I found this when looking through all my old files that I've had saved since highschool. I wrote it in 2006. Just so you know, my father is alive and kicking and this story is not true. Just ps. I remember posting this on Myspace when I first wrote it and some of my friends freaked out that my dad had died... I'm like "dudes you have met my dad, and the kid in this story is like 6years old!!!" oh well... Enjoy.
Wish on a Star Tonight
The other day I was in the park with my dog, Buttons. I saw a father and his son sitting on a bench, and we sat on the grass nearby. While Buttons played, I watched them. At first they were at opposite ends of the bench, but then the boy slowly moved closer and closer to his father. I watched as he snuggled in under his fathers arm, and very gradually, all the while with a beautiful smile on his face, he climbed onto his fathers lap. The father put his arms around his son and they sat there together watching life go by and happy just because they were together.
For almost an hour they sat there enjoying being together, and for almost an hour I sat there and watched them, smiling. How beautiful it is, the love between a father and his child. And all the while I sat there wishing I could sit on my Dad’s knee too. I wish I could climb back onto Dad’s lap and for him to hold me like that again. But I’m much older now and I understand that I never will, let me tell you why.
One day, many years ago when I was a little girl, my Dad was taking me to the town Fair; we would go together every year. We would always have fun going on all the rides and eating so many lollies that by the end of the day we were so exhausted and almost sick from too much sugar and fun. But this year was different. We walked to the Fair as we always did – down the road, round the corner, past Mrs Murphy’s shop and down the hill to the entrance gate. That was the best Fair we had ever been to, better than all the rest. There was no ride we didn’t go on, and there was no food stall that we did not visit. But throughout the day Dad seemed to be getting slower, and we had to stop more often than usual for him to catch his breath. He told me it was his “old football knee” hurting and he just had to sit for a while, I didn’t know any better so I believed him.
After the fireworks show we started to head back home hand in hand. We were crossing the road to Mrs Murphy’s shop when it happened. Dad fell, clutching his chest, and he pulled me down with him. All I remember is noise and light – cars screeching, beeping and people screaming. Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes again the noise and light were still there, but they were dim now. All I could see was the dark sky – full of stars and endless. Dad’s hand was still in mine, he squeezed it, I looked at him, and then we both looked back at the stars. He asked me if I remembered when we used to lay on the grass at night and just stare at the stars. Of course I remembered how could I forget? Those were some of the best times we had together. The noise and light seemed to change around us, but we didn’t pay attention to it, we just kept looking at the stars. Then Dad turned to me and said “Wish on a star for me tonight sweetie, wish on a star for me tonight.” He held my hand tight while he said that, but then he started to slip away, they were taking him away from me. I tried to hold on, but they pulled us apart. And I sat there alone in a world of endless dark skies filled with stars, and I cried.
Dad never made it to the hospital that night; he died in the ambulance on the way. At the time I didn’t understand why he had gone, why those people had taken us apart. But now I understand that people have to leave you. They leave to make those remaining stronger people. I’ll never forget those last words Dad said to me, “Wish on a star for me tonight sweetie, wish on a star for me tonight.” And all these years later I still do that for him. Tonight my wish was that he could be here just long enough for me to sit on his lap and hug him one last time.
Each time I look at the sky I know that he is there somewhere looking down at me and wishing the exact same thing.
love H xx
