ItwasSaturday.Asalwaysitwasabusyonefor“Sixdaysshallyoulaborandallyourwork”wastakenseriouslybackthen.OutsideFatherandMr.Patricknextdoorwerebusychoppingfirewood.InsidetheirownhousesMotherandMrs.Patrickwereengagedinspringcleaning.
Somehowtheboyshadslippedawaytothebacklotwiththeirkites.Nowevenattheriskofhavingbrothercaughttobeatcarpetstheyhadsenthimtothekitchenformorestring(线).Itseemedtherewas nolimittotheheightstowhichkiteswouldflytoday.
Mymotherlookedatthesittingroomitsfurnituredisorderedforathoroughsweeping.Againshe
castalooktowardthewindow.“Comeongirls!Let’stakestringtotheboysandwatchthemflythekitesaminute.”
OnthewaywemetMrs.Patriclaughingguiltilyasifsheweredoingsomethingwrongtogetherwithhergirls.Thereneverwassuchadayforflyingkites!Weplayedallourfreshstringintotheboys’kitesandtheywentuphigherandhigher.Wecouldhardlydistinguishtheorange-coloredspotsofthekites.Nowandthenweslowlypulledonekitebackwatchingitdancingupanddowninthewindandfinallybringingitdowntoearthjustforthejoyofsendingitupagain.
Evenourfathersdroppedtheirtoolsandjoinedus.Ourmotherstooktheirturnlaughinglikeschoolgirls.Ithinkwewereallbesideourselves.Parentsforgottheirdutyandtheirdignity;childrenforgottheireverydayfightsandlittlejealousies.“Perhapsit’slikethisinthekingdomofheaven”Ithoughtconfusedly.
Itwasgrowingdarkbeforeweallwalkedsleepilybacktothehoused.Isupposewehadsomesortofsupper.Isupposetheremusthavebeensurfacetidying-upforthehouseonSundaylookedcleanandorderlyenough.Thestrangethingwaswedidn’tmentionthatdayafterward.Ifeltalittleembarrassed.SurelynoneoftheothershadbeenasexcitedasI.Ilockedthememoryupinthatdeepestpartofmewherewekeep“thethingsthatcannotbeandyettheyare.”
TheyearswentonthenonedayIwashurryingaboutmykitcheninacityapartmenttryingtogetsomeworkoutofthewaywhilemythree-year-oldinsistentlycriedherdesireto“goparkseeduck.”“Ican’tgo!”Isaid.“IhavethisandthistodoandwhenI’mthroughI’llbetootiredtowalkthatfar.”
Mymotherwhowasvisiting