"We're not getting Christmas presents this year."

Thursday, December 16, 2004

There was hardly a warm breeze in the air that morning. In fact, it was as ice cold as could be. The sky was glowing with pink and gold and orange. Collette managed to collect several camera shots from the balcony before her arms froze. It was a brilliant sky to wake to, however OLeif continued to saw logs; a very tired boy was he.

Collette had been thinking about how fun it might be to be a geography teacher for a spell, for younger children, anyway. Perhaps for fourth of fifth graders. She would have them memorize the world by heart, as much as they were able. Of course, she might have a bit of a struggle teaching them the principle behind the study, the value in knowing where cities were located and which rivers joined which, but nevertheless, she would enjoy such a job.

Then her mind flashed back to her Soviet reading the previous afternoon, and how during the earlier wars, Trotsky (one of Stalin’s great enemies) had been murdered in Mexico with an ice ax. What bloody years those were; and that was the very least of what was done in that cold, far-off country.

She almost wanted the see Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” to see the second war in a different light. And then there was the book, The Velvet Room, concerning the Great Depression. She would like to read that again.

That evening, Collette came over to the house to a somewhat chaotic scene. Mom was taking Rose to Bible study, Joe was heading out the door to drop Collette off at the apartment before going to Scouts, Carrie-Bri and Rose were having it out over the shampoo bottle (as Rose had purposefully hid it from Carrie and refused to tell her where it was). Carrie was in a tizzy running late to pick up Elizabeth for a concert at The Pageant. And meanwhile, Dad, none too happy with the excess noise and haphazard commotion, was enjoying saying “no” to everyone’s requests and questions.

“Dad, do you think I could have this for Christmas?”

“We’re not getting Christmas presents this year.”

“Dad, how much can I spend?”

“No, nothing.”

“Dad, this would be the best Christmas present.”

“There’s no presents this year. We don’t have enough money to buy Christmas presents this year.” Dad insisted (but with smile lines creasing in the corners of his eyes).