A CHRISTMAS STORY
Late last week, I was rushing around trying to get some
shopping done. I was stressed out and not thinking very
fondly of the Christmas season , It was dark, cold, and wet in the
car park . As I was loading my car up with gifts that I
felt obligated to buy, I noticed that I was missing a receipt
that I might need later.
So mumbling under my breath, I retraced
my steps to the shopping centre entrance.
As I was searching the wet pavement for the lost receipt, I
heard a quiet sobbing. The crying was coming from a poorly
dressed boy of about 12 yrs old. He was short and thin. He
had no coat. He was just wearing a ragged flannel shirt to
protect him from the cold night's chill.
Oddly enough, he was holding a Fifty Pound note in his
hand. Thinking that he had gotten lost from his parents, I asked
him what was wrong. He told me his sad story. He said that he
came from a large family. He had three brothers and four
sisters. His father had died when he was nine years old. His mother
was poorly educated and worked two full time jobs. She made
very little to support her large family. Nevertheless, she had managed
to skimp and save one Hundred pound to buy her children Christmas presents.
The young boy had been dropped off, by his mother, on the way to her
second job. He was to use the money to buy presents for all his
siblings and save just enough to take the bus home. He had
not even entered the shopping centre , when an older boy
grabbed one of the fifty pound notes and disappeared into the night
"Why didn't you scream for help?" I asked. The boy said, "I
did." "And nobody came to help you?" I wondered. The boy
stared at the sidewalk and sadly shook his head. "How loud
did you scream?" I inquired. The soft-spoken boy looked up and
meekly whispered, "Help me!"
I realised that absolutely no one could have heard that
poor boy cry for help.
So I grabbed his other fifty and ran off.
Late last week, I was rushing around trying to get some
shopping done. I was stressed out and not thinking very
fondly of the Christmas season , It was dark, cold, and wet in the
car park . As I was loading my car up with gifts that I
felt obligated to buy, I noticed that I was missing a receipt
that I might need later.
So mumbling under my breath, I retraced
my steps to the shopping centre entrance.
As I was searching the wet pavement for the lost receipt, I
heard a quiet sobbing. The crying was coming from a poorly
dressed boy of about 12 yrs old. He was short and thin. He
had no coat. He was just wearing a ragged flannel shirt to
protect him from the cold night's chill.
Oddly enough, he was holding a Fifty Pound note in his
hand. Thinking that he had gotten lost from his parents, I asked
him what was wrong. He told me his sad story. He said that he
came from a large family. He had three brothers and four
sisters. His father had died when he was nine years old. His mother
was poorly educated and worked two full time jobs. She made
very little to support her large family. Nevertheless, she had managed
to skimp and save one Hundred pound to buy her children Christmas presents.
The young boy had been dropped off, by his mother, on the way to her
second job. He was to use the money to buy presents for all his
siblings and save just enough to take the bus home. He had
not even entered the shopping centre , when an older boy
grabbed one of the fifty pound notes and disappeared into the night
"Why didn't you scream for help?" I asked. The boy said, "I
did." "And nobody came to help you?" I wondered. The boy
stared at the sidewalk and sadly shook his head. "How loud
did you scream?" I inquired. The soft-spoken boy looked up and
meekly whispered, "Help me!"
I realised that absolutely no one could have heard that
poor boy cry for help.
So I grabbed his other fifty and ran off.
