Anecdote

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Birthday Present

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Pyramid-Kane-Chronicles-Book/dp/1423113454

“You memorized the book?” My sisters tone was incredulous with a faint hint of awed disgust and bewilderment. Her face matched with her words and the general mood of the room.

In return I was sheepish and shifty. “Nooo, I just know the first few paragraphs.” My eyes were traveling the room, but always coming back to my favorite book, held in my sisters hands and opened to the first few pages.

The book was clean and new then; the colors vibrant and the spine straight, without tears or tape. Now though; the book had a cracked spine and tape on the cover to keep it together.

It sat on my bookshelf, all day long, right at the end with the other ones in the series. I have to say it gathered dust well, along with the other books I haven’t bothered to read again. Yet this book was loved. Despite not being all that special of a book; just a nice read like thousands of other nice reads, but when this book was sent into new hands a special memory- a special moment- was made.

I remember hugging her. I remember looking at the book and realizing despite me being a reader no one had ever gifted me with a book. No one had ever taken a look at my scholastic magazine and ordered something for me. Even though I showed my mom the books I wanted all the time, she never bought any on the excuse of money. I believe she just thought my reading addiction was a waste of time.

The books cover had the two main characters on the front and a see-through snake twining around a see-through warehouse with a pyramid in the back. The large red coloring spelling out The Red Pyramid and the name Rick Riordan on the bottom of the page. The book was thick enough to fit easily in my hands, and having it there in my lap, the first thing I could feel was astonishment.

My best friend knew me very well, she had wrapped it up and everything, without its wrapping, I stared at it, astonished. I’ve been to the library before but no one has ever actually bought me a book, a book I don’t have to give back. How did she know I wanted this exact gift? This wasn’t the only book I wanted, not by far, but this was one of the books that I wanted. One of the only books I could have.

I, suddenly, like the child I was, felt like I loved her more in that moment than I had ever loved her. She was attentive, she cared, I thought. This mattered so much to me that my one friend in the world had gotten me a gift, a book, on my birthday no less.

Gosh, at that moment I wasn’t thinking of my sister with her thousand gifts on her birthday or even the fact that this wasn’t the exact book that I wanted, (just one book of many) no, though I am thinking of it now. All I could think of was the book in my lap and my friend beside me. The gift she gave me meant so much to me in that moment I knew I would treasure it forever.

“Oh my god Lynn thank you so much.” I said it in a rush and I think I surprised her when I hugged her, as hard as I could. I know I surprised myself when I hugged her, I didn’t hug many people then; especially just like that.

“Do you like the book, I told my mom it would be a good idea to buy it.” She sounded a bit worried and I rushed to assure her that this was an amazing present and no one had ever gotten me anything like this before. That put a proud smile on her face and I remember later in the day her bragging to others about the book she had gotten me.

I had a smile on my face the whole bus ride to school

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Grounders

In grade 3, outside on the playground, I remember laughing when a kid bumped their head on a metal pole. I no longer laugh at such a thing because like some bad karma I bumped my head on that same pole on that same day even. I remember the day being bright and sunny, it was near the end of the year and I thought it would never be cold again. The playground was almost disgustingly hot, everyone had sweated enough to take off their jackets and we could see the wavy heat rising from the ground. My friends and I had taken over the entire playground playing grounders, kicking off anyone younger than us and shunning them to the swings.

That day I was It. My eyes were closed and my hands outstretched before me. Feeling around me I stumbled up steps hidden to me yet I knew where to go, knew where I wanted to go. All I could tell was my surroundings were quite any noise anyone made, I would hear. No, they were waiting for me to make the first move. There where hiding spots everywhere near me and the plastic around me was bound to be warm to the touch, the smell of the play ground was familiar and I had no idea where to go. I decided to draw someone out.

Facing where I knew to be the most popular hiding spot was, I made a face. I scrunched up my nose and drew up my lips into a snarl, I stuck my tongue out into the comparably cool outside. My cheeks started to redden as my face held, and nothing happened for at least several heartbeats, until quite a lot of giggling was heard.

“That’s not fair.” Lynn screamed almost in excitement, more in good humor, as I headed to where I heard them. My body moving fast regardless of my closed eyelids and the obsticals in my way.

“Ryan, move!”

“I got here first, you move!”

“Oh no! Emily, move!” Even more shuffling was heard as I headed to the small rock climbing wall and reaching out, I tried my hardest to tag them. But when I couldn’t, I moved quickly. Reaching over for someplace to grab, I hauled my body to where I thought they were, hoping to touch someone at least. I shuffled over and swung blindly, more than once, yet not tagging anybody. With disappointment, I knew I was still It.

“Go away Austin, this is my hiding spot!” I heard Emily stage-whisper from somewhere far to my right. I had to hurry, I thought, before they moved elsewhere, gathering my waning confidence I started to swing back to where I heard them, my hands tightening around the pole before, my skin shifting, before I let go.

I never reached them, my foot slipping off the edge, my finger had already let go of the low wall and The metal bar in front of me rushed up to my head without me knowing as my eyes were still closed. My momentum carried my head to the metal bar and my face landed with a solid thunk.

I realied backwards and fell, my eyes opening up to see the sky as the ground rushed up to meet me. I lay there stunned and staring at the equipment before me, the faces of children stared back, an adult was rushing toward me and everyone was coming to see if I was okay. I slowly got up, knowing I had a funny stunned face on, then promptly burst into tears.

The teacher reassured me but the damage was done, the kids were told not to play grounders and I had to talk a trip the nurses office, just in case. The mood of the day had gone down to zero and everyone could feel it, I was quite the whole way and I knew my teacher was worried, I didn’t come out for the rest of recess. After that day I never laughed when someone hit they’re head on any pole, no matter how funny it turns out to be.