Jamie's Uncle Jim
Children's Story
When Jesus walked seven miles to Emmaus with two of his friends, they failed to recognise him. This is a story about Jamie, who after many years, fails to recognise his favourite uncle. But Jamie eventually realises that love lives forever.
Jamie could hardly remember his Uncle Jim. Jamie had seen Uncle Jim quite a lot when he was small, but he couldn't actually remember him. He was left with vague impressions, of someone immensely tall who had a very loud laugh and crinkly eyes and curly brown hair, and who loved him a lot. Jamie had been named after his uncle Jim, and he was very proud of that. Jamie's favourite memory was of climbing onto Uncle Jim's lap, snuggling down into Uncle Jim's arms and falling asleep on his chest. And he vaguely remembered wonderful walks with Uncle Jim in the countryside, when Uncle Jim would show him secret things like hidden birds' nests and find treasures for him like pheasant's feathers.
But Uncle Jim had gone away a long time ago. Jamie never knew where he had gone, or why, or whether he was ever coming back. He only knew that for some reason he shouldn't speak of his Uncle Jim. For a while after Uncle Jim's departure, Jamie's parents had spoken of Uncle Jim in hushed tones, but had immediately stopped speaking whenever Jamie had appeared. After a while, Uncle Jim was never mentioned again.
Now Jamie was growing up fast, and he hardly ever thought about his Uncle Jim. But he never stopped loving him, and he kept that love curled up inside him warm and precious where no one could reach it.
One summer, Jamie went on holiday with his friend Mark. Mark was into bird watching in a big way, and was desperate to go on a week's holiday to the Norfolk coast with the Young Ornithologists' Club. He dragged Jamie along with him. To Jamie's surprise, he began to discover a real love for birds. He learned how to spot birds camouflaged on the seashore, birds singing in the pinewoods, birds nesting in the trees. Before long, he could tell a bird simply by watching its flight and the spread of its wings, or by listening to its song. He began to discover the excitement of spotting rare birds, and he started to keep a notebook detailing all the birds he saw, and where and when he saw them.
Jamie's interest in birds continued long after the holiday ended. As the years passed, he became one of the leading members of the Young Ornithologists' Club, and soon started to travel all over the country, watching birds. He loved nothing better than to meet other people who shared his interest, and to swap tips and tales with them.
As he grew more and more knowledgeable about birds, so Jamie's circle of friends widened. Even the adults respected his knowledge, and sometimes came to him for advice.
One day, a new bird watcher appeared. He was quite grey, a little bent old man with pale eyes and a pale skin. He offered Jamie his binoculars to look at a marsh heron, then he began to talk about birds. He spoke quietly and confidently, and Jamie was enthralled, for this stranger knew more than anyone he had ever met. They spent the whole afternoon together, comparing notes and telling each other about birds they had seen. Jamie's sensed the love this man had for ornithology, and he warmed to him more and more.
At the end of the afternoon, Jamie invited the stranger home. The whole family welcomed the man, and he stayed for a meal. He entertained them all with his passion for birds, until even Jamie's mum and dad who had never been the least interested in the subject, listened with shining eyes to his words.
After a long and fascinating evening, Jamie yawned and got up to go to bed. The stranger and looked at him. "Don't you know me after all this time, Jamie?" he said.
Jamie stared at him, and something tugged at his memory. "You're not - you can't be - Uncle Jim?"
Suddenly a loud and joyful laugh rang out through the room. Jamie couldn't help himself. Despite the fact that he was nearly grown up himself, he ran to Uncle Jim and flung himself into his arms just as he used to when he was small.
"I knew there was something special about you the minute I saw you," he exclaimed. "You're not a bit how I remembered you, but your laugh will never change! I never realised I got my love of birds from you; I guess I was too small when you left to remember anything you'd told me. But now I know who you are, and something else will never change. I loved you so much when I was tiny, and it's just the same now. Welcome home Uncle Jim. Now I know you'll never leave again."
Jamie never did find out what had sent Uncle Jim away, or why his parents had been so upset. But he noticed how his Mum smiled much more now Uncle Jim was back, and his Dad seemed to relax when Uncle Jim was in the room. And somehow, Jamie knew that even if one day Uncle Jim went away forever, they'd never really lose him again, for Uncle Jim had given himself to each one of them and all the love and knowledge and laughter he had given was now part of them forever.
Jamie could hardly remember his Uncle Jim. Jamie had seen Uncle Jim quite a lot when he was small, but he couldn't actually remember him. He was left with vague impressions, of someone immensely tall who had a very loud laugh and crinkly eyes and curly brown hair, and who loved him a lot. Jamie had been named after his uncle Jim, and he was very proud of that. Jamie's favourite memory was of climbing onto Uncle Jim's lap, snuggling down into Uncle Jim's arms and falling asleep on his chest. And he vaguely remembered wonderful walks with Uncle Jim in the countryside, when Uncle Jim would show him secret things like hidden birds' nests and find treasures for him like pheasant's feathers.
But Uncle Jim had gone away a long time ago. Jamie never knew where he had gone, or why, or whether he was ever coming back. He only knew that for some reason he shouldn't speak of his Uncle Jim. For a while after Uncle Jim's departure, Jamie's parents had spoken of Uncle Jim in hushed tones, but had immediately stopped speaking whenever Jamie had appeared. After a while, Uncle Jim was never mentioned again.
Now Jamie was growing up fast, and he hardly ever thought about his Uncle Jim. But he never stopped loving him, and he kept that love curled up inside him warm and precious where no one could reach it.
One summer, Jamie went on holiday with his friend Mark. Mark was into bird watching in a big way, and was desperate to go on a week's holiday to the Norfolk coast with the Young Ornithologists' Club. He dragged Jamie along with him. To Jamie's surprise, he began to discover a real love for birds. He learned how to spot birds camouflaged on the seashore, birds singing in the pinewoods, birds nesting in the trees. Before long, he could tell a bird simply by watching its flight and the spread of its wings, or by listening to its song. He began to discover the excitement of spotting rare birds, and he started to keep a notebook detailing all the birds he saw, and where and when he saw them.
Jamie's interest in birds continued long after the holiday ended. As the years passed, he became one of the leading members of the Young Ornithologists' Club, and soon started to travel all over the country, watching birds. He loved nothing better than to meet other people who shared his interest, and to swap tips and tales with them.
As he grew more and more knowledgeable about birds, so Jamie's circle of friends widened. Even the adults respected his knowledge, and sometimes came to him for advice.
One day, a new bird watcher appeared. He was quite grey, a little bent old man with pale eyes and a pale skin. He offered Jamie his binoculars to look at a marsh heron, then he began to talk about birds. He spoke quietly and confidently, and Jamie was enthralled, for this stranger knew more than anyone he had ever met. They spent the whole afternoon together, comparing notes and telling each other about birds they had seen. Jamie's sensed the love this man had for ornithology, and he warmed to him more and more.
At the end of the afternoon, Jamie invited the stranger home. The whole family welcomed the man, and he stayed for a meal. He entertained them all with his passion for birds, until even Jamie's mum and dad who had never been the least interested in the subject, listened with shining eyes to his words.
After a long and fascinating evening, Jamie yawned and got up to go to bed. The stranger and looked at him. "Don't you know me after all this time, Jamie?" he said.
Jamie stared at him, and something tugged at his memory. "You're not - you can't be - Uncle Jim?"
Suddenly a loud and joyful laugh rang out through the room. Jamie couldn't help himself. Despite the fact that he was nearly grown up himself, he ran to Uncle Jim and flung himself into his arms just as he used to when he was small.
"I knew there was something special about you the minute I saw you," he exclaimed. "You're not a bit how I remembered you, but your laugh will never change! I never realised I got my love of birds from you; I guess I was too small when you left to remember anything you'd told me. But now I know who you are, and something else will never change. I loved you so much when I was tiny, and it's just the same now. Welcome home Uncle Jim. Now I know you'll never leave again."
Jamie never did find out what had sent Uncle Jim away, or why his parents had been so upset. But he noticed how his Mum smiled much more now Uncle Jim was back, and his Dad seemed to relax when Uncle Jim was in the room. And somehow, Jamie knew that even if one day Uncle Jim went away forever, they'd never really lose him again, for Uncle Jim had given himself to each one of them and all the love and knowledge and laughter he had given was now part of them forever.
