Short Stories

Flying Kites

by Stephen Wong
12/30/20
Not For Sale
Author requests article critique

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Up ahead, Ben could see a red kite slowly rising against the orange sky which was getting darker each minute. A young boy was timidly winding the spool. His father was crouched right behind him, guiding him every step of the way.

Ben sat back against the bench and sighed deeply. It had been another busy day at work. He could feel the breeze gently brushing his face and the sound of leaves falling. The sun was setting and the heat wave from earlier in the day was beginning to cool down. It was another quiet Monday evening in the park, except today something was missing. Ben looked to his right at the empty spot next to him. It had been Ted’s favourite seat. He always used to joke that he was on the right side of everything. Now that seat would remain empty.

It was still hard to believe how quickly everything had changed. It was only a month ago that Ted had seemed so lively. He had just celebrated his retirement after forty-five years of hard work. He had finally made arrangements to start writing the book he had been brainstorming for years. He had already booked a flight to South America with his wife for Christmas. Then one day, Ben had picked up the phone to find out that his great friend and mentor had passed away from a heart attack. There had been no warning, no tell-tale signs. One moment, Ted had seemed like he was on top of the world, then suddenly he was gone, leaving behind a big empty hole in the hearts of many…

The young boy giggled in delight as the red kite gracefully danced around, his father constantly shouting out words of encouragement as the kite continued to gain height. At times, when the wind would pick up and pull the kite in a different direction, he would quickly jump in to help, gently guiding the boy’s hand as he was winding the spool. At other times, when it seemed like the young lad knew exactly what he was doing, the father would simply watch with a beaming smile on his face.

Ben had never known his father. He had disappeared before Ben could even start walking, leaving his mother to raise three children on her own. Although he mostly grew up in a loving Christian household, Ben would often fall in with the wrong crowd. Without a father around to guide him, he struggled to control his emotions and find acceptance. Like many troubled teenagers, he eventually fell away from the church. 

Things began to change when Ted came along. They first crossed paths at Panfield University one rainy Monday afternoon. Ben had just started his engineering degree and was in a hurry to get to his first class. Nearby, Ted had just finished giving a Bible talk to a campus student group. When he saw a soaking wet figure in the distance, helplessly trying to sort through a map, he was eager to help. During their walk to the right spot, Ben had noticed that Ted was carrying a Bible under one arm. This naturally led to a conversation about Ted’s faith, and Ben shared his story of how he had grown up in a Christian household, but had never really known what it was like to experience a relationship with God.  

It wasn’t long before Ben started attending Ted’s church and Bible study group. For both of them, this would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship. For Ted, he had gained another son in Ben, and it was a privilege for him to walk alongside this young man as he grew in his love for Jesus each day. For Ben, he had found the father that he never had, someone who could teach him how to become a true man.

The two men shared their lives together. Ted would often invite Ben along to family gatherings and birthday celebrations. Ted had also been there for Ben’s major life events, including his baptism, 21^st birthday party and graduation. On his wedding day, Ted had been there to prevent Ben from having a panic attack an hour before the ceremony. The two men had also experienced heartbreak together. When Ben’s mother had passed away, Ted had been there to lift up the broken pieces. When Ted’s only daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, Ben had been there to comfort the family and pray with them.

Those moments seemed like distant memories now. No longer would the two men share quiet Monday evenings in the park together, or drive down to the local diner for a cheeseburger after church. No longer would Ben hear another one of Ted’s ridiculous dad jokes or brag to him about his superior basketball skills. No longer would they both share in afternoon prayer walks or long theological discussions throughout the night. In less than a month, all of that had changed forever. Ben closed his eyes and tried to picture Ted’s warm and gentle face. He knew that death wasn’t the end. As one friend had kindly reminded him, Ted had gone home to be with Jesus. He knew that if his spiritual dad were here right now, he would be encouraging him to keep pressing on.

“Welcome to the heavenly fishermen’s club.” Ben could still remember Ted speaking these words to him a year ago when he had stepped up to lead a young adults Bible study group at church. That had always been one of Ted’s gifts, being able to see the potential in others.

Ben thought about all the young men in his group. There was Carl who always acted like the typical tough kid, but deep down he was just afraid of letting people see his emotions. There was John who seemed very guarded and didn’t talk much. He had a hard time of getting close to anyone because he was afraid of being let down again. There was David who was constantly getting himself into trouble. He was only following the path that he had been taught. There was Samuel who had grown up with the feeling of never being good enough, and he had a hard time understanding how God could forgive all of his past mistakes. These young men needed someone who would be there for them. They needed someone to guide them along the right path. They needed a “Ted” in their lives. Ben knew what he needed to do. 

Dear God,

I thank you that you gave me the blessing of knowing and sharing life with Ted. He showed me what being a dad is truly about. I also thank you for the group of guys at church who now look up to me. Please help me to love and teach them well in the same way that Ted loved and taught me. Although I’m scared when I think about this big responsibility that I’ve been given, I know that your strength is enough for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

In the distance, the young boy was running excitedly with his kite still hovering in the air, trying to chase down the last traces of sunlight. His father was standing back with a proud smile on his face. He had taught the boy well. Now it was time to step back and let him experience his own adventure. Ben stood up and walked back towards his car. Everything was going to be alright.