{"id":4836,"date":"2009-12-01T12:43:58","date_gmt":"2009-12-01T17:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4836"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:22:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:22:14","slug":"the-magic-of-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4836","title":{"rendered":"The Magic Of Christmas (by Storm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Here is my Christmas story I hope you like it.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a01800<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Magic of Christmas<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPa when\u2019s Adam gonna be home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe we\u2019ve been over this. Adam is at school far away and won\u2019t be home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut pa I wrote Santa. I asked him if he could get Adam and bring him home. If in he can go around the whole world in one night he get Adam here. Sides I told him that\u2019s all I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa Adam\u2019ll be here I just know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben wished he had his son\u2019s faith. A faith he knew he\u2019d see destroyed on Christmas morning when Adam didn\u2019t appear. Ben supposed he could tell his son the truth about Santa but Joe was only seven and Ben just didn\u2019t have the heart to do that.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben went around decorating and trying to feel the joy he usually did at this time of year but it was becoming increasingly difficult. It had taken him until Christmas Eve to finally bring himself to help his sons go pick out a tree. That was something Adam had usually done with his brother\u2019s while Ben stayed home and unpacked the decorations and reminisced over them. Joe\u2019s belief that he\u2019d see his eldest brother on Christmas morning was so strong it had begun to infect Hoss. Ben felt that Hoss still secretly believed in Santa. Ben thought perhaps giving the honor of placing the angel on the tree to Joe would help to ease the pain soon to come. Joe took the angel but seemed hesitant.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa can we leave the angel for Adam?\u201d Joe knew that his father was sad because Adam wasn\u2019t home but he also knew tomorrow morning when Adam came down everything would be okay and his pa would smile.<\/p>\n

Ben was about to protest that if the angel wasn\u2019t on the tree Santa might not come but he had a revelation. Maybe he could use this opportunity to keep Joe\u2019s belief alive one more year. A simple letter to Adam would help to make the story live. Ben felt it would be simple enough to put the angel in its place after Joe and Hoss had gone to bed then tell Joe that Santa must have indeed brought Adam home but they only had enough time to allow Adam to put the angel on the tree as a way to prove that he was there. If Adam didn\u2019t return with Santa, he\u2019d tell his youngest son, it would take too long for Adam to get back and he would miss too much school. As to why Adam hadn\u2019t woken everyone to say hello? They would have seen Santa and Joe knew that was not allowed. Ben knew the story would be a small comfort to his youngest son but he was certain Joe would accept it. He would weave such an elaborate tale maybe he could fool himself into believing it as well.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

\u201cPa you gonna come to bed?\u201d Hoss felt his older brother\u2019s absence just as keenly as his father did. Normally he would talk to his father about how he was feeling but he knew his father was suffering enough sadness without him adding to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa if we don\u2019t go then Santa can\u2019t come. If he don\u2019t come then he can\u2019t bring Adam. Pa we just gotta go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was truly a Christmas miracle and it brought a smile to Ben\u2019s face. His youngest son arguing to go to bed. \u201cOkay Joseph. Did you put out the cookies for Santa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go get them. Hop-Sing said he\u2019d leave them in the kitchen. He made sugar cookies and he made them look like stars and Christmas trees. He said he\u2019d leave a glass of milk too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben waited until the plate and glass were placed where Joe wanted them. \u201cOkay then lets go to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss went to his own room to get ready and Ben went with Joe. Once he was satisfied that Joe was tucked in he went to check on Hoss. Satisfied that all was well he turned to make his way downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa you really miss Adam don\u2019t you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes Hoss I do. I miss him every day but it\u2019s just harder this time of year. He\u2019s never been away from home at Christmas time. I\u2019m sure it won\u2019t be the last time he is but it is the first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa you think Adam misses us? I mean in his letters he sounds like he\u2019s having a real good time learning and all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure he does Hoss.\u201d He was sure Adam was having a good time and he knew that Adam loved to learn but Ben was also certain he could read a small amount of melancholy between the lines. Just as he was certain his son wasn\u2019t writing of his longing for home to spare his father\u2019s feelings.<\/p>\n

\u201cNight pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood night Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa you know Little Joe is gonna be real disappointed when Adam ain\u2019t here tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho knows Hoss maybe we\u2019ll get a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t have the strength to face the angel and the tree just yet. He would go lie down for a little while then go down and set the deception in motion.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

Ben awoke with a start.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa it\u2019s morning! Can I go wake Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

In between Joe\u2019s jumps Ben\u2019s thoughts raced. Oh Lord. Adam. The angel! Maybe if he found a way to stall Joe and hurried he could get the angel n place before Joe made it downstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph stop jumping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph why don\u2019t you go get Hoss first then you can both go see if Adam is there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s there pa I know he is.\u201d Joe ran to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cJOSEPH, let me get up first.\u201d Ben started to regret trying to deceive his son but when he looked into the innocent and faith filled eyes Joe turned towards him he just didn\u2019t have the heart to tell him the truth. Please let me get the angel on that tree.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

\u201cPa Joe\u2019s going to get Adam.\u201d Joe wanted Hoss to go with him but Hoss just couldn\u2019t face the empty bed he knew he\u2019d find. Maybe he was being a little bit of a coward letting his younger brother face it alone but Hoss knew if he saw it he would start to cry and that would a been even worse for Joe. Hoss had expected his father to go up and comfort Joe who by now was probably sitting on Adam\u2019s bed in tears but all his father was doing was standing and staring at the tree. \u201cIt sure is a pretty tree ain\u2019t it pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes Hoss it sure is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey pa did you put the angel up there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be silly Hoss. Adam did just like I told him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben almost fainted when he looked to see his bleary eyed yet truly present eldest son being dragged behind his youngest son by the hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning pa, Hoss.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked at his father in stunned silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Ben was afraid to speak too loudly lest the magic spell be broken.
\n\u201cPa couldn\u2019t you have stalled him a few hours more. It\u2019s barely dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d Ben thought maybe if he kept repeating his name he would really be there.<\/p>\n

Adam was surer on his feet half asleep then most men were fully awake and that was a good thing because if he wasn\u2019t he would have landed on his backside as Hoss barreled into him in search of a hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam how\u2019d you get home?\u201d<\/p>\n

Boy Joe thought how could Hoss have forgotten. \u201cHoss I told you I asked Santa to bring him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo really Adam how\u2019d you get home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t know Hoss. I fell asleep in my bed in Boston and I woke up on the settee here in Nevada. I saw Joe\u2019s note lying next to a plate with only a few cookie crumbs left on it and an empty glass. I read how he\u2019d saved the angel for me to put on the tree. Thanks for that Little Joe. I put the angel in her place and then I went to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam is that all you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know Joe I\u2019m not sure. I do remember hearing bells and someone laughing quite jolly like. I remember having a dream that I was in a sled but it wasn\u2019t a regular kind of sled. See instead of gliding on snow it glided on the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was Santa\u2019s sled Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess it could have been Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe ran down to his father. \u201cSee pa I told you Adam would be home. Can we eat now pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you want to open your presents Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got presents too? All I asked for was Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you and Hoss go look under the tree and see what you can find.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCOME ON HOSS. WE GOT PRESENTS!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sat down and laid his hand around his sons shoulders when he joined him on the settee. \u201cAdam I\u2019m afraid I sent all your gifts to Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey pa I found one for Adam!\u201d Joe liked to open presents but he liked to give them out too.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah and here\u2019s one for you pa.\u201d Hoss was still in a state of shock but it was quickly fading thanks to the abundance of gifts that bore his name. Ben knew he\u2019d gone a little overboard with the presents but he had been trying to compensate for Adam\u2019s absence with them.
\nThe gifts were pushed into the two mans’ hands then Hoss and Joe went back to their gifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think they would arrive in time let alone early.\u201d Ben knew he had delayed in posting Adam\u2019s gifts. Doing so had made the fact that he wouldn\u2019t be there for Christmas definite.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, in time for you to bring them back with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa I didn\u2019t bring anything back with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam how did you get home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Joe said pa, it must have been Santa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben knew Adam could lie with a straight face but something in his son\u2019s eyes had him questioning if he was lying. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how it was accomplished it is a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPA! Tell Hoss to let me see!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben got up. \u201cMerry Christmas son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJOSEPH. I want you to stop\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rested his head back and closed his eyes. Among all the discord he could hear the harmony that made this home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Here is my Christmas story I hope you like it. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a01800<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":3478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":910,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26936,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=26936","url_meta":{"origin":4836,"position":0},"title":"The Real Hero (by purplewriter333)","author":"VCLS","date":"December 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar - Day 11 Summary: An unfortunate rite of passage. 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