It was cold. I was cold and tired for I had been up since just after four. Had all the side walks and entries to shovel, then fill the stokers and carry out the ashes for four houses, plus carry in wood and coal for Old Mrs. Pureser. All of this before I went to work as a stockman at the local Piggly Wiggly store. It was just before six and I had told the wife we would go down town to see the lights as today was Thursday and Christmas was tomorrow. I had been so busy, but heck a man takes all the work he can find, when he can find it. And with all the extra work, I had ordered the wife a new winter coat. Yes siree bob, a new floor-length down-filled coat with a fur collar and four inside pockets. Plus, I had ordered her a new pair of Sorel’s, those good Canadian Elk hide winter boots. It was going to be a good Christmas, although our children would not be here, but the wife and I, plus Lucy Bell and old duke, our cat and dog respectievely. Yes we had bought them presents and I had managed to buy some spirits and all without going into debt. We lived on the last street as you went South out of town, a small frame house in which my wife had been born and raised. We bought it from her mother after Archie passed on. Not much but it was ours, had been our and hopefully would always be ours until we too passed on. A frame house on an acre lot with a nice garden, some fruit trees and a few outbuildings. Our home, our children’s home. Our little sanctuary and place of peace and solitude. Oh, by the way, I am Leif, Leif Jonson and my wife, Olga is at home. Some name for two shanty Irish with Scotch and German thrown in. but then Pappa Jonson was a moving man. It was beginning to snow, more snow, shucks we had over two feet in the last week, but at least I would have work, extra work, as I came around the corner of Wayside Blvd. We lived about a mile down Wayside off to the West on Jonson Lane. Anyhow I hear this laughter, laughter at nearly six in the evening when children should be home eating supper. The laughter was not raucous but just sweet sounding. I stopped and wondered where they were. Where was all that happiness coming from? There was no church or school down that way, just some old buildings, the old roundhouse and a couple buildings used to store floats for our big Fourth of July parade. It interested me, caught my ear and so I just veered off and started toward the laugher. I could hear one big voice, one voice louder than the others, “Must have one of those dang portable amps, those Kareoki(?) machines or whatever they call them,” I said to myself as I went one block and then the second, still the laughter was a little further on down from where I was. As I drew nearer the laugher became louder and the one laugh did stand out above the rest. Part of them were children, that I could tell. After about a half mile I saw a light, a light coming from the old school bus barn. Heck it had not been used except for summer time storage in years. I walked near and noticed the doors were closed. So I walked around on the East side where there was a window. I knew it because when I was a boy one summer I worked for the schools as a carpenters helper and Old man Varner had Mel Hammer install the window cause as Old man Varner said, “Life and work are hard, but if a man can see the sun, it will be OK.” I get around and wipe a small peep hold so I can see inside. Between the dust, dirt and snow that window was pretty dirty. I looked, my jaw dropped for there in the bus barn, was a whole group of children, children from maybe two through ten or eleven. They were all gathered around in a circle and there in the middle was a man dressed like Santa, telling funny Christmas stories. I looked then along the walls and off in another corner were the parents standing, talking and sipping coffee. There was Miss Annie whose husband was killed in Iraq, and Misses Broughtnigh, and wow, three or four more I knew form seeing them at the store. I stood there and I too laughed as a big smile did come to my face as it made me feel so good to see those children laughing and enjoying themselves. I sort of smirked, “Dang nosey old man, get on home before your wife gives you cold supper,” I said to myself as I put my legs in high gear and headed home. When I was nearly home I heard some laughter and automatically looked over toward the area from which I had come and I will swear, swear on a stack of bibles, and I was sober, stone sober, that I saw that fat man in a sleigh lift off from that old school bus barn and fly off. Too much work way too much work. ~ © Tom (tomWYO@aol.com) ~ November 13, 2003 If you use my graphics, please add my button to your page along with a link back. http://www.geocities/wcseptember2003/ If you enjoyed this page, check these out: A Christmas Story My Last Christmas Doll Sledding A Christmas Carol Love Brings Feelings When Santa Was A Boy Snowballing And.......for many others, click the link for HOME. Home: Writers' Corner Index