Moon

Even on Dentri’s final days he continued to admire the moon. His mellow eyes glinted solemnly outside the window. There it managed to peek through the rolling clouds, drowning the small village in a pool of light. He held the side rails to support himself as he raised his body and let out a dry cough and covered his mouth, every slight movement brought needle like pain all over his chest. He could feel it, his time will soon come and he did not fear it

“I guess it's just me and you tonight huh?” Dentri said while clearing his throat, then snuggled himself back on to the bed that was quite comfier than the usual couch he had back home. He turned his head down, and the mere sight of his wrinkled hands taped with drilled syringes reminded him of his past. His hand shook as he tucked them in, then he eased both of them and grazed his blanket.

The edge of his lips tucked upwards, he looked at the door to his left and heard no footsteps because usually he would hear nurses and doctors moving about. He chuckled as he imagined Clumsy Carol walking in confidently, only to either drop whatever she was holding or bump into one of his canvases spilling paint on the floor. But today was a slow day. Then, he stared at the moon again.

“Oh how times changed.” Dentri used to believe in fairy tales that his mother would often tell him. How dragons once ruled the sky, how giants would roam the land without rest, or how heroes would vanquish the darkness with their own strength, and now he had to experience his favorite story.

“Did you know that the moon was once like you.” young Dentri squinted his face in confusion.

“How?” he said, still energetic even if it's way past his bedtime.

His mother, who’s eyes shone like the moon, pinched his rosy cheek, “Because you both have curious eyes.” she grazed her smooth fingers over his bed and slowly sat next to him.

“Are you ready?” she smiled and young Dentri nodded. before she could speak she raised her hands to gesture the motion of the story to make it more vivid.

“In the dark and empty cold reaches of space there were two beings born out of nothing, They were the sun and the moon.” she raised her hands and gestured two circular beings and moved it around which caused young Dentri to gasp in awe.

“For millennia they painted small dots all around them, filling the empty black canvas with stars and yet it felt empty. So the created planets, each different from one another. Some were blue like the ocean and some were red like the raging lava beneath our planet.”

she closed her eyes and painted the story in her head, colors and lights that she hadn't seen before emerge in beauty in her head, thus she gracefully moved her hand around as if she herself was the sun and the moon.

Dentri always enjoyed this part, how her mother weaves a story with just her imagination. He felt as if he was in outer space, observing how these beings created the world.

“Then how were we all made?” he said with a curious tone. Leaning towards his mother.

She heaved a sigh,” The sun cared for our planet and covered it with azure blue and lush green. From there he gave life to flora and fauna. The moon on the other hand made us bodies made out of stars that they drew long ago.” She touch Dentri’s chest and gave him a smile, “in our hearts we carry a star.”

When his mother was gone he never let go of the idea that she’s up there. A star who stayed next to the moon.

He wiped a few tears that came out of his eyes with his palms, “For some reason i still want to live. I still want to paint even with my rigid hands,” he said to himself as he looked at the moon. “Can you wait for me? Just for a bit longer.” The stars glimmered in reply.

He flexed his hands, turned on the lights and picked up a paint brush next to him.

He bit his lips and focused on the canvas despite his shaky fingers.