Ramdass Version of
The Night before
 Christmas! (A true story;-)

You've heard it before; tis tale's not new....
I've added a twist, my name’s in here too!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through our house

Every creature was stirring...even my computer mouse.

Amelia had hung her stocking by the chimney with care

...without any hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be here.

Last time I checked, Aunt  Sattie was sound asleep in bed

While visions of pepper-pot danced in her head

My Aunt Dev was working overtime at the Mall

My poor Uncle Rock waiting at the other end for a phone call

Grandma was in the kitchen baking more fruitcake

While Nera was watching the late show and trying hard to stay awake

Dad was blasting some old hit called Dolak Bajay

Although Mom insisted he play “a reggae Christmas” cd.


I was the only one who seemed to noticed that everyone was jolly

‘Cept Amelia and her poor pet bird, Polly.


When... out in the pantry there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter

The end result was that Dad had to leave in a speed

...to pick up some  more bird seeds.

As I nibbled on a slice of my fave West-Indian bread

I was beginning to face the evening with dread.

For Amelia had already told her entire class

...that she didn’t believe in Santa Claus

"Santa Claus does not exist..."

She told Uncle Shiv & Aunt Lela who had stopped by for a visit

And she would even let her school, possibly the whole world know

If she could prove that this was indeed so....


You see...it was my entire fault in a sense

I told Amelia that St. Nicholas was just a legend!

She had already caught our mom in the tooth fairy act.
So I didn't have to provide any further fact.
Amelia had a plan to trick Mom.

She was going to do two letters instead of one

The first letter was sent off to the North Pole via the post

And the other one was posted on the fridge looking totally lost

"Dear Santa", she had written with good reason

"Please don’t bring me anything this Christmas season"

"Instead I ask you to bring a Princess tiara set...

for my baby cousin  Shana who hasn’t had one yet."

Dear Santa, the other letter (for Mom) on the fridge read...

"Bring me a Barbie doll or two instead."

And that was the reason why I was browsing the net

In the hopes of finding a princess tiara set

For if Amelia did not receive one in her stocking

Christmas as we know it would cease to happen

"I was running out of time I realized with a shiver....

   As each place I called refused to deliver.

I was about to give up all hope, my heart in a panic

When I remembered our millennium tin in the attic

I raced to the attic as fast as I could

 And found one of Amelia’s tiaras still looked good

My mission accomplished, my heart filled with bliss

I was just about to give Mom a goodnight kiss

When all of a sudden our garage door opened wide,

And our black Chrysler Rally raced inside.

And what to this boy’s wondering eyes should appear

Not Dad...but Santa Claus without any reindeer.
He climbs out of the van and I take a quick look

It seems as if he had just stepped out of Amelia’s story book.
He proceeded to fill up all our stockings...
Then paused to tap his chin as if he was pondering...

I explained why Amelia’s stocking was already filled with a toy

He listened patiently and then said, “Darwin, my boy

You have certainly filled my heart with joy

Because without the beliefs of children

There is no upholding the Christmas legend

But remember the reason for peace and great joy...

It comes from love, not just from a toy..."

Later as I was about to turn off my monitor screen

The following words appeared in bold green

The very same words as if by some miracle

viewed by my entire family on every TV channel 

The very same words he had said as he drove out of sight

“Merry Christmas to all and to

every family out there.
a very special Christmas eve night" 

Have a magical Christmas

And an enchanting New Year

...from the Ramdass family

 

The Enchanted Christmas Card

In a far away land where only enchantment blooms

And peacocks show off their beautiful plumes

Where mystical magic and unicorns reign supreme

Way past bubbling brooks and tranquil streams

To baby swans gliding gracefully upstream.

And a grand castle surrounded by a garden of dreams.

In this beautiful, enchanting, Demerara woodland

A little girl stood by the window overlooking dreamland

In this serene cove, this enchanting secret place

...she would dance with the pixies with such grace

But another kind of magic was intruding without warning

It arrived in a warm rush; it was Christmas morning!

The scent of roses and fruitcakes were mingling with delight

As she walked into the hallway with a happy sigh.

For the girls, there were dolls on the hall table

And plenty of neat things for the boys without any labels

This is my favourite time of year, she thought dreamily

I can hardly wait to play with my new dolly.

Her big sisters would let her choose the prettiest doll

But their dolls always looked more appealing she recalled.

As she pondered whether they should have the first pick this year,

Something caught her eyes that she was sure didn’t belong there

It was an envelope!  An envelope with airmail mark!

She was sure this would make Dad as happy as a lark

Sometimes envelopes contain beautiful words just for her

Like the time when the telegram arrived from her big brother

Stop.  Mom and the new baby are doing fine.

Stop. Love and kisses for my baby sister, he had signed

Each word cost a whole lot of money, Dad had explained as such

...so she was thrilled that her big brother loved her too much.

 In the envelope was a card with the most enchanting scene

She was sure enchantment of this kind she had never seen

There was snow on the roof of every house, every tree, and even a holly bush

Magical, silvery dust danced on her fingers as she touched the berries lush

Her feet led her into the kitchen and Mom cooking up a storm

Mom looked up and smiled, her face all sunny and warm

Dad was sitting by the kitchen window lost in thought

He too smiled when he saw what she had brought

“Oh, Daddy”, she breathed as she climbed onto his lap.

“Look what I've found”; she pulled opened the flap.

“This is a Christmas card”, Dad said as he looked out at the trees

“ It is from your cousins, my nieces, they live overseas.”

She wondered aloud whether her cousins were pretty too

There was laughter in Dad‘s voice, “no one is as pretty as you”.

“Do they know my name?”  She was still curious about her cousins

Dad had an answer for every question by the dozens

“But why did they send us a card, Daddy?” she wanted to know last of all.

“Your Dad never bothers to send cards to anyone”, Mom recalled 

Dad scratched his head and pondered why he got a card year after year.

Then it dawned on him!  A smile lit up his face and his voice was full of cheer

The beautiful words that followed would always remain with her, she could see

Dad hugged her tight and that Christmas morning her heart was filled with glee

My golden daughter, he said as another hug and a kiss was bestowed

“They sent us a card because they love us
more than we will ever know”.