Sunday 02 / February / 2025
While parking my car, I stopped in the middle because my eyes were stuck up in the night sky and then someone honked behind me.
I raised my hand apologetically then parked my car on the right space and got out. The car that was behind me was a white and cream Rolls Royce. Everyone in that car park was looking at it. The driver opened the door and walked out and strutted proudly towards the shopping complex.
He was not my focal point so I looked up at the sky the moment I got out of my car. Seconds later, someone patted me on my shoulder and said,” didn’t you see the car behind you?”
It was a friend and he was referring to the Rolls Royce. He forced me to lower my gaze and look at him. He started talking about the car and how beautifully crafted it was. I just smiled while listening at him but occasionally looked up at the sky. He stopped talking and saw that my interest was somewhere else. He followed my gaze and then asked,” what’s so interesting up there?”
Obviously he did not see what I was looking at. For him, the night sky was completely opaque. I just smiled instead of giving him an answer. He shook his head, patted my shoulder sympathetically and walked away while still admiring the car that cost the same amount as a small house. He obviously thought I temporarily lost my mind but he was not far from the truth.
And this is the truth. How could I admire something on wheels that was destined for a rubbish heap when up there on the sky was the beauty that has survived and will survive all ages? I shook my head in disbelief then took out a chair from the boot of my car and sat at the parking space to admire the sky. It was a perfect crescent moon with a bright star near its curve.
The rest of the sky was starless. I was wondering where they have all gone to. It was as if the two celestial bodies had a tacit understanding with the heavens. They wanted exclusivity of the sky and spread their shine without competition. A thought crossed my mind while I was watching them. Tens of billions of people before me watched them many lifetimes ago and they are still up there. The incredible thing is that they never lose their shine.
Wars have been fought, bombs exploded, people have been buried, kings and generals have come and gone and they are still up there shining over all the calamities on earth without prejudice. At the same time, under the same sky, we are all protected in a cocoon of life that we all take for granted. I sat there long enough to watch the Rolls Royce owner walk back and drive away. I was also there when my friend came back with his bags of shopping.
He stopped where I was sitting and followed my gaze. He asked me what I was looking at. I decided to satisfy his curiosity and told him about the crescent moon and the star. He rolled his eyes, smiled sympathetically at me, patted my back and walked to his car without adding another word. He thought I was going crazy.
