creatures hidden in the grass gave me company. I felt a natural kinship with them. Below the enormous universe, I felt small, just like all of them.
For the first time in many days, my mind was blank. Non stop chatter was gone. It was almost meditative. Don’t know how long I stayed. As the chilly breeze suddenly made my eyes water and the nose turned Rudolph red, I picked up my bag.
With the silent conversation still in my head, I had a spring in my step but peace in my heart; I walked down the road.
It is strange how some nondescript memories remain etched in our memories forever. Nothing spectacular happened that day. Yet, as I encountered a similar sky, more than a decade later, I was transported back to that scene. I had not seen the stars recently due to the blazing city lights. Short trip to a remote farmhouse gave me the gift that I did not know I needed. I had missed this sky that made me feel like a nobody.
As I remembered the days from yesteryears, I smiled at the childish worries I had. But I also smiled at the thought that maybe years from now, the troubles that I have today will feel childish. I continued to gaze into the void, with silent conversations comforting me. Even with the chilly wind, the heart felt warm and a small teardrop at the corner of my eye twinkled like the Sirius in the sky.
I wanted to share this personal experience that is, even though unspectacular, quite close to my heart.
