Tuesday, June 20, 2006

What a Wonderful Present!

So this is it. The sleigh of my dreams, except for the dream where it has a motor attached to it and goes REALLY fast. It is the best.

I throw on my dressing gown and race downstairs. Mum is in the hall, humming happily to the vacuum cleaner, classic FM top tunes. Dad is bent over the hall floor. He is cleaning up some cat sick.
'Happy Christmas, Mum, Dad!'
Mum smiles. 'This is a wonderful present, Wilfred,' she says, patting the cleaner and her eyes are happy. 'Thankyou, dear.' Then I have to fight off her kisses.
'Father Christmas did come last night, didn't he?' and she's waves the pretend Father Christmas note at me.
'But I saw him!' I say. 'He's real! Really!'
'I know,' says Mum, 'don't we Dad?'
Dad nods. 'We had to open your present, Wilfred. We sort of guessed what it might be and then Father Christmas left crumbs all over the sitting room and the cat wasn't very well...'
I thought of the food mixture I' d given her. 'Ah, well, hmm,' I say.
Dad gives me a big hug. 'Come on, Wilfred we've got something to show you.'
In the sitting room the fire is burning, the radio is churning out gloomy carols and outside the snow is falling. It is perfect.
'Can I just go outside and play for a little while, before breakfast, please!'
'You might want to open this first,' says Dad and he drags a large parcel out from behind the tree. 'Then, when you are dressed you might want to take it outside with you.'
I stare. I gape. My heart thumps. It is wrapped in winking snowmen.
'Open it then,' says Mum.
I rip off the paper. Underneath it there is a wooden sleigh. It has iron runners and curved ends. And it is beautiful. I read the label.

'To Wilf, sorry it's not motorised. Love, Father Christmas'

9 comments:

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Hi Wilf,
Any chance that you will keep me in mind for Boxing Day?
And were your mum's kisses of the slobbering variety?
yours curiously,

Wilf said...

I'm sorry to say that Mum's kisses are always of the slobbering variety-Dad's too.
Perhaps you would like the educational game I'm not too keen on-it's very good for the brain apparantly.
Wilf

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Yes, Wilf! Stupid me!

Wilf said...

You must forgive Wilf. He is not big on sensitivity!
Addy

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Hello Addy,
Thank you for your thoughtful words to me in the comment box. I had no clue you enjoyed reading me.
My blog feels like an ugly duckling, at the moment, I'm afraid.
But here's to say, I'm not leaving. I may change blogs but will give you all the link when I do.
P.S. Could you give Wilf a slobbering kiss from me?

Wilf said...

I consider myself slobbered.
Wilfh

Jude said...

Wilf you are so lucky. I wish I had a sleigh!

Anonymous said...

Hi Wilf
I'm deeply envious. Not only do I not have a sleigh but we never get snow here - which, I guess it's why "here" is called "sunny" South Africa. I long for the Christmases I spent in Europe... sigh. I hope you have huge fun with your sleigh though, wish I could come for a ride. And imagine how totally cool it would be if it was motorised.
I have an evil granny character whom I sometimes set on people, she has a motorised zimmerframe.

Wilf said...

Yes, I'm hoping the jealousy factor will be quite high with my friend, Dexter as well, a sleigh is one thing he doesn't have.

I like the idea of a motorised zimmerframe-it could be customised with go-faster stripes and 'Hilda loves Herbert' or somesuch; maybe there could be a great crowd of them with their frames, hanging out on street corners and frigtening the local youth.