Dark Night
He came that night. After whispering so long, he finally came that night. For so long, at least I felt it was long. In my whole sixteen years of existence, I felt so lonely. Then, a voice told me he was there for me. He was so far away, fighting an everlasting battle for me, for my existence. Tonight, he came.
Tonight, when the skies are darkest and the moon did not show. I dressed in a simple white dress. I have earned this dress for a year. I toiled on odd jobs here and there, went to care for other people's children while they went out. I earned a whole year just to buy this simple white dress. I felt like princess in it even though the other girls looked at it like rags.
For one magical night, he promised to come and he did. He would make this night worth all the nights I cried under the stars. Tonight I would be a princess, his princess.
One by one, my classmates and their dates passed me by the door. They looked down on my attire, how my hair was not parlored, how my nails weren't manicured. My list of shortcomings on prom night went on and on but I patiently stood waiting for him. Some sniggered and told me I was waiting for the stars to drop.
And a star did drop. A star from heaven shown so brightly and fell right in front of me revealing a man. He knelt in front of me and asked for my forgiveness for making me wait long. It couldn't be helped, he said. There was unexpected trouble following him.
Immaculately dressed in a white silk shirt and his pants pressed and dark, he was a prince. His understated elegance said it all. He moved casually like royalty but from which country?
I felt ashamed to be seen with him. My simple dress and plain looks paled in comparison to his debonair looks. He felt my shame and turned me to face him. With a wave of his hand, my clothes turned into a stunning ball gown, my hair fixed and my hands gloved. He had made me a Cinderella.
Not a Cinderella, he promised. I would be able to keep the gown and the jewelry he fashioned from thin air. Then, we entered the hall as a couple. I was a new person. He made me into a new person, the person I was meant to be.
All night long, we danced. All night long we kissed. I could not bring myself to talk to him. It hurt to look at him but he looked at me. Was this a dream? Surely it was a dream. Surely I was not the envy of every girl in the hall.
It is not a dream, he said. This is our reality. And he kissed me again as if we had never kissed before. He showed me the stars, the landscape, the beauty of the night in that kiss. How? His hidden power anyone can only guess. He was a sorcerer.
How I wished the night never ended. I wished the stars stayed where it was. I wished he would forever remain at my side. This dance, it meant so much but it was only a dance. He made it memorable.
Alas, the dawn approached. The dance had to end. The night had to go.
Will I ever see you again? I asked.
Yes, my beloved lifemate, we will see each other again. Wait for me in five years time, I will come for you. Then, I will take you away.