The Telescope

“Happy Birthday, Simon!”

The young boy did not wait another second before he tore off the wrapping paper on the large gift his mother had set before him. 

“Ooh, cool!” he exclaimed. “A telescope!”

He soon forgot about the cake, the other presents, even his mother who had gifted him the object of his fascination. He opened the box and ran upstairs, carrying the telescope piece by piece to his room. He laid everything out on the floor and examined the pieces. Consulting the instructions periodically, Simon managed to assemble the instrument so that it was standing and facing outward from his bedroom window. 

“Now don’t go using it to spy on other people.”

Simon turned around in confusion. He had not realized that his mother had been standing in the doorway of his bedroom. He rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the telescope. 

“Mom, I’m not dumb. I’m going to see the moon and the stars tonight. Maybe I’ll get to see Venus and Mercury; maybe even Jupiter. That would be so cool…”

His mother closed the door while Simon continued to imagine all the things he would see that evening. 

***

“Simon!” knocked his mother. “It’s time for bed.”

Something fell with a thud to the floor as Simon’s mother opened the bedroom door.

“Mom!” he screamed. “What did you do that for?” 

The child dropped to the floor and examined the telescope that had fallen. 

“You know the drill,” she said, “It’s eight o’clock. Time for bed.”

Simon groaned. “C’mon, mom. Just a few more minutes.”

“That’s and order.”

The boy frowned, kicking at the overturned tripod. “It’s probably broken anyway,” he said under his breath. He slipped out of his clothes and crawled into bed. Simon’s mom flipped the lights and closed the door. 

***

While completing the household chores, Simon’s mom stopped when she reached her son’s bedroom. She noticed the telescope was still on the floor and wondered if it was was really broken. She sat the basket of laundry on the floor and entered the room, reaching down for the instrument. She sat the telescope on its legs, but the instrument instantly fainted. She caught the object before it had a chance to reach the floor. She gave it a superficial inspection. The legs appeared to be in tact. Nothing appeared to be visibly broken. She sat the object upright again, this time adjusting the angle of the telescope and it remained standing. She took a peak through the lens, blushed, then quickly looked away. She crept to the doorway of the bedroom and cocked her ear to listen if anyone was home. Satisfied with the silence of the house, Simon’s mom crept back to the telescope. 

***

“Mom! What do you see?” asked Simon. 

His mother jumped. 

“Oh nothing,” she said as she moved away from the telescope, making sure to tilt the device away from the object she had been observing. The telescope fell. 

“Mom!”

“Simon, calm down,” she said as she rushed back to the telescope. She stood it back on its legs. “See. It’s fine. Now finish your homework before you play.”

“But mom!”

“That’s an order.”

She left the room, picking up the basket of laundry she had sat down earlier in the day. She put the bedding away in the linen closet and went downstairs to move the next load from the washer to the dryer. As she came out of the laundry room, she noticed the time on the kitchen clock. It was almost dinnertime and she had not begun to prepare anything. To her relief, she recalled a pizza was still in the freezer. She knew Simon would not mind having that for dinner. 

***

“Mmm!” Simon said, entering the room. “Are we having pizza for dinner?”

His mother nodded. “Now please set the table.”

The child did not protest. He grabbed the mats and arranged two spaces at the table. 

“When is dad coming home?”

“By the end of the week,” Simon’s mom said. 

“But I thought he was supposed to come home today.”

Simon’s mom sat the pizza on the table and gave her son rub on the head. “I know, but he was delayed. I’m sure when he comes he’ll have lots of presents for you. He was really sad to miss your birthday.”

Together they ate the pizza. The cheese warm and sticky on the crisp crust. 

“Be careful, Simon, it’s still hot.”

The boy listened and took smaller bites. As he chewed he asked, “what were you looking at, mom.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean in my telescope. Were you able to see any planets?”

Simon’s mom avoided eye contact with her son and looked at the pizza instead. “I don’t think I know how to use it.”

“I can teach you!” Simon said with a giant grin. 

“Have you finished your homework?”

“Yes! I did not have that much,” he said as he climbed off of his chair. 

“Wait,” his mother said. “Clear the table first.”

Simon groaned, but obeyed his mother. He threw the paper towels in the trash and put the plates, cheese and all, in the dishwasher. 

His mother laughed. “We can’t put all this cheese in the dishwasher.”

“But there isn’t enough time. I want to get a good look at the stars before bedtime.”

Simon’s mom removed the plates to the sink and put water on them, before allowing her son to drag her upstairs to his bedroom. 

From the window you could see the inky black night sky rimmed in crimson from the still setting sun. The first stars were visible. Simon already had his eye fixed to the lens of the telescope oohing and awing at what he was able to see. After some time, he allowed his mother to see what he believed was Venus. She humored him for a little while, but as the night dragged on, she soon ushered him to bed. 

***

The following afternoon, Simon’s mom found herself standing in the doorway of her son’s bedroom. He was still at school, so she reasoned with herself that she would have just one more look. After all, she was alone. It wasn’t like there was anyone there to catch her. 

She walked up to the telescope and adjusted it’s orientation to where she had it yesterday and peered through the lens. To both her pleasure and shock, the object of her attention was visible again. Jumping up and down he appeared to be working out in nothing but shorts. He stopped and walked to the window of his house, giving her a clear view of his muscular body as he ran his fingers through his hair. After he took a sip of water, he returned to his workout. 

Breathless, Simon’s mom backed away from the telescope and fanned herself. A burning desire urged her to return to the telescope, but she resisted. However, she gave in the next the day, and the next day, and the day after that; each time reasoning with herself that it was a little indulgence, like a piece of chocolate. After all, there was no one to witness the little transgression, so it hurt no one. 

***

“I’m home!” shouted Simon’s dad as he entered the kitchen. 

Simon’s mom moved away from the kitchen island at which she was preparing dinner and gave her husband a kiss. 

“Where’s Simon?” he asked. 

She tilted her head upwards. “He’s working on his homework.”

The father raised an eyebrow. 

“It’s our agreement,” she said with a smile. “He finishes his homework first, then he can play with his telescope.”

“I see.”

Simon’s dad sat his laptop bag on the counter and walked upstairs on his toes. Standing in the doorway he observed his son working at his homework with fierce concentration. The father rapped lightly on the door and the boy looked up. 

Wide eyed he exclaimed, “Dad! You’re home!”

He jumped up and ran and gave his father a giant hug as his dad patted him on the head. 

“What’s that?” Simon’s dad asked, pointing at the telescope. 

“It’s my telescope! My birthday present!” Simon said, proudly. “But mom said I can’t use it until I’m done with my homework. But I’m almost done.”

“Mind if I look through it?”

Simon nodded his consent. “Mom looks through it all the time,” he said, watching his dad hunch over. “I’m not sure what she is looking at though because she always has it pointing so low. I alway have to adjust it so it’s pointing up at the sky.”

“Mmmm,” Simon’s dad said, not entirely focused on his son’s comment. Then he paused and muttered something under his breath. 

“What did you see? What did you see?” asked the boy, jumping up and down with excitement. 

Simon’s dad took a second look and then straightened up. 

“What did you see?” asked Simon again. 

“What? Oh, uh…did you say that mom looks through your telescope?”

“Yes! All the time,” the boy said impatiently. “What did you see? Can I see?”

“What’s all this noise about?” asked Simon’s mom as she entered the room. 

“Dad said he saw something cool through my telescope. What did you see, Dad?”

Simon’s dad looked at his wife and frowned. “It appears I saw Adonis.”