It was the middle of summertime when the days were longer and the nights were shorter. The birds sang in harmony and the sun welcomed life into another bright morning. But during the nights the flashing, little stars would laugh at a soul of a free-spirited child as they fell into the soft grass with the cool breeze brushing their face and the chirps of crickets buzzing their ears.
“Ophi, there you are,” said Andro, “ I heard what happened with Dad. Are you okay?”
Andro was leaning out the windowpane, a few inches to the right of Ophi. The bright, blazing stars, of the oblivion above, had eagerly reflected young Ophi’s dried tears on the side of her pale face. She did not respond to her older brother’s question, but sat with her knees up to her chest silently. A light breeze was folding through strands of her hair, as the dark red blanket held her shoulders captive and warm underneath. She sat on the brown roof tiles, which were pointed diagonally to the cobblestone ground below. Behind her was a burgundy brick wall, which made the shape of her bedroom.
“Ophi, you can’t sit on the roof all night, you’ll catch a cold,” said her brother from the window, at her side.
“Like you ever cared,” Ophi snapped.
Her glare showed her hurt and anger. Ophi was known as the expressive, strong-headed, straightforward, and hot-tempered type of girl, who always spoke her mind. This, sometimes, had been an advantage but often carried repercussions.
“Both you and Dad think just because I’m teenager, I don’t have my own opinions! I’m always told what to do and how to do it! Not to mention, both of you are always gone. So what does it matter to you what I do in my spare time?! Besides, I am smart enough to realize I need something to keep me from freezing to death,” exclaimed Ophi, almost shoving the blanket lying beside her in her brother’s face.
Andro sighed. He climbed through the window in his little sister’s room and joined her on the slanted roof. She flinched at the arrival of her family member and turned to look the other way, annoyed at the violating and unwelcome visitor next to her. She glanced down at her long brown hair that looked black in the dark, then looked up. She peeked over to find Andro looking up too. They both sat there, staring at the sheeting darkness above them. But between the splotches of blackness, there were twinkles. They looked as they were moving closer yet further, brighter yet dimmer, emotional yet unfeeling, and hopeful yet heartbreaking. They were stars.
“Do you know why our names are special?” asked Andro, breaking the silence.
This was a sudden conversation since neither siblings talked to each other much. It was a presence that made both of them feel uneasy.
Ophi was not ready to speak, but she shook her head slightly in curiousness. Ophi might not have appeared to be the most approachable person to talk to but, she wished she was. She once had a very optimistic perspective towards life, especially towards learning.
“It is because our names shine light into the deepest, darkest parts of this universe.”
“What nonsense are you studying now, Andro? Astromani, mono, or whatever you call it.” Ophi said with an irritated, yet bored tone.
She was razor-sharp with her words. She would say things that would hurt people, but they would get over it. Yet, they would not like her, which made her feel lonelier.
“It is called Astronomy, and no. I am not studying Astronomy. It’s just something Mom shared with me before, well, everything.”
Growing up, Ophi and Andro were as close as they could have been. But, their mother was diagnosed with cancer. Soon, after their mother was gone, it was just Ophi, Andro, and their father. Instead of growing stronger together, they drifted away. They thought they both needed time. But as Ophi turned fifteen and Andro became twenty-two, they became more independent. Well, too independent.
“Hey! Are you here to help, even though I don’t need it, or make me remember our better-to-be-forgotten past!”
Andro knew he had agitated her. He felt a little bit of regret and nausea in his gut. Yet, he was reciting to himself that they needed to become closer. They needed to.
“Okay, sorry. But yes. Our names are special and this is no nonsense being spoken. Look up at the sky and tell me what you see, Ophi,” said Andro, as he pointed to the semi-twinkling, blackness above.
“I see darkness, more darkness, and a pinch of darkness. I don’t know what else there is to see so, you can skedaddle along.”
“Ophi, come on. I promise, you will learn something about yourself along the way. Just listen, please,” pleaded Andro.
“Fine, I’ll listen. But, if I don’t learn anything about myself, you can see yourself out.”
“Okay, I won’t disappoint,” Andro gave a little wink, that made Ophi roll her eyes. “How many stars do you think there are anyway, Mr. Know-it-all?” she teasingly asked her older brother.
“Oh no, you’re not going to fail me now, are you? Let me guess… infinite,” answered Andro.
They both giggled, just for a split second. This was the first time they talked in a very long time, let alone laugh together.
A pinch of happiness surged within him.. He had not felt this little brother-sister bond in forever. He wanted to make every moment count to guarantee Ophi was as happy as he was.
“Okay, now I really don’t care. So, tell me why are our names so important and special anyway?” asked Ophi, finally being open enough to talk.
“Have you ever heard of the names: Alpha Ophiuchi and Alpha Andromedae?”
“Well there is this thing called not answering a question with a question, but no. I have not heard of them.”
“Good, keep those names in mind. I’ll tell you another day. Okay, Ophi?” said Andro.
Ophi grunted and turned away. She really hated being left on a cliffhanger. She wanted to know how their names, the stars, and their mother had anything to do with each other. For the first time in a while, Ophi had a twinkle of curiosity in her eyes. It was a weak and light change but she could feel it. She had mixed feelings about whether she liked this sentiment or not.
“Good night, Ophi. Go to bed soon.”
He was concerned for her but he knew he could not tell her what to do, even if he meant it. They were not close enough and in Ophi’s eyes, he was nothing but someone living in the same house.
With that last bit, Andro was gone from her view, windowpane, and room.
NOTE: The second part of this story will be released in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to see what Ophi’s and Andro’s names mean.
Amisha Dalaya
Please note that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
