Summary: Joe reads to his nieces and nephews on Christmas Eve.
Written for day 23 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1070
Bonanza
~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
* Day 23 *
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Joe Cartwright was sitting in the blue chair reading a book to book to his nieces and nephews Christmas Eve. The fire in the fireplace was roaring and they were drinking got chocolate and eating chocolate chip cookies freshly baked and out of the oven. He didn’t just read the.story out loud but change his voice for each character.
“Uncle Joe,Can I asked you a question”? Sara the oldest daughter of Hoss asked as she took bite of of her cookie.
“Yes,you can”
“What is your favorite Christmas song? ”
I have many favorite Christmas songs ,but if I had to choose one it would be either Oh ,Holy Night or Jingle Bells.
“Good songs,but my favorite is Santa Claus is Coming to town or Frosty The snowman”.
The Grandfather clock timed nine in the evening and he stopped reading.
“Ok you you four time for you to get to bed and go to sleep .Santa Will not come if he sees that you are still up”.Joe Said as placed a book marker in the book he was reading.I will read more in the morning after we open our gifts and have a fabulous Christmas breakfast,before you four leave with your parents to go to your grandma and grandpa Smith.”
“Uncle Joe,I am not tired”. Sara pouted.
“Me either” , her sister and two brothers wined.
If you kids are not asleep soon there will be no presents under the Christmas tree and your stockings that hanging on the fireplace mantels will be empty.Your don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find no presents for you under the Christmas tree and your stockings empty right?
All four of them nodded.
“Then you best head for bed” .
They all agreed but very hesitantly and started to head up the stairs bedroom that had been staying in the past week Joe turned the radio on to radio station that played Christmas music and got out the hidden presents and started to wrapped. When the front door opened and in walked Hoss Mary Hoss’s wife,Adam Ben,and Hop Sing carrying bags of groceries for Christmas dinner the following evening.
“How ,was my kids? I hope they weren’t too much trouble”.
Mary playful slapped her husband on his shoulder.” I am sure that they were perfect angels” .
” No,trouble at all.They didn’t want to go to bed.But I told them that if they don’t go a sleep Santa Claus won’t come and there will be no presents under the Christmas tree and their stockings will be empty. I read them a story from a book .which they seemed to have enjoyed”.
“Did you change your voice for each character” ?
“I sure did.”
Ben nodded and replied “I remember going through the same things with you as well as your brothers. I also would change my voice for each character character,when I would read or tell you guys stories”.
Adam was helping Hop Sing putting the groceries away in kitchen came back to the great room carrying a bag of stocking stuffers and started to fill each one,when they heard the bedroom door that Hoss’s children were staying in open and they heard footsteps of someone trying to keep sneak down the stairs without getting caught.
Hurry hide everything,Ben was whispered . I don’t want them to find the presents out .
A few moments later they had hidden everything and was hiding in Dinning room just out ,when they spotted Sara trying to sneaked towards the coffee table that Joe placed the book he was reading to try to sneaked it.
Joe slowly sneaked up to Sara and tapped Sara on her shoulder. “What are you doing up”
Sara jumped about a mile into the air,before turning to faced Joe. “Uncle Joe,you scared me”.
” You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing up”?
” I have to go to the bathroom.She lied to Joe.
“Why didn’t you used the upstairs bathroom that’s just across the hall of the bedroom you and your siblings are staying in? Oh better yet use the ensuite bathroom in that bedroom”?
” Besides the two bathrooms down here is not over this way a voice behind them said.
“Ok,I came down because I couldn’t sleep.I keep thinking about the book that you been to my siblings and me.I wanted to find out what happened next”.She admitted as she pointed to Joe.
Joe turned to faced his brother Adam his pa Hoss,Mary and Hop Sing who were all standing close to the dinning room table. Before turning back to Sara.Bending down to Sara’s level .”Sara how would you feel tomorrow morning,if you have to sit and watch your brothers and Sister opened their presents and stockings and you have nothing”?
.
“I would be sad and would want to cry” .
“Exactly,so don’t you think you should head back up stairs and go to sleep”?
Sara nodded and hesitantly headed back upstairs,she was about half way up,before she turned and faced Joe.’Promises ,that you will read more of the book tomorrow”?
Joe nodded ,”I promise”.
Sara walked the rest of the way up the stairs and a few moments later shut the bedroom door.
“She reminds me of you Joe,when you were her age,”Ben said with a smile.
Adam ,Hoss,and Hop Sing nodded in agreement.
Joe had to smile at the memory.
Early the morning Sara woke up and slowly got out of bed.She slowly walked to the window and looked out the window and noticed it was snowing pretty heavily
A few minutes later she got dressed and headed down stairs. She could not wait until Joe read more of the book he was reading earlier the night before.
The dinning room table was already set for breakfast a short time later everyone was seated around the dinning room table.After they got done eating and opened their presents and went though their stockings Joe picked up the book that he was reading the night before and begin where he had left off. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listen to Joe read of loud while they drank homemade hot chocolate and Christmas cookies while it was snowing outside
“Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone.” Ben said as he listened to Joe read to his grandchildren.
“Merry Christmas and Happy New year”.Everyone replied back.
The End
Chosen character:Joe
Prompt : Reading a book
Link to Day 24 of the Bonanza Brand 2021 Advent Calendar: Hair of the Dog by Patina
