THE MAN WHO COULDN'T SEE CHRISTMAS, Chapter Five

V.  Christmas Morning

            Petey didn't remember falling asleep.  In fact, he remembered that he couldn't fall asleep.  But now Sarah was leaning over him and shaking him and yelling, "Wake up, it's Christmas!"

            Christmas!  Petey jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, with Sarah right behind.  What would they see?   Did they really trade away all their Christmas presents for an old pair of glasses?

            No!  The Christmas tree stood grandly surrounded by shiny wrapped boxes …and two bicycles!  "Wow!"  Petey yelled.

            "Oooh!"  Sarah squealed.

            Mom and Dad stood across the room looking very pleased.  Grandpa Fred sat in his chair, looking sad.

            "Grandpa, we got you something special," Sarah said.

            "It's in your stocking," Petey added.  They each took one of Grandpa Fred's hands and pulled him across the room to the Christmas stockings. 

            "Glasses?"  Grandpa Fred looked confused.  Mom and Dad looked puzzled.

            "These are not ordinary glasses," Petey explained, pushing up his own ordinary glasses.

            "No, these are Christmas glasses," Sarah added.  "We got them for you so you could see Christmas again."

            Grandpa Fred sat back down in his chair and listened as Sarah and Petey told the whole story of how they had gotten Santa Claus' actual glasses, and how Dr. Chang had helped.

            "So, do they work, Grandpa?  Put them on!  Can you see Christmas now?" Sarah asked.

            Grandpa Fred took off his glasses and put on Santa's glasses.  He blinked a few times and then took the glasses off.  He took a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed the glasses.  He quickly wiped the handkerchief across his eyes and loudly blew his nose.  Then he put Santa's glasses on again.

            "Well?" Petey said.  "Can you see Christmas?"

            Grandpa Fred stood up and looked all around the room.  "I see a grand Christmas tree with a beautiful star.  I see presents everywhere.  I see snowflakes taped to the windows and garland hanging around the doorways.  I see a little stable with wise men and shepherds and a little baby.  And I see the two best grandchildren that a man could ever have!  Yes, I believe I can see Christmas after all!"

            Sarah and Petey flew into Grandpa Fred's arms.

            "Merry Christmas, Sarah.  Merry Christmas, Petey."

            "Merry Christmas, Grandpa!"

THE MAN WHO COULDN'T SEE CHRISTMAS, Chapter Two

II.  A Visit With Dr. Chang

            The next afternoon Sarah and Petey ran home from school.  Sarah ran up the stairs to her bedroom and shut the door tightly.  Then she opened her closet door and crawled inside.  In the back corner, underneath a pile of doll clothes, was Sarah's secret shoe box.  She pulled it out and opened it.  Mixed in with her shiny pencils and sea shells she found three dollars and twenty-seven cents.

            Petey didn't have a secret place.  He shone a flashlight under his bed and found thirty-two cents.  He found another nickel in yesterday's pants' pocket and fifty-three cents in the sofa cushions.

            They met in the kitchen and spilled all their change on the table.  "Four dollars and seventeen cents," Sarah said.

            "Is that enough to buy glasses?" asked Petey. 

            "I don't think it is, but let's go find out for sure."

            Grandpa Fred came into the kitchen as Petey was stuffing the money into his pockets.  "What are you two up to?"

            "Oh, we thought we might go Christmas shopping," Sarah said.  "Is that okay?" 

            Grandpa Fred glanced at the clock.  "Be back by 4:30. It gets dark early these winter days," he warned.

            "Okay, Grandpa, we will," promised Sarah.

            "Bye, Grandpa," called Petey, and they ran out the kitchen door.

            A short walk took them to Main Street and Dr. Chang's Optical Shop, where Petey had gotten his glasses. A bell jangled when Sarah pushed the door open. A little Christmas tree stood in the waiting room. Red and gold ribbons tied eyeglasses to the branches.  Sarah and Petey turned when they heard a voice.

            "Well, hello, Peter! What are you doing here?  Is there a problem with your glasses?" asked Dr. Chang. "Did you run over them with your bicycle again? Or break them playing baseball again? Or maybe they have fallen to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean again, and a fish is wearing them?"

            Petey pulled off his glasses and held them out for Dr. Chang to see.  "Look, my glasses are fine!"

            "Good! You’re being more careful with your glasses. I’m proud of you!"

            "We're here because of Grandpa Fred," Petey said.  "He's having a problem with his eyes."

            "Yes, we're awfully worried about him," Sarah added.  "He can't see Christmas."

            "He can't see Christmas?" repeated Dr. Chang.

            "He can't see the tree and the lights or any of the Christmas specials on TV.  He won't even come to church to see our Christmas program.  He says he just can't see Christmas," Sarah explained.

            "We want to buy him some new glasses," Petey added.

            "I'm sorry."  Dr. Chang shook her head.  "I don't think I can help your grandfather.  Ordinary glasses won't help him see Christmas if he doesn't want to see it.  It sounds like he needs Christmas glasses."

            "Well, what about these?"  Petey ran over to the Christmas tree.

            "No, Peter, those aren't Christmas glasses.  They're just ordinary glasses hanging on a Christmas tree.  Just to make my office look festive.

            "Dr. Chang, do you know where we could find Christmas glasses?" asked Sarah hopefully.

            "No, I'm sorry Sarah.  I sure don't.  I wish I did.  This world would be a happier place if everyone could see Christmas."

            Sarah and Petey stood on the sidewalk after leaving the optical shop.

            "Now what?" Sarah asked.

            "Well, we still have four dollars and seventeen cents," said Petey.

            "That doesn't solve Grandpa's problem."

            "No, but we could eat some doughnuts while we think about it." Petey pointed across the street at the bakery.

            When they left the bakery, they had one dollar and fifty-three cents left. By a Salvation Army kettle, a Santa Claus rang a bell. Sarah and Petey each put a quarter into the kettle. The Santa Claus thanked them. Then they hurried home.

Coming tomorrow:  Chapter 3, A Visit with Santa Claus

THE MAN WHO COULDN'T SEE CHRISTMAS

And now for something totally different:  Here's chapter one of a story I wrote for children and their parents and grandparents.

I.  Grandpa Fred’s Problem

            Grandpa Fred couldn't see Christmas.  He said so himself.  When Mom and Dad dragged the Christmas boxes down from the attic, Grandpa Fred shook his head sadly.  "I just can't see Christmas," he said.

            Sarah and Petey worried about Grandpa Fred.  What could be wrong with his eyes? 

            "Look, Grandpa!"  called Sarah.  "Mom has the lights on the Christmas tree!"

            "Look, Grandpa !" shouted Petey.  "Dad put the star on the Christmas tree.  It's blinking on and off!"

            Grandpa Fred kept looking at his newspaper.  "I just can't see Christmas," he muttered.

            Petey followed Sarah into her room.  "I'm awfully worried about Grandpa," Sarah said.  She took a baby doll from her cradle and smoothed its blanket.

            "What are we going to do?" Petey asked.  "Christmas is only one week away!"  He picked up Sarah's white teddy bear and tossed it into the air as he thought.

            "Say, maybe his glasses are the wrong prescription," Sarah said.

            Petey pushed up his own glasses.  “Maybe if he had new glasses, Grandpa could see Christmas!”

            Sarah and Petey raced downstairs.  "Grandpa," Sarah said.  "You need to get new glasses!"

            "Yeah," Petey added.  "Your glasses are the wrong prescription."

            Grandpa Fred took his glasses off.  He held them away from his face and squinted at them.  Then he rubbed them against his flannel shirt.  "No, Sarah, Petey, my glasses are just fine.  I got this new pair before...right before your Grandma Susie died."

            "Well, maybe the doctor gave you the wrong glasses," Petey suggested.  "Why can't you see Christmas?"

            "I think I'll go for a walk," Grandpa Fred said suddenly.

            "Oh, can we go with you?" Sarah begged.  "We can look at the Christmas lights!"

            "No!" He pulled on his coat and cap and quickly left.

            "I still say he needs new glasses," Petey insisted.

            "Well, let's get him some!" Sarah said.  "Tomorrow, after school."

 Coming tomorrow:  A Visit With Dr. Chang