A Christmas Miracle
Written by Ksenia
Once upon a time there lived a Howard family: mom, dad, and 7-year-old Oliver. A few days before Christmas Oliver and his parents were fighting over how much TV he was allowed to watch. The parents even said that he won’t be getting his Christmas gift from Santa if he’s going to continue watching it so much. Like all parents, they wanted him to help them around the house or just read a book. Little Oliver Howard was very angry, and said: ”I wish I lived alone, so I could watch TV whenever I want!”
He was so upset that he ran out the front door and into the forest, which was right in front of the house. He went there very often, so his parents were ok with it, too, because they knew it wasn’t very big and it was absolutely safe. Oliver even had a friend in that forest - a baby hedgehog. He would talk to the hedgehog whenever he needed support, even though he understood that the hedgehog is just an animal, and can’t understand what the little kid is talking about. Oliver always felt better after talking to his animal friend.
A few hours later, he went back home. No one was inside, but Oliver didn’t find anything strange about it. He thought: “Maybe they have just left to the supermarket to get some food for Christmas,” but he still felt a little bit scared to be home alone, so he just went to sleep. Next morning, he still didn’t find anybody in the house and he started worrying. He went to the police station to ask for help.
“What can I help you with, young man?” asked one of the officers.
“Officer, I had an argument with my parents yesterday, and I went to the forest to talk with my friend, but when I came back, they disappeared. Can you please help me to find them?”
“Whom did you talk to in the forest?” the officer asked out of curiosity.
“My friend, the hedgehog.” said the boy.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Oliver heard him laugh.
The policemen didn’t really take it seriously, thinking it was just his imagination. Oliver didn’t get any help, so Oliver just went back. He spent the next few hours searching for his parents in every familiar spot in town. But he still didn’t find them. So he was just hoping that maybe his parents came back home already, so he went back to the house. Oliver was very disappointed when he got there. No one was home.
It was now Christmas Eve and the Howard family parents were still gone. Oliver was very hungry after such an exhausting day. So he took out an apple pie from the refrigerator, and was ready to eat it when he heard a knock at the door. The boy immediately became happy and ran to the door because he thought his parents were back. He was wrong.
Still, it was a very exciting moment, because there stood a man dressed in red clothes, he had a large white beard, and he was kind of chubby. The boy leapt: ”Santa!!!!” The boy was very excited to see Santa Claus now, so for a while he forgot the fact that he has missing parents. Oliver and Santa were talking, laughing and playing together. After a few hours, he realized that Santa has been in his house for a long time, and he thought about his parents again. He became very sad again.
“What happened?” Santa asked.
“Ummm, well, yesterday I got into a fight with my parents and told them that I don’t want to live with them anymore. Then I went to see my friend hedgehog in the forest. But when I realized that I was wrong, I came back home, but didn’t find anybody. Since then I haven’t seen them.”
The boy was telling this sad event almost crying, because he really wanted to meet his parents.
“I would give everything that I have ever had in my life just to see my parents, or at least get an announcement from somebody, that they are alive and everything is alright with them.”
“You would give everything away?” asked Santa, “Even a Christmas gift that you wanted so much?”
“Yes.” nodded the little boy.
There was silence. They could only hear the chinking sound of burning wood in the fireplace. Soon Santa said: ”I am very sorry about what happened, Oliver, but I can’t stay longer. I have to go to Antarctica now, to continue my journey.”
Santa closed the front door and mumbled something before disappearing.
Oliver started crying. When he heard another knock upon the door, he thought Santa forgot something. The little tear-stained boy opened the door and became speechless with happiness! The two adults were standing right in front of him: they were Oliver’s parents!! He hugged them as tight as he could. Mr. and Mrs. Howard didn’t understand why he was so happy to see them. They thought they were away from home for just a few hours. But Oliver knew that he got the best gift for Christmas from Santa and he whispered: ”Thank you!”.
Edited by Ms.Cho
He was so upset that he ran out the front door and into the forest, which was right in front of the house. He went there very often, so his parents were ok with it, too, because they knew it wasn’t very big and it was absolutely safe. Oliver even had a friend in that forest - a baby hedgehog. He would talk to the hedgehog whenever he needed support, even though he understood that the hedgehog is just an animal, and can’t understand what the little kid is talking about. Oliver always felt better after talking to his animal friend.
A few hours later, he went back home. No one was inside, but Oliver didn’t find anything strange about it. He thought: “Maybe they have just left to the supermarket to get some food for Christmas,” but he still felt a little bit scared to be home alone, so he just went to sleep. Next morning, he still didn’t find anybody in the house and he started worrying. He went to the police station to ask for help.
“What can I help you with, young man?” asked one of the officers.
“Officer, I had an argument with my parents yesterday, and I went to the forest to talk with my friend, but when I came back, they disappeared. Can you please help me to find them?”
“Whom did you talk to in the forest?” the officer asked out of curiosity.
“My friend, the hedgehog.” said the boy.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Oliver heard him laugh.
The policemen didn’t really take it seriously, thinking it was just his imagination. Oliver didn’t get any help, so Oliver just went back. He spent the next few hours searching for his parents in every familiar spot in town. But he still didn’t find them. So he was just hoping that maybe his parents came back home already, so he went back to the house. Oliver was very disappointed when he got there. No one was home.
It was now Christmas Eve and the Howard family parents were still gone. Oliver was very hungry after such an exhausting day. So he took out an apple pie from the refrigerator, and was ready to eat it when he heard a knock at the door. The boy immediately became happy and ran to the door because he thought his parents were back. He was wrong.
Still, it was a very exciting moment, because there stood a man dressed in red clothes, he had a large white beard, and he was kind of chubby. The boy leapt: ”Santa!!!!” The boy was very excited to see Santa Claus now, so for a while he forgot the fact that he has missing parents. Oliver and Santa were talking, laughing and playing together. After a few hours, he realized that Santa has been in his house for a long time, and he thought about his parents again. He became very sad again.
“What happened?” Santa asked.
“Ummm, well, yesterday I got into a fight with my parents and told them that I don’t want to live with them anymore. Then I went to see my friend hedgehog in the forest. But when I realized that I was wrong, I came back home, but didn’t find anybody. Since then I haven’t seen them.”
The boy was telling this sad event almost crying, because he really wanted to meet his parents.
“I would give everything that I have ever had in my life just to see my parents, or at least get an announcement from somebody, that they are alive and everything is alright with them.”
“You would give everything away?” asked Santa, “Even a Christmas gift that you wanted so much?”
“Yes.” nodded the little boy.
There was silence. They could only hear the chinking sound of burning wood in the fireplace. Soon Santa said: ”I am very sorry about what happened, Oliver, but I can’t stay longer. I have to go to Antarctica now, to continue my journey.”
Santa closed the front door and mumbled something before disappearing.
Oliver started crying. When he heard another knock upon the door, he thought Santa forgot something. The little tear-stained boy opened the door and became speechless with happiness! The two adults were standing right in front of him: they were Oliver’s parents!! He hugged them as tight as he could. Mr. and Mrs. Howard didn’t understand why he was so happy to see them. They thought they were away from home for just a few hours. But Oliver knew that he got the best gift for Christmas from Santa and he whispered: ”Thank you!”.
Edited by Ms.Cho