A Christmas Story

 

            Once upon a time in a continent far away, lived a very wealthy man named Jack. He had all those things everyone dreamt of, but…… he was so lonely and joyless! He was living alone in a luxury, big house, he had no friends nor family, nobody visited him, but most of all he hated “Christmas”. The tall beautiful Christmas trees with the colorful balls, the thousand small lights that garlanded each house and neighborhood, the bright stars in the shop windows, the roads and the squares made him furious. Even Santa Claus with his presents and the joyful carols coming from the sweet little kids made him nervous and depressing!

            Till one day, just before Christmas Eve, when a very poor family moved into the house next to him. It was a wonderful family, the parents with their four children.

They were very poor but the smiles on their faces showed how happy they were even though they had so few things in life. The small laughter’s, the games, the Christmas songs made the family so cheerful. But of course not Jack, he couldn’t stand it and often yelled “Stop now, stop at once”!! He was so cruel, that one night when everyone went to sleep, he silently moved outside the courtyard, and ruined the snowman the kids were making all day with such enthusiasm and happiness.

            Finally, it was Christmas Eve. The four children could not sleep all night. They were so excited and impatient, that finally the day has come to sing the Christmas carols! They woke up very early in the morning, got dressed and hand in hand they knocked Jacks door with a big smile on their faces. But oh, what a pity! Jack for one more time was so bad!

Not only he did not give them even a small candy, but he shouted out so loud:

            - Go away, silly children, with your stupid songs, there is no such thing as Christmas, go, go away !

            The small children could not understand what this so bad man was saying. They kept on smiling, and very sweetly they said:

            - Sir, would you like to come for dinner tonight to our small and poor house?

We have nothing special to offer you but only love!

 

            That night Jack could not sleep! The children’s faces and their so sweet voices came again and again in his mind! How could he be so mean?

 

            Next morning Jack stayed home. He was so sad! He stayed all day peeping out in street from the small kitchen window. People were walking full of happiness and presents. Parents were walking with their children who were running up and down, playing with the snow, laughs, excitement and joy! Young couples firmly hugged and so in love. So many people were sharing love and happiness with all the people around them, offering help, food and presents to the poor and weak people.

 

            Then he turned again his face to his neighbors. They had so few to eat; a plate of soup for each one was enough. Even if they had no heat in their house to keep them warm, even if they had no toys or books to read it was so obvious that their hearts were full of warmness and joy. They did not ask for anything more, they were happy!

He slowly moved towards the inside of his house, looked around the expensive furniture and pictures on the walls. There were thousand of books and all those tiny things that cost a fortune. It seemed so dark and silent. He just then realized how empty it was!

-         “My God”, he whispered. “I spent my life so lonely. I have so much money but I am so miserable. That’s it” he shouted.

He didn’t want to loose a single minute in his life. He jumped out and at once and found himself in a big mall. How happy he was! He silently sung the carols with the people around him. He was so polite and generous with everyone. He bought so many toys and presents. He at last felt like a small child! He spent so many hours in the mall, but seemed to him only a minute.  Jack finally reached his neighbors’ house. He knocked on the door shilly-shally. With laughs the small children ran to open the door. They welcomed him in their small and poor house. It was the most brilliant time in his life! Even if the table was poor, without much food and sweets for Christmas Eve, even if the house was cold, he felt so full of everything and so warm in his heart. Anything else was meaningless for him. He had never felt like this before in his life. So full of love and people around him to share with him his happiness. That day changed his life!!

            Now Jack was anxiously waiting for Christmas time through all the year, but most of all Jack became a better man. He lived many Christmas Eves and each one of them was so special for him .He surely had taken his lesson!     

 

 

Chris Dalatsoudis

2^nd High School of Komotini,

Greece