John's Blog And Short Stories
John's Blog and Short Stories
As a child I loved to write. I would write short stories and read them to my friends. I remember my first short story. The title was "Too Many Mysteries." I never finished that short story. But as I grew older, I wrote more and more short stories. Then when I was 19 years old, I signed up for a short story writing course at Famous Writer's School. It was a home study course. About five years later I sent my first story to a magazine. I received a rejection slip with a hand written note. In college I received a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. As an engineer I wrote test procedures. Writing was still my hobby. About three years ago, I joined Associate Content. I published numerous short stories, political articles and technical tutorials on Associated Content. Associated Content was bought by Yahoo.
The Story Of Our Christmas
This true story was originally published by me on Associated Content now owned by Yahoo. My pen name on Yahoo is John Mario
I remember when I was a child. I was so excited on Christmas Eve that I rarely finished my meal. That was the only day of the year when my mom and dad didn't insist on my finishing my meal. All I could think about was the Christmas presents sitting under the Christmas tree. No, Santa Claus had not come yet. But my mom and dad always had some gifts for us to open on Christmas Eve. Those were the gifts from mom and dad. Our gifts (my brothers and I) from Santa Claus would arrive sometime during the night.
As I grew older, I became more and more aware of family problems that sometimes could not be set aside on any day, not even Christmas. My dad had suffered a nervous and mental breakdown at the end of his duties in the US Army during the second World War. The problems due to his experiences during the war and his breakdown were almost always present. He did his best for all of us and did exceptionally well bringing in an income when I consider how difficult it was for him to work and how easy it would have been for him to sit back and collect disability.
When my wife was a child, she always had a joyful Christmas. Her mom and dad would not talk about problems during Christmas Eve nor Christmas Day.
About a week before Christmas, her dad and mom would take her to a local Christmas Tree Farm to pick the perfect Christmas tree for cutting. They would bring the tree home tied to the top of the car. Joyce was so excited she could hardly hold it in. She would assist her dad cutting the trunk of the tree to the right size to fit in the family tree stand. Then the family would settle down and decorate the tree.
The family tree was not just a decoration for a few days. In fact, the tree became almost a family pet. A family pet that was left up, watered and fussed over; sometimes for over a month and mourned when taken down.
So the Christmas season difficulties that arose when we got first were married were almost unavoidable. Joyce was extremely enthusiastic about Christmas. She truly enjoyed decorating, shopping and Christmas shopping. Christmas was often not a happy occasion for me. I was far less enthusiastic then Joyce. This Joyce could not understand not knowing my background. We got through Christmas, but I had disappointed Joyce. I was not as enthusiastic as she was and that was a downer for her.
Joyce would put Christmas reed on the front door. She would set up a Dickens Christmas village in a table in the dinette. She would set up the Christmas tree and the Nativity scene on a folding table in the living room and have various Christmas decorations on the walls. I had never seen this during my younger years and thought it was a bit overdone. It wasn't. At least, it wasn't for Joyce.
I remember the year we had seen Jurassic Park. I had bought a toy T-Rex. It was just the right height for the Dickens Christmas village. So, while she was not looking, I placed it in the Christmas village. We also had a toy hippopotamus. I placed that in the line waiting to see the baby Jesus in the nativity scene. The expression on Joyce's face when she saw them made the whole joke worthed. When she protested, I said, "Well, they're God's creatures too!"
Christmas Eve: A Short Story
I originally published this humorous short story on Associated Content which is owned by Yahoo!
On Christmas Eve, the setting sun was hidden by a layer of clouds. It was an unusually warm night in a very trusting neighborhood: warmest night on record.
The front door was open and only a locked screen door prevented the little boy from coming out. The boy held a new toy while glancing through the screen door. Then the boy disappeared.
A stranger dressed in dark clothes walked slowly down the street and paused at the two story house.
The stranger noted that the task of adding aluminum sidings was complete. He looked between that house and the next house and then up at the roof. He heard happy sounds of a young baby giggling inside the house.
Mom and Dad always gave the kids presents on Christmas Eve. It was a family tradition. Of course, the presents the kids wanted most were not there until Christmas morning!
Soon as little Joey was placed on the floor, he crawled towards the shiny truck sitting near the Christmas tree. When Joey went to touch the truck, dad used the remote control to move the truck away from Joey and further from the Christmas tree. Joey let out a joyful squeal and then quickly crawled toward the truck. Just as Joey reached the truck, dad used remote control to move the truck closer to Joey's bedroom. Joey giggled and crawled towards the truck again. Dad kept doing this until the truck was by Joey's crib. Then he picked up Joey and put him in the crib.
Dad simply could not believe that his other son Jay had not been down to see his new presents. Was Jay sick? Dad looked over all the presents. Sure enough, one present was missing.
"Jay" Yelled dad.
Jay came out of his bedroom.
"Aren't you going to open the rest of your presents?"
"They're all clothes." Said Jay.
"Are you sure?" Asked Dad
"Yeah." Said Jay as he walked back into his bedroom.
"Jay!" Said Dad
"What." Yelled Jay from his bedroom.
"Come back out here." Said Dad
He heard a long sigh and then saw Jay standing at the bedroom door.
"Where's my truck?" Asked Jay.
Dad laughed. The truck was the only present Jay had opened on Christmas Eve, "Santa Claus wants to know if he could have your truck."
"No!" Said Jay, "Where is it?"
Dad took it out from behind his back.
Jay came running over and reached for it.
Dad held the truck out of his reach.
Jay jumped trying to grab the truck. Then he saw the remote control on the floor and grabbed that. Jay ran to the front screen door again and then ran into his bedroom with the remote control.
Dad laughed and put the truck on the floor. He wondered what attracted Jay's attention outside. He walked over to the screen door and glanced outside. He saw no one. So he turned his attention back to his children.
The man in the dark clothes had left the area. But he would be back.
"Okay, Jay. Time for bed." Yelled Dad.
Jay came running out of his bedroom and glanced at the fireplace. The wood was glowing red.
His older brother, Bill, came out and teased Jay. "Waiting for Santa to come down the chimney?"
Jay smiled but said nothing. He jumped up and down for joy.
"You know what's going to happen when Santa lands in that fire place. Don't you?"
Jay looked amused.
"Yeee ow!" Yelled Bill slapping his behind as if he were trying to put a fire out and running round the room.
"Bill," Said Dad, "Time for bed."
Jay looked from Bill to Dad.
Dad smiled, "Don't listen to your older brother. Santa will be here tonight and he won't get hurt."
Jay seemed satisfied with his Dad's reassurance. If Dad said so, it must be true.
Dad knew the boys would not go to sleep until Mom came home from work, but sending them to their rooms would provide him a little peace and quiet. He knew when Mom came because Jay and Bill came running out of their bedroom and Joey started crying. Mom came in and hugged the two boys and then went in the bedroom to pick up Joey. Then she kissed Dad and sent the two boys to bed while putting Joey back in the crib.
At four in the morning, the stranger returned. This time he was dressed as Santa Claus. He decided to give the boys a real treat. The first noise they heard were several hard balls bouncing down the slanted roof. Then Santa Claus walked around the back and opened the back door.
Jay heard the noise on the roof. He sat up in his bed thinking "Santa's here!"
Bill was already up. Bill reached into his box of toys and pulled out a sling shot and a box of checkers. "The real Santa would never come in the back door!"
Bill looked in the living room to see Santa bent over, laying toys under the Christmas tree. Bill aimed his slingshot and fired a checker into Santa's behind.
"Yeee ow!" Shouted Santa putting his hand over the sore spot.
Jay jumped out of bed. "Oh no! Bill was right!" Jay ran out of his bedroom yelling, "Dad! Mom! Santa got hurt in the fire place!"
Mom and Dad sat up and gave each other a puzzled look. Then they started laughing. They came out into the living room and saw Bill aiming his sling shot. Dad grabbed the sling shot.
"Sorry, Santa." said Mom.
"That's not the real Santa!" Exclaimed Bill. "The real Santa does not come in the back door. He comes down the chimney!"
Santa winked his eye at Bill and said, "Can't land on the roof. No snow. Want to see my sleigh and reindeer? Had to park them in the street."
Bill and Jay looked out the front window. Their mouths opened wide as they saw eight reindeer attached to a large red sleigh in the center of the road.
"Wow! There are reindeer!" Said Bill.
"See? I told you!" Said Jay.
"Bill." Said Mom, "Don't you have something you want to say to Santa?"
Bill looked sheepish.
Mom gave Bill a stern look.
"I'm sorry, Santa." Said Bill.
Santa was still rubbing his behind. "That's okay. You were only trying to protect your family." He paused, "But if you ever do that again ..."
Bill looked at the floor. "I won't"
"Promise?" Asked Santa as he winked at Bill.
"You bet I promise!" Said Bill.
Santa walked over and gave Bill and Jay a loving hug.
"How'd you get the sleigh over here?" Asked Jay.
"That's Christmas Magic, Jay." Santa said as he opened the front door.
Santa jumped into his sleigh and waved to the children.
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to all!" Then he called each reindeer and shouted, "Away!"
The reindeer and sleigh slowly rose off the ground and into the sky. It got smaller and smaller until it disappeared.
This was one Christmas even Mom and Dad would remember!
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