O, Holy Night (standard:drama, 1113 words)
Author: Maureen Stirsman	Added: Oct 26 2004	Views/Reads: 3682/2411	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Taken from my Christmas book of short stories, "Once Upon a Night in December" that will be available in November.

O, HOLY NIGHT 

1940—Money and Music 

Gifford was not the athletic type. He tried football and although he was
built big enough, he was not quick. He was tall but he didn't care much 
for basketball or baseball, except as an observer. In seventh grade he 
joined the string class, where he learned to play the violin on a 
school owned instrument. By tenth grade Gifford was in the high school 
orchestra and he loved it. His mother never had to hound him to 
practice. 

Mr. Eric Holland, Gifford's dad, was a farmer. He took comfort in
believing that if times got tough he would always be able to feed the 
family from the fruit of the land. Even though there had been difficult 
years, Eric's credo proved true and his family never went hungry. 

The Hollands and Bella's family, the Lucianos, had been well to do, but
sadly they both lost everything in the stock market crash of 1929. 
Anthony Luciano walked the streets for three months, and then the first 
week of April a heart attack struck him down. He died before he hit the 
ground while still wearing his good executive suit and black leather 
shoes. His gold watch was in the pawnshop and Nancy was left to raise 
two sons and a daughter, blue-eyed Bella. 

Bella Luciano and Eric Holland were very much in love when they married
and that devotion lasted until the day they died. Hard work was their 
life, but music played a big part in their leisure hours. The twins, 
Judy and Connie, took piano lessons while Gifford was becoming a 
skilled violinist. 

Gif mowed lawns in the summer, shoveled snow in winter and delivered
newspapers. He was able to buy things he wanted for himself during the 
year and still have money for his family and his auburn-haired 
girlfriend, Josie, at Christmas. 

Gif was chosen for both district and state orchestra in the tenth grade.
One of the guest conductors, who had placed him in second chair, asked, 
“Gifford, have you ever thought about buying a good instrument? The 
school violin is fine for beginners but I think with your talent you 
might be able to get into the junior philharmonic if you have a better 
instrument.” Gif couldn't bring himself to ask his father for money. A 
prolonged drought yielded a meager crop that year. So Gif began to save 
his money for a better violin. 

It was Christmas 1940. Gifford was sixteen years old. Bella knitted
sweaters for each of the children and was baking cookies and breads in 
earnest. One night in the second week of December, after the children 
were in bed, Eric and Bella sipped last cups of coffee and munched on 
sugar cookies. “Are you through shopping?” asked Eric. 

“Almost,” Bella answered. “I need something more for Gifford. I would
like to get him something special. Do you have any ideas?” Bella asked 
taking a sip of coffee. 

“No, not really. Why don't you think about it?” said Eric. While Bella
put the cups into the sink her mind started working. 

The next morning Bella turned to the classifieds. St. Stan's church was
having a rummage sale. Thirty minutes later she was dressed and waiting 
for her best friend, Gladys. 

After supper Bella said, “Eric, I went to a sale today.” 

“Did you find anything for Gif?” 

“I did see a violin I liked the look of, but I didn't really want to
spend the money. They mark things down the last day. Maybe I'll go back 
tomorrow and see if it's still there.” 

The next morning Bella took the city bus back to the church. She walked
around the room and was about to give up. Someone must have bought the 
violin. Then she saw the musical instruments on a table in the corner. 
The women had just marked everything down. There was an old snare drum, 
a stringless banjo, some yellowed sheet music and a violin. Bella 


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