Bradley was very sad. It was Christmas Eve, and Dad wasn't home like he had promised. Christmas just couldn't be the same without him. But Christmas is the time of miracles!
Bradley sat by the window and stared at the quiet street. The snow had been falling all day and the street looked lonely, just like he was feeling.
Bradley's Mom walked in the room and put her arm on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay." said Bradley.
"Emily and Brian are going to watch a movie and I'm going to make some popcorn. Would you like to join us?" asked Mom.
"No, I think I'll just stay here." said Bradley.
"Honey, you've hardly moved from that spot all day and you barely ate any supper." said Mom.
"Mom, Dad promised he would be home today!"
"I know, Bradley. But the weather has been so bad that they closed the airport in Vancouver."
Bradley looked at his mom with tears in his eyes. "But Dad promised and it's Christmas Eve. He should be here!" Bradley turned to look out the window again hoping his dad would suddenly drive up.
Mom was disappointed too and she thought for a moment. "Children, I have an idea. I'd like to show you something I saw earlier this week. It's a few blocks away, so get dressed and we'll drive over. Bradley, we would really like you to join us."
"I just want to wait for Dad." said Bradley.
"We won't be long and it would mean a lot to me if we could all go together." said Mom.
"All right. I'll come." said Bradley.
"Emily," said Mom, "bring your doll."
"Why?" asked Emily.
"You'll see." said Mom.
The children quickly dressed and got in the car. Mom drove cautiously through the snow and the children wondered what she was going to show them. It was the same route they drove for their music lessons but then Mom turned down a different street.
"I found this place by accident as I went to pick you up from your music lessons." said Mom. She stopped the car in front of a house. The children were puzzled as to why she stopped.
"What do you want us to see?" asked Emily.
"See the nativity scene in the corner of the yard?" said Mom. "It's just like a real stable. Let's go look at it."
"I'm staying inside." said Bradley.
"I want to see it." said Emily.
"I'll race you there!" said Brian.
The children ran to the stable.
Brian knocked on the boards. "Mom, it's real wood."
"Yes, someone took a lot of time and care to build this." said Mom.
"But it doesn't have Mary or Joseph statues." said Brian.
"Do you feel like pretending?" asked Mom.
"Yes, yes!" cried Emily and Brian.
"Let's pretend we're back in the olden days when Jesus was born." said Mom. "Emily, go get your doll and put it in the manger. You can be Mary. Brian, get the window scraper from the car. That will be your cane and you can be Joseph and I'll be the innkeeper. Who remembers how the story goes?"
"I do!" yelled excited Brian. "Dad read us that story before he left on his trip. Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem to get sentenced."
Mom laughed. "No Brian, I think you mean for the census. Do you know what that means?"
"I can't remember." said Brian.
"That means that the government wanted to find out how many people lived in the country." said Mom. "Go on with the story."
"Mary and Joseph have to stay overnight but all the hotels are full." said Brian.
"And Mary is going to have a baby, right Mom?" said Emily.
"That's right. Very good, you remember." said Mom. "Okay, here is my hotel. Lights, cameras, action!" ( to be continued )
美丽平安夜-1
布拉德利非常悲伤。已经是圣诞节前夕了，爸爸却没有履行诺言回家。圣诞节他不在家就是不一样，不过在圣诞节奇迹经常发生。
布拉德利坐在窗口，眼睛直盯着安静的街道。雪下了一整天了，街道看起来有些孤寂，就像现在的他。
布拉德利的妈妈走进房间，把胳膊放在他的肩膀上：“你没事吧？”
“我还好。”布拉德利说。
“艾米丽和布赖恩要去看电影，我马上去做些爆米花。你想跟我们一起去吗？”妈妈问他。
“不，我就想待在这里。”布拉德利说。
“宝贝，你一整天几乎都没离开那个地方，晚饭也几乎没吃。”妈妈说。
“妈妈，爸爸答应今天会到家的！”
“我知道，布拉德利。但天气这么糟糕，温哥华的机场都关了。”
布拉德利眼含泪水望着妈妈：“但是爸爸答应过的，已经是平安夜了，他应到家了！”布拉德利再次望向窗外，希望爸爸会突然开车回来。
妈妈也很失望，她想了一会儿，说：“孩子们，我有一个主意。我想让你们看样东西，是这周早些时候我看到的，离这儿就几个街区。去穿好衣服，我们开车去那里。布拉德利，我们都想让你也去。”
“我只想等爸爸回来。”布拉德利说。
“我们用不了多长时间。并且我们一起去，对我来说意义非同一般。”妈妈说。
“那好吧，我去。”布拉德利说。
“艾米丽，”妈妈说，“带着你的洋娃娃。”
“为什么？”艾米丽问。
“到时候你就明白了。”妈妈说。
孩子们很快穿好衣服钻进车里。妈妈在布满积雪的路上谨慎地开着，孩子们不知道她想让他们看什么。开车走的是他们去上音乐课的路，但妈妈在另一个街道拐弯了。
“我是在接送你们上音乐课时偶然发现这个地方的。”妈妈说，并在一座房子前面停了下来。孩子们迷惑不解，不知她为什么把车停在这儿。
“你想让我们看什么呀？”艾米丽问。
“看到院子角落里那个基督诞生的场景了吗？”妈妈说。“它看起来就像一间真正的马厩。我们过去看看。”
“我就待在车里。”布拉德利说。
“我想看看。”艾米丽说。
“我也跟着去！”布赖恩说。
孩子们跑向马厩。
布赖恩敲敲木板，“妈妈，真的是木头耶！”
“是的，有人花了很长时间和心血来建造它。”妈妈说。
“但是没有圣母马利亚和约瑟的雕像。”布赖恩说。
“你们想扮演吗？”妈妈问。
“想，想啊！”艾米丽和布赖恩都叫道。
“我们来扮演回到耶稣诞生的古时候。”妈妈说，“艾米丽，把你的洋娃娃放在马槽里，你扮演马利亚。布赖恩，从车里拿来窗户刮板，用来作你的藤杖，你演约瑟。我就是店主。谁记得故事的情节？”
“我记得！”兴奋的布赖恩嚷道。“爸爸在出发前给我们讲过那个故事。马利亚和约瑟去伯利恒（耶路撒冷南方六英里一市镇，耶稣诞生地）接受刑罚。”
妈妈笑了：“噢，不对，布赖恩。我认为你说的是人口普查。你知道这是什么意思吗？”
“不记得了。”布赖恩说。
“就是说政府想知道一共有多少人住在这个国家。”妈妈说。“继续讲下去。”
“马利亚和约瑟必须得过夜，但所有的旅店都住满了。”布赖恩说。
“马利亚就要生小孩了。对吧，妈妈？”艾米丽说。
“对，非常好。你记得很清楚。”妈妈说。“呶，这儿就是我的旅店。灯光，
摄像机，开拍！”（待续） |
