by Matt Shea
“Good morning, Teddy,” replied Eddie.
Teddy was jolted by a haunting feeling. He had a recurrence of what passed through his thoughts the night before. Still, he couldn't remember what it was. He looked at the beautiful smile Eddie gave as his scarf secured warmth on that cold morning. Teddy walked to school scratching his head.
Recess would provide more clues to this mystery. Teddy chased a ball that went over the fence. Eddie was walking the grounds and retrieved the ball. When he approached the fence to hand Teddy the ball, Teddy noticed something. Eddie's neck scarf was made out of a distinct material. It was thick like wool with a yellow and brown plaid pattern.
There was something about the neck scarf that forced Teddy to ask a question.
“Eddie, can I ask you a question?” asked Teddy.
“Teddy, you can ask me anything you want,” replied the man.
“You seem to wear that scarf every day, even in the summer,” Teddy pointed out. “Why?”
“Well,” answered Eddy with a big sigh, “these colors are much like your Scottish heritage. They represent what family you come from. During the Great Depression, fabric was given to families. Our family received this material from the government. From then on, we made clothes from it. Everyone in our family always wore this yellow and brown plaid as dresses, shawls, coats, and skirts.” He then picked up an end of his neck scarf and waved it to Teddy, saying, “And that's where this came from!” Eddie laughed.
“It must be old,” Teddy commented.
“It is,” said Eddie.
“Do you have to wash it a lot?” he asked.
Eddie leaned forward to Teddy and quietly said, “The secret is not to let it get dirty.”
Teddy laughed, asking another question. “Why do you always wear it?”
Eddie said, “Because of family. I might have members out there, and the family colors will identify me. I plan on wearing this in Heaven to find my mother!”
Teddy then asked Eddie a personal question. “Do you have any family?”
Eddie got choked up and replied, “I don't know.”
Teddy was handed the ball, and he returned to his playmates.
School let out with Teddy walking to the crosswalk. Eddie was there guaranteeing safety for the pedestrians. The friends smiled at one another, wishing each other a good evening.
Teddy arrived home and promptly did his homework. He finished an hour before dinner time and asked if he could visit the retirement center. He was granted permission.
Teddy took the ride down the steep, polished metal and found himself where he was the day before. He was greeted by the masses and invited in for a visit. He was on a reconnaissance mission. The material Eddie wore seemed to have a common ground at the senior center. He said, “Hello,” to everyone in the lobby, then continued room-to-room. Teddy was almost finished with his visit with only a few doors left to knock on.
He made an important discovery when he visited a man named Eli. As the old man opened the door, Teddy found the missing piece of the puzzle: Eli's living room window had curtains that matched Eddie's scarf!
Teddy's mouth dropped in amazement. “May I come in?” he asked.
“I would love that, Teddy!” said the elder black man. “You and your grandmother are always welcomed here!”
Teddy asked Eli about his curtains.
“Those aren't curtains,” said the old man. “They are signal flares! My family was always united by those colors and that pattern. If any of them see those curtains from the outside, they will know that this home is their home.”
Eli broke down and cried like a child. The broken man shook with emotion, saying, “If any of them are left.”
Teddy grinned with the realization that he was talking to a family member of Eddie’s. He hugged Eli, saying, “I have to go home now; my grandma is waiting for me.”
Eli hugged Teddy and thanked him for the visit. “Come back soon!” ordered the feeble man.
“I will,” promised the boy.
Teddy left the complex and ran home. He told his grandmother all about Eddie, Eli, and the old fabric.
“You left out someone,” said the grandmother.
Teddy thought for a while and asked, “Who?”
“God,” she replied.
Teddy smiled and nodded his head in agreement.
“Let's invite Eddie for dinner tomorrow night,” suggested his grandmother, Emily. “We can have dinner in the senior center cafeteria and surprise Eddie and Eli!”
“Wow!” exclaimed Teddy, “that's great!”
The next day, Emily made arrangements with the retirement home, and Teddy invited Eddie to dinner.
“You are inviting me to have dinner at your home tonight?” asked Eddie. “I'd love that!”
Eddie knew where Teddy lived from the times he assisted the school on field trips. He was told to arrive at six o'clock that evening.
The evening was set. It was several minutes before six when a knock was heard on the door. Emily answered the door and welcomed Eddie. He was dressed formally and wore his scarf. Teddy entered the room, and the three held a brief visit in the living room.
“We have a special treat tonight, Eddie,” said Emily. “We are going out to eat. It's in the neighborhood, so we can walk there. This will be fun!”
“I love to walk!” said Eddie.
The three left the house and walked to the retirement home. As they approached the main entrance, Teddy and his grandmother “set-up” Eddie. They arrived at the main entrance that exposed the front of the building and Eli's curtains. Teddy stopped Eddie and asked him if he noticed anything special about the front of the building.
While he inspected the structure, Emily went to Eli's room and had him look out the window, asking him the same question. The grandmother and grandson smiled at each other as the two men looked around for anything unusual.
The motion of each one searching high and low got the other’s attention. Then, their eyes met with the family colors displayed. They were related! Eddie gave a huge smile as he waved his neck scarf to the man in the window. Eli waved at Eddie, pointing at his curtains. Eli motioned Eddie to come inside. Eddie ran to the building crying, “Oh my God, I can't believe this!”
Teddy followed as the two men met in the lobby. They cried out each other’s names, saying, “I can't believe it's you!” They embraced, sobbing. Teddy and his grandmother looked in approval. They left for the cafeteria, leaving the men alone. A crowd of seniors were now witnessing the reunion. They stared down the hall at Teddy. They knew he played a role in this great moment of life.
Teddy and his grandmother sat in the dining room and visited with their many friends who lived there. Soon, Eddie and Eli arrived, wearing matching neck scarves.
“Let me explain what happened long ago,” said Eddie. “My brother Eli was banned to fight in the Korean War because all of the other males from our family were already fighting the war. He ran away from home and changed his last name so that he could serve this country as a soldier.”
Eli continued. “I took the name out of the phone book. The military changed all my identification to the name “Bacon.” I was stuck with that last name if I wanted to get my medical benefits and social security.”
Eddie said, “We never knew of the name change or Eli even being in the services. Dad died months after we enlisted, and Mom was remarried in a short time. We decided to change our last name to “Joiner” because it was her new name. We didn't want her to feel distant from any of us. For that reason, we couldn't find Eli.”
Eli replied, “I couldn't find my family anymore. We now realize that we're the last survivors of our family.”
“What will you two do now?” asked Emily.
“I want to work at the school with my brother!” exclaimed Eli.
“He starts Monday; I assist in hiring,” said Eddie.
The following Monday, Teddy approached Eddie’s walkway. There was something different this time. There were tw
o men on patrol and they were each dressed the same. They saw Teddy and presented him with a beautifully wrapped present.
“Open it up!” exclaimed Eli.
“Yes, open it!” encouraged Eddie.
Teddy put his school books on the ground and opened the present. His eyes lit up as he looked at the brothers.
“Put it on!” they exclaimed.
Teddy reached in the box and pulled out the most wonderful neck scarf a boy could ever want. It was plaid with yellow and brown colors. He wrapped it once around his neck and looked up in pride.
“It's important that you wear this on occasion,” said Eli.
“That's right,” said Eddie, “you're family!” The three hugged with gratitude as a family tradition stayed alive.
VALENTINE’S DAY
Teddy Downing patiently waited for the kitchen timer to ring. Cookie dough baked in the hot oven as another tray of chocolate chip cookies neared completion.
Large oversized padded gloves protected the child's hands as an equally proportioned apron covered his clothing. His grandmother smiled as the boy baked cookies for the first time. This labor of love was dedicated to the local food bank. If they didn't provide the household food upon need, the family of two would go hungry. Teddy always gave thanks to that local charity by way of a homemade card. He was now getting older and wanted his grandmother to teach him how to bake cookies. This would allow him to show a much deeper appreciation to the volunteers that served them. Little did he know- that this act would grow to change the entire neighborhood.
The timer buzzed, signaling the baker to remove the last sheet of hot cookies. “Be careful,” cautioned his grandmother. “It's easy to forget how hot the trays get when baking.”
The studious grandson carefully placed the final batch of cookies on the counter. He then smiled at his guardian and asked if he could eat one.
“Yes,” exclaimed the elder. “They always taste best fresh out of the oven. Let's have milk and cookies together!”
“That sounds great, grandma,” said Teddy.
The grandmother set two glasses of milk on the kitchen table with matching plates. They sat down together and sampled the delicious treat.
“Mmm,” Teddy sighed, “this is good!”
“Yes they are,” replied the grandmother. “You will make everyone happy with these cookies!” They smiled at each other from the results that came with their teamwork.
“You have plenty of cookies for the food bank,” stated the mother figure as she counted the pastries. “Why don't you also give some to your friends at the senior center?”
Teddy's face lit up with excitement! His guardian knew how much he loved visiting the retirement home.
“Wow, that would be great!” responded the child.
“Well, you might as well get ready,” said the grand-mother. “You are going to be very busy this morning delivering cookies and visiting with your friends.”
Teddy took off the apron and hugged his grandmother as she placed the cookies in separate lunch bags. “I'll be back for lunch,” cried out the boy as he donned his jacket and left with the gifts.
The first stop would be the food bank. After all, the ingredients this gift consisted of came from there. He now created a special treat out of it and would show his appreciation.
“Good morning, Teddy!” greeted the staff as he cheerfully presented the baked goods from his household.
“I made these cookies myself,” proclaimed the boy. “My grandma and I want to thank everyone for giving us food when we need it.”
“We are proud to help you, Teddy,” replied a volunteer.
A remark could be heard that sounded like a protest. “You mean that I finally get a treat this month?” The comment came from Grace Moore, a middle-aged helper.
“What do you mean?” asked Teddy.
“This is the month where you are either remembered or you're not,” replied the woman. “February can be a cruel month if you aren't loved. But, not this year! At least Teddy Downing did something.” The sadden woman walked away.
Teddy didn't know what to think. He distributed the cookies as he thanked everyone for their help. It was now time for his next stop: the Beacon Hill Retirement Center.
The courier walked towards the center, bewildered on what was just said. He didn't know why this month was “different” from the others. The senior housing came into view as Teddy approached the complex. The moment he entered the lobby, he was recognized by a fanfare that gathered around him.
“Good morning, Teddy,” exclaimed an old man that joyfully tapped his cane against the welcomed guest.
“Teddy!” exclaimed a woman that ran up to him and hugged him with both arms.
“Teddy's here!” announced another voice as canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and residents flowed down the hallway to see their favorite boy.
“My grandma taught me how to bake cookies today and I wanted to share them with everybody,” said the young star.
“Well good,” said a faint voice. “How is your grandmother anyway?”
“She is fine and wanted to make sure that I made enough for everyone,” said the caring youth.
“You tell her that we appreciate that and that we all say hello,” replied a nurse.
The enthused child began to hand-out cookies to the many extended hands that surrounded him. One-by-one, a trembling hand would accept a cookie as loving eyes would gaze in admiration at this wonderful boy. Many thanks with handshakes and hugs were exchanged as the excited elders savored their treat.
Teddy stayed and visited for a half hour. He knew that his cookies were “lightning in a bottle” and would incorporate this diplomacy to make his friends happy. He even had a few left at home! Before leaving, the young man noticed a small group of women sitting together in the lobby. This site jarred the recent memory of what a woman said at the food bank. He walked up to the group and asked if he could talk about something.
“Why sure,” they exclaimed.
Teddy was reluctant to address an issue that could be sensitive, but he needed to know. “Is February a bad month for some people?”
The women were stunned to hear such an advanced question coming from a child! They looked at one another to confirm that he had indeed asked a sacred question. Finally, one of the ladies spoke out. “It can be the worse pain a woman could ever feel.” The others nodded in approval.
Another woman said, “My sisters and I always called it the “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.”
Teddy looked at the great-grandmothers in astonishment and asked, “Do you mean that Valentine’s Day is a bad day?”
***
“No, no,” corrected the oldest woman. “It is a great day that is forgotten too often.”
“My grandma and I always have a good Valentine’s Day,” defended the boy.
“That’s because you care about others,” answered a feeble woman in a wheelchair. “These cookies are delicious. What made them special is that you took the time to make them for us. That's one of the many reasons why we love you so much. Most men refuse to be that thoughtful.”
The woman continued. “Valentine’s Day is the time of year that every woman and every little girl look forward to. They dream of being honored with a valentine, just as a child wants to get a Christmas gift from Santa Clause. If they are forgotten, they feel unworthy, unappreciated, and unloved. They are rejected. What your cookies did for us today is much like Valentine’s Day; you made all of us happy. Valentine’s Day, however, is the true test for any female. Some women have gone their whole lives having never received one. That's one of the worst pains a person could ever feel.”
The women felt vindicated, sharing this plight. In unison they said, “Amen.”
Teddy realized that the happiness he and his grandmother shared on Valentine’s Day was a simple achievement. There was actually very little effort involved to commemorate the holiday. It was only a simple matter of not forgetting that special day. He now had to s
pread the word- to his male friends.
Teddy arrived home to his grandmother and shared the information he was told about Valentine’s Day. She paused for a while looking at her grandson and said, “They are right. It can be a very painful experience to any woman that is forgotten on that day.”
Teddy looked at her and asked, “Have you ever been forgotten on that day?”
The woman looked down and said, “Every year, but that all changed when I got to take care of you!” She then looked at her grandson and giving a hug said, “I love you.” Teddy thought about all of the women that had never received anything on that day. It was time to take action.