The Christmas Box

The Christmas box

CHILDREN'S STORIES

 

Joey and his two elder sisters lived out of town in a place without taps. They had to depend on the rain for their water. Despite all the difficulties, they were a happy family and every Christmas was special to them. They knew this Christmas would be just as special as all the others. But this Christmas story does not start at Christmas. It started immediately after last Christmas. It started in January.

 

One day in January an old man came to visit them in their little house hanging over the valley where Joey and his sisters played; running down the hillside free as birds in the holidays and running panting up the hill on schooldays. He had been away for a long time. In fact, they hadn't seen him for more than a year. But he was a kind old man who loved the family and came to spend just a few days with them once in a while.

 

The old man was Joey's Dad's friend and while he visited with them, he made a box. All the children were excited and wondered what it was for. He worked patiently and lovingly. When he was almost finished, he carved the names of each of the family members on the box. They all thought he would take it away with him but no. On the last day of his visit, he said, "I am so sorry I missed last Christmas, but I have something for you next Christmas".

 

"How can Christmas be in January?" Asked Joey, wide eyed with wonder. "Well", explained the old man. "This box will keep all your gifts for each other till Christmas and mine is already in it". "In this little hole on top of the box, each one of you will place their gifts to each other throughout the year and on Christmas you will open the box and share out all the presents". "Wow", said Joey, "that's fantastic".

 

"And to make sure that the gifts do not go away. I have locked the box and will send the key to your Daddy on Christmas day". Everyone was so excited they could not believe that they already had a present for Christmas in January. But January, as you know, is far, far, far away from Christmas. So soon everyone forgot about it, but every once in a while they remembered to put something thing in the box.

 

Life is hard outside town and Joey's Mummy and Daddy worked hard all day, yet they made sure Joey went to school and everyone had something to eat every day. They even remembered to put something in the box for Christmas. When Joey was sent to the market to collect chicken for the neighbor, he was given one shilling that he quickly put it in the box. Everyone else in the family put something in the box during the year.

 

As Joey played down the hill and went to school up the next hill, the months went on February, March, April, May and June. By then everyone had forgotten the old man. Everyone except Dad and Mum – they never forgot anyone. His sisters were so excited and began to ask, "Why wait till December. We can open the box now and in December too" they said. "No" said Joey, and brought up the issue at suppertime. "No" Dad said, "We open it on Christmas day". That seemed to settle the matter.

 

Then there came July, august and September, then October and November. In the last week of November Joey closed school and could run down the hill all day every day until Christmas. During the first week of the holidays Joes family had a surprise visit from his friend and relative who stayed for a week. The next week Joey went to spend a week with his cousin's family too. Then is when it happened.

 

His sisters had been waiting for a chance to get to the box the whole year. And now Joey was gone they were home alone to do as they pleased with nobody to tell on them. So they said "bye" to Mum and Dad as they went off to work in the morning and sat down to plan how they were going to open the box. Just before they did so, they began to argue. "It's just a box", one said. "But Christmas is not far off why don't we just wait". "It is now or never", said the other. Joey will be back tomorrow and no one will know. "Ok" said the other.

 

With nobody else in the house, they tiptoed to the box and pulled open the lid. And with that, all the gifts flew away. They thought it was just a box, but in fact, it was a magic box. They tried to catch the gifts and push them back in the box, but they just flew out of the window and into the sky. "Now look what you've done" said one. "Me?" Said the other, "shouldn't that be WE?". "No, you did it" said the one. "And don't worry nobody will know". "But I know!!" said the other. "Oh, shut up you cry baby" said the one.

 

Joey came back the next day. "I can't believe it said Joey as he entered the house – its December and we are going to open the Christmas box in just 14 days!!!" He exclaimed. His sisters pretended to be excited. Dad and Mum were so proud that they had kept the box for a whole year, and planned a special treat for Christmas day . The box was brought to the sitting room and put on top of the fireplace where everyone could see it. All the visitors were told about the old man who had brought them the box and how his wonderful gift had made the year so special.

 

As Christmas drew nearer and nearer, Joeys' sisters couldn't bear it anymore. They cried and cried all night, but no amount of tears could bring back the gifts. In the morning, with their eyes red from crying, they told the truth about what they had done. It was all so sad and all so bad. They had broken the family promise to the old man. When Dad came home that day and listened to what they had to say, he sat down and was very, very sad too. It was now only two days to Christmas and everything was ready. When Joeys Dad rose up very slowly from his chair, it seemed as if he had grown ten years older as he said; "you know what everyone, there will still be Christmas this year and next year too, but this year there will be no gifts and next year we may never get another magic box.

 

 

Allan Bukusi 2007