It
was the 24th December, Christmas eve, and Francesco sadly
was looking out of the window of his room that overlooked the
Palazzaccio, he was looking at the ancient town of Artena, and
thinking how beautiful was his town. A fine light rain was falling
down throughout the countryside, the temperature was low, and all
this accentuated the sadness of the child, but why was Francesco sad
at Christmas night, the moment that all were waiting for all year? 
Francesco expected to wake up with a good show in front of him , a
snowy white landscape, that the night before had been promised by
the Lord of meteo.
Other times years ago they had lied announcing snow that actually
had never fallen, but the child had believed every year and hoped
continuously.
His Grandpa continued to repeat : <<Here in Artena the snow, if God
wants it, will fall on the last days of January. I’ve never seen
snow on Christmas eve here, and I’m very old!>>
Francesco didn’t believe him, even if he loved him.
It
was time to go the basement kitchen to help his mother prepare the
big dinner. He left his room very fast and “fell down” for two
flights of stairs. When he arrived downstairs he saw his mother
preparing pasta and before going to help he stopped to look at the
Presepe, that on 8 December his big brother and his dad had built
with so much care: there were shepherds, housewives, cute woods,
sheep, the pond and fountain, the angels and then the hut; he stoped
at itand saw Mary, Joseph, the ox and the little donkey... and baby
Jesus? He was not there, the manger was empty, where had he gone?
He
asked his mum for explanations and she told him lovingly: <<Jesus is
not born yet, you will see him tomorrow when you gets up>>.
Francesco remembered that Jesus was born on 25, so to to see him
first he would have to stay up until midnight, but he knew that his
mother did not allow him to goo to bed so late.
In
the evening the first relatives started to arrive, all the
grandparents, uncles, cousins and then everyone sat down around the
massive wooden table and joyfully had their dinner. 
After dinner, his mother brought the traditional Christmas cakes,
Panettone and Pandoro, which Francesco liked heated in the oven.
After playing tombola (bingo) and cards all together by 11 o’clock
the sleep began to be felt by the child, so he accepted the advice
of her mother and went to bed, because he was very tired. While he
was going to sleep he thought againg about the story of Jesus, he
thought that he could make snow, so could fulfill this little desire
that Santa Claus had never done. He listened to the rain that was
beginning to be heavy and started to ask Jesus with all his heart to
transform that damned water in white snow to play all day after, and
while repeating the same prayer finally he fell asleep. 
The next day he woke up later than usual, and went down slowly in
the kitchen to give his wishes to his parents and brother, but he
didn’t look at the windows ...
His mother told him: <<Have you seen what's out?>> Francesco was
still sleepy and did not give much consideration to his mother while
he was drinking his hot milk. He came back to his room and he opened
his window’s shutters. All of a sudden he was surrounded by a
blinding light that for a little time obscured his view, then slowly
opened his eyes: in front of him opened the view that he had always
hoped, the village was completely whitewashed and that was
beautiful. The children were playing around and laughing with the
sledges that their grandparents used when they were young. Francesco
was in seventh heaven, he got dressed as fast as a rocket and
immediately went outside, followed shortly after by the family ready
to go to the Church. Along the streets some workers were shoveling
the snow from the streets and everyone was cheerful and happy. After
the Mass he returned home and came immediately to his grandfather
that exclaimed: << I didn’t remember a similar snowfall since
1956!>> and Francesco had heard a lot of times the story of that
event , but he never would have dreamed of reviving it after so many
years! The child stood in front of the Presepe and saw the baby
Jesus in the manger finally appeared and stopped to see him with his
little open arms who said: <<Are you happy?>> and Francesco said
nodding: <<Thanks...>> and went outside the house to enjoy the
special day.
noni_peers