Gifts

Gifts

1971

The Adams bunch sat in front of the Christmas tree watching the branches dance on the wall as the room changed from red, to blue and then to green. The garland wrapped around the tree and twinkled in unison with “The Twelve Days of Christmas” playing on the radio.

All the children were excited, though all of them had outgrown the Santa fantasy, they still looked forward to the gifts they would receive the next morning.

Five-year-old Evan had prayed every night for six months for a new bike. His hand-me-down tricycle was held together only by sheer determination. He was ready for training wheels and wasn’t shy about telling anyone who would listen.

“Dear God, please let me get that cool blue bike I saw in Shiffer’s. I will be a good boy, I promise.” Evan said his prayers with eyes and hands closed tightly. He felt, in his heart that his prayer would be answered.

Early Christmas morning all three Adams children scurried down the stairs and dove into the shiny paper boxes and bags surrounding the tree. Gracie found a small silver box that contained a beautiful pair of gold earrings.

“Thanks Mom and Dad, these are the ones I wanted.” She ran over and gave each of them a big hug.

Evan looked around but didn’t see his bike. He looked under the tree for something with his name on it.

Thomas found his present and his small fingers couldn’t tear the paper fast enough.

“Wow a giant fire engine.” His eyes lit up with delight.

“It lights up and makes sounds when you push it,” his dad said.

“This is so cool, thanks.” He pushed his truck weaving in and out of the boxes that sat nearby on the floor.

Evan sat with his gift on his lap. It wasn’t as small as Gracie’s package but it was smaller than Thomas’ and it was surely not large enough to be a bicycle.

“Open your gift son.” His father urged him.

Slowly he unwrapped the paper from the square shaped gift, as his parents sat, giddy with anticipation.

It was a big red book. Evan couldn’t read all the words on the cover but one word he did recognize was dictionary.

“A dictionary?” He said with tears in his eyes.

“Yes son, do you like it?” His mother asked.

“I wanted a bike!”

“But son, this is so much better. A dictionary will give you a head start in life. You’ll appreciate it one day. One day when you least expect it.”

“I wanted a bike! Gracie and Thomas got what they wanted!” Evan now shouting and sniveling ran into his room and sobbed into his pillow. “I don’t want a stupid dictionary.”

“God, didn’t you hear my prayer? I wanted a bike, what good is this dictionary going to do me? I wanted something to play with!” Evan just stared at the dictionary. The 1,505-page book taunted him. His ten small fingers took a hold of the book as he dragged it next to him. He wiped the tears from his eyes and opened it.


2003

“We have a five year old who is a victim of a vehicular hit and run. He was on a bike.” The paramedics rushed down the corridor into the operating room. “He suffers from multiple contusions, lacerations and a broken femur, but he is still conscious.”

The ER attended to the boy checking every inch of his body for anything the paramedics might have missed. He screamed in pain when they moved his leg. The fear in his eyes caused the doctor to pause and comfort the boy.

“Don’t worry little guy. I’m a doctor and I will make you feel better soon, OK?”

The little boy looked up and the fear subsided. “OK Mister Doctor.” He said quietly.

* * *

The doctor walked down the corridor, relieved that this incident didn’t lead to a fatality. He noticed two very nervous people sitting in the waiting room and when he entered the mother looked up with tears in her eyes. The same fearful look he saw in the little boy graced this woman’s face.

“Mr. and Mrs. Randall?” He approached the couple.

“Doctor will he be OK?” The mother blurted out without hesitation.

“I think he will pull through, although he will need to stay off the leg for a long while and learn how to walk again.”

“Oh thank you doctor, thank you for helping my little boy. Your parents must be very proud of you.”

The doctor smiled and nodded. “I’m sure they are, but actually I am the one who is proud of them.”

The mother looked at him perplexed but didn’t inquire about the strange comment.

“Doctor, God put you here for my boy, bless you.” The father shook his hand.

“I should have never bought him that bike. He wanted it so bad, I couldn’t let him down.” The guilt weighed heavily on her. “It’s my fault he’s here now.”

“Mrs. Randall, what happened is not your fault. Did the bike make him happy?”

“Yes, it did. Very happy.” She answered as she recalled his eyes on Christmas morning when he saw his very first big kids bike.

“I didn’t get the bike I wanted when I was five.” The doctor calmly stated.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, that is so sad.” The mother was now trying to comfort him.

The doctor cracked a small smile and looked up at her and said, “No, not really.”

* * *

“How are we feeling today young man?” The doctor cheerfully entered Matt’s room.

“Hi Mister Doctor. I’m O.K. but I’m bored.”

“No cartoons on today?” The doctor flipped the remote around trying to find something kid oriented.

“No, it’s Sunday and cartoons are never on on Sunday.

“That’s too bad. What else do you like to do?” The doctor asked.

“I dunno. Ride my bike I guess and play with my Gameboy.”

“Do you like to read?” The doctor asked.

“Sometimes.”

“Let me see what I can find for you to read.”

The doctor left the room. He returned five minutes later and handed Matt a book.

“Here you go little buddy.”

“A dictionary?” Matt looked up at the doctor as though he’d lost his marbles.

The doctor smiled and headed out the door. “I’ll come check on you later. Ring the bell if you need anything.”

Matt looked down at the red book that sat next to him, he pushed it to the side and picked up the remote and flipped through the channels hoping to find anything fun to watch.

Unable to find anything to watch and unable to walk his boredom grew. His ten small fingers took a hold of the book as he dragged it next to him. He put down the remote and opened the book.