Tom's Christmas
Created | Updated Dec 18, 2008
The Post
Christmas Prose Competition 2008
Tom's Christmas by minichessemouse
It was Christmas morning and Tom awoke early. Thinking to himself that there was something different about his room, he got out of bed and looked around. There was a bulging sock hanging from the end of his bed, but that wasn't it. When he decided that he was imagining the difference he opened the curtains to find that during the night a blanket of snow had covered everything in sight. The garden path and all of Mum's flowerpots and even the top of the garden wall were all covered in snow. Tom hurriedly got dressed and went through to his parents' bedroom to tell them that he was going out to play. 'Aren't you going to show us what is in your stocking and have breakfast first?' Mum asked. So Tom rushed back through to his own bedroom to collect his stocking. He sat on Mum and Dad's bed and opened his stocking to find a brightly coloured toy soldier and a colouring book with a set of pens, he also found sweets and other small toys.
'Can I go out and play in the snow now?' Tom inquired of his parents.
'Don't you want breakfast first?' asked Dad. Tom realised that he did very much want his breakfast, so all three of them headed down to the kitchen.
When Mum was nearly finished cooking breakfast, she asked Tom to go and see if Charlie-cat was sleeping in the living room. Tom opened the door to see a pile of brightly coloured boxes under the Christmas tree. The presents were of all different colours, shapes and sizes and each had a bright ribbon and a label attached. Then Tom noticed that there was a trail of snowy footprints leading from the fireplace to the Christmas tree and back again. Only one person could have brought presents down the chimney, Santa Clause!
'Mum, Mum! Santa Claus has left presents under our Christmas tree!' Tom shouted excitedly. Mum and Dad both came through and looked at the presents.
'So he has.' remarked Dad, who had a plate of breakfast in one hand and a fork in the other.
'Aren't you going to open them?' Mum asked, 'I can help you find the ones with your name on.'
'I know what my name is, it's T-O-M' he replied defiantly. So Mum and Dad both sat on the sofa and watched Tom open his presents.
A model aeroplane from Aunt Violet and Uncle Joe, and a Noah's ark from Granny Hitchings; but the best present was the one brought by Santa Clause, which was a shiny red bicycle, which Dad said he would teach Tom to ride once the snow had all gone.
After Tom had opened all his presents, Dad asked if he wanted to go outside and build a snowman. Tom agreed excitedly, so out they went to play whilst mum made lunch. They were in the middle of a snowball fight when Uncle Ted, Aunt Rose and cousin Julie arrived to share lunch and exchange gifts.
Once Tom and Cousin Julie had opened their presents it was time for lunch. The table was covered with all sorts of delicious food: a giant turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, two types of stuffing and gravy, there was even cranberry sauce and tiny little sausages wrapped in bacon! There was so much food that there was still lots left even after everybody had seconds! A little while after everybody had finished their lunch, Dad went to the kitchen and brought back a pudding that was on fire! Tom and Cousin Julie didn't much like that pudding, but Aunt Rose had baked a special cake just for them, so they were happy. After dessert everyone was so full that they could not eat another bite. Aunt Rose had brought Tom a big book of stories as a present and once the plates had been cleared away Cousin Julie read everybody a story about Santa Claus and his reindeer. Dad said that Julie could read very well for someone only eight. Tom thought this a terribly big number which made all the grown-ups laugh.
Soon after the story was finished it was time for Uncle Ted, Aunt Rose and Cousin Julie to leave. This made Tom sad, but Mum said he would see them again soon.
Bedtime came too soon for Tom. 'If I go to sleep it won't be Christmas anymore' he protested, but Mum said that it would come again soon enough. Tom reluctantly changed into his pyjamas and got ready for bed. As Mum was tucking him in, she asked:
'Did you have a good day?' Tom nodded sleepily and thought to himself that it had been a very very good Christmas.
The Post Christmas Competitions 2008
