2006 Advent Calendar story #2

Rosebud by krystal

            “What’s this?”  Zac said, pointing at a large piece of molded plastic under the tree.

            “It’s a surfboard!”  Taylor exclaimed.

            “It’s not a surfboard.  It’s a sled.”  Isaac explained.

            At 4:47 a.m. on Christmas morning, they were the only ones awake.  “What’s it for?”  Zac questioned, looking at his oldest brother.

            “You ride it down the hill when it snows.”  He replied.  “It goes really fast.  We used to have a wooden one, but Mom made Dad got rid of it when it went in the creek and got broke.”

            Taylor was crawling around the tree, seeing what all Santa had left for them.  He wrinkled his nose at the soft little babydoll and the Disney Baby diaper bag, obviously left there for his little sister.  Then his eyes lit up, “Hey Ike—it’s a Lego Castle!  That must be for you.  Mom told me that me and Zac couldn’t play with them no more ‘cause we left some on the floor of the bathroom and she hurted her foot.”  He kept looking, “A basketball!  That’s mine!  Mom says I’m gonna be tall.”  He said proudly.

            “Pssshh, yeah right.”  Isaac muttered.  “You’re a pipsqueak.”

            “Am not.”  Taylor answered, picking up a “Sorry” game.  “This looks like fun.”  He said.

            Zac pulled his thumb from his mouth, “Does you gotta read to play it?”  He asked, pulling the sled over and laying down in it.

            “Well, it gots cards, so prob’ly.”  Taylor replied.  “Don’t worry about it though, me and Ike’ll read ‘em for ya.”   He set it back under the tree.

            “I hope it’s more fun than “Candyland”.”  Isaac said absently, as he dug his nine year old fingers into the treasured Lego blocks.

            “I love Candyland!”  Taylor protested.

            Isaac rolled his eyes.  “Candyland is for babies.”

            “We beated you last time.”  Zac said, turning over and gazing up through the branches of the tree.

            “I know.”  Isaac said through gritted teeth.  “Cause it’s for babies and you’re babies and I’m not.  If y’all played each other, Tay would lose ‘cause he’s older than you.”

            Zac looked at him with eyes full of doubt.  He’d never beaten Taylor at the game before.  Taylor knew secret rules that even their mother wasn’t aware of.

            “Let’s go sledding.”  Taylor suggested.  “Since we gotta be quiet ‘til six, we can’t play with any of the good stuff yet.”

            “Tay, it’s like, fifty degrees outside.  There isn’t any snow.”  Isaac said, holding up a tiny plastic cannon and inspecting it.

            “Well, we could try.”  Taylor said.

            Isaac stood up as Taylor took the rope, spinning Zac around on the slick wood floor and making him giggle around his thumb.

            “Sssshhhh.”  Isaac shushed them.  “Don’t wake up Jessie or we’ll be in for it!”

            “C’mon Zac!”  Taylor pulled him towards the front door, the plastic feet of his pajamas slapping the floor.

            “You’re gonna scratch the floor!”  Isaac admonished them, placing his hands on his hips.  When they continued on out the door, he tried again, “Tay, you can’t go out there in your pajamas!”  He sighed.  “There isn’t even any snow!”

            “There was snow last week!”  Taylor reasoned, turning to look back at his brother.

            “But it’s gone now.”  Isaac said.

            With a shrug, Taylor pulled his other brother out onto the porch as he giggled madly.  “Go down the steps!”  Zac encouraged him.

            At once, Taylor flew down the steps and Isaac watched Zac’s head bounce on every one.  “Tay, there’s no snow.”  Isaac tried to reason with them one last time, but Zac’s laughter drowned him out.  “Whatever!”  He barked.

            Shaking his head, he turned back to the Christmas tree, a smile on his face.  He’d wanted the Lego’s for his birthday, but he’d gotten new shoes instead.  He began to pick out the pieces he’d need to build his pirate ship.  It was always good to work without his brothers whenever possible.  He could get it done in half the time without their “help”.  Soon, he’d forgotten about them altogether.

            He jumped when his father’s hand fell on his shoulder, “Good Morning, Ike.  Merry Christmas!”  He said.

            “Oh!  Hey, Dad!”  He looked up to see his father, holding his baby sister.  “Hey, Jess.”  He greeted the little blonde girl.

            “Where’re your brothers?”  His father asked.

            “You two get in here this instant!”  Their exchange was interrupted by his mother, standing at the front door.

            She stepped into the living room and glared at her oldest son, “Isaac, why did you let them go outside?”  She questioned him.

“I told’em there wasn’t any snow, but they wouldn’t listen to me.”  He defended himself.

“You’re older than them, I think you could have kept them here.”  She shot back.

“I don’t know, honey—“  Their father started.  “Good Lord.”  He uttered as the two little boys bounced in through the door, mud caked up their legs and smeared across their hands and faces.

“Ike!!!  Mud is much funner than snow!!  You gotta try this!!”  Taylor  shouted, turning back toward the door.

“Oh no you don’t!”  their Mother scolded them, grabbing the shoulder of his pajamas.  “You two get in the tub right now!  Daddy’s gonna make pancakes while you’re getting cleaned up, and then we’re going to church.”   The two boys turned sadly, leaving their filthy new sled on the front porch, and headed towards the bathroom.  “I can’t believe you went out and did that.  Didn’t we take baths last night so we’d be all nice and clean this morning?”  Her voice faded as she followed the two of them.

Isaac looked at his father, hoping he wasn’t in trouble.  “I really did try to get them to stay in here.”  He said.

“Don’t worry about it.”  His father said, walking over to the door and looking out.  He turned back to his son, “It does look like fun, doesn’t it?”  He grinned.

Isaac wrinkled his nose, and his father patted him on the back, “Oh Ike, live a little!  You’re a kid!”  Then he leaned down and whispered, “Just don’t tell your Mom I said that.”

Isaac smiled again, gazing at his half finished ship.  If he hurried, he might have it all done by the time pancakes and his dirty little brothers were done.