The Birthday Present

It was late in the afternoon when my wife and I were driving on the crowded highway north. Our eldest grandson David was having his sixth birthday party, and we were trying to get there on time. We brought a few presents with us and were looking forward to a nice family reunion.

We turned into a country road that led to the new residential area where David lives with his parents and his four-year-old sister Sally. When we reached the door, the grandchildren jumped on us to greet us, eyes focused on the gift bags. Sally loved her new black-and-white teddy bear and David was thrilled with his airplane puzzle.

The dining room table was loaded with food and drinks. David sat at the head of the table dressed like a prince with a golden crown. His mother proudly brought in the birthday cake decorated with six candles. Everybody sang and cheered when he blew them out.

When the party was over and the other guests had left, the lady of the house and my wife washed the dishes. David and I started to assemble the puzzle on the living room coffee table. It was an exciting challenge for a six-year-old boy, and he enjoyed every minute of it.

Each time we completed a key portion such as the wheels or the propeller, he cheered with excitement. It was thrilling when the pieces formed a bright picture of a silver plane flying in the blue sky. The puzzle held 99 pieces, so it took us more than an hour to finish it. When we went home it was very late, and David promised to do it again on his own when time allowed.

Four years passed and David's room became an exhibition of airplanes. Whenever I went on a trip he asked me to bring him a new model. Last time I returned from abroad with a new jet plane kit that comprised hundreds of plastic pieces to be assembled and glued. I thought it would keep him busy for the entire summer vacation, and it did. At his summer camp he built a wooden glider and received first prize for excellent craftsmanship. By then David was very interested in aviation and said that someday he would be a pilot or an aviation engineer.

During another summer I went with David's family to the beach and saw how he watched the kites flying high in the sky. All the kids gathered around the child who held the string, waiting for a chance to try. David stood there craving a kite of his own and asked me to buy him one. I promised that before the next summer we would build a kite together.

David waited the whole winter and, when the summer started, reminded me of my promise. We met on Saturday morning and spread the materials on the living room floor. I cut three pieces of bamboo cane, tied them together, and framed the kite's head. We designed the colors, cut the cellophane paper with sufficient margins, and glued everything into place. Then David created the shredded paper tail. Hours passed quickly, but at last the kite was ready for its maiden voyage.

We packed everything and drove to the beach. Although it was early in the morning, there were already a few kites in the sky. I tied the string bundle to the kite, freed the long tail, and let the wind draw it up. It flew higher and higher. I let David hold the string and we were happy as anyone could be. Our kite flew higher than any other that day, and soon we were surrounded by a cheering crowd admiring its beauty.

Later I heard that David took the kite to the beach several times and had a wonderful summer vacation showing his friends the kite flying high in the sky. It was a summer to remember.

I had a full year to figure out the present I would give David on his thirteenth birthday. In a Jewish family, turning thirteen is a very special event that marks coming of age. To cross this threshold, the boy must go to the temple on Saturday and read from the Torah. After the religious ceremony comes the celebratory reception with family and friends.

It took me a long time to find the special present that David would appreciate. All of a sudden the idea struck me. Because David was so interested in planes, I was determined to arrange a real flight for him. I told him about the idea a few months prior to his birthday and he was thrilled.

The weeks passed and, with the help of a friend who works as a flight instructor, I scheduled the big event for a week before the Bar Mitzvah. On Saturday at noon I picked David up and we drove to the small airport. Dany, the instructor, greeted us and showed us the single-engine, five-seat Piper plane we would fly. We tightened our seat belts and the aircraft accelerated down the runway and into the sky.

It was a marvelous view as the sun was about to set. Dany took us up and down and circled over David's house. We flew toward the sea and back inland. The half hour went by very fast and we started heading back. Suddenly Dany had trouble controlling the aircraft. He could not make it turn. He tried again and again, but nothing happened. The situation looked grim, but Dany tried to remain calm while fighting for control.

Night fell and darkness surrounded us. The sky was black with no stars. We were still flying in one direction with the ability to go up or down only. We were running out of fuel and time. The engine started to stall. I held David's hand and I was frightened, but David didn't realize how dire the situation was. Dany looked horrified. I spoke to him and tried to keep him focused.

As the aircraft flew lower and lower with almost no speed, we saw underneath us a long line of lights moving in our direction. I pointed downward. It was a line of cars on a highway, like a glittering creature. Dany lowered the aircraft to a few feet above the cars and, when we were close to the ground, he switched on the powerful headlights. The cars slowed down and left a gap. Dany lowered the aircraft until it touched the empty road ahead. It was a smooth landing, and the aircraft stopped in the open field where the road curved.

We were safe. Soon we were surrounded by drivers from the highway. After they made sure we were all right, they offered us a lift. The highway patrol arrived and took us to their station. We called home, and David talked to his parents. They were worried, of course, but the important thing was that we were safe.

The Bar Mitzvah celebration took place on time the next week. David was ready for his appearance in the temple. He read from the Torah and said his sermon. The crowd stood on their feet and cheered, “Mazal Tov.”

(2004)