The Boy Who Lived On Stars

Hello there my dearest readers!

I've been on quite a long hiatus, haven't I? Thank you for the email though! It's just that one email but I really appreciate it! It's really very nice to know that in this world where not much is appreciated, at least my writings are. So, I've decided to share with all of you a short story that I wrote. This story is very special in that it was actually supposed to be a birthday gift for someone but well I guess that's never going to happen now. So here goes, a piece of my heart...

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Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived on stars. He was one of a kind, singularly unique but he was alone. When he was bored, he would jump from one star to the other and lived on his new star for a time.

This went on for years and years, and one day he woke up and couldn’t shake off this overwhelming feeling of loneliness that was quickly engulfing him in despair. He decided that he did not want to live alone on the stars anymore. He wanted to go somewhere, anywhere where there live other living creatures, and that’s when he came upon earth.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. This boy – he’s made of fire. To enter the atmosphere of earth, he would have to lose his fire in order to not burn her down. He had 2 choices: live as an immortal and travel the universe alone or lose his immortality, live on earth for a time with the earthlings until his body withers. It was not easy for the immortal boy to relinquish his abilities; power is absolute. So, in order to gain more wisdom on the matter, he went to the Sun to seek advice.

“Oh, Mister Sun! You’ve been here a long time. Tell me. If you had the choice to become an earthling, would you?” asked the boy.

“Dear boy, I’ve seen the earth since its beginning. The earthlings are weak creatures who move through life guided by lust and greed. No, I will not choose to be a weak earthling when I am the Sun, the powerful being who makes it possible for the earthlings to survive.”

The boy was disappointed after listening to the Sun’s explanation; he was hoping for a bit more insight on the curious creatures. Nonetheless he refused to allow one negative opinion to influence him so decided to get another opinion – the Moon’s.

“Hello there, Miss Moon. Can you please tell me what the earthlings are like?” asked the boy.

“Hello there, love. I only see the earthlings at night as during the day, I’m deep in slumber. But here’s what I can tell you about them; the children of earth seek peace and rest during the night. This is also the time when they love more than they fight.”, answered the Moon.

“Will you choose to dwell among them if you had the choice?”, asked the boy.

“Hmmm. It’s tempting to not be alone but alas I’m grateful for what I can do for Mother Earth. If I’m not around, earthlings will be left in the dark. I’m happy to be of service and so no, I will never choose to be an earthling for my responsibility is far bigger and they depend on it.”

The boy then left the Moon and jumped himself to the furthest corners of the Universe to think. He stayed in the dark of space and got lost in time. The longer he stayed, the lonelier he became. As he floated nonchalantly through space, he came upon a barren and cold planet with no stars of its own. It was as if this planet was stranded at the end of the Universe.

The boy whose curiosity rose when he saw this very old planet, decided to approach it.

“Have you been around for long?” asked the boy.

“Eons.” answered the Planet.

“I’ve never seen you before. Have you been in this part of the Universe a very long time?”, the boy continued to probe.

“A meteor hit me and threw me off course. The little rascals. What are you doing in this dodgy part?” answered the Planet who seems to be a bit more eager for conversation now.

“I’m thinking.”, said the boy.

“Uuu… do tell, young lad.”, probed the Planet.

“Well, I would like to go and live on earth as an earthling as I’m dreadfully lonely jumping through space on my own. But the Sun told me that the earthlings are weak beings, the Moon however says that earthlings are peaceful at night but she wouldn’t trade her place with them because if she does, they will be left in the dark. Also, there’s the case of losing whatever advantages I have now if I were to become an earthling.”, said the boy in a frustrated manner.

The Planet was silent after hearing this, deep in thought.

“What do you want? Truly? Ineffably?” asked the Planet a moment later.

“I want to be wanted, I want companions, I want to live where I can be of use.”, answered the boy.

“And where can you get these things that you want?” asked the Planet.

“On earth. With the earthlings.”, answered the boy.

“Is having power enough to compensate for living a lonely life? Because if I heard you right, you’ve had power for many a millennium and yet, you crave for a fragile life among the earthlings. Power does not consume you as it does the Sun. Responsibility does not hold you in place as it does the Moon. My dear boy, the answer is staring you in your face. It’s up to you now to decide what you can live without but can’t live without.”, said the Planet kindly.

The boy smiled the brightest and sincerest smile as the epiphany of his long and lonely thought finally comes to mind.

“Thank you, Sir. You have helped me realise that power in all its glory is naught but an appendage to my whole existence. I shall go now and live amongst the things that I love most. Eternal life is dreadful when it must be lived solitarily.”

As he was about to leave, the boy turned around to the Planet and asked him, “What shall become of you now, Sir?”

The planet chuckles quietly and said, “I am old as time itself. I have grown from dust to what I am now and I have seen the ways of the Universe. I have been of service where I can be of service, and soon I will die, as will all planets eventually, but what’s most important is that I’ve done as much good as I can wherever I am or have been in the Universe. Go, my dear boy. Live. Do good. But most importantly, find joy in the life that you’ve chosen for in that, you’ll birth gratefulness and only with gratefulness, shall you live a fulfilling life.”

So, off the boy went, jumping from one star to the other until he finally reached his destination – earth, and there he dwelled for a period of time and there he said his last at the end of his fulfilling life.

Always stubborn,

Shaza