STARLIGHT

4.Hirasawa Sawako

It was a pleasant evening as the birds sang sweetly, flying around happily. Cherry blossom petals were in the air and it seemed as though everything was just right; as though nothing but goodness filled the earth. The sweet sound of slow music played in the background as Hirasawa Sawako sat down to a cup of tea. It was just her in the lonely apartment and she was used to this kind of loneliness.

But it wasn't any kind of loneliness that was troubling Ms. Hirasawa's mind. Something else was going on up there. She had been counselling students at 'Ohayo Girls' Higher Secondary School' for about two years now but had never come across a situation like this.

The past week had been hectic for her, with numerous student-counselling sessions; all having serious problems. Among these were three young girls who stood out the most for her.

She had advised them all right, but what next? She was expected to come up with an answer, a terrific one which would solve all their problems and she was to do that fast...before these three girls take up drastic steps and put themselves in trouble.

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I put down my empty cup, my mind lost in thought. I went out to my balcony for some fresh air. As the breeze touched my face gently, I started remembering why I took up counselling in the first place. A rough childhood, rejection and criticism; yes, it was these three things that drove me into this attempt; an attempt to make this world a better place by helping others.

'Four years have passed,......huhh', I sighed, 'Four years! It was going so well and now, all of a sudden, I feel like....like a failure,' I told myself.

'But no, I can do it. I have to. They're relying on me. I can't let them down.'

Staying outdoors for a few minutes seemed to calm me down a little. Coming back to my room, I took a look at a section of my wall, where I had stuck pictures of all the three girls, with their lovely smiling faces, along with each of their problems written down next to their pictures.

I tried connecting the dots; took out my diary and tried reading between the lines. None of it worked. None of it. I lay on my bed, staring at the wall with my mind completely blank.

At that moment, a friend of mine called up. It was sooooo relieving to see her call.

'Hello?' I said, my voice quite low.

'Hey, what's up, Sawako?' the voice at the other end said.

'Hey, Mio, I'm so flustered. Talking to you is exactly what I needed.'

'Sawako, another counselling thing troubling you?' Mio asked me.

'Yeah. But this time it's a big........counselling thing!'

'Ok, I wish you could tell me but I know you won't break your "student-counsellor-confidentiality policy" as you call it.'

I laughed. 'Yep, you know it. Hey, you remember what we used to do to lighten things up when we were students?'

'Well, we would do crazy things...so crazy that I can't even remember. But yeah...all I can say is, we had each other. All six of us; people called us crazy.....and we were!!!'

'HA! I remember that. All of us would be together no matter what,' I said, nostalgic.

'Yeah. We were each other's strength!'

'And still are!' I said with a smile.

'And will always be!' Mio completed.

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