Bianca learns what a shooting star is

             I realized Bianca’s going to be a “secondary project” of mine a while ago. Now I see this is one challenge I should probably keep my nose out of, but something won’t let me let go of the idea. I see that “something” in bits and pieces…last night, for example.

Bianca had a tough day. It’s dawned on me Bianca probably has a behavioral problem - ADHD maybe. It’s not my place to diagnose her by no means though. Anyways she found a car tire and began rolling it around the house. Her little sister, Fernanda, came over to play and for no good reason, Bianca bit Fernanda in the eye. Her mom started yelling at her at the top of her lungs and Bianca started crying right there in front of me. It kills me seeing her cry. Obviously she shouldn’t have done that, but when Bianca cries, it’s different – Bianca has a deep pain and she’s only vulnerable when she cries. She doesn’t like people to see her this way.

Later that night I heard her by my window, “Gioconda?!” I said, “Si?!” She wanted to go see the stars with me. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of nights so I said that she needs to go ask her mom if it’s okay and then we can go.

Our walk over was through this street with no lights, so it was pitch black darkness. We didn’t know what we were stepping on and could barely see the football field at the end of the road but we got there. Bianca sits in my lap. When Bianca sits with me on the hammock or on my lap, Bianca does this thing where she strokes my leg. A lot of the kids do it here. It’s very innocent and sweet. Human touch is powerful.

Bianca didn’t know what a shooting star was. I tried to explain it but she didn’t get it, so I told her we just have to be patient and watch the sky. You can only see it to believe it.

By the way, the sky here, in the middle of nowhere, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The stars feel so close to you. You look long enough and they’re all moving and you can’t see the spaces between them anymore. The stars take over the sky. You can’t believe you didn’t see them during the day, there’s so many of them. In the midst of losing myself in their presence, I see a shooting star. I jump and ask Bianca if she had seen it too. No, of course not. What kid has the attention span to just stare for hours on end at stars like I can? But I told her I wanted her to see one before we could walk home. She finally got into it.

Maybe after 5 minutes of silence, Bianca squirms in excitement. SHE SAW ONE! AND I SAW IT TOO! We’re both giggling in awe. Bianca wants to see more. We wait. ANOTHER ONE! She can’t believe it. She’s just looking at me with big old brown eyes and her jaw dropped pointing at the sky. Something’s clicking with her – I’m seeing genuine happiness in her eyes. It’s making me excited.

I tell her about how there’s the tradition of wishing upon a shooting star. I tell her my wish is to be happy. She says she’ll wish the same thing. I tell Bianca about how there’s more to the world than we know. She just nods – too much for one night maybe, ha!

Our last shooting star, we’re both quite but I know we both saw it because immediately after we both smile at each other really obnoxiously big.
Walking home, I couldn't help but think - my wish came true, and slowly by slowly, so will Bianca's.

I love this photo. Bianca with her best friend, Jenny.