AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS

The Sicilian Storyteller

Graphic by Mckenna Richy

Yay! Daddy’s bringing down the boxes of Christmas decorations from the attic! There’s a bunch of plastic tubs with a million trillion ornaments in them and a ginormous box with the tree. Daddy’s saying bad words ‘cause the box is heavy; he said ‘he’s busting his hump’. I never saw a hump on my Daddy. Mommy keeps slapping his arm and telling him to be quiet. Mommy said it’s Christmas Eve and we gotta put up the tree and cook all this stinky fish for dinner. Yuck! I wanna have pizza but she said no ‘cause fish is the Italian trabition, whatever that is. 

Oh no! The tree is broken! Why can’t we have a real tree like my friend Susie? Her family cuts a tree down and I think it smells just like the forest. Daddy says it’s ok; the tree isn’t broken. It comes in pieces like a puzzle and we gotta put it together. I’m gonna go play with my Colorforms now. I don’t wanna put the tree together. It’s boring. I just wanna hang ornaments and hold tinsel against the hot lights until it melts and snaps in half. How cool is that? Daddy always lifts me way up high to put the angel on the tippy top of the tree. 

Daddy’s calling me. Wow! The tree is covered with lights and it’s time to hang the ornaments! Mommy has a box that nobody’s allowed to touch ‘cause it’s got all her special ornaments. I don’t know what’s so special about them. I’ve got a Gumby and Pokey ornament. Now THAT’S special! I gotta use the stepstool to reach the higher branches. Mommy says I better not fall in the tree like I did last year. Boy, did she get mad! Finally it’s time for the angel and Daddy lifts me way up high to reach the top. She’s the most beautiful angel I’ve ever seen and I just wanna stare at her all night. 

Ding! Dong! Yay! Grammy and Grampy are here! Grampy says the fish smells delicious. Pee yoo! I’m not gonna eat it. I’m just gonna have some pisgetti. After dinner Mommy says we gotta get dressed for church. I don’t wanna go but Grammy says it’ll be sinning if we don’t go. 

Oh man! There’s no place to park at church and Daddy’s saying more bad words. Mommy’s slapping his arm again. FINALLY we park and go inside. Whoa! It’s so pretty! So many candles and twinkly lights. And there must be a zillion people! Grampy says they’re all a bunch of phonies. Boy, Grammy gave him a really big punch on the arm! We squeeze onto a bench and I snuggle into Mommy’s fur coat. It’s so soft and warm. I just wanna go to sleep. Maybe I can nap for just a little while ‘cause Santa’s coming tonight and I’m gonna stay up all night and wait for him. 

Woohoo! I did it! I stayed up all ni….. 

Wait a minute. How’d I get in my jammies? And I’m in bed! It’s Christmas morning and I missed Santa! I ran down the stairs ’cause I could smell the bacon and pancakes that Mommy’s making. Yay!! Santa came! Santa came! Look at all the presents! Mommy says breakfast first, then we can open the presents.

I never ate so fast in my whole life!! 

NAR © 2018

26 thoughts on “AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS”

  4. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I used to love midnight mass and you are right on with the lack of parking and the heavy crowds, also, the scent of alcohol was overwhelming when you turned to shake hands at the ‘kiss of peace’. Good times.

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    1. Hahaha!!! That’s so funny and true! I haven’t been to mass in quite a while and I was always in the choir loft, but I remember people rolling in feeling no pain. How they even remembered to show up (and stand up) is a real wonder! 🥃

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    1. Oh, I love that story, D! Sleigh bells on Christmas Eve! What a wondrous time for children everywhere. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story and the memories it evoked. Kids need to cling to their dreams for as long as possible and keeping Santa alive is one of the most magical ways to do it!

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  10. There is nothing like the memories of childhood Christmas…I dare anyone to argue against that.
    In fact, I would very much like to have in front of me the teacher who said to the 8 year old I met yesterday (in class) that there is no Santa and blah, blah…I would give her a big piece of cake(my mind) and some Gatekeeper desert🤬

    I loved the slap/punch to the left arm of the males of the family!
    And the wait for Santa…dammit, every year we thought we were ready but no…which makes me think if my mom used some mild sleeping agent in our soup😆

    Nancy, thank you (and John) for reviving those treasured moments🎅🎄
    May I wish you and your family love, health and abundance of whatever you think is important.
    Your friendship is a treasured gift🎁💝
    Buon Natale, Nancy cara mia.

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    1. Buon Natale to you and yours, Nick. Why someone feels the need to ruin a child’s imaginings is beyond me and I, too, would have given that teacher a piece of my mind! They are genuinely unhappy people.
      I enjoyed getting into my childhood character; that’s pretty much what it was like when I was a kid – stinky fish and all. And I always fell asleep in church resting against my mother’s fur coat.
      It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year, caro mio. Your friendship is also a precious gift to me. 💝

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