This entry was posted on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 5:36 pm and is filed under Family Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
He lays on his back in the thick summer grass, bathing in the afternoon sunlight. The gentle drone of cicadas lulls him into a lazy, happy sleep. The warm breeze, fragrant with the scent of lilac and jasmine, kisses his cheeks gently as the Birch leaves whisper overhead. In the distance, he can hear his mother humming sweetly from the kitchen as she kneads dough for the dinner bread.
These are the things he remembers.
As the car rolls down the highway in the night, the muffled sound of the tires on the road pleasantly hypnotizes him - a day of thrills and adventure have made him weary. Clack-clack. Clack-clack. The occasional sound of the brake pedal being released wakes him only slightly, just long enough for him to tilt his head back and peer at the vast expanse of stars in the deep black sky, before the soft sounds of his parents whispering to each other – occasionally laughing together quietly – sooth him back to sleep.
These are the things he remembers.
The muffled crunch of snow under their boots is the only sound they hear as they walk silently together holding hands. White halos of light surround each street lamp, as puffy flakes fall quietly to the Earth. He inhales deeply. The crisp winter air fills his lungs – clean, cool and pure. As he exhales he turns to look at her. She is smiling slightly, gazing ahead of them at the snowscape glowing under the moonlight. Fluffy white flakes land gently on her dark lashes and her cheeks flush as they continue together down the smooth, untouched road.
These are the things he remembers.
He lies in bed, snuggled under the sheets. He is not asleep, but he is happy. He rolls to his side and peers at his glowing yellow nightlight, which provides a cheery warmth to his room. Downstairs, he hears the cards shuffle. Nickels and dimes rattle on the table. Although he cannot make out the words, he hears the muffled voice of his Father speaking. After a moment, his Father’s voice raises. Then a pause. Then laughter erupts from the room as his best friends laugh hysterically at whatever joke he just made. A thin sliver of light appears as his Mother peeks inside his bedroom door. He closes his eyes, not wanting to reveal that he is awake. The door closes slowly, not making a sound, and he hears ice tinkling in glasses as she heads downstairs to join them.
These are the things he remembers.
He remembers all of these things as if they happened yesterday, the young boy that has long since left me. He remembers the love, the happiness and blissful carefree life that was childhood. Sometimes, when I am alone, I turn my head to the sun and close my eyes. For a fleeting instant we meet again, he and I. But then, as quickly as he came, he is gone.
I know now that I love him almost as much as I love my own daughter. For whatever reason, however, I fail to create the same nurturing and loving environment for that young boy that I do for her. Perhaps it is the weight of adulthood. Perhaps it is fear. But one day, somewhere in the future, my family and I will go off somewhere that will allow all of us to reunite and live his memories once again.
Jeremy, who writes a fantastic blog called Discovering Dad, asked his readers to write about “what kinds of things bring out the kid in you”. Jeremy, I found this to actually be a very therapeutic and fun post to write, and I hope you and your readers enjoy it.
Also, best of luck to you and your family with your new addition. Take care of yourself. I am sure that everything will come out well.
Matt
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May 20th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Why did we not want to reveal we were still awake? i love thinking back on those moments. many times i too didn’t want to reveal i was awake in moments very similar.
one of my favorites…
walking to the local five and dime and fishing for your favorite penny candies, then walking home, devouring your prize, never spending more than a dollar.
a fun read….thanks Matt!
May 20th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Such a flowery prose… I thoroughly enjoyed this post. I love the crunchy snow, flakes on the lashes, flush cheeks… I can actually see it!
H-omb
May 20th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hey I had a typo it’s supposed to be H-Bomb!
May 21st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Matt, I love this. I really do. That was beautiful.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 am
Congratulations Matt! This is one of the winning entries for the Bringing Out the Kid in You contest at Discovering Dad!
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Matt - This is a great post. Such vivid memories, cards shuffling, change hitting the table… Great stuff. Congrats on your win and thanks for stopping by and leaving such kind words.
The playpen has a new subscriber.
Have a great week!
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 am
Excellent post, Matt. Your writing is fantastic. You brought back a few memories for me with this post. I too remember the sounds coming from down the hall; usually laughter and applause from the Carson show.