| Teresa and Bobby had lost almost everything | | | | tree. He paused for a moment, unable to believe |
| when the hurricane ravaged the bayou. Flood | | | | his eyes. Teresa stood in the kitchen and |
| waters had swallowed up the meager little house | | | | watched as Bobby raced down the hallway and |
| in which they had lived, and had taken everything | | | | dropped to his knees in front of the presents. |
| with it. Yet, Teresa considered herself fortunate, | | | | One by one, Bobby picked up the gifts, shook it |
| because she had managed to pack some clothes, | | | | gently by either ear, and gave each one a hug. He |
| pillows, and a box of photographs in the trunk of | | | | touched each gift and ran his fingers over the |
| her car before escaping with her son. The two of | | | | packing, ribbons, and bows, without opening it or |
| them lived in the back seat of that car for | | | | uttering a single word. Then, just as suddenly, he |
| several months. Teresa took jobs wherever she | | | | ran to the window and looked out into the street. |
| could to earn enough money for food, and to put | | | | "What are you looking at?" asked Teresa. |
| a little away each month with the hope to return | | | | Bobby looked up at the sky, then down to the |
| to the bayou with her son Bobby. The old house | | | | street in both directions. "I am looking for Santa |
| was gone, but the bayou was their home. She | | | | Claus and the firemen," explained Bobby. |
| was determined to start again, to make a life for | | | | Satisfied that there was nobody outside the |
| them, and to give them new hope. | | | | apartment, Bobby turned and asked his mother, |
| When they returned to the Bayou, Teresa found | | | | "Can I open them?" |
| work with her former employer. Jacques ran a | | | | Teresa smiled and nodded to Bobby. He raced |
| small grocery store in the center of town. He was | | | | back to the Christmas tree and reorganized the |
| also in the process of rebuilding after the flood | | | | presents into a ring around himself on the floor. |
| waters had devastated his business and | | | | Teresa was amazed by the meticulous manner |
| everything inside it. Whatever had not been | | | | with which Bobby opened each gift. Rather than |
| scavenged by looters before the storm was | | | | tear the wrapping and rip into each box, Bobby |
| washed away in the torrent of the waters. It had | | | | carefully removed the tape and unfolded the |
| taken months to salvage enough of the store to | | | | wrapping paper. He would then lay the paper like a |
| maintain canned goods, diapers, batteries, and | | | | tablecloth on the floor, open each box at one end, |
| other non-perishable items that were necessary | | | | and place the contents on top of the box like a |
| to sustain the slow return of habitants to the | | | | small shrine. Despite the limited number of gifts, |
| bayou. Giving Teresa her job back was as | | | | this concentrated process took Bobby all morning |
| important to Jacques as it was to Teresa, it was | | | | and most of the afternoon to open each present |
| an unspoken recognition that they would | | | | and place it accordingly. By late afternoon, Bobby |
| overcome. | | | | was sitting with his mother on the couch, eating |
| Jacques was a gentle and soft spoken man, | | | | his Chef Boyardee, and admiring the small shrines |
| except when he laughed. When he found | | | | and small stacks of toys, boxes, and wrapping |
| something funny, Jacques would roll his head back | | | | paper. Bobby did not play with any of the toys |
| and his infectious laughter would echo throughout | | | | that day. From time to time he would pick one |
| the store. When he laughed, as he frequently | | | | up, give it a soft hug, and then run back to the |
| would, he would place his large hands on either | | | | couch to cuddle with his mother. The two of |
| side of his large belly as it shook up and down. | | | | them watched the presents twinkle under the dim |
| Jacques was very happy to have Teresa back in | | | | glow of the tree lights with rapt attention into the |
| his store and operating the front counter. Jacques | | | | evening. |
| was particularly fond of Bobby, and of the jokes | | | | Very early the next morning, Teresa was startled |
| that Bobby would tell. No matter how many times | | | | from her sleep by noises in the apartment. She |
| that Bobby would repeat the same knock-knock | | | | tiptoed to the door of her bedroom and looked |
| jokes, Jacques would roll with laughter as if he | | | | down the hall. She was surprised to see the soft |
| had never heard it before. | | | | glow of the lights from the Christmas tree. The |
| In addition to paying Teresa her normal weekly | | | | lights had been turned off at night, to conserve |
| wages, Jacques would give Teresa a box full of | | | | and reduce cost of the electricity. But there, |
| dented cans to take home every Friday. Jacques | | | | beneath the soft glow of the white lights, was a |
| claimed that he could not sell the dented cans and | | | | ring of brightly wrapped presents and cans of |
| did not want to leave them on the shelves. | | | | Chef Boyardee around the base of the Christmas |
| Jacques also knew that Bobby was particularly | | | | tree. |
| fond of Chef Boyardee. Every Thursday evening, | | | | Teresa slipped quietly down the hallway, not sure |
| after Teresa was gone for the day, Jacques | | | | what to think of what she saw in front of her. |
| would walk through the store and gather an | | | | The wrapping paper was very familiar, as were |
| assortment of soups, tuna fish, various canned | | | | the slightly dented cans of Chef Boyardee. She |
| goods, and a selection of Chef Boyardee. When | | | | quickly checked the front door, but it was still |
| the box was full, Jacques would take the items to | | | | locked. Then she looked around the room and |
| a counter in the stockroom and carefully use a | | | | saw Bobby sitting quietly on the floor, beside the |
| hammer to put a dent in each can. Jacques knew | | | | Christmas tree, a present in his small hands. |
| that Teresa was too proud and too conscientious | | | | Bobby's face turned up to look at his mother. His |
| to take the food if he were to simply offer it to | | | | brown eyes were round and wide, shining and full |
| her as charity, so he would gently dent each one | | | | of tears. Streaks and stains lined his little round |
| just enough to make it inappropriate for sale in | | | | cheeks from the tears that had run down his |
| the store. Teresa never questioned how the | | | | face. A few tear drops still clung to his quivering |
| store accumulated an entire box each week, but | | | | chin, and his body shook with silent sobs as his |
| she was always grateful to take home the | | | | fingers caressed the tape and wrapping paper on |
| canned goods with her paycheck on Friday. Quite | | | | the present in his lap. |
| often, after paying the other bills, the dented cans | | | | Teresa stood stunned for only a moment before |
| provided the only food that sustained Teresa and | | | | rushing to the side of her little child. She placed |
| Bobby until the next paycheck. | | | | her hands on his shaking shoulders, looking into his |
| Christmas was an especially important time for | | | | sad eyes and wanting to make sure that he was |
| Teresa. She was determined to make this | | | | unharmed. The reflection from the lights from the |
| Christmas special for Bobby, despite their | | | | Christmas tree danced in Bobby's eyes and |
| circumstances. They had saved enough money to | | | | sparkled on his tear stained cheeks. As Teresa |
| rent an apartment, buy a small Christmas tree, | | | | looked at the presents and dented cans that |
| and a single string of white lights. For the last six | | | | surrounded them on the floor, she suddenly |
| months, Teresa preserved a few dollars from | | | | realized why they had looked so familiar. The |
| every paycheck to put aside into a fund for | | | | presents were the same ones that Bobby had |
| Christmas presents. This holiday was to be a | | | | opened the morning before, in the same wrapping |
| crowning achievement, a symbol of survival, to | | | | paper that he had meticulously placed beneath the |
| have enough money to buy gifts and still have | | | | boxes, and surrounded by dented cans of Chef |
| money to pay the rent. Teresa could not wait to | | | | Boyardee from their own cupboard. |
| see the expression on her son's face on | | | | "I want to take these to the big boxes for the |
| Christmas morning. She was determined to make | | | | firemen," Bobby said with a shaking voice. "I want |
| this a Christmas that little Bobby would think | | | | to give these to the little boys and girls who are |
| about throughout the year, and remember for a | | | | hungry, and do not have a mommy." |
| lifetime. | | | | Teresa hugged Bobby and held him close to her. |
| On Christmas Eve, schools were closed, so Bobby | | | | She kissed him on the top of his head and |
| spent the day at the store with his mother. | | | | squeezed him as if to pull him closer to her heart. |
| Bobby spent most of the day lying on his | | | | Bobby had given her something special for |
| stomach on the floor, behind the counter, near his | | | | Christmas, something that she would cherish for |
| mother's feet, drawing and coloring pictures for | | | | the rest of her life. It did not require ribbon, or |
| Christmas. Periodically, Jacques would gather the | | | | wrapping, or bows. They had made it together, |
| hand-drawn pictures of Christmas trees, Santa | | | | Christmas was in her arms. |
| Claus, and the Reindeer, and he would tape the | | | | _____________________ |
| pages to the front windows of the store. After | | | | Words of Wisdom |
| several hours and several pictures, Bobby asked | | | | "The parent who gets down on the floor to play |
| to see where his artwork was being used to | | | | with a child on Christmas Day is usually doing a |
| adorn the small grocery store. | | | | most remarkable thing -- something seldom |
| As Bobby stared proudly at his artwork in the | | | | repeated during the rest of the year. These are, |
| front window of the grocery store, he noticed | | | | after all, busy parents committed to their work or |
| two large boxes with pictures of fire trucks on | | | | their success in the larger society, and they do |
| the front of each one. Teresa explained to Bobby | | | | not have much left-over time in which to play |
| that one box was used to collect canned goods | | | | with their children." |
| and non-perishable food for the poor. She | | | | - Brian Sutton-Smith |
| explained that the other box was being used to | | | | "Do give books - religious or otherwise - for |
| collect new and unopened toys for homeless | | | | Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, |
| children. The local fire department supplied boxes | | | | and permanently personal." |
| to collect these items each year, and then would | | | | - Lenore Hershey |
| distribute the items on Christmas day. The food | | | | "D'you call life a bad job? Never! We've had our |
| would go to homeless shelters. The toys would | | | | ups and downs, we've had our struggles, we've |
| be delivered to local orphanages and institutions | | | | always been poor, but it's been worth it, ay, |
| for children without parents. Bobby stared at the | | | | worth it a hundred times I say when I look round |
| two boxes for a long time before returning to his | | | | at my children." |
| place behind the counter. For the rest of the day | | | | - W. Somerset Maugham |
| his pictures included firemen, Santa on a fire | | | | "Recommend to your children virtue; that alone |
| truck, and the delighted faces of little boys and | | | | can make them happy, not gold." |
| girls receiving toys from men with big red hats | | | | - Ludwig van Beethoven |
| and long yellow coats. | | | | "Grown-ups never understand anything for |
| The next morning, Bobby walked out of his | | | | themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be |
| bedroom in his pajamas and was astonished to | | | | always and forever explaining things to them. |
| see a ring of presents surrounding his Christmas | | | | |
