Haimish Saves Christmas!

Hi! I’m Steve, the narrator. I don’t know about you, but the Scottish Haggis are cute! Today, we find Roman in his bedroom crying. Haimish is trying to comfort him. Let’s listen in to find out why.

Haimish says, “Roman! Wut’s the craic?” He was asking Roman what was happening.

Roman sniffs, wipes his nose with his arm, and says, “Some o’ the kids at school said ah’m a numpty cuz ah believe in Father Christmas. Ah’m not a numpty, and Father Christmas is real!” He began crying again. For those of you in America, people in the United Kingdom like the Scottish, call Santa Claus “Father Christmas”. A “numpty” is an idiot, and isn’t a good name to call someone, unless you use it lovingly toward a family member. It’s a Scottish thing.

Haimish put his arm around his brother. “Ah ken ah call ya a numpty sometimes, but I love you so ya ken it’s nae true.” “Ken” is the Scottish word for ‘know’.

Roman wiped his nose with his arm again. His arm was looking right sticky.

“Ah’m not feeling bad aboot being called a numpty,” Roman said. “But…is Father Christmas real?” He looked at Haimish with tears in his eyes.

Haimish felt awful. He felt he was too old to believe in Father Christmas, but he wasn’t going to say that to Roman. He wanted to make his brother feel better, but he didn’t want to lie. He wasn’t sure what to do.

He said the first thing that he could think of, “Ah dinnae ken, Roman. Ah’ve nae seen ‘im. Have you?”

Roman shook his head, looking even more miserable. “Wut if they’re right?” He began crying again.

Haimish patted his brother’s shoulder. “Ah’ll go talk ta Pa. ‘e will ken what ta dae.” He knew his father would know what to do. Haimish got up. “Dinnae worry, Roman, Pa will tell us true!” Dinnae is the Scottish way of saying ‘don’t’.

Haimish found his Pa on the front porch, smoking a pipe. He quickly filled Pa in on what Roman was going through, and shared with him how he, himself, felt.

Pa listened patiently until Haimish was finished. He looked out over the valley and took a few more puffs on his pipe. Haimish started to turn away, thinking he wasn’t going to say anything.

He stopped when Pa asked him, “Do ya luv yer Ma?”

“Wut?” Haimish wasn’t sure what Pa was saying.

Pa smiled. “It’s nae a trick, Haimish. Do ya luv yer Ma?”

Without thinking, Haimish replied, “Aye, Pa. Ah pure luv Ma!” He was saying he loved his mother a lot.

Pa looked into Haimish’s eyes and asked, “Cain ya see that luv?”

Haimish thought hard. “Nae, Pa. I cannae see it.”

Pa looked back out over the valley and took a puff on his pipe. “Well nae, it’s settled. Yer luv dinnae exist, since ya cain’t see it.” He looked sideways at Haimish to see his reaction.

Haimish protested, “Nae, Pa! I still feel it, e’en tho ah cannae see…” He stopped as a thought hit him.

Pa turned back to Haimish. “Aye, me bonnie lad! We dinnae need to see somethin’ ta ken it be there.” He leaned over, picked Haimish up and sat him on his lap.

Pa pointed out to the valley. “Father Christmas cannae be seen. Yet every year, ‘e brings presents to all sorts of bairns, whe’er they believe er nae.” Father Christmas is en embodiment of love. Do ya ken ’embodiment’?”

Haimish tried the word, “Em-boment…”

Pa smiled, “Em-bod-i-ment.”

Haimish concentrated. “Em-bod-i-ment. Embodiment! ‘Ey! Ah said it true, Pa!”

Pa smiled again, “Aye, lad, that ya did! It means summat that stands fer a thing exactly. So…” Summat is how the Scottish say ‘something”.

Haimish’s face scrunched up, then he looked up at his pa. “Father Christmas stands fer luv?”

Pa nodded. “Aye, lad, that ‘e does, and we cannae see luv, but we cain see what luv does. So dae ya ken what ta say ta Roman now?”

Haimish looked up at his pa. “Pa, dae ya believe in Father Christmas?”

Pa looked down at his son, lovingly, and said, “Aye, mae bonnie lad, Ah dae!” He was saying yes, my handsome son, I do. To be honest, I still do, too. However, I’m just the narrator, so let’s get back to the story.

Haimish excitedly jumped off Pa’s lap. “Aye, Pa! Thanks! Ah ken ya wood ‘ave the right of it!” He said he knew his pa would have the answer.

Haimish ran back to Roman, who was still in his bed, sniffling.

Haimish patted Roman’s head. “Dinnae fret, Roman. Haud yer wheesht!” He was telling him not to worry, and quiet down.

Roman sniffed and asked, “Wha’ dae Paw say?”

Haimish asked his own question. “Dae ya luv Pa?”

Roman looked shocked, “Och, aye!” He was saying of course he loves pa.

Haimish looked into Roman’s eyes as Stevie wandered into the room. “Cain ya see yer luv fer Pa?”

Roman looked confused. “Nae…”

Haimish “Dae that mean it dinnae be?” He was asking if that meant it didn’t exist.

Haimish went on, “Pa said Father Christmas is luv. I ken tha’ tae be true.” He said he knows that to be true.

“We cannae see Father Christmas, who stands fer luv. When we open air gifts, dae we feel good?”

Roman nodded. Haimish said, “We feel good cuz we feel luv, aye?”

Roman nodded again. Haimish finished, “Pa believes Father Christmas is real!”

Roman’s eyes went wide, “Pa believes?”

Haimish nodded. “Aye believe, tae.” He said he believes too.

Stevie looked at Roman, “Yer a numpty if ya dinnae ken Father Christmas is real!”

Roman jumped off the bed onto Stevie yelling, “Ah’m nae a numpty, ya jessie!” Roman called his wee brother a sissy, which isn’t a nice thing to call your little brother. Haimish grabbed his brothers and pulled them apart.

“Haud yer wheest!” he said, laughing. “Father Christmas will put ya on the naughty list, fer sure!”

The three boys lay on the floor, laughing.

Out in the hallway, Pa stood where he couldn’t be seen. He smiled at his boys’ laughter, then turned to head to the kitchen.

So there you have it. Haimish saves Christmas for Roman. What was your favorite part of the story?

Do you remember what ’embodiment’ means? How is Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, the embodiment of love? Can you see love? If so, how?

Do you have to see Santa Claus to believe he exists? What will you say if someone says Santa Claus isn’t real?

Have yourself a Merry Christmas!