The Toy War

               The story of the toy war was all Reginald had with his beloved grandson Darin since his son Michael passed away. Darin’s mother was never too close with Michael’s side of the family, so when Michael passed she just decided to move Darin away far from Michael’s childhood home.  So not only did Reginald lose his only son but he lost his only grandson. Reginald’s wife Christina passed shortly after Michael did. Doctors say it was from the lung cancer but Reginald always had the sneaking suspicion that Christina just couldn’t handle the pain of losing her only son. So here he was 85 years old living alone in the old cottage he built himself from its first piece of wood. The remains of the cold night radiated through the cracks in the wooden walls. Reginald placed more wood to keep the fire going. This was the last night of Darin’s stay with Reginald. His mother would be there bright and early in the morning to take him back the United States. A week in his beloved London with his grandson was all he was going to get, and he had a feeling all he would ever get. How much longer was Reginald going to be around? He probably wouldn’t be around to watch his only grandson become a man. This story was all he had left to connect to not only his grandson but his only son. As Darin crawled under the blankets, Reginald laid next to him. The wind tapped against the windows like a friendly neighbor but intruded through the cracks like a burglar. The silence filled the room like the water reaching all the way to the rims of a bathtub. All that could be heard was the wood burning and the creaks coming from the convertible sofa. “Grandpa Reg? Can you tell me the story of the toy war again? You said it was my dad’s favorite so I want it to be my favorite.” Reginald stayed silent in thought thinking of the memory of his Michael. “Well son, your father loved this story because I taught him to believe in magic, and this story shows the true power of magic. Now I know your mother believes in science and an explanation for everything, but I always want you to keep this little gold nugget of information in a teeny tiny corner of your heart; magic always lives within us, that’s what makes us extra special.”  The tree branches caressed the windows as if agreeing with Reginald. “Look around young Darin, magic is everywhere. Like your grandmother used to say, ‘you know magic exists if this cottage was able to survive all these years.’ Quite the clown your grandmother was.” Darin turned into the nook of his grandfather’s chest preparing for the last telling of the toy war. Reginald walked across the creaky wooden floors to shut off the light. The warm fire radiated light that demurely outlined Darin’s face. Reginald laid back down, “Okay son, so like I was saying earlier a very special part of our family history is the fact that all the men in our family had some type of magic in them. For your father it was making pictures come to life, for me it was the ability to see toys come to life. When I was seventeen years old, I worked in a huge toy emporium called Kiddy Kiddy Band Bang…” Darin let out an innocent little laugh that no matter how many telling’s Reginald had done, still found a way to melt his hard. “I know the store’s name always gets to you, what can I say? My boss had a great imagination. Well, at seventeen I was trusted with closing the store down. Most employees had to be working there for years to get that responsibility. Maybe, it was the fact that I needed the money so badly to pay for my wedding to your grandmother or maybe I was just an amazing employee. Whatever it was, one cold November night I found myself closing up the gates to the store. I locked the cash register, and walked to the back to put the money into the blue safe. Right when I locked the safe back up I heard what I could only assume were gun shots. At seventeen, I had no idea how to handle burglars.” Darin pulled the covers closer to his face, this part of the story always frightened him a little as he seemed to forget that the burglars weren’t really burglars or an actual threat at all. Reginald cuddled closer to the young boy, kissing his young his head, at that moment a hair from Darin’s young head tickled Reginald’s old nose. “Like I was saying, I truly thought those were gun shots from burglar’s until I crawled to the door and peered out the crack of the door. What I saw changed my life forever. There was a small little teddy bear general ordering his ‘soldiers’ to ‘beef’ up the army by creating more men out of silly putty. Now son, all that ran through my head was, ‘Jesus, I need a day off.” The sound of Darin’s adorable giggle made the wind of the brutal seem like a figment of Reginald’s imagination. “What I had no clue of my dear Darin, was that my simple workplace was a battlefield, not only was it a battlefield, but it seems I was stuck in the middle of a civil war! General Hugums continued to order more men to be made as I quietly tried to crawl to the other side of the store. Yet, to my surprise there was the south side of the store’s General Kelloways. Kelloways was a G.I. Joe, for what it was worth I was betting my money on him that night. The two squads continued to strategize as I tried to figure out what on Earth was happening. That was when the dreaded moment happened… I sneezed and the small patrol cars raced to the scene.” “A HUMAN! GUANTY WEREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE GUARDING THE PERIMENTERS!’ General Kelloways did not seem pleased to see a human in sight but hey who would my dear boy? The human world isn’t supposed to know of the magic this planet holds. That night, looking back, I was lucky enough to survive and bring back a bit of the magic with me. ‘TIE HIM UP! HE IS NOW A POW, I wouldn’t be shocked if this was some kind of ploy from Hugums men.’ There I was my young Darin, tied up with the very cowboy ropes I stocked!” Young Darin’s eyes seemed to get heavier and heavier, maybe the sandman was close to paying a visit. “Now son, this is the part where I thought life was over as I knew it, and in a way I was right. I laid there tied to the floor as the toy men huddled. General Kelloways stepped forward for what seemed like the final pep talk. ‘Now men it’s been a long war, we have lost many great men and I thank you for your loyal service. No one likes a war but this is what has to be done for toy unity. Hugums has taken a page from Hitler’s book and is trying to take over our little home. We aren’t going to let that happen. This is the last battle gentlemen, let’s make this count and let’s make this our home again.’” The tree branches scratched against the windows of the cabin, maybe which was sign that they were listening too and wanted Reginald to speak louder. “So, from where I was lying the North side of the store was the bad guys, I was captured by the good guys so maybe I had a chance at living. Within a half a second both sides went to war, a mixture of plastic limbs and mini guns flew everywhere. Countless piles of silly putty laid in the now ruins that was once the north side of the store. The heart wrenching screams forever burned into my memory harrowed through the store. One thing was for sure son, I was never able to look at that store the same. At that moment a small gun shot went straight through General Kalloway’s chest, down he went for the name of the south side of the store.” Darin laid there sound asleep, Reginald laid there for a moment trying to memorize every freckle and strand of golden hair on the young boy’s head. This was probably the last time he was ever going to hold his grandson…he had to cherish this moment. “Now son, with General Kalloway going down I thought my life was over. Hugum’s and the north side were sure to kill me. Hugums came up to laughed in my face and said, ‘It was never about the humans little boy it was always about the toys, it is now our time to rise.’ With that said he raised a small gun to my heart, I closed my eyes asking God to make it a swift dead. I heard a gunshot and I looked down trying to examine by shirt for any blood. To my surprise it was Hugums who was dead, Kalloway made one last effort for the south and killed Hugums, ultimately, saving my life.” “I know you are asleep young Darin, but this is the part I always told your father to remember and this is what I want you to remember. General Kalloway crawled over toward me and cut me free from the ropes. ‘Sorry kid, it was for your own good. The way we saw it you are a human you could have been a threat to my men. I had to make sure the war was in the bag before worrying about you. Now that Hugums is dead and the store can return to peace I will let you go. There is only one thing I ask…’ The blood was spooling from his chest and his breathing became rapid this was the end. ‘Hugums was wrong about toys being what was important. I know seeing us is a shock to you but now you know the magic that we hold. No one has ever been able to see us in our true form. You are lucky, therefore you will carry the magic with you. You and the generations of men in your family after you will know the story of this war. That is solely because the magic lives within you now. My magic is dying, I am dying but I give any little bit I have left to you. What I want you to remember young Reginald is, the magic lives within and because of this the men of your family will forever be different from the rest of the unknowing humanity. Remember this magic, cherish this magic, and channel this magic. It will last through many lifetimes. Whatever hardships you face the magic is what you can pass on and get you through. Believe in the magic.’ General Kalloway took his last breath in my hand.  Darin, your mother will be here in a few hours but even if you never see me again, remember this cabin built with love, remember me and your grandmother, remember London, remember your father, but most importantly always remember the magic…”