Christmas choices

Eddie stumped along the dark sidewalk in his jeans and work boots, his hands jammed deep into the pockets of his jacket against the December night. He had been working outside all day and the chill had settled into the soles of his feet. His foreman had just paid him for the week and he had three hundred seven dollars cash in his left front pocket. It was five days to Christmas.

Passing a house with a lighted tree in the front window he caught a whiff of wood smoke. That and the cold night made him think of warmth. Warmth made him think of heat, and heat made him remember the 2-day notice from the power company lying on the card table in his rented dining room. The dining room that doubled as his kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Keeping the lights and heat on would take all but twenty-six dollars of his pay.

But twenty-six dollars is more than nothing, and as he walked on past Smokie’s and heard the laughter and smelled the blend of stale beer and cigarette smoke, he wanted to drop inside, just to say hi, and to warm up. But it was five days to Christmas.

Instead he warmed up at the corner market. He had made a complete tour of the three short aisles before he started to thaw. He then set about gathering some supplies for the next week. The cheapest cut of meat is still too rich for twenty-six dollars and so he settled for beans and rice, a half gallon of milk, half a dozen eggs, a few other staples and some red apples for Buddy when he would come from his mother’s on Sunday. On the way to the checkout he weakened and threw in a chocolate bar. What’s Christmas without something sweet to share with your kid?

He chatted up the sales clerk for as long as he thought he could get by, then headed back out to the dark street. There were now two dollars in his jeans that didn’t already belong to somebody else. How was guy supposed to make Christmas happen on two dollars and change? He liked his job ok, but he hated never having enough to make it. He hated the cold. As he walked past a bell ringer he looked the other way. Charity wouldn’t be so bad if he could just once be on the other end of it.

Reaching the corner where he should turn down to his apartment, he stopped in a pool of light under the street lamp. He brushed the smeared mud off the toes of his boots while he debated with himself. Finally he straightened up and turned away from his street down toward the Fire House.

In one empty bay of the garage the Marine Reserves had set up a “Toys for Tots” distribution center. Long tables were piled with new unwrapped toys people had donated. When Eddie stepped inside it was bright and warm. He signed in and then took his time picking out something for Buddy.

Once he looked up across the table and recognized another man from the site. The big man with rough weathered hands was evaluating a bright pink box with a fashion doll inside. The man looked up and Eddie didn’t grin, but tossed him a nod of recognition. The little girl had a father that cared. That’s all Eddie saw.
Eddie passed up the toy cap pistol and chose a chubby teddy bear. He didn’t get to spend near enough time with his son, but the bear would. As he was making his way quietly back to the door, someone spoke and he turned.

“Do you want to wrap that?”

“Excuse me?”

“The bear, do you want to wrap it?”

One table was spread out with rolls of bright wrapping paper, tape and scissors. A woman ahead of him finished wrapping up an Elmo, and then it was his turn. Eddie chose the gaudiest paper he could find and using a good deal more than was needed managed to get all the corners taped down tight.

“How much?” Eddie ventured, praying under his breath that two dollars would cover it.

“All the paper was donated to us, sir. We couldn’t charge. God bless you.”

Eddie handed off the scissors to the big man with the pink doll and said, “Merry Christmas!”

May you know the joys of giving
and of receiving this Christmas.
We have all been given so very much
from God and from our fellow man.
Christmas is to share.
God bless you.