Gary’s First Card From “Daddy”

This is the seventh story in the series, I-Alice.

Gary grew up knowing me as his grandma because I lived close by. However his other grandma lived in Windsor, Ontario, a place far away. His daddy, Larry, noticed that each card or package that arrived in the mail from the far-away grandma brought great joy to his small son.

On his seventh birthday Larry decided to surprise his son by mailing the birthday card. We saw the mailman drop a card into the mailbox on his special day. His mama called out, “Gary, the mail is here! Go see if he brought a letter.”

Quickly we gathered by the window and watched through the lace curtain to see how Gary would react to this, the first letter from his daddy. Standing on his tiptoes he reached into the mailbox. His bright blue eyes twinkled as he came running back into the kitchen screaming, “Guess what, we got a letter.”

“Look Grandma, look,” he said giggling merrily “this is my name.”

Caught up in the merriment, I said, “It’s your letter so open it, Gary.”

He flopped down on the floor, crossed his legs and excitedly ripped the envelope open.  Then he stared, his head bowed closer he stared some more at the signature. His lips whispered, “Daddy” as a look of astonishment flashed from his blue eyes. Then he spoke the name again, “Daddy”.  More  reverently his eyes darted around the room.

Suddenly he threw himself over making a complete flip, kicking his heels in the air and shrieking, “Listen to this you guys, I have another daddy!!!”

His father blushed beet red, his eyes filled.  With a look of dismay he gathered Gary in his arms. “Son” he said, “don’t you know I am your daddy?”

Gary knitted his forehead, and with downcast eyes he replied, “Yes, I know that you are my daddy because you live right here. But,” he said pointing at the envelope, “who is this daddy that needed a stamp to send a card?”