A bright light that turned into 2 lights and shot off in two separate directions.

I know it's a little late to report this but I felt it needed to be done. 
While visting my father (exact date estimated), upon leaving, I noticed a bright light in the sky above the field across the street.  I called my dad outside on the front porch to verify what I was seeing in the sky.  
After a couple of minutes the bright light separated into 2 lights suspended in the sky. 
After a minute or so both lights shot off into different directions. 
My dad and i looked at each other in confused amazement then I left, never to mention this until now. 
This was witnessed shortly after midnight in Shelby,NC, in 1978.
Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information.  PD