Magic

Back in July 1994 - July 28th to be precise - my best friend Heino's second daughter entered this world.

For some reason I remember it as a Sunday but a quick check using Windows Clock shows me it was Thursday. Whatever. Dutifully I and my second wife, Peta, showed at the hospital.

The newborn cried and cried; I'm not surprised. Thrust rudely from a warm safe world into our world little wonder. And, wonder of wonders, of all the people who cradled her that afternoon, her first in this world, I was the only one who could calm her. I have no idea why; I don't think I did anything that all the others didn't do but indubitably when I cradled her she was calm and quiet - when others cradled her she cried. Pissed my second wife off no end .

Peta is now way in the past but Heino and his family are of now.

In February 2002 I broke the news to Heino that I was going to marry an American and go live in the US. One Sunday afternoon very soon after he and the family called in on me. I'll confess it now; I'd been drinking some wine that afternoon - not so much that I couldn't function but perhaps a tad more than was consistent with the hour - about 3 PM.

We talked about this and that and I said, among other things, that when I went to America I was going to give away all the stuff I couldn't take with me. Yeah, I could have sold it but I don't want to become one of those hatchet faced people you meet at garage sales. Much better to give it away to good homes.

The elder daughter asked me, very politely, as I'd expect from the daughter of my best friend, if she could have that clock. The clock she meant was a rather large kitchen clock with a sunface; it was a wedding present to me and Peta from my sister. I gave it to her on the spot.

The younger daughter started jumping up and down and pointing at a stuffed toy on top of the fridge. It was a five pointed star with a smiley face; bright yellow. She wanted it. Two seconds later it was hers!

I can't describe how much I enjoyed that moment. The smiles on those two young girls faces was way more than enough.

Now that's magic!