The results are in!!! And our winners are Deanna Byford and Phyllis Bell! We hope you enjoy their stories below!
Christmas Humor
by Deanna Byford
This year for Christmas, my brother brought home a sense of humor, which none of us expected—taking us all completely by surprise. He had not been a depressed child, but he had never once in his life told a joke or acted the fool to tempt a laugh from any of us. When we would clown about and behave like silly children, he would watch with gentle patience, joining our play again when the subject became more suited to his young sense of decorum.
But this Christmas, just home from his freshman year of college, he stood up after dinner while we were enjoying the satisfying sense of being full and warm—and began to speak. His level voice and deadpan expression were all what we had been used to, but when he finished, for a moment no one moved or spoke. He sighed and sat down.
Thirty seconds later my father’s face suddenly cracked a smile and his hearty laugh filled the room, reverberating through the pine and clove scented air. A few seconds following my mother joined him, and then one by one our brains seemed to catch up with the fact that what he had told was a well prepared and perfectly set up joke! We all laughed . . . and laughed . . . and laughed till our stomachs hurt and our eyes were streaming. My brother sat back in his chair and nodded slowly, a satisfied smile betokening his satisfaction with his first performance for his family.
“Where,” my mother demanded, gasping for air as she tried desperately to control her breathing “did you learn how to do that?”
“I took a class.” He replied as if this was an everyday occurrence. “I didn’t know why I didn’t seem to have a sense of humor when everyone else in this family does. I was curious if I could learn to make someone laugh. I found a class titled The Art of Comedy and just happened to have an elective free. So I took it.”
My father looked around him for something to wipe his eyes with and finally gave up and settled for using his sleeve. “Does this mean that you laugh now? Or do you still manage to preserve that stoic expression of yours?”
My brother chuckled, which made us all stare at him, this sound never having been heard from him before. This made him chuckle again. “I do . . . when the occasion warrants.”
His serious tone coupled with the twinkle in his eyes only set us all off again.
I felt this injustice absolutely had to be addressed. “You do realize that . . . it’s not fair . . . you being so good at it and . . . you had to take a class . . . to learn how.” I complained between gulps of air.
That actually drew a laugh from him. “Look, I am not saying it’s fair. I don’t know why I didn’t seem to have a sense of humor as a child. With all of you always acting like doofuses I didn’t see how I couldn’t have a sense of humor. And it wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate your efforts, I just didn’t feel the need to laugh or smile at them.” He explained in his calm tone.
“Well!” My mother exhaled as she smoothed her sleeves and sat up with her customary good posture. “Even if it took a class to get you there, I am happy to finally hear you laugh. You have such a delightful one!”
My other siblings were slowly returning to a normal breathing pattern and our oldest brother suddenly inquired, “do you know any more?”
And thus our Christmas evening was spent in listening to our youngest brother work his way through his surprisingly large repertoire of new-found humor.
A Christmas Surprise
by Phyllis Bell
This year for Christmas my sixteen-year-old brother Tom brought home a huge, more like a ginormous Christmas tree.
“Tom where on earth did you find that tree? It will not fit in our living room in the usual spot. You couldn’t even get it through the front door. Look at all those needles that were pulled off by forcing it through the door.”
“Mom, I just could not resist buying the tree. The smell, the branches so full and perfectly placed. Uncle Joe and I were heading home from deer hunting over in near Woods Tree Farm on Clement Town Rd. and…”
Mom interrupts, “And where did you get the money?”
“Well, clearing his throat, Uncle Joe said he would loan me the money.We thought that when I got home, I could tell you that we owe Uncle Joe $150.”
“Tom, what made you think that I would be willing to pay that kind of money for a tree?”
Dad comes in and hears the loud conversation. “Tom, looks like your mother is upset over this monstrous tree you brought home.”
“Yep, guess I should have followed my gut. But Uncle Joe encouraged me to get it, after all he had the money to loan to me. I thought that would save Mom from going out to shop for a tree.”
“Next time listen to your gut,” Dad yelled.
By this time the rest of the family, that is my three sisters and my other brother had come downstairs to see what the big argument was about. Seeing the tree laying just inside the front door,they gasped and began crying out, making remarks about the Christmas tree. It was so huge!
Julia pipes up, my little five-year-old sister and says, “I love the tree, it makes the house smell so wonderful.”
Then Josh, my seven-year-old brother says, “why can’t we just find a way to make it smaller?”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” said Mom. “The tree is here. We just need to find a bigger stand and trim the branches a little bit. I think that we can find a way to make it work.”
“Well, looks like your mother is going to find a way to deal with the tree issue. Tom, you are going to have to do some extra chores around here to earn a way to pay Uncle Joe back.”
“Well, Dad. I am sorry that I went ahead and bought the tree. I’ll do whatever to help pay for it.”
“You can start now by cleaning up all the needles that were knocked off the tree. Then go up to the hardware store and buy the biggest tree stand you can find.”
Long story short, Tom was able to find a larger tree stand. While he was gone, Mom hurried about looking for a bigger space to set the tree.
“Okay, Tom help me get your ginormous tree in this stand.” After a lot of maneuvering the tree, it finally felt secure and stood tall and beautiful. The entire family cheered, “look at our wonderful Christmas tree!”
Next, Mom called my oldest sister Marie, “go up into the attic Marie and fetch the Christmas decorations.”
“Okay Mom, I’ll be right back.”
Marie came back bringing a huge box of decorations, “there’s still a box of lights that I couldn’t carry.”
Tom eager to make things right said, “I’ll go get the lights.”
Beginning to feel in the Christmas spirit, I sat down at the piano playing “Silver Bell’s.” Tom returned with the lights.
“Thanks Tom, now will you help me untangle the lights and place them on the tree?”
“Sure mom, I will be glad to help.”
“Thanks Angela, for setting the mood for Christmas, now let’s decorate this beautiful tree.”
Laughter and excitement filled the air as we rummaged through the box of decorations and found our favorite one. When the last decoration was placed on the tree, we gathered around the piano and sang together. Silver Bell’s it’s Christmas time in our house.
Thankfully, Tom was able to do extra chores and pay Uncle Joe back.
