An Uncle's Love

by Cynthia Highfill
(Tulare, CA)

Let me tell you about my uncle David. He was born nine months before my sister, who is two years older than my brother and six years older than me.

One day, my mom, my brother and I went to live with him and my granny when I was seven in 1992. Life was somewhat chaotic in that house, but somehow we managed to survive.

David picked on us a lot due to the fact that he was the oldest and we had little to no supervision. We were constantly getting into mischief and always went on wild adventures.

We were also always coming up with clever ideas.
On one such occasion we had a clever idea to make a time capsule.

We had a small wooden chest which we called a treasure chest and we each put in an item that was important to us: comic book clippings, to report cards, to buttons, and finally a tape recording of all of us.

We then sealed up the capsule and locked it. After that we took the time capsule outside and David buried it. We decided to dig it up in seven years.

Unfortunately, my mom, my brother and I moved out and granny and David moved out a few years after that. Then new tenants came and rented out that house, making it almost impossible to recover the time capsule.

Years went by, and I had all but forgotten about the time capsule. Then on my twenty-second birthday I opened up the present from David. I couldn't believe my eyes! There in my hands was the time capsule! I was so happy and touched that I began to cry.

He told me that he went back to the house to dig it up and at first the people there weren’t going to let him. Then he told them how much it meant to us all and he begged them. Then they finally agreed.

I was so happy, I knew right then that had been the best present anyone had gotten me. No one had ever gone through that much trouble for me before and I knew it was straight from the heart. I wrapped my arms around him and said thank you.

Two years went by as I watched my three year old daughter grow, time seems to fly by quicker the older you get. Then one day while I was at work my mom called. I usually don't answer the phone while I'm at work, but something was telling me to take the call.

I could barely understand her on the phone because she was crying and yelling hysterically. Everything she was saying was muffled. The only thing I really heard was, "David is dead!" My heart sunk! I could feel my chest pounding and my head throbbing. I felt sick. I left work immediately just to go home and cry the entire night.

Later on when I could process my thoughts, I remembered the time capsule that he gave me. I went up to my closet and delicately took it out. I sat there for a while just gently running my fingers over the tattered wood.

Suddenly I had an idea. Sure, I could keep this time capsule forever and selfishly take it out when I miss him, but then what about everyone else who loved him?

That's when I came up with the idea to have everyone that loved him put something inside of the box that reminded them of him and bury it with him. That way, it would be more of a way to say "See you later," rather than "Goodbye." Just like we were meant to see the time capsule again, so shall we see him again in another life.

I'll never forget the gift my uncle David gave me that day, just like I'll never forget the love he gave me as well. Even though I don't have the gift in my possession anymore, I will always have it in my heart.