Christmas Coal

Let me tell you a story about a child some years past, a Christmas that was not Christmas for this little girl and what had occurred. My name is Emilia and I'm some years older than you and yet younger than some. I have seen many years and done many things. The face you see is not what I have always appeared to be, my hair is now a sparse net of silver and brown, my eyes have faded from a chocolate brown with a twinkle of youth to a tan color with no twinkle left as age has come around. My house is now filled with lines and creases that youth had kept at bay, the suppleness is gone and time has worked everyday. This stocking I hold is the one that I'll tell you about. The red has faded from it's body and the white is now a dingy brown, and the moth holes are just passage of time. Some children have fond memories of their past Christmas and some can remember every Christmas. I can only remember what I got for one, the Christmas of 1892. I'm sure if I rocked and closed my eyes, my brain might shuffle my thoughts together to remember some but not all. This Christmas I remember without any hesitation that old age brings. I was 7 years old and full of mischief from being the only child to parents who had long lost hope of having a child of their own. I had friends and friends galore which came from living in a small backwoods town. Everyone knew everyone and no one was a stranger, everyone was family. Everyday I walked to school and this day was no different. I had met up with Lucy, the doctor's daughter who was my best friend in the world and didn't mind the fact that we always wound up in trouble together. Today Lucy came up with the idea of visiting the general store before school, as we hurried past other kids dragging behind we talked about the nonsense children seem to find important at that time. Lucy and I stepped inside the general store where Mrs. Larson was behind the counter with a customer. "I'll be with you girls in a minute" Mrs. Larson squeaked in a voice rusty with age. Lucy nudged me in the ribs and nodded toward the candy aisle. Excitedly we ran toward the candy jars where Lucy calmly took out a small amount of peppermint sticks and slyly hide them under her pinafore. In shock I whispered, "Lucy what are you doing?" Lucy looked at me and smirked, “What are you chicken? Admit it Emilia, I'm braver than you." Not to be outdone I grabbed a small handful and slipped them under my pinafore into the pocket that Mama had sewn in it for money. Lucy and I headed for the door with Lucy taking the lead and telling Mrs. Larson, "We couldn't find the candy you had last week Mrs. Larson, and we’ll come back next week." Quickly we ran to school sliding into our seats with a sense of innocence and calmness that didn't betray what we had done. Over the next few days before Christmas I was quiet, what if anyone found out? Christmas day arose bright and crystalline clear with a new blanket of snow covering the land far as the eye could see. While doing my morning chores the sun sparkled off the snow and danced a million lights across my eyes. After chores I ran into the house to open my Christmas presents. I skidded into the house where momma and daddy were waiting for me. In amazement I dived into the presents that momma and daddy had bought for me, throwing paper here and there. Then it was time for my stocking, this was usually the very best part of Christmas. In excitement I grabbed my stocking plunging my hand excitedly into its mysterious depth only to encounter a lump. Pulling my hand out while grasping the unknown I stared in disbelief. "Coal?" I felt the tears welling inside and I knew.....Santa Claus knew I had stolen candy that day.

Word Count: 699