I would very much like to think I would find a point in which I had no more of these fantasies "in me" as it were. Unfortunately, I don't think that time will come anytime soon, so I'll continue to contribute these almost memories as necessary.
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Note: This is dedicated to the memory of George Morse.
My Grandfather.
This didn't happen. The real story is less proactive, but really... this is what might have been in different circumstances. There's a kernel of the relationships at work here, but...
"Hey!"
"Unnnnng," I groaned.
"Hey!"
"Lemme 'lone!" I grumped. What was she so darned cheerful about?
[THWACK!] "Lissen, you dummy! It's Christmas morning, let's go!"
Suddenly I was alert. I sat up and rubbed sand out of my sleepy eyes and grinned at my cousin. We quickly and quietly brushed our teeth and made our way to the kitchen.
It was a magical morning, Christmas morning 1983. The adults were all snoring -- and how... I sometimes wondered how they managed to sleep. Kasey climbed on the counters to get the stuff all ready while I lit the fires. The fireplace in the living room and the stove for cooking. The two of us made the most quiet breakfast in history. Flapjacks from scratch (with chocolate chips!), with homemade maple syrup, sausage gravy, drop biscuits, fried eggs, bacon, grits, hash browns, and grill toast from the fresh bread we made last night. I was setting the plates and food on the table on while Kasey was squeezing the orange juice.
We washed our hands and grinned at each other and marched right past the bright tree with the meager few gifts and went to wake up the grownups.
Grampa was the first one up, like usual, and he laughed with his big old laugh he always did. Grandmother sat and just smiled quietly while Mommy actually got to sit with us all for a good breakfast while my baby sister was all full of didn't fuss. It was like she remembered Christmas morning, too.
I was content with what little things we got for the holiday, I mean, we were way more poor than any other family in the small town, but it didn't matter. I think the book that I got was my favorite thing that year, it was almost the same as brand new.
When we had eaten, and the presents were put away, Grampa pulled even more magic out of the air. Just like always. He somehow made the television work perfectly, with no fuzziness at all, and we all sat and watched It's A Wonderful Life for the first time that year. We bundled up and went out to build a snowman together and we giggled as Grampa helped us, and eventually had a snowball fight with him.
We won, but I think he let us win.
After eating at lunchtime, we were tired, and Kasey and I curled up together on Grampa's lap and started to nod off.
"Don't worry," he told us, "don't worry at all. I'll be here when you both wake up. Go ahead and sleep."
So we did. We settled in and let ourselves nod off and cuddled into his arms.
Comments
Your Xmas
marie c.
How nice to have a pleasant memory of Christmas - even if it was made up.
If only we could go back and change some of the unpleasant ones so that the recollections we have are good times.
I went through a lot of holidays I wish were better.
Cheers and all the best for 2008.
marie c.