Miguel was sad and he wanted to be alone...

The sun was already throwing down its heat on the stark white beach this
early summer morning. The night-tide had smoothed the sand to a polished
glimmer; only small, rubber-sandaled footprints disturbed the placid beach.

Miguel knew he should not be here; too many chores to help Papa with this
morning. Papa would be looking for him to help mend the nets; nets needed
to bring in the big catch. Papa was always looking for the big catch, Miguel
thought.

“Miguel! Miguel! Donde esta?” he could hear Papa shouting to him in the
distance. Miguel did not stop nor respond to the shout.

It’s my birthday, and I’ll do what I want today, Miguel thought. “After all,
today I am seven years old, and a big boy now!” he said to the wind.

He continued down the beach, letting the sea foam lap at his feet. He wanted
to be by himself this morning; he was sad.

He knew there would be no birthday party for him, nor birthday gifts would
he get this day; there were no pesos to spend on these things. But that did not
stop Miguel from dreaming. Most of his friends would think Miguel’s dream
dumb, but Miguel didn’t know how to dream ‘big’. No toy trucks or boats
did he dream of; one thing that Miguel wanted most was real leather shoes…
shoes he could lace up; shoes he could run faster than the wind in; shoes that
would not blister his feet.

He would take care of them, too! Never let them get wet; never let them lose
their shine; never let them get scuffed on the reefs at the beach.

The reefs! Here they were before him; he did not realize he had walked so far.

Miguel had heard the old ones speak many times of the mystery of the reefs:
how you could sit on the farthest-out and make a wish, and if you thought and thought hard enough, your wish would come true .

But Mama had always told him never to climb on the reefs; they were much too
dangerous, and if he should slip and fall, the waves would take him way far away.

Miguel did not want to go far away from his family! He turned and ran back up
the beach.

Even before he reached their hut, Miguel could smell the cooking. Mama didn’t forget what this day was! Mama was making his bestest, most favorite-of-all foods: fried bananas!

“Oh, Mama! Is that for me?” Miguel shouted with joy, as Mama hugged him to
her.

“Did you think we would forget your special day, Miguel?” she asked, as she tousled his hair. “And look what Papa has made for you.”

Miguel spun around to see Papa holding out a pair of leather sandals…REAL
LEATHER sandals! “Oh, Papa” he sighed.

“Happy Birthday, nino” Papa said to him while handing him the sandals. And
Miguel didn’t even think about ‘shoes’ anymore, he was so happy with what he
had. He would always remember this special seventh birthday.

© Copyright Jackie (Micke) Jinks, August 2003.