The Christmas Miracle

By Jesse Coombs, 9, North Cape May.
Jimmy was not excited about Christmas. He would only get one gift each year since his mother had to clean the house, cook dinner each and every night and take care of Jimmy’s baby brother Robert. She had to run errands to the bank and the store to get important things like soap and paper towels. His mother always says “I don’t have time for presents.”
Jimmy’s father was kind of poor. He had a job that paid him $30 a week, but he had to give money to Jimmy’s mother, so she could run errands.
Luckily, Jimmy’s father had just enough money to buy three presents, one for Jimmy, Robert and Samantha (Jimmy’s older sister).
“This Christmas won’t be the best one yet,” Jimmy’s father said to Jimmy’s mother. “I got fired. I can’t afford to get them anything.”
“Don’t worry, George, They don’t need presents. Anyway, there’s a job opening down at the press,” Jimmy’s mother said rather softly. Jimmy continued to listen until his father got up from the torn-up recliner.
Jimmy ran to his room so his father wouldn’t notice him.
But his father sat back down. Jimmy didn’t hear a thing. He got into bed and fell right to sleep.
“I have enough for one gift. We both know its Jimmy who’ll get it.”
Jimmy never heard his father say that because he was already crying in his sleep.
The next day in school was followed by heavy arithmetic, the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and poems. Susie Laffie was being her normal snobby self. “Hey Jimmy, I got another 100 percent on the arithmetic test, I see you got a 94.”
“It’s none of your business, Susie.”
Susie turned around and said to Jimmy that she was gonna get so much stuff for Christmas. Then she handed him a list.
1) science kit
2) heart shaped earrings
3) pairs of new shoes
The list went on and on.
Jimmy walked home from school thinking that Susie was going to probably get everything she wanted and he wasn’t gonna get just one little present.
Just then jimmy thought of something. He could sell candy like John D. Rockefeller once did. Jimmy had learned about that in a book he read just last week titled: The Great 1800s.
“Perfect,” he thought. I could do that. He started to sell peanut butter to all the kids on Rail Street, except for one… Natalie Erther. Natalie was very allergic to peanut butter.
Jimmy decided to make cinnamon rolls and sell them also, so he could get more money.
Natalie was very happy to hear that he made the best cinnamon rolls. So she had a free sample. Then she bought a whole package of the cinnamon rolls, one for her, two for her father (who loved cinnamon), one for her mom and one for her brother.
He made $345 in all. He gave all of it to his parents.
They were astonished. Jimmy’s father just got a job at the press that paid $60 a week, twice his old job’s salary.
On Christmas Eve, Jimmy’s parents tucked him into bed, said good night and said thank you.
Jimmy’s mother stayed at home while his dad rushed to the stores. They were all closed.
The next morning, Jimmy woke up to the sound of Christmas music. He ran to his parents’ bedroom. They were still sleeping. He woke them up.
“Huh… Oh Jimmy we are terribly… is that Christmas music?”
Jimmy’s father and mother walked out of the bedroom and Jimmy followed.
Jimmy’s sister Samantha was sitting on the recliner eating a Christmas tree shaped cookie.
“Samantha, how did you do this?” Jimmy’s father asked.
“Simple I got a job. I ran out to the stores and got lots of presents for Jimmy, you, Mom and Robert. Then I turned on the TV, put on Christmas music and baked cookies.”
“But, you don’t have a gift for yourself?”
“Yes I do. My gift is giving to you. I think that’s the best gift of all. Now get Robert, I got him a new crib.”
That was when Jimmy realized his sister was right. Christmas is about giving, and when you give you get a nice warm feeling in your heart.