Lady Venus & Three Shooting Stars

It was midnight, two days after Christmas. I was on a short holiday in Ayer Island, accompanied by good friends of mine and new acquaintances that no doubt would become good friends too. I was sure of that, as tonight, we witnessed a miracle. Well, at least we thought it was a miracle…

It was only two days after Christmas. And on the jetty on the back of the island, we laid under the midnight sky. The weather was warm and the clear dark sky was full of stars. A bit high on pot and needing something spiritually meaningful to do, eight of us – Uga, Ndet, Leska, O’o, Radi, Audi, Andhara and me – were stargazing.

I could feel the wild grasses near us turned silver by the radiant rays of the stars. I could hear a couple of crickets chirping out from the grass. I could smell the beautiful scent of the sea. But my eyes were fixed on one bright star above. Venus, the morning star. The brightest celestial object in the sky after the sun and the moon. The brightest one of all out of the millions that adorned the sky. I was silently making conversation with her – with Lady Venus…

“Good evening, Lady Venus. How are you tonight? I hope you’re well enough, because I’m about to ask you to do something for me. I’d like you to grant me a wish. Just one wish… I need you to deliver me the comfort of days to come, knowing that my wish would come true. Could you please do that for me? Would that be too much to ask?”

Then all of the sudden… As I was tenderly handing her a wish from deep within my heart… a shooting star caught my eyes… “A shooting star!!!” Leska shouted, pointing eagerly to the sky. “Hurry and make a wish!” she added. “I saw it too!” Radi agreed. Phew, I was glad. At least with three people seeing it, I could be sure that I wasn’t hallucinating from staring at the morning star too long or from smoking too much weed. “Did you make a wish?” Radi asked. I smiled and nodded. Yeah… I did…

A heart was healed from the light left behind by the shooting star. My heart. Then visions of the future flooded my mind. My eyes went back to Lady Venus, staring at her lovingly and wordlessly talking to her again.

“My beloved Lady Venus. I hope that’s your answer. I hope that’s a ‘yes’ from you… I’ve had so many broken dreams and empty promises in my life. I’ve been running low on faith. So I hope that was a sign from you that my beliefs will be defended once again. And my faith will be restored. Prayers are answered and wishes do come true…”

Then… ANOTHER SHOOTING STAR caught my eyes. “Another one!” Leska and Radi shouted almost in chorus. “Where?” Ndet asked, disappointed because she didn’t see the first one and now she missed the second one. This time I was speechless for a couple of seconds. I couldn’t believe I saw TWO shooting stars in less than 15 minutes! When I finally found my voice, it sounded almost like a whisper, “Over there. It was just there, Ndet.” I pointed to the sky full of stars. But the shooting star, of course, was gone.

“Damn, did I miss it again?” Ndet complained. “Wow, two shooting stars! Our wishes MUST come true,” I heard someone saying my thoughts out loud. “Yeah, we’re gonna have a good year next year,” I heard an answer. “Amen!” now almost everyone joined the ‘chorus’. But I wasn’t really listening or attempting to join the conversation. I’d rather be amazed by myself. I’d rather keep this feeling of awe inside. I gazed back at Lady Venus.

“Dear Lady Venus, those were two instead of one. I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you. You’ve been generous tonight. I wish I could be sure, though. I wish I could translate your message. It should be clear. But I’m still unsure. Forgive me for doubting you. But long in wait I have been… Anxiousness stirs within my soul. It has almost become a part of me. I don’t know how to be optimistic anymore… I wish I could be sure…”

Then in the fashion of a true miracle, I SAW THE THIRD ONE! This time I was the one who shouted, “Another shooting star!!!” Leska nodded quickly, “I saw it too.” We were the only two people who saw that third shooting star. Radi and O’o were too busy discussing politics and religion. Ndet was no longer stargazing. She was sitting up straight, staring at the sea instead. The rest were also chatting about something. No one else saw it but Leska and me. “That’s three in a row, Les,” I said to her quietly. “I know! Isn’t that amazing?” she agreed. “This is a great night. We’re very lucky tonight,” she added. “Yeah, a great night,” I repeated her words to reassure myself that this was indeed... a great night...

Now everyone returned to a laying-down position, fixing their eyes on the stars, as if hoping to see another one. Everyone fell quiet for a moment. But I knew there wasn’t gonna be another one. I didn’t know how I knew, but I just knew. And sure enough, clouds slowly started to fill the space above us, blocking the stars in the midnight sky. It was like someone was turning off the light, one by one… I quickly glanced at Lady Venus before she too was gone for the night… I smiled at her a bit, hoping that none of my friends saw me doing it of course…

“I have to be sure. That was three times in a row in less than an hour. I couldn’t ask for a better night than tonight. If THAT wasn’t a miracle, then I don’t know what is. So I must be sure. I must trust you, Lady Venus. And I do trust you. Work your magic tonight and make me the little girl whom you used to know. The little girl who once wished upon the star which has taken her this far. The little girl who believed in you. I’m going to believe in you again, Lady Venus. For this wish is more than a dream and yet not a fantasy. Please somehow turn it into reality… Good night, Lady Venus…”

We returned to Jakarta the next afternoon, arriving at dusk. And as I drove home from Sindang Laut Harbor this evening, I saw her again. Lady Venus in the early evening sky of Jakarta. For those of you who don’t know, Jakarta sky is very rarely adorned by stars because the pollution is so bad here. And sure enough, no other star was present tonight. The sky was pitched black. And yet, SHE was there. Lady Venus was there. The morning star. Bright as always. I could see her clearly all the way home. She accompanied me again tonight. That was a reassurance, was it Lady Venus? I really hope so. I need to be reassured very often lately.

“Hello Lady Venus… It was an honor to dance the night sky with you last night, while the crickets played their music and the sea sent its mystical aroma into the air. And when silence falls around me, there you are again, caressing me, lighting the fire inside me… Thank you so much, Lady Venus. Now I’m waiting for my wish to come true…”