Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: STEAM (12/03/15)
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TITLE: The Christmas Train Whistle | Previous Challenge Entry
By LeslieJean Anderson
12/08/15 -
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“Mommy, wake up!”
I jerked awake, and saw my daughter holding up a pink-haired dolly.
“Look what Santa brought me!”
Squinting at the doll I'd wrapped hours ago, I pushed a grin on my face and tried to prop myself up from my dozing place on the carpet by the Christmas tree. I could hear a tea kettle whistling.
“Wonderful, Sweetie,” I mumbled, swallowing a yawn.
Heaving my cold and complaining bones off the floor, I headed for the kitchen. “Santa’s elves did a good job on her pink hair. Do you like it?”
“I love her, Mommy. I named her Candy because her hair looks like yummy candy cotton.”
“Good name,” I said through the steam billowing out the top of the loudly whistling tea kettle. This must be the train whistle in my dream, I thought.
“Where’s your brother, Sweetie?”
“He’s in his new room with the train set Santa brought him.”
“Tell him to come into our new kitchen for Christmas cocoa with big fat marshmallows. And some sugar doughnuts.”
As I watched her pony tail bounce down the hall, I smiled through the aches and pains of a sleepless night. This was our first Christmas alone and I had barely pulled everything together. But it had been worth all the work to surprise them with the tree and presents – all wrapped up in a brand-new house they had never seen until I’d driven up the driveway a couple of hours before.
I had closed on the house Christmas Eve. After I had received the key, I bought a little pre-decorated tree and some stockings with money left over from the down payment. I had hastily wrapped all their presents and stuffed the stockings. Then I arranged them all under the tree. Not wanting to leave the children alone too long in our tiny apartment, I didn’t take time to do much more than that.
But it was enough. I had left the lights on in every room, and you could see the Christmas tree through the huge living room window. So when we drove up the driveway in the early morning darkness, the house looked like an enormous twinkling Christmas gift.
The children had scrambled out of the van and dashed up to the front door. I’d stuck an oversized bow there, plus a large sign made to look like a giant gift tag. My son had read it, loud enough for everyone to hear, including the still-sleeping neighbors:
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE WOODSON FAMILY
LOVE, SANTA CLAUSE
P.S. Toys inside
The children had jumped up and down while I’d fumbled for the key. Then, bursting into the living room, they ran to the Christmas tree squealing with delight. They didn’t seem to notice the total absence of furniture in the new house. Or their mother falling asleep on the floor.
Now, sipping cocoa at the counter with them, I prayed silently, "May I never forget the wonder on the faces of my children, Lord. This is a Christmas only You could have pulled off. May I never forget to be grateful."
“Hey, Mom,” said my son. “I think there’s one more present under the tree. It has your name on it so we didn’t open it.”
He slid off the built-in bar stool and ran to the tree to fetch the one thing I had wrapped for myself.
As I opened it in front of the children, tears came to my eyes. I pulled out a camel, a donkey and a lamb. Next came Mary, Joseph, a shepherd and three Wise Men. Then at last a manger and a baby. I arranged them all on the countertop.
“When Jesus was first born, kids, He was actually homeless. He had to share a room with some animals in a barn. But God loved Him enough to send special gifts through the three Wise Men. That is why we give gifts at Christmas - to show our love. Eventually God led Joseph and Mary to a safe new home for the baby Jesus.”
Suddenly I heard a train whistle in the distance and remembered there were train tracks a few blocks away. I whispered, "Thank you, God, for leading us safely home."
738 words This is a work of fiction, based on a true story.
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Beautifully done.
God bless~