The Silver Swan

THE SILVER SWAN

         Timmy was handicapped. He hated the term, but knew it applied to him. He had a wheelchair, and needed it. He was being schooled by a tutor, Jenson. He allowed Timmy to call him that, although everyone else had to call him Mr. Jarlson. To Timmy, he seemed cold and standoffish, and never open with the boy. 

         The seasons were changing, and Timmy hated it. He hated the cold of winter, and the heat of summer. He was angry for his handicap, and hated people feeling sorry for him. He wanted to be normal, just like all the other kids. Of course, there was no such thing as normal, but Timmy didn’t know that. He was too full of hatred to know, or care. Timmy was a bitter boy. His parents tried to help him as much as they could, but he hated their doing so. 

         Christmas was approaching, and Timmy wondered what useless presents he would get this year. And, sure enough, he received a bunch of, to him, useless presents. Even Jenson gave him a present, but it was even more worthless than the others. When he unwrapped it, he looked at it in dismay. It was a swan made of silver. Very pretty, but Timmy wasn’t interested in pretty. What he really wanted was a BB rifle, but his parents refused. He wanted to use it to shoot at the other kids in the neighbourhood; and, of course, his parents knew of this. He made no secret of it.

         Timmy did enjoy Christmas dinner. His family were fairly wealthy, and they ate well, with lots of delicious dishes. When supper was over, they gathered around to listen to Christmas carols, and listen to tales of Christmas long ago. Soon he was sleepy, and was in bed before he knew it. He held the silver swan in his hands as he slept. 

         And he dreamed. He saw the swan grow in his hands, until it was huge, filling his entire bedroom! Timmy noticed the ceiling was no longer there, and the swan lifted its magnificent silver wings, and they flew. They flew across a starry night sky, with the crescent moon shining on the great, silver wings! They flew far and wide, and saw many wonderful things! However, they also saw things that were not so wonderful. 

         The swan showed him people whose life was an agony, living in desperate poverty. People who were as handicapped as he, but had to make due with broken wheelchairs that barely functioned. He saw people who should be living in deep sadness, yet found a great happiness in life. Timmy was deeply moved by it, and realized he was not the sad person he made himself out to be. He was touched by such people, and soon realized how cruel he had been to people who had cared so much for him. He especially saw his parents as the loving people who were his biggest supporters, and loved him dearly.

         He woke suddenly. Sunlight streamed through the open curtains, and Jenson was there, bidding him to get up, there were lessons to attend to. Timmy did so; then washed up, and ate breakfast. He sat through Jenson’s lessons without a word of complaint; an unusual thing for him. Jenson became concerned after a while. 

         “Are you okay, Timmy?”

         The boy shook his head. “I was given a gift,” he whispered with tears in his eyes.

         “The Swan?” he asked quietly.

         Timmy nodded.

         “You went for a flight last night, I take it?”

         “Yes,” he answered softly.

         Silence.

         “How do I thank you? I’ve never thanked anyone in my life. I’m not sure I know how.”

         For the first time, Jenson smiled. “You just did, Tim.”

         The tutor had never smiled before, and no one had ever called him Tim before. It marked something special, but he wasn’t sure what. He was sure, though, that nothing would ever be the same again. 

         Tim’s parents were amazed at the change in their child. Where before he complained endlessly, now he barely spoke. He was, however, filled with wonder about everything. He read books by the dozens, and watched advanced television shows. His intelligence was astounding, and Jenson himself was deeply impressed. 

         But there was more. The nights were filled with flights on his magic swan, often accompanied by Jenson himself! Together they explored the world, and gazed at the night sky until the constellations were as familiar as the parts of Tim’s own body. There was no way to control the swan: it went where it willed. At first Tim was a bit frightened by this, but he soon learned to relax and trust the incredible bird. Even Jenson had no idea how to control the amazing creature, but like Tim, he learned to trust it. 

         One day during a break in the lessons, Tim asked the question that was uppermost in his mind.

         “Where did you find the Silver Swan?”

         “I didn’t. It’s been in our family for generations. It was mine as a child, and it changed me, just as it did you. But I knew there was so much in you, so much depth and passion, if it could be released.  So, I knew the best thing to do was to give the Swan to you.”

         Tim burst into tears. “I said before I didn’t know how to thank you. I still don’t, but if words will do, then I thank you from my deepest heart.”

         Jenson, seemingly a cold and distant person, went over and hugged the young man. 

         Time held the Swan out to him. “Then it belongs to you. I was only borrowing it.”

         Jenson smiled warmly through his tears. “No, it is yours. It belongs to you now. I cannot take it back; such a gift, once given, cannot be returned.”

         Christmas, that magical season, rolled around again. For Tim, Jenson, and the magical Silver Swan, they were days filled with wonder. Tim and Jenson found special children in need, and brought them presents. The love they shared with others, including Tim’s parents, was very special. As the year turned over, Tim realized he was no longer a child, but a man. Only hindsight made his aware of this, but his life was still full of wonder, and the Silver Swan was still the greatest friend anyone could ever have. The true gift of wonder never dies.

THE END