The cake had been completed earlier—chocolate cake with a special coconut cream icing. Belle had added her special finishing touches. Elizabeth smelled the meat loaf as she opened the oven to check on its progress. Her son’s favorite meal also included mashed potatoes with slow-cooked green beans. The potatoes bubbled on the stove. As she raised the lid from the green beans, the air became infused with the aroma of spices, and her stomach growled.
Homemade wrapping paper embellished the few gifts that waited to be opened. James had decided on Thomas’s gift for his sixteenth birthday many months ago. They saw no need to change their plans. She hoped Thomas would like it. James had spent months looking for the perfect item for his son. They both decided to give him a little cash to spend as he wanted, most likely on comic books. He needed this diversion now, a lifeline he continued to cling to.
Elizabeth sat down for a few minutes, while the food finished cooking. In the middle of the table were the written notes from their last doctor’s visit just over a week ago. She read back through them as she sipped her lukewarm coffee. The reports were encouraging. Thomas’s muscles were stronger, and the treatments appeared to be working, but, for now, no change was made as to the braces or the length of time to be worn.
The doctors warned us to be patient, but it is so hard seeing Thomas’s face go from one of hopefulness to discouragement in a matter of minutes. She replayed in her mind the discussion the doctors had conveyed with her alone, warning her to follow the strict regimen exactly. Relapses were common apparently and could happen at any time with this insidious disease, they had said ominously. No reliable test could determine who would relapse and who would not. She hoped and prayed every night that her son would be one of the lucky ones who would recover fully and never suffer these debilitating symptoms again. She prayed and prayed.
Belle came bouncing in. “Ma, Ma, come see our beeuutiful decorations. We just finished, and Thomas will love it. I just know it.” She laughed.
Who couldn’t help getting caught up in Belle’s contagious enthusiasm and excitement? “I’ll be right there. I can’t wait to see.” Elizabeth braced herself, wondering, last minute, if she should have done the decorations herself.
“No, let me take you,” Belle insisted.
Eyes shut, Elizabeth held her breath in anticipation as Belle led her by the hand. She turned the corner into the dining room.
“Now,” Belle said, “open your eyes now!”
“Girls, you have outdone yourselves. I am completely in awe.”
WHEN ELIZABETH STEPPED into the dining room, she felt like she had been transported to another place in time, a time in the future specifically. Belle turned to her mother. “Whadda you think? Isn’t it just great? This is what we’ve been trying to do,” she stated eagerly, as she thrust the colored pages from a comic book in Elizabeth’s face. Elizabeth examined the picture, then looked back at the dining room, and saw how much time and work had gone into their decorating. They had attempted to transform the dining room into the inside of a spaceship, and it was mesmerizing.
Dark blue fabric covered the walls and windows, and blocked out most of the light. Tiny reflective material shone through in the shape of little stars all around the room, giving a glittering effect. The light fixture—which normally had four bulbs in it—only now contained one, with its focus straight onto the table, now a makeshift cockpit. The backs of the chairs and arms were covered in dark blue fabric as well, with a reflective strip on each chair also. In front of Thomas’s place were secured multiple controls, labeled as to their function, which were installed in some kind of cardboard casing, giving the illusion of a dashboard. This was also painted a dark blue. Extending from the dashboard was a makeshift window to see where one was “flying.” Inserted into the window was a picture of outer space, taken and glued from a comic book presumably. It all fit together quite nicely.
“Mary, where did you get all this fabric?” Elizabeth asked.
“Actually from my job in town and most of it is borrowed,” she confessed. “All the fabric along the wall and windows can be taken back to the shop. We applied aluminum foil stars with tape which can be easily taken off. The fabric on the chairs has quite a few pins in it to help it stay in place when people sit down. Plus they will probably get some food on them, so we’ll put that fabric to use in some way.”
“How smart of you, Mary. And this console with the buttons, you made this also?”
“Oh, Pa helped with that, fitting the cardboard together and getting the holes just right for the tops to fit into, which can actually turn. See?” As Mary demonstrated and turned the knobs into the various positions, Belle added sound effects of a motor turning over and starting.
“Thomas will be overwhelmed, I’m sure. This took so much time and effort. Let’s make sure he doesn’t see it before dinnertime.”
“Hopefully not. We’ve put up signs, warning him to stay out. And we’ve been so busy in here, we haven’t seen him since breakfast.”
“Well, I need to get back to the kitchen, so the food can live up to the decorations.”
“Oh, Ma”—Belle beamed—“your food is always so good!”
“Thank you, Belle, dear. Let’s set out the plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins. It will be us and Joe and Joe’s brother Sam. So that will be seven. And they should be here in about an hour.”
Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen, while the girls put the finishing touches on the decorations and set the table.
“He will be so surprised.” Belle laughed, hardly able to contain herself. “I hope he likes it.”
From the kitchen Elizabeth heard the girls giggle as they worked. They have done so much to make this day special—the decorations, even enlisting their father’s help, helping me with the food. Thomas will be amazed. He will know just how much he is loved tonight.
Mary stepped back to admire their work. “Yes, I think we have done quite well here.” She pulled out the picture again and glanced critically around the room. “Well, it’s close, very close,” Mary said. “Let’s go see if there is anything else we can help Ma with.”
As the meat loaf sat cooling on the stove, and the bread warmed in the oven, Mary mashed the potatoes, and Belle helped with the gravy.
“Almost done, girls?” Elizabeth asked. A knock on the door brought all three heads up in unison. “Mary would you answer the door? And, Belle, run get Thomas to greet his friends.”
Belle bounded down to do her mother’s bidding, and Elizabeth had to laugh. “You’d think it was her own birthday, as excited as she is.”
“Here they are, Ma. Pa heard the door and beat me to it,” Mary said, as she reappeared.
“So I see. Good evening. So glad you could join us,” Elizabeth said, as she came around the kitchen table to greet her guests.
“Yes, we are too. It sure does smell good,” Joe replied.
“Well, you all wash up, and we’ll sit down to dinner,” Elizabeth said.
Thomas rounded the corner into the kitchen, and Mary clapped for the Man of the Hour.
“Aw, stop already. You’re embarrassing me,” Thomas said.
“Come a little closer. I have an additional piece of attire for you to wear for a bit,” Mary said.
With a grand flair, Mary produced a dish cloth, rolled over, for perfect placement over his eyes.
He fidgeted. “Is this really necessary?” Thomas complained.
“Absolutely necessary,” Pa answered.
Thomas sighed. “Oh, all right.”
“Okay, boys. Follow Belle into the dining room,” Ma said. “I’m bringing the food in to serve, after we say grace.”
Joe and Sam did as told, and Thomas heard them gasp from his holding spot in the kitchen.
“This is amazing,” Joe exclaimed. “I gotta have one of these in my house.”
Mary led Thomas into the dining room entrance next and dramatically removed the blindfold. He blinked, shielding his eyes from the one bright light, shi
ning down on the center of the table. Almost falling backward, he stumbled a step or two. But James supported him and held him steady. Tears filled his eyes. “This is just like the picture in one of my comic book scenes.”
“Do you mean this one?” Mary interjected, pulling the paper from her apron pocket.
“Yes, that’s it! Well, almost.” Thomas winked at his older sister. “It’s fantastic!” His gaze darted around the room, taking in the full effect of “sky” with the stars, and then, as he completed his circle of the table, he found his seat at the console. “I don’t know what to say. It’s incredible,” Thomas said, his voice breaking.
“So glad you like it, son. Now if you’ll take your seat, uh, Captain, we’ll take off!”
“MA, THIS MUST be the best birthday dinner ever,” Thomas exclaimed.
“Why thank you, Thomas,” Ma responded. “What’s next? Presents or cake?” she asked.
“Presents, Ma.”
“James, dear, would you do the honors?”
James gathered the gifts and laid them to rest on the table next to his son.
Thomas was amazed. Four presents were in front of him. He had never gotten four presents at any birthday—none that he could remember anyway. This one was special, turning sixteen. But, when Mary turned sixteen, she had two gifts; he remembered clearly. I guess they really feel sorry for me. He smiled. I don’t care why I have four gifts. I have four gifts! “Does it matter which one I open first? Ma? Pa?”
James chuckled. “No, not really, son, but why don’t you open this one last.” As he spoke, he pulled one brightly wrapped little square box just slightly away from the others.
“Okay, Pa.” Thomas tore into his first gift. His mind was racing. “Oh, I hope I’m right about this one,” he muttered, as he took in the package’s cylindrical shape. The paper gone, Thomas saw two brand-new comic books. He smiled as he felt the crisp pages between his fingers, and then brought the paper to his nose, sniffing, taking in the freshness of the print.
“Those are from us,” Joe piped up. “We thought you could use some new reading material. But now I don’t know.” Looking around, he continued. “You seem to be living the life of all our heroes right here in your dining room.”
Thomas glanced around, taking in his surroundings again, fingering the console.
“You’re right. I am. But, as I sit in my rocket ship, I’ll be well-read and prepared for anything that comes my way,” Thomas said. “Thanks, you two.”
“Okay, how about this one next?” Mary said, picking up a generous-size rectangular box. “I hope you don’t mind that I wrapped it in, um, blue material that was lying around.”
Thomas laughed and took the box, admiring the stars that adorned the gift instead of ribbon. It was truly amazing how Mary had masterminded this room, Thomas mused. Ma had explained in detail, while they were eating, all the hard work the girls had put into decorating, but especially Mary. I need to remember to do something really nice for her in return. He quickly loosened the material and let it fall, as he pulled the top from the box. He slid away a stray piece of tissue paper, then sat, staring, his mouth moving, but nothing coming out.
Mary came in closer and said, “I’ve actually been working on this for months, sewing whenever I had a free minute here or there. I know it’s almost summer, and you won’t get much use from this right away, but it’s size large, and it will last. You’ll see it’s—”
“Leather! Yes, I see. Mary, how could you afford this? This must have cost you a pretty penny. And, wow. Look at the pockets! It can hold all my special stuff, when I’m out—hunting, fishing, or just out.”
“The shop, they are letting me work it off—the cost of the leather. And I got a special deal. You see, I wanted to make you something really special for your birthday, and something you would remember for a long time.” As Mary spoke, the family gathered round, feeling the supple material, while Thomas admired the jacket. “Well, put it on, silly. Let’s see how much altering I’ll need to do.”
Thomas pulled the jacket completely from the box, resisting the urge to bury his face in the smooth, soft leather. He pulled it around behind him, taking in the rich smell of its newness. Elizabeth helped adjust the sleeves as Thomas pulled on the coat, and he stood up.
Pa was the first to speak. “Why, it absolutely fits you like a glove,” he said as he admired it from all angles.
“Mary, what nice work,” Ma exclaimed. “Excellent stitchery.”
“And it’s sooo soft,” Belle chimed in.
Thomas made his way awkwardly around the table and gave Mary a big bear hug. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had anything so fine.”
With tears in her eyes, she gave Thomas a satisfied smile.
“Now don’t you go around thinking you’re the Big Cheese. You’ve just been growing out of everything lately. We’ve got to make sure you have a decent covering against the elements come fall,” Mary said.
“Well, I will be and very finely covered at that.” Thomas shuffled his way back to his chair for the unwrapping of the final two gifts. Just one small package was left, and the one Pa had pulled to the side. Thomas glanced at the makeshift wrapping and skewed ribbon of the small package, and picked it up. Belle must have wrapped it mostly on her own. “I wonder who this is from?” he said quizzically, grinning, knowing full well it was Belle.
“Me! Me!” Belle exclaimed. “I got this all on my own, but Pa helped me…helped me, well, you’ll understand. Just open it.”
Hard to the touch and oddly shaped, Thomas had it figured out before he had all the wrapping off. He turned the smooth rock around in his hand and noticed its sharp edges, the grayish color but with tinges of other colors mixed in as well. He knew what it was but had never had one of his own. This was flint, similar to the rocks that his pa had taught him to start fires with. “Thanks, Belle. This could come in quite handy. You never know when a fellow may need to start a fire.”
“I found it all by myself,” she said proudly. Then pried, “Do you really like it?”
“I sure do. It will go right here in my new pocket.” Thomas wrapped the rock in the paper, then took a leftover piece of material from the wrapping of his jacket and covered it snuggly, before placing it in his pocket. “I will keep it in its special spot, close to me.”
Belle beamed. “I’m so happy you like it.”
Thomas turned his attention to the remaining box. “Can I open this one now, Pa?”
“Yes, seems it’s the last one left, son.”
Thomas looked eagerly from Pa to Ma, as he unwrapped his last gift. Thomas popped off the bow and tore through the festive paper, quickly lifting the top. He heard the aah escape his lips before he even realized, but this was truly fine from his perspective. He felt its weight, comfortable and solid, as he turned it over in his hand, and he knew after his careful examination that it was indeed made of silver. This is even more expensive than Pa’s.
Ma spoke softly as she said, “We picked this out many months ago. Your pa knew the one he wanted to buy, but it took us just a little time to…bring it home.”
It must have cost a lot. I wonder who had to go without in order to get this for me?
“I got my first compass when I was sixteen, something I treasured for years. What do you think of it, Thomas?” Pa asked.
“Pa, Ma, it’s wonderful! I just hope I have the opportunity to use it soon. I won’t be trudging through the woods much with these things on,” he said, gesturing to his leg braces.
“It may not be tomorrow or next week,” Pa said, “but you and I are going hunting someday real soon. You’ll need that compass, since we’ll make camp under the stars.”
Thomas couldn’t believe his ears. He glanced at Ma, as she wiped away tears. This was the first time Pa had spoken of a future with Thomas in it in such a long time. Even though he hadn’t forgiven his pa for that awful night in the barn, he missed his pa. Thomas wasn’t sure if shame or sadness made his pa keep his dist
ance, but if Pa thought Thomas would recover, then surely it must be so.
Family and friends surrounded him, as they each took a turn holding the precious compass. When Thomas carefully returned it to its box, he noticed a last unexpected gift. From the bottom of the box he pulled out two new crisp one-dollar bills. I’m rich—’til I spend it all on comics. He looked at Joe, who eyed the bills with greed. We do have plans, and I need to be responsible and start saving…tomorrow, he thought, laughing.
“Who’s ready for cake?” Mary asked, surveying everyone in the room.
Ma screamed, “Thomas!” Smiles and laughter quickly turned solemn, as Ma watched, helpless, with the others at the table, while her son fell to the floor, the immediate deafening silence broken by the clatter of braces as metal met wood.
SHE WROTE NUMBER forty-eight in the corner, then added it to the full collection. Whisterly ran her fingers over the necklace she’d been holding, recalling every groove and word inscribed on its cool worn exterior then reluctantly placed the keepsake with the letters, locking them securely in her desk drawer. From her window she could see the activity below, people coming and going, living seemingly normal lives. She thought back to a time before all her people were sick, back to a time before they lived their lives as shadows of their true selves. The tattered book on her desk had seen better days. She retrieved it and clutched it to her chest, as she sat down in the oversize chair and perused the well-worn pages. The title read simply Earth.
Now we’re going back again. The test period had been set in motion. Whisterly recalled what had led her people to the distant planet revealed between these pages. Earth was so much like her home planet. The similarities in the solar system and the planetary conditions all made it the perfect match. Even the human skeletal makeup was compatible to their own. The scientists had reveled in their discovery. The interstellar search had confirmed that the antibodies needed to fight the disease that plagued them on Remeon could be found on Earth and used to develop a cure. These antibodies were found in those infected with the polio virus. We believed the benefits outweighed the risks.
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