The Kite Lesson

Joey arrived home from school and there was a package waiting for him. There was no return address and he looked at it very curiously.  

“Well, aren’t you going to open it?”

His grandmother stared at him.

“I am.”

He carefully and methodically opened it. Joey closed his eyes and reached inside.  

“I knew it.”

He pulled out the beautiful kite and his smile was something every grandfather would be proud of.

II

Joey arrived at the park and was very disappointed. Harold wasn’t there. He sat on the bench and waited, but then realized that he had to get back home.

Slowly, he looked around and then started to walk away. Just was he was emerging out of the park an old man walked up to him.

“Are you Joey?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I have a letter for you.”

The old man handed Joey the letter. It had his name written across the envelope in neat, bold printing.

“Thanks.”

The old guy shuffled away and didn’t say another word.

Joey decided to read the letter at home. He put in his pocket and looked at his phone. Then he started to run and made it home with just minutes to spare.

“Did you have a good tine at the park?”

“I sure did, grandma.”

“I am glad that you did.”

Later that night, he pulled out the letter and opened the envelope.

Dear Joey:

I am sorry that I was not at the park, but I have been very sick lately  I am not sure if my time is up, but an old, stubborn goat like me is hard to take down. Anyway, it was a thrill to meet you. I know that I haven’t been a very good grandfather and have missed all of your birthdays and the many Christmas mornings, but this doesn’t mean that I don’t love you. You are my grandson and nothing can every change that. I hope you remember all of the lessons that I have thought you.

Your Grandfather Always,

Harold. 

Joey put the letter down and didn’t know if he should cry, laugh or scream. Instead, he didn’t do anything at all and just sat there until it was bedtime.  

The letter was kept in a special place that no one would ever find.

III

It had been three days since Harold had promised that he would show up for another kite lesson. He hadn’t kept any of the promise and Joey wondered if he would ever show up again.

The park was full of mothers pushing carriages, rollerbladers, skateboarders, young couple walking hand and hand, artists, people reading and old men shuffling along. However, none of the them looked like Harold.

He waited and then left, his shoulders slumping. From a safe distance, Harold watched him walked away and shared the boy’s sadness.

IV

Joey was super nervous. Was Harold his grandfather? According to his grandmother and mother, it was him. Everyone in class had a grandfather it seemed except him. At Show and Tell, some of the kids showed up with their grandparents. He would have taken his grandmother, but as much as he loved her, she was rather plain and boring.

He walked up and Harold was sitting there in his usual attire with a big smile on his face.

“There’s my kite flyer. How are you today?”

“I am good.”

“Where’s your kite?”

“I didn’t bring it today. I wasn’t much in the mood to fly a kite.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

“It is fine.”

Joey sat next to Harold and turned to him and smiled. The old man returned the smile.

“Nice day in the neighbourhood,” Joey said.

“It is a rather nice day. Not a lot of wind, but the sun is out and it feels good, Hopefully, the summer isn’t going to be too humid.”

“My grandmother hates the humidity. She says it only flares up her arthritis.”

“I might have a problem with that as well.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I reckon so. What do you want to ask me?”

“Well, can you promise the you won’t get mad?”

“I would never get mad.  What is your question?”

“Are you my grandfather?”

Harold sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes and then smiled.

“I am not your grandfather. However, if I was it would be with pride and joy. You are a wonderful young boy.”

“Oh, okay.”  

Harold could see the disappointment in his grandson’s face.

There was an awkward minute and then they saw someone run by with a kite.

“I have to go now. I’ll see you next time.”

“Okay, Joey.”

Joey left.

Harold waited for a few minutes and then got up slowly and shuffled away.

V

Joe arrived home from school and barely had enough time to hang up his clothes.

“Hi, grandma,” he hugged her like he did every day when he came home.

“Hello, Joey, did you have a good day?”

“It was okay.”

“I made some apple crumble.”

“Thanks grandma, it’s my favourite.”

“How about a small dish with ice cream before you run off to the park?”

“Okay.”

They sat down and she served him the treat.

“I feel bad when I go off to the park, grandma.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, you’ve been sitting here all day waiting for me to get home and when I do I leave right away.”

“That is okay. You don’t run out there every day. I know that you want to go and play with that kite of yours.”

“I do. Will said he would come with me.”

“I wish I could go with you, but my arthritis is really awful today. It would be too far for me to walk.”

“I understand.”

“Okay, be off with you. And, make sure you are home on time so your mother doesn’t get mad.”

“I will, grandma. And, thanks for the apple crumble.”

“You’re welcome.”

He left with the kite.

There were all kinds of people in the park on the warm weekday afternoon.  

He and Will set up at the open space and attempted to get the kite up in the air, but couldn’t manage to do so. The wind was blowing in their favour.

  “This isn’t working.”

“Maybe there isn’t enough wind?”

“There’s plenty of wind.” Joey looked at his friend.

“Come on, let’s try again.”

They attempted to get it off the ground and it looked like it was going to work and then the kite flopped.

The two boys were flabbergasted.

“You boys aren’t doing that right.”

They looked over and an old man was sitting on the bench. He looked like a normal old dude, dressing the part with a sweater and a hat to cover his bald spot. He wore some white running shoes which were kind of funky for someone his age.

“We’re doing it all wrong?”

“Sure, you aren’t using the wind properly.”

The two boys looked at each other.

“Can you teach us?”

“I thought you were never ask. My name is Harold.”

“I’m Joey and this is my friend Will.”

“Please to meet both of you. You look like fine young gentlemen.”

He shook their hands and the boys giggled and smiled.

Harold adjusted his cap,  

“Okay, the first think you have to do is check which way the wind is going.”

He licked the index finger on his right hand and then held it up. The boys watched in amazement.

“Okay, that is great. Now, Will I want you to take the kite and walk away.”

Will took the kite and started to walk away.

“Okay stop.”

Will stopped and was about sixty feet from the other two.  

“Joey, I want you to go and stand with your friend.”

Joey went over and stood with his friend.

Harold stood at the other end with the spool of string.  

“Now, I want you to run towards me with everything you’ve got. On the count of three, one, two, three,” Harold said.

The two boys ran towards him and like magic the kite started to climb. Harold worked it perfectly and soon it was a couple of hundred feet up in the air. With the care of an expert, he managed to unreel more string and the floating object ascended.

“You are like a kite expert,” said Will.

“You are like the greatest kite flyer in the world.”

 Harold laughed.

“No, just a guy with a lot of experience.”

The three of them watched as the kite danced in the sky for a long time.

He let them take the spool of string giving each a turn and showed them how to keep the kite afloat.

“Always remember there isn’t anything you can’t do if you are willing to keep trying.”

The boys smiled.

The time stretch-out and soon they realized that a lot of people had left the park.

“Hey, wait a minute, what time is it?”

Joey checked his phone.

“We have to go or we’ll be late.”

Harold expertly let the kite down and they wrapped it all up.

“See you later and thanks for the kite lesson.”

“You’re welcome.”

The boys ran off.

Joey arrived just in time.

“Did you have fun at the park?”

“We sure did. We met some old guy who helped us get the kite up in the air.”

“Oh, but you shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“He’s not a stranger. His name is Harold.”

Grandma made a face, but Joey didn’t catch it.

Later that night, he was in bed and could hear his mother and grandmother talking.

“I am sure it is him.”

“Well, what are we going to do about it?”

“I am not sure. What are we supposed to do about it?”

“I never wanted Joey to meet that rascal.”

“Mother, it was a long time ago.”

“He abandoned us. He left his family to sink or swim. You know how hard we struggled after he walked out on us.”

“I know, but he is Joey’s grandfather. He does have the right to see the boy.”

“He gave up that right the day he walked out.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do? I can’t band him from the park without a good reason.”

“I don’t want Joey knowing that is his grandfather.”

“You are right on that one. But, I will allow him to go to the park.”

“If you think you should. It is just his speed to do something like that behind everyone’s back. He was always a sneaky one.”

“I wonder why he wanted to contact Joey in the first place?”

“I don’t know.”

“So, on Sunday, the church is having a bake sale.”

“That sounds like a good time. We will have to make something on Saturday.”

“I was going to make my apple crumble.”

“It is always a big seller.”

Joey lost interest, but couldn’t wait to go to the park the next day to see if Harold was his grandfather.