SimranThere are so many festivals that are celebrated all around the world but Christmas is the most popular among all of them. A lot of people come down to their home town to celebrate Christmas with their family, no matter where they live or work. The protagonist of the story too used to wait eagerly for Christmas. But there was something else that used to make him curious about Christmas and it was his mother’s peculiar behavior. His mother used to disappear for 3 hours and whenever the family members would ask about the same, she never used to explain her absence. Little John was curious to find out the truth about his mother. And years later, when the truth unfolded in front of him, he was baffled by the discovery.
Little John
John Dorrah loved Christmas like any other kid in his childhood. He used to be amazed by lights and decorations around the town and would often request his dad to take him to the market so that he could see the mesmerizing fairy lights. The lights used to hold him captivated under its spell. John’s childhood was spent in Highland, Illinois with his mom, Sue.
Routine
On Christmas morning, John used to wake up even before his alarm would ring and sneak out of his bed, tiptoeing to the room where his mother used to keep all the gifts. That was the only day, his mother didn’t have to yell at him to take a bath, because that day he used to take a bath even before his mother would know that he was awake. He used to be cheerful and chirpy on that day but there was something that would often make him curious too.
A Secret
Everything used to happen as usual on every Christmas, but there was one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb. Every Christmas his mother would go away for some hours and the family members would have no idea as to where she might have gone. The strange thing had become like a ritual now and was happening since he was a kid. When he was young he never used to take her absence so seriously because he used to be engrossed in his world. But when he grew up he became suspicious about her behavior.
Uncanny Behavior
When John grew up, he started questioning his mother about her sudden absence, every time she used to give one or the other excuse and he would become quiet. He knew his mother was a god-fearing lady and wouldn’t do anything that could hurt her husband or family. After certain years, he too stopped asking his mother because he was tired and couldn’t bear any more lies. He just wanted to make sure that his mother was safe. But where did she use to go?
Observation
He used to observe her every Christmas, his mother would often wake up at usual timings and do all her chores until the evening. And after that, she used to grab the keys of the car and drive off silently without telling anyone where she was heading to. Every year she used to do the same and would often think of confronting her and asking her about the truth. Would he ever be able to find out the truth?
A Writer
Years passed by and he became a writer and teacher. Sue was always proud of her son and encouraged him to find his calling. He excelled in his career and often travel around the whole world to promote his books.No matter wherever he used to be in the whole world he would always come home for Christmas. After a few years, he settled in Mississippi and taught in a school for 30 years before moving to Georgia and England.