Mr. Star, Hello! by Janine Kaye

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Caitlyn who believed that stars can make her dreams come true. Every night she sits beside their window, close her eyes and whispered with her heart “Dear Mr. Star, there you are so far, wishing on you that one day this dream would come true. I’ll be waiting for that perfect day even if it took me hundreds of days.”

She was bright and small. She give thanks to everything she has and never asked for more. Her classmates used to call her baby, for believing in such impossible dream. But she never give up and ask Mr. Star every night “Dear Mr. Star, there you are so far, wishing on you that one day this dream would come true. I’ll be waiting for that perfect day even if it took me hundreds of days.”

Caitlyn never stopped dreaming. She wished to be a princess and dance into a ball wearing her beautiful crown. But she guessed Mr. Star is a little bit busy, so she made her paper crown and dance in front of her grandfather. She wished to be taller but she guessed Mr. Star was again busy, so she wore her mom’s high heels. She wished to be pretty but then again Mr. Star was too busy to hear her, so she asked her mother to tie up her hair. She didn’t give up she wished and wished and wished but Mr. Star didn’t hear.

One night, she stare at their ceiling thinking what she should do to make Mr. Star grant her wish. She closed her eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly she opened her eyes and didn’t believe what she saw. She was lying on the clouds and it looked like a giant cotton candy. She touched it, how soft it was, where am I? What am I doing here? Am I dreaming? She pinched her arms thinking that this was all just a dream. How could she get here? As soon as she stood up, a light shines above her, because it was too bright to see she ended up following it's light rays. And there Mr. Star shinning on her, because she was too happy to see him, she tried to reach it and trying to touch it, but before she gets close the clouds suddenly move away from one another. She stare at Mr. Star and without further ado, she jump over the next cloud. Her heart is beating so fast, she wanted to get close to Mr. Star.  But a strong wind is pulling her away from it.  It seems like the star was out of reach, so near yet so far. “Caitlyn” a voice, so familiar but she ignores it, she was so focused on the star that she badly wanted to touch it, she wanted to feel it and slowly she walk closer to Mr. Star, reaching her hand “Caitlyn”  that voice again, quite annoyed she walk more steps and poof, she fell.

Her hand stretched, reaching out, but she’s already falling, it was too late, the clouds covering it's shining light, all she could see was darkness but that voice keeps calling her name, echoing on her ear. 

“Caitlyn” bang! She fell from her bed “Caitlyn! You better get up, it’s 12:00 in the afternoon! Day dreaming is over!” her mom scolded. “It was just a dream" she looked at her clock  "Thank goodness, ouch my head hurts” she looked up, glowing in the dark stars loose it’s glow as the sun lights lightened her room.

After finishing all her chores at home, she had a frown on her face, thinking what’s more to chase? Mr. Star couldn’t hear me, do I need to give up this dream? I only wanted one thing? Is it too hard to give? 

Questions, questions, questions, why Mr. Star, why? I believed in you? Even if everybody thinks it’s crazy. But I do hold on to you? I did a lot of effort not to be sad and pursue the paths I wanted to take but why Mr. Star, why?

She sat by the stairs and tears fell over her face. Her grandfather saw her and sat down beside her “What’s the matter dear child?” he asked “Nothing grandpa” she answered “Nothing but why a frown on your face?” he took her on his lap and told her story “When I was your age, I also love staring at that big windows of ours wishing and wishing that one day the dream I am wishing would come true” Caitlyn wiped her tears away “Really? What happened?” she asked “Well, my friends got the dream I wanted to have” he said with a smile “Mr. Star didn’t give it to you?” she asked with anger “He did, but it took me years to realize that the gift I wanted to have is already in front of me”

“You didn’t even know?” Caitlyn asked “Because I was looking at a bigger picture I didn’t notice it”

“So what happened?”

“I took a step forward and ask her to be my wife”

“Grandma is your dream?”

“Not just a dream but a dream come true”

“But I don’t want to get married it still beyond my reach. And I’m only thirteen”

“I know, what I’m saying is, maybe Mr. Star would give his gift to you by the time you are ready to face the challenges of life. Or you don’t notice it. Just stay positive and dream that dream and you’ll never know it’s already right before your eyes” her grandfather said as she tap her in her nose. “Oh by the way, I have a surprise for you”

He took out a pink wand and click its bottom and said “Taran! Look Mr. Star had landed in the market and I guess he wanted you to hold him until that moment when you finally reach your dream”

“Wow! Thanks grandpa! I always wanted to be a fairy someday!” she hugged her grandfather and ran upstairs “Caitlyn”

“Yes?”

“To make its power work, wish your heart’s desire and click it’s bottom and circle it around your head and say ‘I wish, I wish, I wish! I wish with all my heart and faith, I wish to you my greatest dream’ and tell Mr. Star your dream is”

Years had passed, Caitlyn who loves to look at Mr. Star, sat by their old window once again, she

closed her eyes and wished “Dear Mr. Star, I know you can hear me and I know your always there, all I wanted to say is thank you for guiding me all the way”

She took her wand, whispered “Grandpa, I miss you, I’m already grown up and little by little I’m exploring my dream. You we’re right, it’s just right before my very eye all I just need is to move and take a step forward. Look, I still have Mr. Star beside me and you up there shinning bright on me”

She stood up “I wish, I wish, I wish! I with all my heart and faith, I wish to you my greatest dream, please guide me through this path of dreams that if I miss the chance to hold my one star, I would have the chance to take a step to reach the sky” and she click it’s bottom and circled it around her head. She never stop believing until that very moment she had touched the sky.