Presents
Friday July 16th 9:30 PM - Ted's Party - Will &
Bart's Room.
Will, Bart, Zack, Shelley, TK, Bill, and Gary had all corralled
Ted
into their own private party within a party. Will was talking, "I know
you got a lot of nice, and some strange, presents from the rest of the
your friends but we have a couple we want to give you from us. Shelley."
Shelley, opening the grocery bag that they'd brought with them, "Ted, we
weren't quite sure what to get you. So, here goes. These are from all of
us." She hands Ted three brightly wrapped packages. Ted opens the first
which looked like a movie tape, "It's Beautiful Thing, how did you?"
Well, Todd must have been watching it cause I found it in the VCR. But
your name was written on it so I thought we'd get you a new copy."
Opening the second package, which looked suspiciously , like a CD.
"Chumbowunga!" "Yeah, Will said he had destroyed yours by accident ,
and how you liked. This next one's sort of corny. We were only able to
get it with e help of your sister Jenny." Ted opened the box, it was a
framed 8x10 picture of Ted and Gary, both laughing with their heads
close together. "Before you ask, Jenny found the negative in the
pictures taken for Will's birthday party last year." Ted tries to start
hugging them all again.
But Will stops it, "Ted would you wait a minute! We got some
more
stuff." Now Bart pulls out a package, the was wrapped as only a 16 year
old boy with all thumbs could do. "Go on, open in it." When he opened
the box, he stood there with his mouth open. It contained various old
and used items - his old baseball glove, the fishing rod he broke on one
of his last visits home, an old baseball with the WS entwined on the
brow, a old cracked magnifying glass that his grandmother had given him
many years ago, his bag of cat's eye marbles, ... Will said, "We wanted
to bring some of the things that mean home. ..." but he couldn't
continue. ... Bart said, "We know it looks like a bunch of junk. But
they all made Will and me think of you." Will looking at Ted says, "Ted
come on don't cry. You'll start me too. This is a party!"
Ted wipes his cheeks and is about to start to thank them, When
Todd
says, "Not quite yet. Jenny sent this along." It was a picture cube.
With each side a picture of her and Ted. You could tell that some of the
pictures were parts of bigger pictures, a couple didn't fill up the
entire side. But Jenny had written on each, "My big brother and me." The
six pictures showed Ted holding her as a baby, one where she was in a
stroller, another where he was hugging her when her arm was in a sling.
The little day to day stuff that we ignore for the most part. But each
a vignette, about a big brother and his little sister. It was Will's
turn again, but nothing came out. Finally, he whispered to Bart, "You
... please." Bart looked at Will, and knew he wasn't able to talk, "Ted,
... ah ... this is card. We were asked to deliver it to you." He then
hands Ted the card. He opens it and money falls out, he can't figure who
would be sending him all this money, then he opens the card and starts
to read it. It was a simple card with a simple message. The front merely
said "Happy Birthday to" and upon opening it said "My Beloved Son"
and
it was signed "Love, Mom" Ted sat there sobbing, with Gary's arm over
his shoulders.
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back to "stray e-mail, part one"