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Quill it and Spill It This Xmas Eve
Oh God, how many times has he heard it - "no pets!", "no way, no animals", "no you can't have..." insert the animal of your choice! His parents were impossible. Hate is a strong word, but he was pretty close to writing it in his letter to Santa. All he ever wrote each year for the last six years was could he get a pet for Christmas? It went unanswered verbally, but in actuality the result was a resounding NO. No way - a way of life when it came to his love of animals. Out in Toronto, Canada it could get pretty wild. Snow heaps up huge deep drifts and he was always finding some poor creature to rescue. His parents had had enough of his charity cases, they wanted a pristine and sterile environment. COVID to them had given the excuse they needed to explain how their minimalistic lifestyle, clean, paired back, streamlined to the enth degree best suited the idea of cleanliness.
"We're disease free, and want it to stay like that," they told him every time they turfed out one of his rescue projects he had tried smuggling in. They were getting pretty good at sniffing out his antics. Parents suck; they don't let you do anything fun.
As an only child he'd grown up kind of privileged. Both his parents were doctors, and they had a rural lodge which was state of the art. All sides were huge bi-folding windows that in the Summer could be rolled back to expose them to the fresh air and sun. In Winter they afforded gorgeous views of the countryside and woods that came right up to the very walls. The modern design had been photographed in style magazines and his parents often said to neighbours they kept it spotless in case anybody dropped by. He was their little villain, the blot on the landscape. They were always making him put everything away exactly where he'd found it. They colour coded stuff in the fridge, had memory boards up full of lists with post-it note reminders. He had compartments in all the drawers in his room labelled up and there were regular inspections to make sure he was keeping it tidy. He wished he'd had a sibling to share in moaning about the odd behaviour. They were extreme his parents, and even his sterilised lunchbox contained shrink wrapped food neatly packed with absolute precision. He used to say to the disbelieving kids who gawked at all the food as he undid the lid...
"if you think this is bad then you should see our suitcases when we go on holiday!"
It was hard being an only child. Both parents were away a lot, and did unsocial hours. They never really had time to take him round the mountains, rivers and lakes that surrounded where they were. He'd be told to go out and play as his parents found the noise distracting. It was lonely on his own so Theo always gave digs, hints, suggestions and hopeful visual clues at just how brighter his day would be with a pet. He'd put leads up in the hallway, dog collars in drawers, catnip toys in the corners, nooks and crannies. But always the answer was a definitive no, and in the end he gave up on owning his own animal and thought he'd have more success with adopting one. After his long plays outdoors he'd often bring back young creatures to nurse. There was something in him that liked taking care of animals. His parents were in the caring profession, so he thought they'd understand over the years when his preferences only got stronger...but they didn't.They just seemed to get more annoyed and lacked patience with him, saying he'd grow out of it eventually...but he never did.
This Christmas was the first time he hadn't written to Santa. His parents thought it was because he was too old to believe in fairytales, but that wasn't it. Theo believed in magic still, in the wonder of Christmas and the Spirit of Festive Joy. It was just that he was through with keep asking for the impossible. So this year he'd not bothered giving his parents his letter, but he still wrote one. It simply asked for a little of the magic to go his way, for this year to bring him something to show at least God, or Santa, or Mother Earth herself was listening. He didn't care who, he just sent his wishes with all his heart onto paper. He Quilled it and Spilled it! And when it was done he knew he couldn't keep it in the house for his sneaky parents to find, so he buried it out back in the garden on the grassy banks that fell away down to the river.
Kids at school laugh at the thought of magic, but any sensible person who has spent time in Nature knows the truth of it. They may be brought up on computer games and endless streaming of TV series and films, but for him playing outside so very much, seeking adventure and thrills - he knew all around him were little vignettes of wonderful. On the run up to this Christmas Eve even the waterfall in the wood had frozen over. The great icicles like fangs on a mouth about to bite were ferocious. It was cold out and he'd wrap up warm. Maybe they'd have snow this year? But in his letter he hadn't asked for snow, he'd asked for help....help to bring nature where he wouldn't feel lonely. To give him an experience he could remember, that would sustain him in hard times and remind him he wasn't an only child who'd got so insular and lonely.
Theo was a dutiful child. He tried to be good, it was just he wasn't very successful at it. Oh his parents bought him nice stuff, but that didn't replace the love and affection he craved. So when they told him to get to bed to be asleep before midnight when Santa came, he happily obliged. Besides, running and exploring in the freezing hills and trees was exhausting, even for a young healthy boy. There was something in the air that night, it felt ...odd. Some might have attributed it to temperature changes, because it felt that sense of pressure like when a storm is coming. Something had built up in the air and Theo tossed and turned that night....until he woke just before twelve!
He'd heard something outdoors. He turned his lights on and saw...a miracle. There on the steep slopes was a beautiful blanket of snow, soft and gorgeous. The safe world of his back garden had been turned into a wonderland. And as he gazed and smiled that's when he saw them, wolves!
Now wolves aren't uncommon, even this close to a home in the dead of night. Theo had read about them, and on occasion heard them in the distance. They were generally averse to man, and rather shy timid creatures not at all what you're led to believe. These three timber wolves were barking, biting, nipping and yipping like young cubs do. They were adults enthralled by the snow, sharing the fun and having wolf play time. Theo was enraptured, how he wished for friends like them. And he watched as they jump and frolick, and then dug up his note. He hadn't buried it very deep, and all three seemed to be very inquisitive. Then it happened all at once....the clock struck twelve as one of the wolves trotted up to the window.
"Hey, are you coming out? We won't hurt you, promise, come play."
Haha, Theo was astounded. Christmas Magic really did exist, as it's the only time of the year that animals can talk!
He was so incredulous, he just stood there eyes wide, mouth agape like a big old fish.
"Hurry," said the wolf, "or my brother and sister will think you don't want to know us."
Theo had put the flood lights on out the back. His parents were fast asleep in their front bedroom, their snores creating a wave of peace. He snuck out the window having turned off the alarm panel and ran out to meet the wolves. Now it says a lot about his bravery that he embraced those fearsome hunters. Wolves are emboldened in a pack, and he knew how wild and savage they could be. But sometimes, like with Magic, and God, you gotta have faith. He had lots of belief in Nature and that talking animals isn't an impossibility when you just witnessed it for yourself. Some things you don't question, they have to be accepted. He took them at their word, and he ran out into the falling snow and he had FUN! Three madcap wolves and a laughing, tumbling, lonesome young Canadian boy who loves animals and the great outdoors. They chased, crept and pounced, licked, nipped, danced and pranced for three whole hours. At last Theo, thoroughly wiped out crept back indoors, re-set the alarm, went to his room and waved them goodbye out the window, before returning to bed.
When he woke late that Christmas morning, it wasn't his parents saying "rise and shine sleepy head ( like they ever had!), nor was it an alarm clock rudely ringing him to urgent consciousness....oh no my friends....it was three loud distant wolf howls calling out to him, rejoicing their new pack mate and the fun they were always going to have. This Christmas, Theo had Quilled it and Spilled it...and magic had happened. 💛🎄
The End
🎄💛🐺 don't forget to quill and spill your own secret letters my friends...and may the magic enrich your lives. 💛🐺
© .Garry Saunders
"We're disease free, and want it to stay like that," they told him every time they turfed out one of his rescue projects he had tried smuggling in. They were getting pretty good at sniffing out his antics. Parents suck; they don't let you do anything fun.
As an only child he'd grown up kind of privileged. Both his parents were doctors, and they had a rural lodge which was state of the art. All sides were huge bi-folding windows that in the Summer could be rolled back to expose them to the fresh air and sun. In Winter they afforded gorgeous views of the countryside and woods that came right up to the very walls. The modern design had been photographed in style magazines and his parents often said to neighbours they kept it spotless in case anybody dropped by. He was their little villain, the blot on the landscape. They were always making him put everything away exactly where he'd found it. They colour coded stuff in the fridge, had memory boards up full of lists with post-it note reminders. He had compartments in all the drawers in his room labelled up and there were regular inspections to make sure he was keeping it tidy. He wished he'd had a sibling to share in moaning about the odd behaviour. They were extreme his parents, and even his sterilised lunchbox contained shrink wrapped food neatly packed with absolute precision. He used to say to the disbelieving kids who gawked at all the food as he undid the lid...
"if you think this is bad then you should see our suitcases when we go on holiday!"
It was hard being an only child. Both parents were away a lot, and did unsocial hours. They never really had time to take him round the mountains, rivers and lakes that surrounded where they were. He'd be told to go out and play as his parents found the noise distracting. It was lonely on his own so Theo always gave digs, hints, suggestions and hopeful visual clues at just how brighter his day would be with a pet. He'd put leads up in the hallway, dog collars in drawers, catnip toys in the corners, nooks and crannies. But always the answer was a definitive no, and in the end he gave up on owning his own animal and thought he'd have more success with adopting one. After his long plays outdoors he'd often bring back young creatures to nurse. There was something in him that liked taking care of animals. His parents were in the caring profession, so he thought they'd understand over the years when his preferences only got stronger...but they didn't.They just seemed to get more annoyed and lacked patience with him, saying he'd grow out of it eventually...but he never did.
This Christmas was the first time he hadn't written to Santa. His parents thought it was because he was too old to believe in fairytales, but that wasn't it. Theo believed in magic still, in the wonder of Christmas and the Spirit of Festive Joy. It was just that he was through with keep asking for the impossible. So this year he'd not bothered giving his parents his letter, but he still wrote one. It simply asked for a little of the magic to go his way, for this year to bring him something to show at least God, or Santa, or Mother Earth herself was listening. He didn't care who, he just sent his wishes with all his heart onto paper. He Quilled it and Spilled it! And when it was done he knew he couldn't keep it in the house for his sneaky parents to find, so he buried it out back in the garden on the grassy banks that fell away down to the river.
Kids at school laugh at the thought of magic, but any sensible person who has spent time in Nature knows the truth of it. They may be brought up on computer games and endless streaming of TV series and films, but for him playing outside so very much, seeking adventure and thrills - he knew all around him were little vignettes of wonderful. On the run up to this Christmas Eve even the waterfall in the wood had frozen over. The great icicles like fangs on a mouth about to bite were ferocious. It was cold out and he'd wrap up warm. Maybe they'd have snow this year? But in his letter he hadn't asked for snow, he'd asked for help....help to bring nature where he wouldn't feel lonely. To give him an experience he could remember, that would sustain him in hard times and remind him he wasn't an only child who'd got so insular and lonely.
Theo was a dutiful child. He tried to be good, it was just he wasn't very successful at it. Oh his parents bought him nice stuff, but that didn't replace the love and affection he craved. So when they told him to get to bed to be asleep before midnight when Santa came, he happily obliged. Besides, running and exploring in the freezing hills and trees was exhausting, even for a young healthy boy. There was something in the air that night, it felt ...odd. Some might have attributed it to temperature changes, because it felt that sense of pressure like when a storm is coming. Something had built up in the air and Theo tossed and turned that night....until he woke just before twelve!
He'd heard something outdoors. He turned his lights on and saw...a miracle. There on the steep slopes was a beautiful blanket of snow, soft and gorgeous. The safe world of his back garden had been turned into a wonderland. And as he gazed and smiled that's when he saw them, wolves!
Now wolves aren't uncommon, even this close to a home in the dead of night. Theo had read about them, and on occasion heard them in the distance. They were generally averse to man, and rather shy timid creatures not at all what you're led to believe. These three timber wolves were barking, biting, nipping and yipping like young cubs do. They were adults enthralled by the snow, sharing the fun and having wolf play time. Theo was enraptured, how he wished for friends like them. And he watched as they jump and frolick, and then dug up his note. He hadn't buried it very deep, and all three seemed to be very inquisitive. Then it happened all at once....the clock struck twelve as one of the wolves trotted up to the window.
"Hey, are you coming out? We won't hurt you, promise, come play."
Haha, Theo was astounded. Christmas Magic really did exist, as it's the only time of the year that animals can talk!
He was so incredulous, he just stood there eyes wide, mouth agape like a big old fish.
"Hurry," said the wolf, "or my brother and sister will think you don't want to know us."
Theo had put the flood lights on out the back. His parents were fast asleep in their front bedroom, their snores creating a wave of peace. He snuck out the window having turned off the alarm panel and ran out to meet the wolves. Now it says a lot about his bravery that he embraced those fearsome hunters. Wolves are emboldened in a pack, and he knew how wild and savage they could be. But sometimes, like with Magic, and God, you gotta have faith. He had lots of belief in Nature and that talking animals isn't an impossibility when you just witnessed it for yourself. Some things you don't question, they have to be accepted. He took them at their word, and he ran out into the falling snow and he had FUN! Three madcap wolves and a laughing, tumbling, lonesome young Canadian boy who loves animals and the great outdoors. They chased, crept and pounced, licked, nipped, danced and pranced for three whole hours. At last Theo, thoroughly wiped out crept back indoors, re-set the alarm, went to his room and waved them goodbye out the window, before returning to bed.
When he woke late that Christmas morning, it wasn't his parents saying "rise and shine sleepy head ( like they ever had!), nor was it an alarm clock rudely ringing him to urgent consciousness....oh no my friends....it was three loud distant wolf howls calling out to him, rejoicing their new pack mate and the fun they were always going to have. This Christmas, Theo had Quilled it and Spilled it...and magic had happened. 💛🎄
The End
🎄💛🐺 don't forget to quill and spill your own secret letters my friends...and may the magic enrich your lives. 💛🐺
© .Garry Saunders
