The Dump Truck

 

Joey watched his breath as it formed little clouds when he exhaled. He imagined that he had a cigarette between his lips pushing out the smoke like the big kids down on the street corner. Mom with her twisted, teased, displaced, unsightly hair lay haphazardly across her bed, exhausted from the two jobs that she worked to keep food on the table and pay the rent. Little sis was curled up in her arms. Joey stared at the sparse tree with brown shedding needles that had been unceremoniously dragged inside and placed in a cinder block near the radio. It had been the last tree that the tree merchant had in stock, rejected by all previous shoppers. He sold it for a very reasonable price. Later, on Christmas morning, Mom would have carols playing on the old radio and stories of Christmases long ago. There were no presents under the straggly tree. Joey decorated the tree with a few old ornaments that were in the closet. Joey surmised that he and his sister had not been good enough to make Santa’s good list, however they would be better next year. The light and promise of a new and better future twinkled in Joey’s eyes, radiating out to improve the atmosphere and cheerfulness of the dark, old, dreary, cold apartment. Joey took the bathroom mat and placed it before the tree imagining that it was plush wall to wall carpeting covering the floor instead of the cold splintered planks that bruised his knees when he knelt before the tree imagining a decorated and dazzling one like the tree in Rockefeller Center.

It was very quiet outside with one speckled white pigeon impersonating a Christmas dove announcing the new day, when Joey heard a car pull up in the street crunching the icy crystals that the wheels rolled over. Two military men in bright blue uniforms with white hats got out of the car and after opening the trunk lifted large blue duffel bags out of it. They closed the trunk with a loud thud. Joey watched through the frosted window as house lights turned on when the men rang the doorbells on either side of the street. One marine proceeded down each side of the street. Joey ran to his collection of lead soldiers and pulled out two marines who were dressed exactly the same as the two soldiers in the street. Finally, Joey saw the men walking up the steps to his building and heard the ringing of the bells. Joey tried to wake up his mom, but she was motionless. After what seemed like an eternity, there was a knock and Joey rushed to the door, turning the latch and opening the door still held in place by the chain that his mom told him never to remove. Before him stood a statue, a life size lead soldier or rather a real man stiff and upright resolute and at attention staring at the door above him.

“Hello Sir”, Joey said.

“Good morning,” said the statue. "Is your mother available? “

By this point mom had dragged her weary bones to the door and peeked out at the apparition.

“Good morning,” she said surprisedly.

“Good morning, ma’am. Santa asked me to drop these presents off as he was very busy right now, there having been so many good boys and girls this year.”

“Oh, thank you very much,” Mom said, suddenly becoming aware of her unsightly appearance.

“Come in would you like a cup of coffee? It will only take me a minute.”

“No thank you ma’am I have many more stops to make.” said the soldier.

Mom unchained the door and the marine lifted two boxes from the bag, a large one and a small one.

“The large one is for Joey and the other is for Sue. Merry Christmas!”

“Thank you so much Sir you don’t know how much this means to us!” said Mom.

The marine smiled knowingly.

“Oh, I know. I was once the boy behind the door.”

Appreciation and good will were bestowed on the soldier and he even accepted a peck on the cheek from Mom. Then the soldier turned on his heel, saluted and marched out into the new day. Joey stood at attention saluting until the car had driven away.

Inside the box Joey found a stocking filled with candy and small toys packed in the back of a bright yellow metal dump truck with giant black rubber wheels. Sue was similarly delighted to find a stocking along with a Raggedy Ann doll. Raggedy Ann was given many rides in the Dump Truck that day. Joey was persuaded to clean his room with the help of the dump truck including trips from dirty sock mountain to the laundry basket.

 

Jim

Dec 2021