BACKGROUND / INTRODUCTION: This is an unpublished story written by me, who at one time was an aspiring children’s storybook writer (about 30 years ago). You can sing a simple song or you can tell a simple story and teach children lessons about family, friendship, and acceptance. Diversity creates the tapestry of our world; and common events like birthday celebrations can link us all together. The title of the story is “Another Ordinary Day”. Hope you like it!
ANOTHER ORDINARY DAY
Tony Reyes jumped out of bed, bright-eyed, bushy-haired and raring to go. The alarm was set to go off in another fifteen minutes, but Tony couldn’t wait to get his day started. This day was a special day even though he started it off with the usual daily routine. Washing his face and hands; brushing his teeth; and combing his hair.
‘I think I’ll wear something red today’, Tony thought to himself. ‘Red is the color for when you’re happy and joyful.’
That’s what his friend Sammy Lee had told him. When Sammy’s sister was going to get married, she sent out red wedding invitations. All the wedding invitations Tony had ever seen were white.
When he asked Sammy why his sister’s invitations were red, Sammy replied, “Because Chinese people think of red as a color of joy”.
Sammy Lee was a Chinese-American and he was also Tony’s best friend. Tony was Black-Hispanic-American. They have been friends since the first grade and shared many adventures together. Tony pulled a red T-shirt out of a drawer along with a pair of blue jeans. He dressed himself quickly for school and ran downstairs to get breakfast. His mother was already in the kitchen making Belgian waffles and brewing a pot of coffee. The digital clock on the microwave oven showed that the time was now 7:15 A.M.
“Goood morning!”, Tony beamed. “I’m starving! What’s for breakfast?”
His mother let out a sigh as if she were weary from a hard day at work. But how could that be? She hadn’t left for work yet.
She responded to him in a casual tone of voice, “Waffles and orange juice; same as yesterday”.
Tony was stunned for a moment because his mother didn’t seem to be excited at all. Then he became confused. Same as yesterday? But today isn’t the same as yesterday. Today is today! And it’s a special day! She knows that! (???) Doesn’t she?
Puzzled by her response, Tony turned to look at his father. Mr. Reyes was seated at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper and sipping from his glass of orange juice.
“It’s a great day today! Isn’t it, dad?” Tony asked excitedly.
Tony’s joyful eyes had a sparkle in them just like stars that shine in the night. His smile flashed a set of pearly white teeth that looked even whiter in contrast to the caramel-colored skin of his face.
“You bet it is, son!” Mr. Reyes countered by responding to Tony with equal enthusiasm.
'I knew it! I knew it!' Tony thought. 'I wonder what …'
Just then, Mr. Reyes interrupted Tony’s thinking with the words. “Today is the day Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman and regained his world heavyweight title. October 30th, 1974. I remember that fight as if it just happened yesterday.”
Tony was shocked. “Dad!” he cried. “Today is October 30th!”
“Right!” said Mr. Reyes. “Ali took down Foreman! Eh! You’re too young to appreciate such a moment in history. You weren’t even born.”
Mr. Reyes stuck his head back behind the newspaper, so as to cover his face. He didn’t want Tony to know that he was silently laughing. Once he erased his grin, he folded the paper and passed it to his wife, who had just sat down to start eating her breakfast. Mr. Reyes kissed Mrs. Reyes on her cheek and left the kitchen.
He left. He left without saying anything else to Tony. He just left him sitting at the table with his mother, confused, saddened, and glowering. Still puzzled, Tony now turned to his mother for clarity and some assurance that she really knew what made today so special.
“Mom, don’t you know what day it is?” He held his breath, not sure how she would answer him.
“Sure honey! It’s trash day. I know it’s one of your chores but don’t worry. I got up early this morning and took it out for you.” Then Mrs. Reyes added, “Eat your breakfast. The waffles are getting cold.”
Tony took about two bites, swallowed a gulp of juice and then took a second look at the clock. It was now 7:30 A.M. Only fifteen minutes had passed but it felt more 15 hours. 15 hours of disappointment. Neither his dad nor his mom remembered what day it was. He wanted this day to be over already and it hadn’t even begun. He got up from the table, picked up his backpack.
“Bye mom”, Tony said. “Hope you have a good day.”
Mrs. Reyes kept her eyes fixed on the newspaper and pretended as if she were reading.
“Don’t forget to go to Mrs. Lee’s house after school”, she reminded Tony. “We have an arrangement and the school officials have been given my permission to let you walk home with Sammy.”
“I’ll remember”, Tony said.
Tony paused for a minute and then looked at his mother. His eyes were a little teary, but he swallowed hard and managed to keep the tears back.
“Mom, I thought it was a special day when I woke up this morning.”
Mrs. Reyes looked up from the newspaper. “Why did you think that? Is something happening at school today?”
“Oh no”, he replied. “I guess I made a mistake. It’s just another ordinary day.”
He headed towards the door, his head held down, his beautiful smile replaced by a worried frown. When he had closed the door behind him and headed for the school bus stop, a burst of laughter escaped from Mrs. Reyes’ tightly closed lips. Then she cleared her throat and immediately got started on her “To Do List” of projects for the day. There was a lot that needed to be done.
The school bus arrived at Baker Elementary, eight o’clock sharp. When Tony got off the bus, he saw Sammy Lee standing in line by the flag pole with the rest of the fourth graders. Sammy saw him too.
Sammy waved and shouted “Hey Tony!!”
Tony forgot everything that had happened earlier. Seeing his best friend made him start smiling again. Tony ran and jumped in the line directly in front of Sammy. They exchanged their usual brother-to-brother handshake. First, they clapped their right hands together; next they locked their right elbows together; then finally, they patted each other on their backs with their left hands.
“It’s a great day today, isn’t it?”, asked Sammy.
“You bet it is!” exclaimed Tony.
Ha! Mom and dad didn’t think so, but at least Sammy knew it was a special day.
“We’re having pepperoni pizza for lunch!”
Tony couldn’t believe his ears. Does Sammy think today is a great day because there’s pepperoni pizza for lunch?
Tony’s smile disappeared again. The first school bell rang and the day began. The last school bell rang and the day was over. Sammy Lee’s house wasn’t far from the school, so he and Tony walked there together.
As they were walking, Sammy asked, “What’s the matter with you? All day long you’ve been acting like you’re in dump city.”
Tony did not answer Sammy. He just kept walking. Sammy did not seem to mind that Tony would not talk to him. On the contrary, Sammy looked very pleased that his best friend was unhappy.
Why?
Tony stayed over at Sammy’s house until 5:00 P.M. Mrs. Lee drove Tony home. Sammy said he was coming along for the ride, even though Tony had not been any fun at all. He beat Tony at every video game they played. That never happens. When they arrived at Tony’s home, all three of them got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Tony noticed his dad’s car was parked in the driveway.
Why?
His dad never got home before he did. Tony opened the front door to his home and walked inside.
“SURPRISE!!!” everybody shouted. “Happy birthday!”
Tony looked at his best friend and Sammy burst out laughing. He looked at his mom and dad and they were laughing too! Then he ran into his mother’s arms and gave her a great big hug. Next he hugged his dad. Tony was smiling again. He was so happy.
It wasn’t just another ordinary day after all.
