Reach for the Stars!

Author's Note: This story isn't exactly mine to tell. One day, I came home from school, crying because I got a huge blister (this happened in elementary school) and the blister spread across my entire palm. Obviously, in the hands of a five-year-old, it must not have been that big, but it spread across my entire palm, and my hand had to be wrapped with cotton crepe bandages. At night, I went to sleep crying because, to me, it was the end of the world. I couldn't sleep and my older sister who was right next to me was trying to help me sleep. Finally, I asked for a story, and as you've probably guessed this is the story! And obviously, I couldn't write the story as a five-year-old, but the story always stuck with me. So later in elementary school around fourth grade, I wrote this story to keep as a memento. I hope everyone enjoys just as much as I do! 

Also, before I begin I found my actual author bio from when I wrote this way back when, so here's ten-year-old me's author bio for Reach the Stars!

Old Author Bio: I got interested in writing when I was young, as I love reading books. Books amaze me, and I want to be a writer someday! Writing helps me express who I am, which is part of why I love it. I also read nonstop; there’s nothing that can distract me when I’m reading. 

I was also inspired by the fact that March is Women's History Month. My story is about a girl who faces poverty but becomes an amazing person because of her passion and perseverance and for someone who showed a little kindness, and inspiration. Her story reflects on her lifetime discoveries. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing!

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 Have you ever heard the song “Reach For The Stars”? You probably haven’t heard this version. Marguerite kept humming it as she got on with her chores, though she made up the song. Marguerite belonged to a poor family, every day for hours she would sew, knit, cook, and babysit her younger brothers. Marguerite did not like this routine, but she had to do it. She had to help support her family as the eldest child. When Marguerite was very young, she lost her dad to pneumonia, and although Marguerite’s mother worked daily, from dawn to dusk, the family had little to live by. 

But, Marguerite had a secret. Every midnight, Marguerite would slip outside with the family’s radio. There, under the stars, she would turn on the radio, and she would listen to science talks.

You see, Marguerite had a dream, an audacious dream, much bigger than her life, but a dream nonetheless. She dreamed of being an astronaut - like her hero Michelle O’Connor, the first woman to go to space and the first woman to work at NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  

One night while Marguerite was tuned into the science show, the radio blared, instead of the usual science talks, the host announced that there would be a contest. The contest was to contact the radio station and answer questions about space and astronomy; if you got them correct, you would earn an interview with Michelle O’Connor as the prize. Marguerite’s heart skipped a beat. She rang up the radio station on the local landline, and they answered. Marguerite mentally reviewed everything she learned over since she was five, quickly. Finally, the radio host cleared her throat and began to ask Marguerite the questions. Marguerite thought so hard she thought her brain might explode like a bomb. POW! She knew them all. She quickly pressed the button to talk as she confidently gave her answers. 

“Well well, Miss Marguerite you have answered them all correctly,” the radio host congratulated Marguerite, as the sound of her clapping crackled through the radio’s speakers. 

Then, the host put on the spot … Ms. Michelle O’Connor! Marguerite felt like fainting, as she stifled a gasp and sucked in her breath. 

“Hello Ms. O’Connor, my name is Marguerite. You really don’t know how excited I am to meet you. Ever since I was five years old when my mother took me to the city, I’ve seen all your posters and heard all your talks on the radio. You have inspired me to be who I am today,” Marguerite gushed. 

“Well, Marguerite, congratulations! You are such a bright girl, and I’m glad that I was able to inspire you. We can talk more when we decide on a time to meet, your choice of course,” replied Michelle happily. 

Then, Marguerite whispered “ I can’t meet in the daytime, but midnight near the old library on 49th Street, Butcher’s Town, should do tomorrow,” Marguerite answered embarrassed as her face turned red. Michelle hesitantly agreed. 

So it was settled. Marguerite, still embarrassed, skipped all the way home with the radio in hand. She giddily thought to herself  “I talked to Michelle O’Connor, she wants to meet me tomorrow!  Me, Marguerite! I’m meeting Michelle O’Connor!” 

This was a dream come true for Marguerite; she had always wanted to meet the star of astronomy, the woman pioneer in space history. The next night at midnight, Marguerite raced off her bike and stepped in the moonlight in front of the old library. She waited a few seconds when a big car pulled over. The car door opened as a tall woman, almost 6 feet tall, stepped into the moonlight. Her bold eyes seemed to shine. Marguerite stepped closer to the woman and held a hand out. 

“My name is Marguerite, are you Ms. O’Connor?” 

“Marguerite, how delightful to meet you, yes, I’m Michelle,” the woman greeted Marguerite warmly. “Forgive me for asking Marguerite, but why such an odd timing,” Ms. O’Connor stammered. 

Marguerite became silent, and after an awkward pause, she began to explain her life. Michelle listened intently without interrupting her. 

“You see it all began when my dad passed away from pneumonia. In Butcher’s Town, women can’t earn much money because men are believed to be the only people who can work. So my mom is forced to work from dawn to dusk. I run a shop, cook, knit, sew, babysit, and yet we are still poor. I love science and my dream is to be an astronaut, but I can't. Going to college itself may not be possible for me. My family doesn’t even know I listen to science talks or that I’m talking to you right now. But, I am really happy that I can meet you even if it has to be a secret.” Marguerite finished as an amazed Michelle gawked at Marguerite. 

Marguerite just kept her eyes fixed as Michelle explained to her some of the newest discoveries in space. “Well Marguerite, this was quite a night but I must be going, NASA needs me,” Michelle O’Connor told Marguerite abruptly but convincingly” Marguerite nodded sadly, as she mumbled it was fun while it lasted. The two said their goodbyes and departed their separate ways. 

But the truth was Michelle O’Connor wasn’t needed for NASA, at least not that day. That day was her day off to do as she pleased, so she decided to help Marguerite. Marguerite’s story of poverty and hardship stuck with Michelle deep down, she wanted to help. So, she called the college she thought Marguerite would be most interested in and told them about Marguerite’s story and accomplishments. She also set up a bank account that would be used to pay for Marguerite’s college tuition. 

The next day Marguerite and her mother were pleasantly surprised when Michelle called. Marguerite’s mother was so very proud of Marguerite to hear all about her from Michelle. She decided she would do everything to support Marguerite to reach her goals. But Marguerite had to wait for a few more years before flying off to college, she was only twelve after all. 

Six years later, Marguerite stepped through the college’s gates with high hopes and determination. For years, Marguerite trained and studied hard to be an astronaut, to work at NASA, and to follow in Michelle’s footsteps. Her family back in California had managed to open a farm and was doing well-growing food, and they were all so proud of Marguerite. 

“Magnificent Marguerite, Magnificent Marguerite” her brothers chanted. 

At last, her years of hard work and dedication paid off, and her new name became Astronaut Marguerite, all thanks to her hero Michelle O’Connor. 

“Mission Control, Space Apparel Rocket Ready For Take Off,” Marguerite glanced around the starry black night sky. 

Marguerite was now an astronaut getting ready to launch a rocket she built; this was just the beginning of her groundbreaking discovery. 

“Houston, we’re good to go. Michelle, be prepared to launch.”

Marguerite was going on a space expedition. Her reddish orange curls were bouncing on her back as she fit her helmet on.  

“Into the unknown!” Michelle shouted over the microphone as the rocket launched.

Marguerite and her teammates spoke clearly, “We hear you Houston, can you hear us? Over.” they announced into the microphone. 

“Roger that Mission Unknown Capsule” Michelle replied confidently. 

ZOOM! The rocket sped up so high, that if Marguerite could reach out of the rocket, she could touch the clouds. ZOOM! The faster and faster the rocket sped, the higher and higher the rocket went, the wider and wider Marguerite’s smile got. ZOOM! 

After weeks of travel, they made it. 

“Mission Control, we have landed. I repeat, we have landed. Over,” Marguerite announced. 

As Marguerite looked at her distant Earth on one side, with its bright swirling blues and greens, and the bright star, Sirius on the other side, she reflected on her journey -  she “reached the stars” both figuratively coming from the smallest corner of the earth to where she stands now, and literally as they headed to discover new forms of life in this planet of a neighboring star. 

She named the planet, Inspinion. On the planet, Marguerite and her team discovered this new form of bacteria that uses a unique ultraviolet light from their star, rather than sunlight, to produce food.

Through her passion and hard work, Marguerite discovered what she was capable of and in the process, discovered this new form of life in a different world that will further more discoveries in enabling both plant and animal life in other parts of the universe in the future. Way to go Marguerite! Over and Out! 

* The people in this story are fictitious.