Whether you are ran raggared with all the sorting out to do
for the season ahead, or preparing your guest room all nice for your
guests/family, getting everything sorted to close your work year or just on a
quick lunch break and popped in to have a chat. If you are dreading the next
few days as you are really not wanting Christmas, then let’s leave the world we
know of for a short while and chillax with a read! Deep breath through your
mouth and slow through your nose. feel the peace of Fifi’s Blogget spa retreat.
Smile. As you my Blogget family are all together this Christmas. Reach out to
each other and let’s feel the love.
Today’s story comes from Anton Chekhov, who was considered
to be one of the best short story writers of fiction in history
(AT CHRISTMAS TIME)
Christmas time had arrived and the mother Vasalisa was
missing her daughter so much. She left four years previous to marry. Only two
letters had arrived from her. The old Father couldn’t write, there was no one
who could, in Vasalisa’s family. Enough
was enough she cried over her stove every day for her daughter, at last at this
time of year she had to try to find her daughter.
Vasilisa went to the Tavern to visit Yegor the brother of
the innkeeper’s wife, who had just sat doing nothing since returning from the
army. It was rumoured that Yegor was a good writer and after the Mother had
spoken to the Cook, then the mistress of the house she got to Yegor and agreed
a fee of 15 Kopecks to write a letter to her daughter.
On the second day of the holidays, Yegor was sitting in the
tavern kitchen with a pen in his hand. Vasilisa was standing before him,
pondering with an expression of anxiety and woe upon her face. Her old Husband stood
with her. He was very thin and frail. On the stove there was a chunk of pork
being braised in a saucepan, spirting and hissing. Yegor asked what to write.
The Mother told him to write to her dear Son in Law and beautiful daughter to
send a low bow, blessings and best wishes for Christmas. She turned to her
Husband who said nothing. She spoke in a hurried and nervous manor and thought
how by night as she lay awake in her bed how she rehearsed words of how much
has changed in the village how many people have married and died, but standing
before Yegor, she found her mouth so dry. she then wondered why she didn’t tell
of how she missed her daughter how she needed to see her. How her pain was
agonising and more.
to some readers, she
seems lost for words. And her Husband was silenced by fear of possibly the unknown.
But this is my translation of the story, you may have a different view.
Yegar learned that the Son in law he was writing to was in
the army and left the same time as he did. He ended up doing a very simple job
but for too long they haven’t written so the couple feared the worse.
Yegor began to write rapidly.
"At the present time"-- he wrote -- "since
your destiny through your own doing allotted you to the Military Career, we
counsel you to look into the Code of Disciplinary Offences and Fundamental Laws
of the War Office, and you will see in that law the Civilization of the
Officials of the War Office."
And so, on and so on.
The old Father spoke and said maybe you could write about
us seeing our Grandchildren? The old lady replied. How do you know there are
any? He replied there may not be, but if there are, we need to see them. The
old lady also thought in her head that they should write to ask if the couple could
spare some money as she feared that the growing of the fields was not enough to
keep them fed and financed. Also, she feared her aging Husband was about to
give up his soul to God.
So many more words were written by Yegor as his pen
squeaked and executed upon his paper where by the writing had an appearance of
fish hooks with swirls and lines, circles and dots. So many words, but he made
sure everything he wrote, he told to the old couple.
Yegors broad feet were under the table, he was bursting
from his clothes in a full fed expression. He replicated everything that we
know of as vulgarities and wore a coarse animal face upon his fat red neck and
apart from coarse, he was conceited, invincible, and proud to have been born to
a house of plenty. The old Mother looked at Yegor suspiciously her thoughts
were in confusion from the sounds of his voice. But the old man trusted his
wife for bringing him there and trusted Yegor.
Yegor finished the letter stood before the stove and read
every word out to the couple. The old man didn’t understand but nodded his head
to agree with the work Yegor had put into this letter with a very important
message.
The old woman didn’t sleep at all that night. She left
her bed early to visit the station so disturbed by the previous day. It was at
the station where by she would send the letter.
At the establishment the Son in law, Andrei turned up for
work as always, he worked as a porter, but this day was to be different. He
wore new shoes and a brand-new uniform. He greeted every visitor with a welcome
and happy new year to you all. Andrei read his Newspaper as he took his letter
to his wife who was nursing her third child. (Note) They had only been married
four years….
He handed her the letter saying must be from the country
and didn’t even lift his eyes from his newspaper. He walked out leaving his
wife to read the letter. She could only read part of the letter before bursting
out crying, hugging her eldest child saying.
"It's from granny, from grandfather," she said.
"From the country. . .. The Heavenly Mother, Saints and Martyrs! The snow
lies heaped up under the roofs now . . . the trees are as white as white. The
boys slide on little sledges . . . and dear old bald grandfather is keeping
warm by the stove . . . and there is a little yellow dog. . .. My own
darlings!"
"And little hares run about in the fields," The
Daughter Yefimya, went on chanting, kissing her boy and shedding tears.
"Grandfather is kind and gentle; granny is good, too -- kind-hearted. They
are warm-hearted in the country, they are God-fearing . . . and there is a
little church in the village; the peasants sing in the choir. Queen of Heaven,
Holy Mother and Defender, take us away from here!"
On reflection, Andrei recalled he had been given letters
from his wife to send to her parents but something always got in the way to do
with his work.
This story ends by the Husband telling an old gent he took
care of in his establishment what was in the room that was always locked and
the old guy always used to ask what was in that room. On this day he was told. Charcot douche,
which is a restorative bath, intended to stimulate the vascular and lymphatic
systems also represents the prospect of healing the heartbroken daughter, so, Andrei’s
wife was to have an an event reunion with her parents.
So, the best gift for Christmas is to have loved ones in
your life. Fill your heart with those you need to see but haven’t for a long
time for whatever reason.
Thank God I have those I love with me on Christmas day, if
course would do anything to be reunited with my parents, but that won’t happen
in this world. So, I have those I love close by me. We have seen our family
last weekend and this weekend will spend time with another couple of family
members. I only learned of this last night, and I am delighted we will see them
before Christmas. In the New Year, we have the gift of our best friends that we
hope to spend time with. Rather than any gift Hub and I are fortunate to share
such love with our Son and we will say a toast for those we love who have
passed and of course the candle shall be lit on Christmas eve for all those who
have passed over.
To open ten quality gifts wouldn’t come close to what we
have in our hearts for each other.
You my readers, are so important to me. And remember if
you don’t have anyone in your life at the moment, you don’t know what is around
the corner. Also remember, there are huge families out there and couples. Are
they really happy? Really?
Have piece in your heart knowing that you have love.
Daringliving.com
Daringliving.com
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