THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD
"If you look through the eyes of a child
The world is full of wonder.
And Christmas trees"
It was nearly midnight, and the house was silent. Eight year old Lizzie crept out of her bedroom, her favourite teddy bear - Benjy- under her arm. Barefoot, she tiptoed down the upstairs hallway past her parents' bedroom door. "Ssshh," she whispered to Benjy. "We mustn't wake Mum and Dad up." The bear seemed to grin up at Lizzie as she tightened her hold of his furry body.
Looking over her shoulder, Lizzie checked to see if she was still alone. Satisfied she began to creep down the stairs. One stair creaked slightly; Lizzie stood still, her head to one side hoping that she hadn't woken her parents. The house stayed silent, the only sound was the steady ticking of the old fashioned grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs.Half way down the stairway, Lizzie stopped. Smiling to herself she crouched down low. Sitting Benjy on the stair above her so he could see too, she grasped the wooden bannisters. Pressing her head forward, Lizzie peered through two balustrades gazing across to the huge Christmas tree that dominated the grand hallway of their home.
Her father and two of the estate workers had cut the tree that afternoon from the small forest behind their house. It had taken them an hour to position the tree to her mother's satisfaction. Lizzie had watched in awe as the men had pushed the tree upwards into position. Once her mother had been satisfied, her father had secured the tree from the high ceiling with strong wire, while the two workers fixed the base of the tree into a huge brightly coloured container.
Kissing her mother, her father and the two estate workers had disappeared back to work. Her mother had smiled down at her as they held hands. Lizzie had been excited because her mother had promised that she could help decorate the tree. Several large boxes of Christmas decorations had been brought into the hallway, and her father had fetched a tall step ladder. Her mother had then called their cook, Hannah, and their butler, Edward. Together the four of them had begun to decorate the huge tree.
The women had watched as Edward carefully draped the lights all around the huge tree. Next Hannah and her mother had hung coloured glass baubles onto the branches of the tree. Lizzie had tried to count the baubles, but had got tired after two hundred. Each dark green branch of the tree seemed to have a brightly coloured bauble. Her mother had allowed her to hang some baubles on the lower branches of the tree. Her mother had entwined red and gold tinsel amongst the green branches of the tree. Lizzie had thought it made the tree sparkle.
Hannah had hummed Christmas carols - Edward and her mother had joined in. Not to be outdone, Lizzie had sung Silent Night, and the adults had applauded as she bowed low. Hannah had then disappeared into the kitchen to re-appear with homemade candy sticks and gingerbread men for the tree.
Each of the gingerbread men had a name iced across its chest, blue for the men and pink for the women. Lizzie knew that all of her father's staff would receive a gift as well as a named gingerbread man after their Christmas lunch. Lizzie had then helped Hannah hang the brightly coloured candy sticks onto the tree. She picked out the candy sticks that she hoped her mother would allow her to have.
Two hours later, the tree had been completed with only the most important job to carry out. Edward had helped her up the step ladder. Looking down, Lizzie had smiled at her mother and Hannah as she carefully placed the fairy onto the top of the tree. Hannah and her mother had cheered as they admired the beautiful fairy dressed in gold.
The grandfather clock chimed startling her out of her reverie. "Look Benjy," she whispered to her bear. "Isn't it the best tree you have ever seen?" Taking hold of her bear, Lizzie sat him in her lap as she continued to stare at the tree, her face shining with wonder and happiness.
The huge Christmas tree dominated the corner of the hallway. It was the most beautiful thing Lizzie had ever seen - its lights twinkled in the dim light casting shadows across the high ceilings and walls of the hallway. Lizzie let her gaze drift upwards towards the ceiling watching fascinated as the bright colours of the tree lights danced across the whiteness.It made the usually bustling hallway seem eerie and ghostly, and Lizzie couldn't help shivering slightly. She continued to watch her own private light show until her neck ached.
The grandfather struck twelve midnight, its loud insistent chimes startling Lizzie. She crouched down hugging Benjy close to her body as she heard a door opening to the side of the tree.
Lizzie held her breath as she watched a shadowy figure move into the hallway. As the mysterious figure reached the tree, the lights illuminated his red suit. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, and Lizzie had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle the gasp that nearly gave her away.
"Benjy," she whispered. "Look. It's Father Christmas," she pointed her finger at the figure. Lizzie watched in silence as Father Christmas lay presents under the magnificent tree. Lizzie bent her head. "We have to go now," she whispered in Benjy's ears. "If Father Christmas sees us, he'll take the presents away." She got to her feet quietly. With a last look at the beautiful Christmas tree sparkling in the dimness, Lizzie crept back up the stairs, Benjy tucked firmly under her arm.He heard her creep up back up the stairway. Lizzie's father turned with a smile watching as his daughter hurried back up the stairs, her favourite bear under her arm. Turning back to his task, he smiled again hoping with all his heart that Lizzie would always remember Christmas through the eyes of a child.
THE END