She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near
where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the
world begins to close in on me.
She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up,
her eyes as blue as the sea. "Hello," she said. I answered with a
nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
"I'm building," she said. "I see that. What is it?"
I asked, not caring. "Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.
A sandpiper glided by. "That's a joy," the
child said.
"It's a what?" "It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come
to bring us joy." The bird went gliding down the beach. "Good-bye joy," I
muttered to myself, "hello pain," and turned to walk on. I was depressed;
my life seemed completely out of balance. "What's your name?" She
wouldn't give up. "Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert
Peterson." "Mine's Wendy... I'm six." "Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said. In spite of my gloom I
laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me. "Come again,
Mr... P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The days and weeks that followed belonged to others: a group
of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother.
The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of
the dishwater. "I need a sandpiper," I said to myself, gathering up my
coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was
chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed. I had
forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared. "Hello, Mr... P,"
she said. "Do you want to play?" "What did you have in mind?" I asked,
with a twinge of annoyance. "I don't know, you say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically. The tinkling laughter
burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk." Looking at her, I noticed the delicate
fairness of her face. "Where do you live?" I asked. "Over
there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages. Strange, I thought, in
winter. "Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation." She chattered
little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When
I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I
smiled at her and agreed.
Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near
panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the
porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home. "Look, if you don't
mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone
today."
She seems unusually pale and out of breath. "Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, "My
God, why was I saying this to a little child?"
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and-oh, go away!"
"Did it hurt? " she inquired. "Did what hurt?" I was
exasperated with her, with myself. "When she died?" "Of course
it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she
wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went
up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young
woman with honey-colored hair opened the door. "Hello," I said.
"I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she
was." "Oh yes, Mr... Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so
much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please,
accept my apologies." "Not at all-she's a delightful child," I said,
suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said. "Wendy died last week,
Mr... Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you." Struck
dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath. "She loved this beach;
so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and
had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly...
Her voice faltered, "She left something for you...if only I can find it. Could
you wait a moment while I look?" I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for
something, to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope, with
MR... P printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon
hues- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird.
Underneath was carefully printed:
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.
Tears welled up in my eyes and a heart that had almost
forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so
sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together.
The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my
study. Six words - one for each year of her life - that speak to me of harmony, courage,
and undemanding love. A gift from a child with sea-blue eyes and hair the color of
sand -
who taught me the gift of love.
This is a true story sent out by Robert
Peterson.
1997-20
