The Gift

Based on an O. Henry story.

Vijay looked at the wall calendar. He crossed off February 27th with a red mark
er. His wife Rashmi had been gone for one hundred and eighty seven days. She had
gone back to India from Florida, after her father died. Vijay knew she had to
go. But then Rashmi's family had asked her to stay for six more months. Whenever
Vijay brought up the subject of her return, Rashmi was vague.
"When?" he said.
"Vijay, I must consider my obligations."
"All right, all right, I'll call you on our anniversary."
He thought, what if she has decided to stay in India. I need to send her a photo
graph, so she will always have the image of her Vijay. She'll look at the photog
raph and say, "Yes, my Vijay" three times and all would be right.
Vijay made his dinner in the microwave. He thought, Rashmi would scold him for e
ating frozen dinners. He washed the food down with bottled iced tea.
After dinner, Vijay checked the mailbox again. He put the key in the box labeled
"Mr. and Mrs. V. Singh." He turned the key. The mailbox was empty. Vijay though
t, I can't check the mail five times a day.
He stood by the front door and looked out at a beige cat walking a gray fence. H
e thought, tomorrow is one day closer to the anniversary. And he was afraid. Sto
p it, he said to himself. He went into the bedroom and checked the money he had
saved for her gift.
Expenses were more than he had calculated. He had only twenty five dollars to bu
y a present for Rashmi. Many a happy hour he had spent planning and thinking abo
ut buying her a fine anniversary present. He thought, I'll get an antique frame
and I'll put a picture of her Vijay in it.
He walked toward the bedroom dresser and looked in the mirror. Rashmi used to sa
y she loved the sparkle in his eyes. He looked. He saw eyes, but no sparkle. He
sighed.
If Rashmi loved his eyes, he loved her hair. He thought, had the Queen of Sheba
lived in the next apartment, Rashmi would have let her hair hang out of the wind
ow just to show up Her Majesty's jewels and gifts.
He put on his old brown jacket and hat and left the apartment. He almost fell on
the stairs. He thought, stop dreaming, pay attention.
Vijay remembered a shop along his way to work, Antiques and Sentiment. He walked
the three blocks, stopping in front of the shop. He looked in the window, searc
hing. Finally, he went inside. A short red haired older woman in black heels sai
d, "Can I help you? I am Mrs. Roja, the owner."
Vijay said, "I need a special gift for my wife, an antique frame, I think."
"What is this gift for?"
"What do you mean?"
"Have you been a bad boy?"

"Oh no, nothing of the sort."

"I believe you," Mrs. Roja said. "So you want something romantic? I have a fine
frame that I bought at an estate sale."
Vijay looked at the delicate frame. The wood was carved into elaborate curves. I
t reminded him of Rashmi's hair.
Mrs. Roja said, "I have a soft spot for romance. I'll let you have it for fiftee
n dollars."
Vijay thought, fifteen dollars will leave only ten dollars for the photograph an
d postage. "Is that the best you can do for a sad heart like mine?"
"Come on now. Fifteen dollars is a good price," Mrs. Roja said.
"OK."
Mrs. Roja wrapped the frame in pale red tissue paper and put it in a red shoppin
g bag. Vijay paid the bill and left.
Outside, Vijay poked his hand into the bag to make sure the frame was still ther
e. At home, he took it out and leaned it against the wall, across from his favo
rite chair. He sat, clasped his hands behind his head and looked at the frame.
He thought, I'll ask Sunshine to take the photograph; he's always talking about
digital cameras. Sunshine was his nickname for his friend; he didn't know his re
al name. He called him Sunshine because the sun was shining whenever they met. B
ut Vijay didn't have his friend's phone number. Two days later, Sunshine came by
the shop where Vijay worked.
"Here I am and no sun today."
"I need a favor," Vijay said. "I need you to take a romantic photograph of me to
send to my wife in India."
"I am always in favor of romance, even when the couple is married," Sunshine sai
d.
"My life is no joke," Vijay said.
"OK, Vijay. Don't get upset."
"I can only pay you six dollars. I spent a lot on a frame"
"Six dollars will hardly cover my expenses. Next week, I'll come by when I have
time. "
"Thanks."
Sunshine came by three days later with his camera. He said, "Ready?"
Vijay pointed to his scuffed shoes.
"The shoes won't show," Sunshine said.
They went out to the street and he posed Vijay in front of a tree. At first Vija
y was stiff, but after ten shots, he began to relax.

"Now you look like a Hollywood leading man," Sunshine said.

Two days later, Sunshine came back with three small prints. He said, "I want you
to pick one or two out, so I can blow them up for the frame."
"Is this how I look?" Vijay said.
"Yes, you look fine. You're not bad looking."
"Can't you fix my shoes in the photo?"
"That will take hours. This job was going to cost only six dollars."
Vijay looked at Sunshine.
Sunshine said, "OK, I'll do this for love. I can't be doing it for money."
"Yes. You are doing it for love."
They both laughed.
Sunshine retouched the photograph and came back to the shop the next week. Vija
y agreed the shoes looked good in the photo.
Vijay sent the framed picture off to India at the cheapest rate he could find.
Sunshine stopped by to see Vijay every other day.
"How did it go?" Sunshine said. "Did she like the photograph?"
"Nothing yet."
After ten days, Sunshine saw Vijay again. "Well?"
"I don't think I will ever understand women," Vijay said.
"What do you mean?"
"She liked the frame, and she said I looked handsome."
"Good."
"Yes, but she wanted to know about the shoes in the photograph. The ones you re
touched. She said, 'Where did you get the money for those fancy shoes?' "