the time, pour the food into a bowl and heat it in the microwave. He would have his dinner and go to sleep before his mom left for the diner. In the mornings he made them both a bowl of cereal and when she got in from work she would practically drink hers down before falling asleep and he would trudge off to school. He didn’t tell his mother, but the powers that be had gotten rid of the free lunch program at school so he just didn’t eat when there. When Chris had found out he wasn’t eating lunch, he began sharing his with Jamie.
When he finally finished stringing up the small strand of lights, he plugged it into the extension cord that ran through the small hole in the screen of the tiny kitchen window of the trailer and watched as the green lights danced about the snow, flickering as the wind moved the tree about.
Mr. Johnson stuck his head out of his door and screamed, “Turn those lights off you little asshole. No one wants to see your crappy decorations.” After spouting his usual verbal abuse, Mr. Johnson withdrew back into his trailer and slammed his door. Jamie ignored him and his ranting. He only turned around when he heard a bike pull up behind him.
His face lit up when he saw it was Chris and he said, “Hey Chris! Want something to eat?”
Chris merely shook his head and said, “Dude, nice tree.” He smiled fleetingly and then said, “Can we go inside where it’s warm for a minute. I can’t stay because my mom said I have things to do but I wanted to tell you something.”
Despite the disappointment that Chris couldn’t stay long, Jamie was happy anyway. Even just a few minutes with his friend was enough to brighten his day.
They went inside and Chris sat down on the faded and taped up vinyl cushion of the ugly yellow dining room chair. He put his head down on his arms which were folded in front of him on the rickety table and sighed before he looked up dramatically.
“We’re moving. My mom and dad are making me leave because my dad got a job that will give him more money.” He shook his head and said, “I tried to make them see reason and stay, but they won’t listen to me.”
Jamie asked, “Is it closer to me or farther away? I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a new bike. If he brings it to me, I can get anywhere you are living now.” Jamie smiled really big and looked at his friend but his smile faltered when he saw Chris was crying.
Chris said, “We are moving to California. We leave on Christmas morning.”
Jamie sat there stunned and couldn’t even talk. When he finally was able to articulate a sentence all he said was, “I have a plan. You won’t move.”
Chris just sniffled and smiled and said, “Okay.”
Chris left then and Jamie went to his small room and grabbed the letter to Santa off his little desk and tore it up and threw it on the floor. He grabbed a fresh piece of paper and began a new letter. He was ready to put his plan into action. He wasn’t' going to let Chris leave without a fight.
***
Jamie ran into the living room and handed his mother the envelope with the letter to Santa and asked her to see that Santa got it before it was too late. His mother looked down at the envelope with Santa written on the envelope in green crayon and smiled. She tucked it into the pocket of her apron and said, “I will mail it on my way to work. Now, get to bed so Santa can come. Mrs. Lawrence from next door will check in on you while I am at work.”
She walked back to his bedroom with him, tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you little man. Always remember that.” She was thinking of the letter in the apron pocket and hoping that he hadn’t asked for anything too outrageous.
“I love you too Mommy,” said Jamie. He turned over and buried his face in the pillow and she left the trailer, opening the envelope to read the letter as she walked to work.
ALMOST TWENTY YEARS LATER
“All I remember being good about Christmas that year was that Mr.
When he finally finished stringing up the small strand of lights, he plugged it into the extension cord that ran through the small hole in the screen of the tiny kitchen window of the trailer and watched as the green lights danced about the snow, flickering as the wind moved the tree about.
Mr. Johnson stuck his head out of his door and screamed, “Turn those lights off you little asshole. No one wants to see your crappy decorations.” After spouting his usual verbal abuse, Mr. Johnson withdrew back into his trailer and slammed his door. Jamie ignored him and his ranting. He only turned around when he heard a bike pull up behind him.
His face lit up when he saw it was Chris and he said, “Hey Chris! Want something to eat?”
Chris merely shook his head and said, “Dude, nice tree.” He smiled fleetingly and then said, “Can we go inside where it’s warm for a minute. I can’t stay because my mom said I have things to do but I wanted to tell you something.”
Despite the disappointment that Chris couldn’t stay long, Jamie was happy anyway. Even just a few minutes with his friend was enough to brighten his day.
They went inside and Chris sat down on the faded and taped up vinyl cushion of the ugly yellow dining room chair. He put his head down on his arms which were folded in front of him on the rickety table and sighed before he looked up dramatically.
“We’re moving. My mom and dad are making me leave because my dad got a job that will give him more money.” He shook his head and said, “I tried to make them see reason and stay, but they won’t listen to me.”
Jamie asked, “Is it closer to me or farther away? I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a new bike. If he brings it to me, I can get anywhere you are living now.” Jamie smiled really big and looked at his friend but his smile faltered when he saw Chris was crying.
Chris said, “We are moving to California. We leave on Christmas morning.”
Jamie sat there stunned and couldn’t even talk. When he finally was able to articulate a sentence all he said was, “I have a plan. You won’t move.”
Chris just sniffled and smiled and said, “Okay.”
Chris left then and Jamie went to his small room and grabbed the letter to Santa off his little desk and tore it up and threw it on the floor. He grabbed a fresh piece of paper and began a new letter. He was ready to put his plan into action. He wasn’t' going to let Chris leave without a fight.
***
Jamie ran into the living room and handed his mother the envelope with the letter to Santa and asked her to see that Santa got it before it was too late. His mother looked down at the envelope with Santa written on the envelope in green crayon and smiled. She tucked it into the pocket of her apron and said, “I will mail it on my way to work. Now, get to bed so Santa can come. Mrs. Lawrence from next door will check in on you while I am at work.”
She walked back to his bedroom with him, tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you little man. Always remember that.” She was thinking of the letter in the apron pocket and hoping that he hadn’t asked for anything too outrageous.
“I love you too Mommy,” said Jamie. He turned over and buried his face in the pillow and she left the trailer, opening the envelope to read the letter as she walked to work.
ALMOST TWENTY YEARS LATER
“All I remember being good about Christmas that year was that Mr.
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