Exceptional Flash fiction 643 words Short : Do You See the Stars? by Bill Schott Flash Fiction Writing Contest contest entry

"Benny? Benny, do you see the stars?" The old man waited for the boy to answer. He remembered coming up to this hillside with his young wife. They would lie together in this very spot. The ground was flat and the trees were parted enough to see a wide section of the night sky. Marie seemed to enjoy gazing at the stars and Ned would tell the stories of the gods. The constellations came to life as Ned retold the heroic epics. It was in their second year of marriage that Marie gave birth to wee Benjamin. His arrival was a time of joy and sorrow. Benjamin was healthy in every aspect except being born blind. Marie was not as fortunate. Her pregnancy had been difficult and debilitating. Her health steadily deteriorated and, within a month of Benny's birth, she passed away in her sleep. She was interred under the shade of a tree on their star-theater hillside. For a few years Ned and Benny remained in their small village. Ned could manage work and a modicum of food. Every few days, on a clear night he would take Benny up to the hillside and look up to the stars. He asked Benny to imagine as he retold the magnificent stories of the powerful and beautiful gods. His tales were always exciting, and the gods were always there and always would be. Time passed and it was obvious that Benny would require more help getting through life than Ned could do on his own. So he moved to the city to find work and help with Benny's education. There were teachers there who could keep the lad moving forward despite his inability to see. There were extra costs and special needs that created a necessity for more money. Ned took on extra jobs to make ends meet. His time with Benjamin became scarce, but he felt this was what his wife would have wanted for her son. Years flew by as Benny grew into manhood. He had met many challenges and conquered them. He had even become the head master of a school for the blind. During all this time he had infrequent meetings with his father and wished he could get back to see him. It was fall and the chill of the season was felt everywhere. Benjamin found he had a few days to spare and journeyed back to his father's village. When he arrived he found that Ned no longer lived in the home he had known. He had grown feeble and couldn't work full time any longer. He had been taken in from time to time by neighbors and friends until they had all passed on. As of that day, Ned hadn't been seen in a week. Benjamin feared the worst. He hired a buggy and driver and, in desperation, ventured up to the hillside where his father had told him the stories of the glorious gods in the stars. The driver stopped the rig at a shade tree, next to a well-cared-for grave site. Benjamin wandered out to the center of the field, guided by a memorized route that he'd learned as a child. He eventually came upon his father, who was lying awake, looking up at the stars. "Papa!" he cried. "Are you hurt?" Ned responded lethargically; he was shivering and suffering from exposure. "Benny!" shouted Ned, happily grasping his son's face. "Marie! Benny is here!" Ned's strength was waning quickly and his arms slowly lowered. He began to tell a story about Mars and Apollo, but soon ran out of breath to go on. He fixed his eyes on his son's face. "Benny? Benny, do you see the stars?" The old man waited for the boy to answer. "Yes Papa," he whimpered through melting, sightless eyes. "I can see them all."   Recognized Author Notes Thank to P W RYAN for the perfect graphic.

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