Gifted?

At the end of one of my classes, a student came to my desk and gave me a gift. It was a relatively large rectangular box, beautifully wrapped in decorative paper of a distinctly Asian style. It was a gift to thank me for writing a reference letter, she explained, and it was from her culture.

I was overjoyed to receive such a gift, and after thanking her, I couldn’t wait to bring it home. My wife is Asian and she loves gifts, and I knew that bringing this to her would brighten her day.

The box did not add too much weight to my backpack, and so the bike ride home was a good one. It helped that the day had warmed up to a balmy 4 degrees, and that there was only a trace of wind. The roads and paths had most of the snow scraped from them, and so I was able to ride my hybrid bike today, which made for a fast and nearly effortless ride.

When I got home and my wife opened the door, she gave me a wonderful cup of hot chocolate and I returned the favour by showing her my gift. She shouted in delight and immediately took it from my hands and rushed upstairs to open it. I smiled at her response, and then I sampled the paradise of hot chocolate with whipped cream on the top.

As I sat on the cushioned stool we have in the foyer, I could hear her oohing and aahing as she beheld the Asian artistry of the packaging. She then went to get her phone, and immediately translated the text on the packaging (thank you, Google translate!). I had thought it was a box of chocolates, since that is a common teacher gift, but it turned out that it was a stationery set.

My hot chocolate was done, and I began the process of transferring all of my cycling gear to the basement area. While I did so, my wife removed the packaging and opened up the box. She was so excited about the contents that she immediately came downstairs to show me. Inside the box were 4 items, each decorated in gold and red, a clear celebration of Chinese New Year in my eyes. The items were a small book to write in, 2 beautiful bookmarks, and what appeared to be a pen.

When my wife brought the pen out, she tried to depress the top, hoping it was a button that would reveal the stylus. But nothing happened. So, she began to twist it, but in the process, she only managed to dismantle it …and with all the pieces in front of her, there was still no clear evidence of a pen nib.

Then the investigation truly began. She took the pen upstairs, and while I began to eat my dinner, she and my youngest son attempted to solve this most challenging puzzle. But no matter what they tried, the secrets of this pen were not to be revealed. My wife began to cycle between utter frustration and bullish determination, while my son tried his best to wrestle the pen from her grasp so that he could try out his ideas. It was passed between them, back and forth like a hot potato, but no matter what they tried, the pen’s inner workings remained a mystery.

Until my wife decided to do something decidedly charged with testosterone. She pulled both ends with great strength, and sure enough, the pen’s two halves came apart and her suspicions were confirmed. It was a simple fountain pen.

She came to me in triumph, showing me this beautiful writing utensil that was generously given to me by one of my students. I thanked her for solving the mystery, and for the wonderful entertainment that I received watching the process.

Now I am left with a quality writing instrument and blank paper. What will I write? Can I conjure forth ideas that are worthy of this stationery set? This gift comes with a challenge, and I wonder if I am gifted enough to prove myself worthy of it.