Amina gazed at the seemingly fairly bright moon and squinted. She began making faces at it as she wiped her hands off the lingering drops of milk. “Off you go now.” she tapped the butt of the cow she was milking. With a long moo sound, the cow quickly walked away.
Over the years, Amina had painfully observed how the moon shone the faintest whenever she was alone. However, as soon as anyone came close to her, the whole place would just light up. As such, even though the evenings were her favorite part of the day, she secretly resented the moon for casting darker rays on her. “What did I ever do to you?” Amina hissed, looking away from the moon. Her eyes then fell on Kamil who was coming toward her direction. He was holding a flute in one hand and a stick in the other.
“Amina. Baba says it is time for dinner. Come on now let's go. The porridge will get cold.” Kamil rested his arm on the thatch that surrounded the barn.
“I am not hungry. I still have one more Pail to sort before calling it a day.” Amina stared at Kamil's gentle yet firm face. Then she grabbed a full pail of milk. The fat had already separated from the milk creating a floating mass on the surface of the Pail. Amina scooped some oil and greased her palms, then her jet-black and shiny hair. The barn suddenly became two shades brighter. “Yeah right!” Amina eyed the moon.
“Well, your dinner will get cold,” Kamil said, following Amina’s eyes. “Do you miss our mother?” He added without shifting his gaze from the sky.
“With all my heart and soul,” she sighed.
“I’ve missed her every day for six years now. Her smile and laughter. Her poise and grace. I miss her sweet words and tales beneath the moonlight.” Kamil began to smile. “Kamil, look at the sky. You must never stop dreaming. When we keep our dreams alive, they light the path for us. The path to our dreams will never get dark as long as we keep the light shining. It is a real place, Kamil.” Kamil looked at Amina as he spoke. “Mother used to say that. Remember?”
“Yes. That and more. But I don't believe in big dreams, Kamil. I've stopped dreaming. Look around you. This farm is all we have. It seems our lives revolve around this place and we will never know what's out there.” Amina gestured towards the surrounding vegetation that ended at the edge of a cliff.
“I'll keep my dreams alive, Amina. One day, I'll be the greatest singer to have ever lived.” With those final words, Kamil started to blow a melodious tone into his flute as he walked away from Amina.
Amina watched the rays from the moon dim as Kamil walked away. She stayed pondering about what Kamil had said. Then she started to think about the dreams that she had put off like a switch. She thought about how much she wanted to be an artist. She thought about her wish to escape their little farm and tour the world. She thought about the little things that filled her heart. Amina didn't realize that she had begun smiling. Suddenly, she noticed that as she dreamed, the moon got brighter.
“Are you coming or not Amina?” Kamil’s distant voice interrupted her thoughts.
Still stunned at the luster of the moon, Amina grabbed her pail and ran after Kamil.
That evening after dinner, Amina sat feeling unsure about what had happened earlier. She watched her father and Kamil drift into a deep slumber.
She got out of bed and pulled out a small box from underneath. Amina retrieved a small piece of coloring that she had done on paper many years ago. It was a picture of a glistening moon. “I can't believe I once liked you,” she whispered. Her eyes caught a box of crayons her mum had gifted her on her tenth birthday. Amina was tempted to pick it up but she pushed the thought away. “What's the point? I'll always be a farm girl,” she whispered again.
When Amina was much younger. She loved to paint beautiful pictures in her head with her imagination. Afterward, she would portray the pictures on walls with mud. Her mother quickly noticed this talent that Amina had. She surprised her with all she could afford. A little coloring book and a box of crayons. Amina cherished them with everything in her. After her mother passed, Amina felt like all the joy went away with her. So she buried all her dreams deep down in her heart.
Amina snuck out of the house and went down to the stable as she usually did. She opened Miya’s compartment slowly. Amina rested her head on Miya’s forehead and rubbed her neck. “It's time for another Joy ride girl. Let's go.” She mounted Miya and rode to the edge of the cliff.
Riding Miya in the dead of night made Amina feel alive. She loved the swaying of her hair in the wind as she felt pure joy surge through her. She loved the sting of the cool night breeze on her skin. She lived for the voices of the forest in her ears as she felt the rush.
Amina felt so much thrill that she began to dream again. As she envisioned her wishes, the moon got brighter. So bright that it illuminated the path she rode furiously. Amina came to a swift halt at the edge of the cliff. She watched how the moon opened up like magic and poured out its rays like showers from above. The light rolled out to Miya’s hoofs like a carpet spread across the grounds.
Amina’s eyes widened. She got off Miya’s back swiftly. She began stepping on the illuminated path. It looked as though a whole new world opened up for her. All Amina could see were bright lights.
Then she began to see images in front of her. First, Amina saw her brother Kamil. He looked so handsome playing the flute. He had a great audience cheering him. The image quickly dissipated into light. Another image formed in front of her. This time, Amina saw herself in an exquisite art gallery. She owned all the beautiful paintings and she looked happier than she had ever felt. Standing there in front of the light, Amina could feel the rays of hope and happiness she was witnessing. A tear ran down her cheeks. She tried to reach out to her image but all she grasped was a heap of moon dust.
As soon as she felt the softness in her palms, Amina began to feel dizzy. She slouched and fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes. She was back in her bed. Amina recalled everything that had happened. When she tried to dismiss it, she felt something lush in her hand. She looked at her hands and she saw a ball of moon dust.
She recalled what her mother used to say to Kamil. “Kamil, look at the sky. You must never stop dreaming. When we keep our dreams alive, they light the path for us. The path to our dreams will never get dark as long as we keep the light shining. It is a real place, Kamil.”
Amina smiled. She jumped out of bed and grabbed her box of crayons. She had been given the chance to see that dreams are real and she knew from then that she would keep dreaming and never stop. She looked at the moon through her window and it was shining bright.