Story a Day #19 The Kite

Jeremy listlessly opened the gift his father handed him.  He didn’t care what it was, he knew it was just another bribe so he wouldn’t make a fuss because his parents were going away and leaving him alone…again.  Well, not alone, he would be with Mabel.   Mabel who was old and smelled like whiskey but his parents loved her because she had been with the family since Jeremy was a baby. 

But when he saw his gift his resentment disappeared.  It was a kite!  And not just any kite, it was a Spiderman kite.   The one he had seen in the toy store just last week and had begged for it.   And now here it was, his. 

“Dad!  This is great!  Let’s go fly it now, please??”  he said, grabbing his father’s hand.

“Now son, take it easy.  You know your mother and I are leaving for the airport very soon.  I am sure Mabel here will be happy to take you to the park to play with your kite.  Now come here and say goodbye.  That’s a good boy.”   His dad ruffled his hair and his mother pecked him on the cheek and they were gone.

He looked at Mabel and knew there would be no kite flying that day.  She was already fixated on the t.v., glass in hand.   He quietly went to his room and played video games until bed.

The next morning he was up early and after getting his own breakfast he looked for Mabel to see if they could go fly the kite. 

“Not right now Jeremy, I’m busy,”  she said “Go and play.  Be a good boy.”

Jeremy headed back to his room and then he made a decision.  He was 10 years old.  He didn’t need an old lady to take him to the park.  He could take himself to the park and that’s what he decided to do. He just couldn't wait any longer to see Spiderman fly.  Mabel was “busy” on her cell phone and didn’t notice him as he went out the door.

Feeling very grown up, Jeremy went down the elevator, smiled at the doorman and headed across the street to Central Park. 

It didn’t take long to get his kite up in the air.   It was as magical as his favourite superhero and he watched in amazement as it soared high up in the sky.   The string kept tugging him along and he found himself following along with it, not really paying attention to his surroundings. 

Sometime later his arms were aching so he reeled the kite in and that’s when he took a look around and did not recognize anything.   It seemed he was a long way from home.  None of the buildings looked like his.  They were old and run down and there was garbage in the streets.  He saw an old man sleeping under a newspaper on a park bench and there was an old woman with a shopping cart full of bags muttering to herself as she walked along the sidewalk.   Clasping his kite to his chest he felt panic starting to rise.  He looked around for anything that might be familiar.  That’s when he realized he was lost.  Not only that, but he was also in the kind of neighbourhood his mother always warned him to stay away from. 

Jeremy had no idea which direction to turn.  He had been so mesmerized by the sight of Spiderman in the air he had forgotten one of the golden rules of being in the park.  Always be aware of his surroundings.   Now he was in big trouble.  The other rule: if you are ever lost stay right where you are and help will eventually come.   Across the street, he saw two men getting into a fight.  When they started punching each other Jeremy panicked and ran as fast as he could.   He didn’t care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from this place.   But it seemed he was going deeper into the bad place.  He saw a bench on the side of the street and sat down to catch his breath.   How he wish he had waited for Mabel.  She was old and smelly but she wouldn’t have let him get lost. 

As Jeremy sat on the bench in despair, tears running down his cheeks, he remembered another thing his mother had always told him.   Because they lived in the city and because they were rich his mother was paranoid he would be kidnapped someday or he would get lost on his way home from school, so she had street proofed him well.  A lot of good it had done him today he thought glumly.  Think Jeremy, think.  What do you do when you’re lost.

“Look for a parent!” he shouted, causing an old man to stare at him strangely but he walked on.

Jeremy knew he had to find a parent, a mother with a child.  They could be trusted and they would be kind.   He decided to walk back to the park to see if he could find a mother.   A few minutes later he saw a woman sitting on a park bench with a little boy beside her.   Practically sobbing with relief he ran over.

“Please can you help me? I am lost and I don’t know what to do. My mother said if I was lost I should find a mother with a child to help me.  Can you do that, please?”     he shouted.

“She doesn’t speak English,” said the little boy.  And then he spoke to his mother in a language Jeremy had never heard. 

Slowly it dawned on Jeremy that this mother was not like his mother.  His mother was pretty and happy and always smelled nice.  This mother was dirty and sad and her little boy was also dirty, his clothes old and torn.  There was a bucket in front of them with a sign saying they were hungry and asking for help.  Jeremy felt terrible.  Here he was asking them for help when they clearly were in trouble too.

“My mamma wants to know what your address is,” said the little boy.

Jeremy told him and he told his mother.   She looked at Jeremy with kind sad eyes.   She said something to the boy and he looked at Jeremy.

“She said you should get a cab to take you home.” He said.  “I like your kite!  Spiderman is my favourite!”   His eyes shone at the sight of it. 

“Thanks.  But it got me lost…”  Jeremy didn’t know why he said that.  It wasn’t the kite’s fault. 

“Spiderman would never get you lost!” the boy shouted indignantly.

“You’re right. It was my fault.  But I can’t call a cab.  I don’t have any money!”   He sat on the bench and started to cry again.  He was embarrassed by his tears.  After all, he was ten years old!

The boy spoke to his mother again.   They had an animated discussion for a few minutes and then the woman leaned over to the bucket and pulled out some money.   She handed it to Jeremy.

“You take.  Go home!” she said, smiling.

“Oh no, I can’t take your money.  I have lots just not with me…” and he blushed, ashamed of himself.   “I’m sorry”.  

There was more conversation between the mother and son and the boy said:

“It’s a loan.  You take it and go home.  We are here every day, you can come back and pay us back.”  

Jeremy didn’t know what to say.  His parents had always scorned poor people and said they were lazy and dirty and deserved what they got.  But these people were helping him even though they had nothing.  He thanked the woman and took the money.   Then he looked at the boy and handed him the kite. 

“Here.  It’s yours.”  He said.

“Really??”  the boy beamed as he took the treasure.

“Yes, it’s a thank you for helping me.” 

He left the little family then and headed down the street to find a cab. When he looked back he saw the little boy running along the grass with his kite.  He felt happy at the sheer delight on the boy’s face.

Jeremy got home safely that day and the next morning he was up early again.    He went into the kitchen and filled a bag with food.  Then he took some money from the soup can in the cupboard.  His parents would never miss it.  Outside, he hailed a cab again and headed back to the park where he met the woman and her son.   They were there, just like the boy had said.  Jeremy walked over to them and handed them the bag of food and then he put the money in the bucket.   The mother looked at him and began to cry.

“Thank you very much!” the little boy said.  It was then that Jeremy noticed the boy was holding a kite string.  Spiderman was flying grandly in the air looking like the superhero he was.

“It’s the least I could do,” said Jeremy and he turned and headed back home.