The Other Self

by J. Perry Alldredge

 

“I see you were at the pond again,” said Aaron’s Mother, knowing that was exactly where he had been because she could see him from the window in her office.

 Aaron struggled very hard to roll up his pant legs so that the water didn’t leave wet rings around the bottom of his pants when he dangled his feet in the pond.  Most of the time they still got wet anyway.

Since he started school two months ago, Aaron seemed to spend a lot of time sitting at the small pond behind his house, gazing down into the water at his reflection, sometimes for an hour or more.

Only his friend Michael and his cousin Meghan were ever invited to the pond with him.  Usually they left him because to them it wasn‘t much fun.

However Aaron could sit and stare into the silvery pond happily for as long as it took until he saw the other Aaron reflected up at him, wearing a big smile.  You see the other Aaron looking back at him was the most popular boy at the White Elementary School.

That other Aaron was too big, smart and strong for anyone to pick on and was always chosen to play on every team in the school yard at recess.

That other Aaron wasn’t shy about reading words out loud either and didn’t care a bit that some of his teeth were still missing from his smile.

That other Aaron wasn‘t afraid of the dark and whose favorite pet Luke thought that he was about the greatest kid in the world.

The other Aaron was happy and enjoyed the other kids in his classroom and the other Aaron already knew that he wanted to be a teacher like his teacher Mr. Watson, who was patient and kind even when it took a long time for his students to read new words.

 Aaron’s Dad knew all about the other Aaron.  It was his idea for Aaron to spend time alone at the pond by the water’s edge.  He knew that Aaron would find a special friend there who would make him forget how scary it was to meet so many new boys and girls each day.

He knew that after a while Aaron would discover his feelings and talk to the other Aaron about them until he felt better inside.

 Aaron’s Dad remembered how his Dad had encouraged him to do the same thing when he was a little boy.  Aaron’s Dad hoped that the magic and the friendship between Aaron and his reflection would make his first year in school as wonderful as his own had been.

A month later it was Thanksgiving.  Many of Aaron’s relatives came to his house for a turkey dinner and some great desserts.  It was his Grandma who noticed how much happier Aaron was these days.

 Aaron smiled as he sat at his place at the children’s table cutting his younger cousins’ turkey into pieces that were small enough for them to easily chew.  He didn’t mind getting them their drinks and he cleaned up any messes or spills without being told to by his parents.

While the other relatives sat eating their desserts in the dining room, in the kitchen Aaron’s Dad washed the dishes that his wife brought to him, while Aaron standing on a small stool dried them carefully and then put them on the clean kitchen table to be put away by his Mother.

“Aaron, your Mother says you are not spending as much time down at the pond anymore.  Is it finally getting too cold down there for you?” his Dad asked.

“Not really Dad, it’s just that I don‘t have as much time to do that anymore.  Last week I started playing soccer with a few of my friends from school, and I’m doing homework with an after-school group a couple of times a week.”

“It’s helping me with my reading and I help others do their math, which is my favorite subject at school,” said Aaron.

Dad was very pleased to know that Aaron was learning that all the wonderful things that the other Aaron could do, the real Aaron could do even better once he believed in himself.

It just takes time to grow into the person we want so much to be, and Aaron was finding that out each and every new day.