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Kyle's Yule Lesson
by Lori Dake, 2001
Kyle's Yule Lesson, by Lori Dake, 2001
Kyle is a little boy who lives in a big city. He lives in big apartment building with 12 other families, and every family is very different, but they all get along. Kyle has a mom and a dad and a big orange cat named Sneaky. Like every other family in the big apartment building, Kyle's family is different, too.One day, Kyle's mom was downstairs calling up to him and his dad to help carry the groceries upstairs. "Kyle! Dannie! Come help me with this! It's freezing out here!", Kyle's mom cried, as she lugged the heavy bags upstairs. She could see Sneaky peeking out behind the blinds, batting at the drawstring. One of the bags started to tear as Kyle ran down and grabbed an orange that made its way through the hole. "Got it, mom!", Kyle said, as he started to walk upstairs with the orange. "Kyle, don't think you're getting off *that* easy!", said his mom. "Here, take this bag. It's not that heavy." Kyle's dad grabbed 3 bags and a gallon of milk, and his mom carried the last two, holding the one with the hole in her arms.
Kyle's mom set down the groceries on the table in the dining room and took off her coat. She took off her had and gloves and rubbed her hands over the radiator. Kyle and his dad put the groceries away, and lazy Sneaky just curled up in his warm, soft bed.
"Hon, did you get everything?" said Kyle's dad. Kyle always thought it was funny how his mom and dad always called each other "hon". "I think so, and would you believe I had to go to three different stores to find the ducks?" Kyle digged through the bags looking for any treats his mom bought for him, and immediately started to open the box of fruit snacks. "Hold on there, buddy," his mom said, pointing to the bags of groceries. "You need to help your dad finish putting the rest of that stuff away before you can have a snack!"
Kyle finished putting the groceries away and sat at the table, opening a package of fruit snacks. They were shaped like his favorite cartoon charaters. He sifted through the package, finding the best one, and popped it in his mouth.
Kyle's mom saw the red light on the answering machine was on, and pushed the big blue button that said "Play". The machine spoke in a voice that sounded like a girl robot. "You have one message. Message one," it said. Then a familiar voice came on. "Hi, Linda!" It was Michael's mom, Gina! Kyle really liked Michael alot, and his mom was a very nice lady."Just wanted to let you know we're still coming Saturday. We might be running a little late, but we'll be there for sure!". Kyle's eyes lit up. "Yay! I haven't seen Michael in a looong time. I can show him my new game!"
Kyle knew this was going to be a busy week. His mom was already starting on a couple of recipies for Saturday, and they also had to visit some of his family out in the suburbs. Kyle thought they lived very far away, but his dad always said it was only a 30 minute drive.
Kyle thought he was lucky, because his family had two holidays to celebrate, Yule and Christmas. He knew Santa Claus paid a visit at his house on December 25th - his birthday. Kyle thought he was a pretty cool guy to be giving presents away on his birthday. His family also celebrated Yule, which he thought was almost the same thing as Christmas, but it was somehow more special. Even though he doesn't get any "cool" presents, Kyle still liked Yule because alot of his friends and their moms and dads came over, and every year his mom made a huge dinner for everyone.
"Hey mom, who else is coming?" Kyle said, eating the last of his fruit snacks. "Well, Timmy and Kristin for sure, and I think Sarah, too, along with their parents, of course". Kyle sulked a bit. "But Sarah always picks on me!" he said, as he sat up to throw away the wrapper. "She always pokes me!" Kyle's mom smiled and laughed softly. "I think it's because she likes you," she said, and got back to looking at her recipies.
"Kyle, are you going to help me with this?" his dad called from the living room, unravelling a string of lights. "Okay," and he got up from the table and walked into the living room. Kyle gently unwrapped the balls of newspaper from the big box and set down the ornaments onto the big, green rug. His dad strung the little white lights on the big tree. Kyle knew the tree wasn't real, but Sneaky didn't! Sneaky crept up from behind the big sofa and jumped on the tree and started to race inside of it!
"Oh no!" Sneaky!" Kyle rushed up to grab him. "No, no, no, no, no!" Kyle shook his finger at Sneaky, but Sneaky had the "big eyes". Kyle knew whenever Sneaky had the "big eyes" that he wanted to get into trouble! So Kyle carried Sneaky into the kitchen and put his bed in there. Sneaky's litter box was in a corner in the big pantry, and his bowls of food and water were under the big sink. Kyle slided the door shut in the kitchen with Sneaky inside, just until the tree was finished. He didn't want to Sneaky get into any more trouble, and he certainly didn't want to see him get hurt!
Kyle went back into the living room and helped his dad unwrap the oranaments. Some of them were very old, and some were handmade. Kyle's mom didn't use the shiny colored balls like alot of other families do, because she said they break easily and someone could get hurt. Kyle thought that was a good idea, especially because Sneaky gets the "big eyes" when he sees the tree all lit up and pretty!
The next morning was the last day of school for Kyle before Winter Break. Kyle was so excited! He remembered to bring the small gift his mom wrapped for him for his Secret Santa party. Everyone in his class had pulled a name out of a hat to get a present. Kyle was lucky, because he had pulled Alejandro's name. Kyle and Alejandro were good friends, and they rode the bus together. Kyle knew exactly what to get Alejandro for Secret Santa - a package of cards from his favorite cartoon show. The cards can be traded and played with, and Kyle knew Alejandro would like to trade cards with him.
At the Secret Santa party, Kyle had gotten a pencil box with school supplies inside. "What a crummy present!" Kyle exclaimed. "Who got me this?" Kyle pouted and pushed the pencil box to the farthest corner of his desk. Mr. Collins, Kyle's teacher, became very angry. "Kyle, come up here right now!" Kyle slowly sat up and walked to the big desk in the front of the room. "Kyle," Mr. Collins said, "you do know that it's the thought that counts, right?" Kyle hung his head low and apologized. He turned around and faced his class, and apologized to them, too.
The recess bell rang, and everyone except Kyle grabbed thier big coats to go outside and play. Kyle had to stay inside because of what he had done. He sat at his desk, and opened the pencil box. Each one of the pencils had his name on it, and there were little silver stars on them. The eraser was a red car, and the sharpener was his favorite character from his favorite cartoon show. He looked at them, and he realized whoever had put together the pencil box had known exactly what he likes and tried to make a good Secret Santa gift for him.
Kyle was really sad now because of what he had said. He knew Mr. Collins was right, and it's the thought that really does count. Kyle closed the box and, using one of his new pencils, wrote a note. He gave the note to Mr. Collins to give to the person who had made his gift. On the note, he wrote, "Thank you for the gift. I really like everything that's in here." Mr. Collins said he would give the note to the person who made him his Secret Santa present.
When the bell rang to go home for the day, Kyle took his pencil box with him. One of the girls in his class, Casey, came up to him. She looked very sad. "Kyle," she said, "do you really like the present?" Casey looked down at her feet. "Oh yes!" Kyle exclaimed. "My name's on the pencils and everything. And how did you know what guys I liked?" Kyle figured out Casey had given him the pencil box. "I just knew, because I hear you talking to Alejandro all the time." Casey walked to her school bus and waved good-bye to Kyle. Kyle waved back, with a big smile on his face, and got on his school bus.
When Kyle got home, he ran up the big stairs to show his mom and dad what he got for Secret Santa. He told his mom and dad what had happened, and they both smiled. "Well I guess you learned something important today," his mom said. She went back to finishing up the rest of what she could make, because the big Yule feast was the next day!
The next morning, Kyle woke up early. His family was driving to the suburbs to wish the rest of his family a "Merry Christmas", since that is the holiday they celebrated. They brought a few presents to share, mostly handmade ones Kyle's mom had made.
Kyle's cousin Stephanie didn't like the doll she got, because it wasn't the one she wanted. Kyle told Stephanie what happened at school the day before, and then Stacey looked at her doll again. It had red ribbons and white lace on the red satin dress, and her hair and eyes were brown like hers. The shoes were decorated with more red ribbons, and the box it came in had little silver stars painted on them. The doll was made just for her! Stephanie also learned what Mr. Collins had told Kyle, that it's the thought that counts. Stephanie thanked her aunt and uncle, and Stephanie and Kyle went in her bedroom to play with their new presents.
When Kyle and his mom and dad came back home, Sneaky rubbed his body against Kyle's legs and purred. "Sneaky wants a present, too!" Kyle exclaimed. Kyle's mom gave him a little toy mouse filled with catnip, and a ball of yarn she had rolled up for him. Sneaky got the "big eyes" again, and chased the ball of yarn around the apartment.
Kyle's mom had to put the ducks in the oven, and finish straightening up the apartment for thier guests to arrive. Kyle set the table and turned on the lights on the tree. This year, Kyle's dad had bought a pedestal for the tree that made it rotate! Kyle thought it was really neat, because he was able to see every ornament and every light. Kyle thought his dad had given them all a wonderful gift!
When the guests arrived, Kyle took their coats and showed them to the table. Kyle was quick to point out how well he had set the table. There were more people than places to sit, so Kyle and his friends ate at the smaller table in the dining room. It was also set very nicely, but Kyle thought it was more fun to sit with his friends and have their own conversations at the table. Sneaky had a spot next to Kyle's table, too, and Sneaky even got to have some duck put in his bowl!
After dinner, all of the kids ran around the house and shut off the lights. Everyone was given a white candle with a circle on them to catch any wax that might drip. Everyone slowly walked into the livingroom and formed a circle. Kyle just now noticed his dad had moved the big sofa out of the way and put the coffee table into a corner. His mom and dad went into the center of the Circle to begin their Yule ritual. Kyle remembered from last year that they were celebrating the Sun coming back! Kyle liked helping out in the rituals they had, because he got to pass out the food and drinks they shared.
After the ritual was over, Kyle and his friends turned on all of the lights and went back into the living room. His dad had moved the big sofa and the coffee table back to where they usually were, and his mom started serving drinks. Kyle passed around some gingerbread cookies, and everyone gave each other's families a present. Kyle even had a little time to play the new game with Michael!
When the last person left, Kyle helped his mom and dad clean up. As he was bringing in the dishes and glasses into the kitchen, he thought about Mr. Collins, and Casey and Stephanie, too. "Hey mom," Kyle said. "Yes?" His mom replied. "Do you think Stephanie really liked the doll you made her, or do you think she was just being nice?" Kyle's mom paused a minute. "I think she really did like it when she looked at it a second time. Sometimes people just need to look a little harder at things to see thier true meaning." Kyle thought that made sense, and he went back to helping out.
Kyle went to bed that night, thinking of all the things that had happened over the last couple of days. He looked over at the pencil box on top of his dresser and smiled. It was a very nice present indeed! Sneaky crept up onto Kyle's chest to share the warmth, almost as if Sneaky wanted to give Kyle a big hug good-night. "Sneaky," Kyle whispered, "do *you* think Stephanie liked the doll mom made her?" Sneaky looked at him with half-opened, gentle eyes and began to purr. "I guess so! Thank you, Sneaky!" Kyle then looked out the window at the moonlit sky, curled up in his big comforter, and slowly drifted off to sleep.