Prologue
2004
It was another ordinary night in the neighbourhood.
The entire place was drenched in tranquility. All the noises, all the unpleasant sounds, all the voices of the pedestrians shouting and the neighbours laughing 一 they were all washed away, gone with the river, to the deepest of the oceans. Calmness became the king of the night, picking up the crown left by the noises and ruling the neighborhood. Everything was normal, just as usual.
That night, 4-year-old Yodrick was sitting on his bed, looking outside the window as he immersed himself into his own imagination.
The first thing that fell into his sight was the dazzling street lights. They were standing still in the darkest place of all, casting yellow lights upon the ground that brought vividness into the streets. He wondered what make them shine – Was there anyone controlling them? Were there people living inside the bulbs? Would it be the fairy dusts spread by the fairies? (If that’s the case, some of the fairies were doing a very lousy job! Stop sleeping!) Fairy dusts, he thought. He wondered what could he do when the fairies put fairy dusts all over his body. He could fly to wherever he wanted – to the highest of the skies, where no one had ever gone to, with freed and happiness alongside as his companions. Nothing would be able to stop him.
He then moved his focus to the streets enlightened by the lights. His gaze wandered the roads as if he was down there pacing around the neighborhood. He couldn’t help but notice that the whole place has turned into a massive dancefloor. The trees, as usual, were the life of the party as they dominated the dancefloor, swaying back and forth to the music orchestrated by the wind. The flowers, like the little audience, cheering and laughing to the moves made by the billowing trees, were certainly having the time of their lives.
The one person who’s not in the mood of partying was definitely the sky. Not that she hated the street lights, or the trees, or even the flowers (I mean, who has strong opinions towards flowers?!), she just simply enjoyed being an outsider. Or maybe there’s something she was hiding from them that didn’t want them to know. As Yodrick put his attention on the sky, staring into the darkness of the unknown, he wondered what’s beyond the black canvas. He wondered if he could unveil the mask of the black sky when he flew up there and sprayed fairy dusts all over the sky, but hey, if she was intentionally hiding it from us, there must be a reason, right?
Just as he was lost in his own thoughts, the room door was pushed open.
‘Yoddy,’ It was Yodrick’s mum, Veronica, ‘What are you doing, sweetie?’
‘Looking at beautiful things.’ It’s very true, for everything was beautiful in front of Yodrick’s eyes.
‘You have school tomorrow, you know?’ She sat beside Yodrick on the bed and took him into her arms.
‘I couldn’t sleep.’
‘Well, maybe a story will help?’ She walked over to the cabinet and took out a set of books.
‘What’s that?’ Yodrick’s curiosity brought him down on the bed and rushed over to the book cabinet. His eyes shined like diamonds as he looked at the books.
‘Woah easy, monkey!’ His mum laughed, taking Yodrick back to his bed, ‘I bought it today, thought you didn’t notice.’ In Yodrick’s defense, the books were hiding at the back of the cabinet.
‘Why did you hide it there?’
‘So I can read it to you.’ Her mum smiled. It’s one of the smiles that could bring comfort and warmth to Yodrick, besides Mr. Roddy (A tiny rabbit toy) and Lucas (His dog toy). He always loved it when mum read it to him. Even the worst and most boring story could become the most intriguing tale coming from Mum’s voice.
‘What is a Ca-bee-con? It looks weird.’ Yodrick pointed at the horns and the fish tail and questioned, as that was the book lying on top of the set.
‘Well, let me read it to you.’
×
Once upon a time, there’s a goat named Nigel.
One day, the leader of the goat pack had to give jobs to different goats. Nigel was assigned to help in the ocean, where he would feed the fishes and kept them safe.
Nigel was very pleased with his task, that he could spend all his time swimming in a boundless sea, touching the fish as they swam by his side, listening to the soothing voice of the ocean, feeling the warmth of the water as the water tugged him in.
He loved his job very much and he did his best to complete his task every day. He also made a lot of new friends, like the twin fishes. He was very happy.
His hard work was not unnoticed. After years of working, Nigel has become a very responsible and hardworking goat and he was promoted to the leader of the sea.
‘Nigel,’ The leader of the pack asked, ‘You are very great at your job! You deserve to be the leader.’
But Nigel was not satisfied. He didn’t want to just be in the water during work - he wanted to always be there.
Therefore, he requested the leader something.
‘Please let me be a fish!’ He yelled, hoping that the leader would accept his request.
Yet, the leader frowned. ‘I can’t do it. It’s beyond my powers. Plus, you’re a goat. You can’t be a fish!’
Disappointed, Nigel walked over to the ocean.
‘What’s wrong, Nigel?’ Tal the fish asked.
‘I wanted to be a fish but leader said he couldn’t turn me into one.’ His tone was filled with disappointment. ‘I felt like I always belong here, in the ocean.’
‘We really like you too, Nigel! You are the best goat ever!’ Tal smiled, trying to cheer Nigel up.
’Thanks, Tal.′
‘If the leader couldn’t help you, then let me help you!’
With a flick of the fish tail, Tal hexed Nigel. Suddenly, Nigel’s legs were gone. Slowly, the four legs turned into a fishtail. A stunning, sparkly fish tail.
‘Come on, Nigel!’ Tal exclaimed, pulling Nigel down in the sea.
Nigel was down in the sea, but this time, he was not a goat. He became a sea goat with a pretty tail. He couldn’t be happier.
He swam with Tal to the deepest of the ocean and met other fishes, and all of them lived happily ever after.
×
‘I like the Nigel!’ Yodrick loved the story, especially when it was told by his favorite person in the entire world. He imagined himself as Nigel, diving in the sea, playing with different fishes. He fantasized the freedom, the happiness of Nigel.
‘And that’s how the sign of Capricorn is born!’
‘sign?’
‘Whenever a baby comes into this world, they were born under a sign. Capricorn is one of them. If you are born under the sign, you are a Capricorn.’ Veronica smiled as she closed the book and walked back to the cabinet and put the book back.
‘Now, get some sleep, okay?’ His mum kissed his temple. ‘I’ll be here until you sleep.’
Yodrick lied down on his mum’s lap and closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop pondering the story. How did Nigel and the fishes become friends? Why didn’t the leader of the goat pack have the powers? What happened after Nigel met the other fishes? What happened when the Leader found out about the transformation of Nigel? There’s so many questions swirling inside his head.
‘Mum, am I a Capricorn?’
Veronica grinned as she touched his head gently like he’s a new born baby.
‘Do you want to be a Capricorn?’ Veronica teased.
‘Yes!’ Capricorn is the best, he thought. He knew it without hearing other stories.
‘Veronica!’ Yodrick’s dad, Donald, yelled from the living room.
‘Dad calls.’ Yodrick told mum.
‘I’ll be back in a flash.’ Veronica turned off the lights and walked out the room.
As Yodrick looked outside the window, he vaguely saw a little white dot sparkling from the sky. He didn’t want to move his eyes as he wanted to capture this moment forever. It was simply the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. For a moment, he thought the little white dot was smiling at him, telling him something. He couldn’t quite tell, but he just wanted to stay here with the white dot forever.
And that was the moment that changed everything.
