Strawberry Ice Cream

“Please, Daddy,” my son begged. “I really want it!” There I stood in the middle of our living room, on the losing end of an argument about ice cream. I’ve often thought that eleven-year-olds could teach the rest of the world a lot about the art of demanding and getting what one wants. If they did teach a class about it, their lecture halls would be standing room only.

“But, Itamar,” I half pleaded. “You know that we’ll be eating lunch in half an hour. This isn’t the right time to eat ice cream.” He became suddenly serious and gave me a sincere look. “But Daddy, I have to tell you about the dream I had last night. It was about the time you took us all for a picnic at that farm in the Galil. You remember, Daddy, right? We were all there together - you, me and Ofer was there, too. He found the most luscious strawberry I had ever seen and started dangling it in front of my face. I took a bite out of it in the end, and he chased me up and down the hill for what seemed like eternity. Before we left the farm, Ofer and I split a strawberry. I had the top half and he had the bottom half. In my dream, we did that again. He looked so happy. I still have the vivid image of the strawberries in my head and could almost taste the sweet and sour sensation on my tongue. I really need strawberry ice cream, Daddy. I think that somehow, Ofer does too.” 

He really knew how to hit me in my weakest spot. We lost Ofer a few years ago during his compulsory army service in the West Bank. Itamar adored him, but never got to say good bye the way he wanted to.

“All right,” I gave in. “I’ll go get you some.”

“Thanks, Daddy!” Itamar glowed. “You’re the best daddy ever!” I knew lunch wouldn’t cross his mind anytime soon now, but I thought a father has the right to spoil his only son now and then.

It was a short walk to the grocery store down the block, and I nearly skipped and hopped all the way there. An image of Itamar’s bright eyes and open hands was filling up inside my head as I searched the freezer for his desired ice cream. I saw many cartons, each with labels and the kind of decorative pictures that makes one want to open the carton and eat the ice cream right then and there. Yet…. no strawberry! It seemed they had everything else imaginable: chocolate chip, coffee, vanilla… 

The man standing at the register looked impatient and unfriendly. “Do you have any strawberry ice cream?” I asked. 

“If you didn’t see it there, then I don’t have it,” came his quick reply.

 “But, maybe you have some somewhere else?” I persisted. “My son really wants...” 

“Look buddy,” he interrupted in a tone that gave me the sense that if he had an axe in his hand, he would use it, “we all have our problems. Will you move aside so that the lady behind you can pay for her Krembo?”

“You don’t understand,” I continued, feeling myself getting more agitated. “My son needs strawberry ice cream! Maybe you can call your supplier or....”

“Maybe I can call the police to get you out my store! Get the message yet?”

I turned around slowly, and walked away defeated. How was I going to tell this to Itamar? Walking back to the apartment seemed to take forever, and every little nuisance, like the potholes on the sidewalk or the stray cats getting in my way here and there were many times more annoying than usual.

Trudging back up into the apartment, Itamar was standing on the couch, giving me the look I had fantasized about earlier. Before he could say anything, I blurted out, “I’m sorry, Itamar. They didn’t have any.”  Then, I braved myself for the inevitable tantrum and the inconsolable crying. Instead, he looked lost in thought. Breaking the silence after about three straight minutes, he finally said, “Don’t worry about it, Daddy. I got everything I needed while you were busy at the grocery store.” 

I looked up at the rainbow in the sky. Ofer was sitting on the cloud, his head rested against the rainbow’s arch and he was biting on a strawberry. He gave me that cheeky grin he always did. 

“Strawberry.” Heathy Lifestyle, 12 Jan. 2018, benefitsofmoringa.life/2018/01/12/10-surprising-benefits-strawberry/.