A Christmas Wish, Page 2

on Comet and Cupid, on Donder and Blixen." The reindeer leaned forward into their smooth leather harnesses and took off into the night sky so full of stars you could not count them in a life time.

  Santa's red light started flashing which alerted him to be on the lookout for a green light on a house. Santa went lower and saw in the distance the green light. He told his reindeer to circle the house at an altitude of one hundred feet three times. Santa prepared his chant of magic to transform the house while the occupants slept.

  With each circle of the house, Santa spread his magic all over it. First it was a light shade of blue that hardly showed up in the black of the night. Next was light green with white sparkles like fire flies in the night. After the third circle, a white light all but obscured the house. The last thing Santa did was reach inside his coat for the special present from Mrs. Claus. He dropped that present, along with others down upon the new roof. They all passed through to land under a newly erected Christmas tree complete with light and ornaments. Afterwards Santa instructed his reindeer to carry on.

  As Santa flew west chasing the darkness, the early morning sun broke over the horizon to shine over a newly remodeled farm house. Inside the house the inhabitants were waking up. Bill and Jane were wishing a present might be under the old weathered potted plant their mother had tried to decorate for the Christmas season. Bill said, "Let's go down and have a look."

  "I don’t want to get out of this warm bed," said Jane snuggling closer to her warm brother.

  "I don't feel cold for some reason," said Bill. "I'm getting up and see if Santa came. Come on lazy girl."

  Bill swung his legs out and braced for the cold floor with his bare feet. What his feet contacted was not bare floor. He couldn't believe his eyes or what his feet were telling him. "My God Jane, the floor has a rug on it."

  "You're dreaming and you'd best pinch yourself to wake up," said Jane as she peeked over her side of the bed looking at the floor. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "You're right. I see a rug over here too! Let's go downstairs and you're right, I don't feel cold like I usually do."

  The two kids in bare feet went down the carpeted stairs to a living room that smelled of fresh paint and the sweet smell of a fresh evergreen Christmas tree. A wood stove sat in the fireplace casting welcome warmth to the once forlorn and cold house. Over the mantel two long wool socks hung with their names on them. Jane took Bill's hand and said, "Is this really our house Bill?"

  Bill looked around wondering himself if this was the same house he was familiar with. Suddenly from their parents bedroom door a loud voice said, "What the hell is going on here?

  Both kids swung around to see their father on crutches staring at the living room. Jane felt sorry for her father losing his leg. She saw one of his pajama legs sewn up above the knee and an old sweat shirt on to keep warm during the cold nights. She saw him take a few steps towards the fireplace and then their mother followed behind him. She never said a word, but held her hand to her mouth as if to hold back a scream of fright or pleasure. Nobody knew for sure what she felt at that moment.

  Beth Bennett saw her husband flop down into an overstuffed chair with a large foot stool positioned just perfect from the warm wood stove. Her eyes darted here and there not missing the new carpet, freshly painted walls and ceiling. An old sofa that also looked new sat not far from the stove. As if the thought struck her, she hurried to the kitchen and gasped with what she saw: a completely new kitchen with all the appliances one needed for a family.

  Meanwhile, the kids went to the Christmas tree with their eyes glued to the presents sitting neatly underneath the tree. Bill slowly reached out to touch one present that he saw with his name on it. Jane followed her brother gesture. Bill turned around and looked at his father who was still staring at the fireplace as if in a daze. He heard his mother in the kitchen and decided it was ok to open his present. Jane watched as her brother looked at the wrapping with a ribbon and bow wondering how to open it. She wondered too as neither one had ever had a present that was wrapped in pretty paper.

  Bill decided that there was only one way to open the gift and that was to tear the paper off and see what was inside. In five seconds he had his present open and inside the box was a new pair of brand name sneakers. Jane did the same and she too had a pair of sneakers: his were blue and hers were pink. Both slipped them on without socks just to see what it felt like to have a new pair of shoes.

  Mother came back into the living room and said, "What is that box on the mantel?" She picked up a wooden box about the size of an average jewelry box. It was polished and shiny. The two kids, curious now, went to look at it as their mother sat on the sofa. Both kids sat next to her and with shaky hands she opened the box. What they heard next would be said each Christmas after that: "Ho – ho – ho. Merry Christmas to you and a to all a good night." Then a sound of sleigh bells were heard and Santa saying: "On Dancer, on Prancer, on ……………………………"