Christmas Observations
CHIRSTMASES HERE AND THERE
On Christmas Eve in 1948 we were living in a second floor island apartment. I was reluctant to go to bed. I needed to go to the bathroom. Then I was thirsty, too worked up to sleep. Santa Claus was coming and I had assurances he would find his way to us even though we had no chimney or fireplace. Reluctantly, I went back to bed and my mother came in to settle me down. Dad had disappeared. My younger brother Dick was asleep, oblivious—much like he is today. Suddenly I heard sleigh bells coming in over Barb’s roof, next door. I closed my eyes, knowing I couldn’t be awake when he came.
A few Christmases later, renting a house up on the flat, Dick and I were each wide a-wake and stalling on Christmas Eve in 1950. We each needed to go to the bathroom, a two seater in the backyard. It was cold out there; we didn’t linger. We hurried back to the house where Mom waited in the kitchen. Dad was nowhere to be seen. A new younger brother Dave, oblivious, much like he is today, was asleep in the top dresser drawer. Suddenly we heard sleigh bells coming from over the roof of Tink’s house, across the street, and scurried back to bed, closing our eyes tightly for we knew we couldn’t be awake when he came.
A year or two later, renting the red house on Clam Shell Alley, the three of us were concerned about whether Santa would find us in a new location. Lying in bed Dick and I worried. Dave, still an infant, was asleep. Mom and Dad kept coming in to settle us down. Then only Mom came in and as she assured us Santa would find his way we heard sleigh bells coming over Brud’s roof next door. We hurried her out of the room and closed our eyes for we knew we had to at least seem to be asleep.
On Christmas Eve in 1954 we were installed in a new rent on Lane’s island. It was a great place to watch for Santa for we fully expected him to arrive, having finished with children in Europe, from over the sea to the East and the horizon on that clear and starry night was clearly visible from our bedroom. Up and down the stairs came my folks, determined to settle us down. On the last trip only my Mom came up and as she was tucking us in again we heard sleigh bells coming in from over John & Nate’s house, just below our own. We squeezed our eyes shut and pretended at sleep.
Down by the ball ground at the old Cape in 1956 we were again having a hard time getting to sleep although I, at twelve, had become a little aloof and, with a bedroom of my own, could escape my brother’s childishness. When my pregnant mother came in to settle them down again (Dad was elsewhere) I headed upstairs to my own bed. Suddenly we heard sleigh bells coming down over the field from Ruth Ann’s house. We pulled the covers up over our eyes.
In 1958 we finally had a house of our own. It was huge and in rough shape but we each had a bedroom of our own and another little brother, Matt, who was oblivious, much like he is today. The bells usually came in from over Tiny’s house but Dad never heard them. He was always elsewhere.