Knowing how to play doesn't depend on the toy

Two boys were chatting animatedly about their favorite game. They had met by chance during one walk that little Pedro’s parents were taken through the markets of a very special town they were visiting.

It all started when Pedro approached one of the stalls, drawn to an airplane that another boy had drawn on his T-shirt.

“What a beautiful airplane!” he exclaimed, pointing at the T-shirt.

Tomás, a boy from that town who was helping his parents with their market stall at the time, replied, “Thanks, I’m glad you like it! “Some people gave me this T-shirt a while back when they came to visit the market, after my parents told them I loved airplanes...”

“You like airplanes... me too!!!!!” Pedro interrupted him. “I have lots of airplane toys and games at home.”

“No way!” said Tomás.

And from that moment on, they were completely cut off from the crowd. The connection between them was so intense that they even asked their respective parents for permission to sit in a spot away from the hustle and bustle so they could continue sharing their passion.

Pedro was so excited that he didn’t waste a second telling the other boy about his toys.

“I started collecting airplanes one day from a newspaper in my city. One day, while I was walking with my parents through the toy store, I bought my first airplane toy. It came unassembled, so you could put it together and decorate it however you wanted. Then I wrote to the Three Wise Men asking them to bring me a game so I could fly one of them. I didn’t really like that game much; I wasn’t happy with it… until I went to my friend Luis’s house. He had a flight simulator on his computer… can you imagine! Ever since I tried it, I haven’t stopped asking my parents to buy it for me. And that’s what happened… but don’t get me wrong, there were things I wasn’t happy with either…” He suddenly fell silent, realizing that Tomás hadn’t said a word in a long time. Then he said, “And you—what planes do you have?”

Tomás’s eyes were shining; he was so excited to share his toy that he quickly took Pedro by the hand, saying at the same time, “Come on, I’ll show you a really cool plane!”

The two of them ran off toward Tomás’s house, which was very close to the market. As soon as they arrived, the boy went to a table near the front door. Holding his airplane in one hand, he began to run and make sounds that reminded him of the airplanes he saw flying by in the distance over his house. Then he turned to Pedro and said, “Isn’t it beautiful? Here, you can play with it,” and handed it to him.

Pedro stood frozen, unable to utter a word. He held in his hands two pieces of wood arranged to resemble an airplane, and he couldn’t understand how that could be a toy.

Then Tomás realized something was wrong. He approached Pedro and, looking him straight in the eyes, asked, “Why aren’t you playing?”

Pedro lowered his head; he didn’t know what to say to the boy. And in that very moment, Tomás invented a new game. He took Pedro’s hand—the one holding the airplane—and gently raised it until it was fully extended. Then he took his other hand and said, “This time, we’re both going to fly the airplane together! You’ll be the pilot, and I’ll be the co-pilot to help you maneuver.” “All you have to do is run as fast as you can and make the sounds you remember from airplanes, though it’s also okay to burst out laughing”—and he smiled.

Pedro lifted his head and looked at Tomás with a completely different expression. Without wasting a second, Tomás asked him excitedly, “Are you ready? Let’s gooooo!!!!!!”

After the shout, the two boys began running wildly, holding hands, making sounds that resembled airplane engines, and also bursting into spontaneous laughter.

Pedro was so focused and happy in his role as a pilot that Tomás decided to leave him alone so he could fully enjoy his game. When he let go of his hand, he realized Pedro hadn’t noticed, so he took the opportunity to step aside and find a prime spot to watch how much fun the boy was having.

And suddenly something unexpected happened—a surprise that brought them together. They held hands again, this time to stand still in silence, gazing upward with satisfied expressions as a plane slowly crossed the sky.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this story and the illustration. I look forward to seeing you again soon and hope to share a new story with you from this series dedicated to philosophy for children—and for adults who are still young at heart. Thank you for visiting my site and checking out this content. See you soon!

Details

Story and Illustration: Original by Esteban Quintana de la Fuente (©EQ February 9, 2024).
Technique: watercolor, watercolor pencils, oil pastels.