Kites- The West Wind and a Big Ball of String
When I was a kid the summers we spent at the beach seemed to have a magic quality with no end. Almost every day had the prevailing Southeast wind bringing a hint of ocean that combined with the sun and sultry heat to make conditions perfect for playing in the sand at the oceans edge.
One day I found a length of kite string washed up on the shore and the kids I was playing with excitedly said let’s save this for Mr. Friedenberg he’ll love it. I knew Mr. Friedenberg as the nice man who was the father of one of the kids who was a little older than me.
I asked why Mr.Friedenberg would want the string and was told that each summer he collected string to make a giant ball and everyone helped him collect string. Being young I didn’t ask questions but wanted to be a member of this community event. I saved the string and when I saw Mr Friedenberg I gave him the string. He thanked me as if I had given him a gold coin. He examined the string carefully and said that it was a wonderful piece of string and would have a special place on the Big Ball of String.
Summer rolled on with the hazy lazy feeling that seemed like it would never end. Each day at the beach or on the bay finding string for Mr. Friedenberg became a regular part of the summer activity. He always was effusive in his thanks and made the string presentation a special event. I started to realize from conversations of slightly older kids that there was a sort of mystery connected with the string. When I would ask questions the kids would smile and say “You’ll see”.
Summer wore on with the ever present Southerly breezes greeting almost every day.
One August day I woke up to a different feeling in the air. When I went out to our porch I could see that the sky was a brighter blue without the slight haze that greeted us on most summer days. There was a brisk breeze coming from a different direction. My Mother gave me a new instruction which was to put on a shirt and shorts this morning rather than the typical bathing suit and no shirt which was the usual kids’ summer attire. She said “It is cool this morning and the wind is gusty”.
Later that day I went over to the Municipal dock where the kids gathered to plan the day and found a new level of excitement . The older kids were saying mysterious things about this being the day without explaining what the day was to us younger kids.
All of a sudden Mr. Friedenberg’s son showed up and announced that this was the day and everyone should be on the beach in 1 hour.
I ran home to tell my mother I needed to be on the beach because something special was happening but I didn’t know exactly what it was. She smiled and looked out the window at the sky and said “Yes this looks like the day”
At the beach there was a gathering of almost every one we knew in the village. Kids and parents and various dock side characters were all there. Mr Friedenberg came striding down the beach to the hard sand near the water. He was carrying in his arms a huge ball of string wrapped around a broom stick. His son was at his side holding a bright red box kite.
There was laughter and conversation taking place in the crowd as Mr. Friedenberg hooked the string to the kite and then selected two older kids to hold the broomstick ends He them launched the kite into the brisk West Wind and the box kite quickly started rising. The kids holding the broomstick found a rhythm unrolling the string and the kite quickly started to head out over the ocean higher and higher until it became a dot in the sky.
Can you still see it , there it is, there it is, was heard through the crowd, but everyone often keep looking at Mr Friedenberg who riveted his eyes on the kite as it rose higher and higher. Suddenly there was a sound of Ohhh from the gathered neighbors and all eyes turned to Mr Friedenberg who was now holding a large pair of scissors With a ceremonial manner he cut the string of the now small ball of string and let the kite find it’s own way riding the new brisk wind into the bright sparkling blue sky..
Handshaking took place among the adults but not much talking and the crowd quietly disbursed
The days that followed had more of that new West Wind and I often wore a light sweater in the evening. In a short time I noticed that almost every day friends were packing and heading for the city to get ready for the school year. I learned that the quiet scattering of the crowd that day on the beach signified more than the cutting of the kite string. Mr. Friedenberg was a sort of Town Crier announcing that the West Wind was here. This close group of summer friends would soon be separating. Only the pleasant memories of the summer friends, this special time and place would remain, as the tan faded. It would be replaced with tight schedules, school books and zippered jackets taken out of the closet.
Many of my memories of those long ago days have become as hazy as a summer day. However my memory Of Harold Friedenberg and his Big Ball of String remains as bright as that blue sky washed by the West Wind.
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I just loved this story.
It reminded me so much of the Frank Mccourt books. In his recent obituary he is quoted as using his boyhood memories of Irish poverty being used to stimulate his class on Staten Island to try creative writing. Thanks CAROL