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“Come on, enough of the complaints,” Lilian said.
There was silence amongst them. Then all of a sudden a bright white light shot across the sky.
“That's a shooting star! Make a wish girl!” Lilian exclaimed to her friend Jess as they lay on a mat on her cold wooden porch staring into the clear night sky. The stars were like tiny club lights that twilled at intervals.
“Pfft, that's some fictional beliefs. Only seen in Hollywood movies. You're from Nigeria, dear friend” Jess said, pushing herself off the ground and grabbing her car keys
“Yeah, but last I checked we're no longer in Nigeria Jess” sitting up “come on, just try”. Lilian pleaded.
“Okay, fine!”
“Yes!” So what's it going to be?” Lilian asked standing up.
Reluctantly, Jess replied. “That this cup pass over me, I guess”
“Atta girl!” Lilian hugged her friend. “Promise me you're going to be fine?”
“If wishes were horses” Jess replied, giving a little forced smile.
“Drive safe, Jess”
Jess nodded and made for her car parked across the street. She could feel Lilians eyes on her. She tried so hard not to let her emotions get the best of her. Not now that Lilian was still watching.
Her drive home was a long one as she drove below her usual speed. She intentionally wanted to prolong her journey home. Her rent was due and her landlord has a habit of sneaking up on her to harass her for his rent, whenever she drives into the garage. She knew she was a few months late on rent, but her landlord was gradually becoming a torn in the flesh for her with his constant yelling and sometimes seizing of her properties which she somehow thought might be illegal.
Now, the only person she had gone to tell her problems, Jess, to see if she could help was asking her to make a wish over some space object shooting across the sky. She wondered how Jess, an African, a Nigerian like herself, who she had come over together to the states on the same day on a fully funded scholarship, to further their education, now believed in some sci-fi fairytale.
She shrugged her shoulders and squeezed the steering wheel tight. If only wishes were horses, maybe she wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe she would be seated in a corner view office like their Ghanaian friend Mike, sipping on hot coffee and listening to her assistant read out her itinerary for the day.
Her thoughts were cut short by the loud ring of her old Nokia phone. She reached for it and it was Mike.
“Speaking of the devil,” she murmured before taking the call.
“Hi,” a deep voice said over the phone.
“Mike?”
“Mike? Like you don't know it was me again. Or did you lose my number?” Mike asked.
“Oh no no. I'm just surprised, it's been months now”
“Anyways, listen girl. My company has this project coming up and they're looking for a project supervisor and I recommended you. How quick can you get to New York?”
Jess eyes lit up “Uhm, as soon as possible”
“Great, I'll see you tomorrow then!”
Just before Jess could reply Mike hung up on her.
“Wishes could be horses after all” Jess said with a big smile on her face.
She got home and luckily her landlord wasn't in sight.
Few years later, Jess was standing in her corner view office with Lilian who had come visiting that night. They were looking out the window, into the clear night sky and were sipping on some hot coffee which Jess' assistant had made for them before closing for the day.
Then they saw it, a brilliant flash of light streaking across the night sky at a high speed.
“Make a wish!” Jess said, with so much excitement.
“Awwn, look who believes in shooting stars now” Lilian replied with so much surprise tapping Jess on her arms.
“Don't think about it too much”.
“I won't, I promise. I won't”.
Then they both laughed hard.