Stars in the sky

Stars in the sky – Short Story Kids : Conversation between father and daughter about dead

This is a conversation between a father and his sweet little daughter.  The inspiration to write this came from a few questions that my daughter had asked me a few days ago. I have included those questions from my daughter in the conversation below along with a fictitious account that forms the major part. I thought about describing the expressions and emotions of the father and daughter during the conversation, but later decided to have just the conversation and see if I can convey my thoughts through the dialogue between the 2 characters. Hope you all will like it. Please do not hesitate to provide critical comments.

D: Daughter

F: Father

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D: Daddy, if your mommy & daddy were not dead, they could have attended my 5^th birthday party next month.

F: Yes, they could have. They would have loved a beautiful girl like you as their granddaughter.

D: Can you tell me again, how they died in the accident?

F: Sorry, I don’t want to. It is a sad incident and I don’t like to talk to you about the same incident again and again.

D: Remember, you told me that after the people become dead, they become stars in the sky.

F: Yes

D: Are all the stars in the sky dead people?

F: Ha…Ha…Ha…may be they are.

D: When you look at the stars in the sky, how will you know which star is your mommy or daddy?

F: Well, we don’t specifically know which star is who, but we all know that our loved ones who are not with us anymore are up there as stars in the sky watching us.

D: Daddy, after people become dead, do they stay at the hospital?

F: Why do you ask that? By the way, you should say ‘after people are dead’ not ‘after people become dead’.

D: The other day when you were watching the news on TV about the big truck accident, you remember there were ambulances to take the dead people to hospital?

F: I do remember that. No. Dead people do not stay at hospital. I really don’t like to talk to you about this. Why don’t you go and play something or watch TV? Or let us talk about something else.

D: I wish you could tell me what happens to dead people.

F: You will know more about it as you grow up.

D: Daddy, when I grow up to be a big girl, will you be old?

F: Yes. As you will grow up to be a beautiful young woman, I would start to get old.

D: Will Mommy be old too? 

F: Yes

D: I wish you both don’t get old.

F: Why is that?

D: What if you and mommy die after you get old? I know old people die. I don’t want you to get old. Please don’t get old daddy.

F: I just now told you to not talk about death. Didn’t I?

D: Yes, you did.

F: Ok then. Let us not talk about it please. Let me continue to book these online tickets for the observatory. I promised to take your brother there next week.

D: Where did you say you are taking him?

F: Observatory.

D: What is that?

F: It’s a place where they have big telescopes. You can watch the stars and planets closer than they are.

D: Can I come too?

F: You can. But, I am not sure if you will like it. After a few more years – may be when you are 10 like your brother, it might make more sense for you to go there.

D: So, will brother get to see the stars more closely?

F: Yes.

D: Daddy, before any people died, was there no stars in the sky? Was it just plain sky without stars?

F: Oh God! Not again. I told you to not talk about it.

D: Why I can’t I even talk about it when you are taking brother to see dead people from the telescope? It’s not fair.

F: Well it’s not exactly dead people. Let us say that there are other types of stars too that are not exactly dead people.

D: I understand. May be they are the deer, lions and all the animals that are dead. I was going to ask you about this too. Do animals become stars too after they are dead?

F: Where do you get these thoughts from? Don’t think about it too much.

D: Remember how Bambi’s mother dies in the Bambi book and Simba’s father dies in ‘The Lion King’ movie?

F: Ah…OK! So that’s where the idea about dead animals becoming stars is coming from. You know what? Let’s go to the park for a walk.

 

At the park.

D: I like to walk on this path around the pond, Daddy.

F: I know. Now, let me ask you something. What is the farthest thing that you see from here?

D: I see the sky.

F: Not the sky. Just look around you. Not up in the sky.

D: I see those tall buildings that are very far from here.

F: Do you know what is behind them?

D: No. I have not been there.

F: Do you believe there is something behind them?

D: Yes.

F: Can you imagine what could be behind those buildings?

D: I don’t know.

F: Give it a try. Just come up with something.

D: May be there is another park like this one. May be there is a school like the one that I go to. Do you know what is there Daddy?

F: I don’t know either. I have to imagine that there is something. But the point is that you believe there is something. Don’t you?

D: Yes.

F: There are many such hidden places that we cannot see and go to. But we believe that such places are there. And sometimes dead people go to such places. We cannot see them but we can imagine them to be in one such hidden place. Only dead people can go to such places and we cannot go there.

D: We can go to those buildings in our car and see what is behind them.

F: I know. But you must understand and believe that there are really far places that you cannot go to in a car, plane or a train.

D: So, dead people just go to a different place that is very far away which we cannot see and we cannot go to?

F: Yes. That’s correct.

D: Can we talk to them on the phone?

F: You won’t need a phone to talk to them. But when you grow up, you will know how to talk to them. And you will know how to hear what they would say.

D: Really? I can talk to them without a phone? Do you mean on the laptop using the webcam?

F: Ha…Ha…Ha…you won’t need any device to talk to them. You will know when you grow up. You might even be able to see them with closed eyes.

D: Really? Daddy, I think it will be OK for you and mommy to get old and die.

F: What!!! Why do you say that?

D: I thought I cannot see and speak to you and mommy when you become old and die. But now I know I can talk to you after you are dead too. But, wait for me to grow up first before you start to get old.

F: Ha…Ha…Ha…OK…OK.

D: But God is not going to be happy with you.

F: Now, why is that?

D: Because earlier you lied to me about dead people becoming stars and now you are telling me that they go to place where we cannot go. God does not like liars, remember?

F: Oh…God…not the stars again. Let us get your bicycle and helmet from the car. Would you like to ride around the pond?

D: Sure. Let’s go daddy.

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