Winter’s Eve: The First Gift

I recently asked readers through my author Facebook page to provide one word that came to mind about the holidays. I’ve used the responses to write a short holiday story. After all, this blog is called “Compositions,” so what better time of year to compose for others than a season of giving. So each Friday, between now and Christmas, you’ll receive a new chapter of the story. Six chapters total. Each one fewer than 250 words just like my blog posts. The words you gave me, or a form of them, are in bold.

I hope you’ll follow along and share it with others. You can sign up to receive them via email under “subscriptions” on my website. Happy Holidays. On with our story…

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It was just before Thanksgiving when the first package appeared.

Our mountaintop village, Winter, had lived up to its name for over two weeks. More snow was expected to come, which always meant visitors and the postman would not. I had been heading home to the warmth of my own fire and my granddaughter, when I saw the apple box, like those I discarded behind my grocery store. I hadn’t received apples in weeks, so I stooped to inspect it. Sprinkled with snow outside the door of the old widow, Mrs. Mittens, the box had a simple typewritten note attached:

Happy Holidays.
Wish granted.

Soon the baker, Mr. Crumb, grumbled by. When Mrs. Mittens found us with the package, she asked us to carry the heavy box inside. I tried not to look at her battered chair or the empty knitting needles beside it. She lifted the lid. Inside were dozens of small bags, each filled with five lumps of coal. Her breath puffed out as she smiled, and it was then I saw her dwindling fire.

“I had so hoped for a cozy home,” she said. Mr. Crumb looked as embarrassed as I felt for not realizing how she’d suffered.

That night, as I told my granddaughter the story, she asked, “Do you believe wishes come true, Grandpapa?”

One week later, when a second package appeared, it further raised my little granddaughter’s hopes at the same time it dashed mine. She was wishing for something I could not give…