December 20, 2023 • 22 mins
Imagine a simple letter to Santa, penned by hopeful hands, possessing the power to bridge distances and heal hearts. That's the essence of our latest episode, where we journey with young Joe, a boy whose yearning for his father's return for Christmas leads to an unexpected friendship with Al, a world-weary postal worker. Amidst the chaos of the holiday mail rush, their story unfolds—a narrative steeped in the spirit of the season, touching on the themes of hope, belief, and the emotional ties that bind us.
As the episode progresses, we're transported to a scene rich with festive nostalgia, where coffee brews, a Christmas tree stands tall, and past celebrations echo in the present. The centerpiece of this Yuletide tale is the revelation that transforms a family's Christmas from ordinary to extraordinary, reminding us all of the surprises life can hold. The warmth of shared moments and the joy of an unexpected homecoming wrap around you like the softest blanket, providing comfort and a reminder of the magic that endures in the stories we share.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to another special holiday bonus episode.
The story you're about to hearwas my oldest daughter's very
favorite story so far of all theones I've recorded, and I hope
it'll be special to each one ofyou as well.
So gather the family and enjoythis holiday story.
The night my father came homeauthor unknown my mother said he
(00:53):
was gone for good, but Ithought if I wrote to Santa
Claus, as soon as I wrote theletter I went down to the post
office to mail it so it wouldget there in time.
Boy, there were about a millionpeople standing in line and
everything, and in there was allthat Christmas music coming out
of the big horn on the wall.
Pretty soon I found the place inthe wall where you put the
(01:14):
letters in, but it was too highup.
So I went out again and I wentaround to the back of the post
office where there were thesebig doors open and a man was
carrying boxes out to a truck.
There must have been a millionboxes.
I never saw so many.
There was nobody there but him.
He was kind of tall and thinand his face was dirty from
where he kept rubbing his handacross it.
(01:35):
He had freckles and his earsstuck out.
I don't know how old he wasPretty old 25, I guess.
Like my father, he kept pickingup these boxes and throwing
them on the truck and he didn'tsee me.
So I yanked on his coat.
Here's a letter.
I said the place out there whereyou're supposed to put it in is
too high up.
He was lifting this big box andhe stopped to look at me.
(01:57):
It was kind of a mad look.
Then he looked down at theletter and he made a noise like
my father the time.
He never saw the skate that Ileft in the hall until he kind
of slid downstairs on it.
That's what I've been waitingfor, he said A letter to Santa
Claus.
He kind of groaned.
It might interest you to knowthat we have sent out 143,000
(02:18):
pieces of mail in the past weekand that there will be at least
twice that much in the nextthree days before Christmas.
This makes my day complete.
I was glad.
He was glad, even though hedidn't look so happy.
He didn't take the letter, so Iheld it out again.
Will it get there right away?
I said it's important.
How old are you?
He said.
He still sounded mad.
(02:38):
Six, I said Well, five.
What's your name?
He said Joe.
I said Look Joe, said he.
He sure looked like he wasgoing to yell at me.
But all of a sudden he didn'tLike my father the time I took
his shaving soap to make somefrosting for my mud pies.
Joe, I can't take your letter.
He said.
Believe me, it won't go anyplace.
(03:00):
I mean, santa Claus has alreadyleft the North Pole, see, he
can't get any more letters.
So just take it back to yourfolks, they'll take care of it
for you.
He didn't understand anything.
Look, I haven't got folks.
I said I mean, I've got amother, but she works in a store
all day and I have to stay withMrs Henderson next door all the
time after I get back fromschool.
(03:21):
That's what I wrote in theletter.
I want my father to come home.
Where'd he go?
He looked at me kind of funnylike he was waiting for
something.
He was sure dumb.
He just went away.
I said he just got hurt in anaccident and then he went away.
My mother said he won't evercome back anymore.
But I want to surprise her.
He's got to come back forChristmas On account of.
(03:43):
He promised I would get somemarbles and a baseball glove and
a football and an electrictrain.
Last year I wasn't old enough,but I am now.
The way he acted, you'd think hedidn't hardly even listen to
what I said.
He didn't even say anything, hejust kept on looking at me and
after a while he kind ofshrugged.
Look, joe, he said.
He sounded real tired all of asudden.
(04:04):
I'm busy.
I'm sorry, go home, will you?
I can't take your letter.
Sure you can.
I said it's got a stamp on it.
What was the matter with him?
Anyway, he was starting to pickup all those boxes again, so I
just put it on this table wherethere were about a million
letters, and I walked out.
I'll be back pretty soon, Isaid tomorrow.
I guess there'll be an answerby tomorrow for sure.
(04:26):
I could hardly wait, thinkinghow surprised my mother was
going to be in everything.
So the next day, as soon as theschool bus let me out at the
corner at noon, I ran down tothe post office.
There were some other peoplemoving boxes around in this big
room, so I just kind of walkedaround the edge till I saw him
in another little empty room.
He was sitting on a box eatinghis lunch.
(04:46):
Did I get a letter.
Yet I said I was kind of out ofbreath.
He let out a big groan when hesaw me standing there and he
kept right on eating this bigsandwich.
His face was still dirty.
He looked madder than ever.
Pretty soon he gave this sigh,like my father once when I cut
up his pajamas for a Halloweencostume.
As a matter of fact, he said aletter did turn up this morning,
(05:09):
addressed to somebody whatnamed Joe.
And nobody, nobody could havebeen more surprised than I was.
I knew it.
I said I told you.
So it was for me.
Alright, I could see my name,joe, on the envelope, but there
was a lot of writing liketypewriting on the paper inside.
So I gave it back to him.
I was in a hurry.
I can't read writing very well.
(05:29):
I said you read it, hurry up.
I told you he was coming homeNow.
Wait a minute, joe" he saidlet's wait and see what the
letter says.
You could hardly wait.
I kept kind of jumping up anddown.
I was in such a hurry.
Sit down, will you?
He said.
I sat down on this box besidehim.
He began to read kind of fastand running the words together
(05:52):
Dear Joe, thank you for yourletter.
I wish I could make sure yourfather could be home for
Christmas, but I'm afraid Ican't, so please don't count on
it.
However, I hope you have amerry Christmas.
Very truly yours, santa Claus.
Is that all I said?
There must be more.
Maybe you dropped the otherpart somewhere.
Look around, will you?
He let out another big groan.
(06:12):
As a matter of fact, he said,now that you mention it, I guess
I did forget one thing.
Some marbles turned up here thismorning and dressed as someone
he named Joe I guess they're foryou too he reached in his
pocket and pulled out this sackof marbles Boy.
They were real good marbles andeverything, and I was sure glad
to get them.
But I was still worried aboutthe letter.
I guess I had better hurry upand write another letter.
(06:34):
I said you can mail it for melike you did before.
I guess I didn't say howimportant it was.
Anyway, I want to thank him forthe marbles.
That won't be necessary, hesaid.
I give you my personalguarantee that there is no point
in writing another letter thistime you write it.
I said you can make it soundbetter Thank him for the marbles
and tell him how important itis that my father come home and
(06:55):
not to forget the rest of thethings I'm supposed to get, like
the baseball glove and thefootball and the electric train.
Mail it right away, will you,joe?
He said you're a determined man, so am I.
Right now I am eating my lunch.
He took out this big hamsandwich.
Is that a ham sandwich?
I said yes.
He said Is it good?
(07:17):
I said yes.
He said he looked at me kind ofmad and he kept on chewing real
hard and then he took anotherham sandwich out of the bag.
Could I possibly persuade youto join me?
He said Sure.
I said it was good too.
I was hungry.
What's your name?
I said Al.
He said Pretty soon.
(07:37):
We finished the sandwiches.
Then he took out this big redapple and started to eat it.
My father used to cut up appleswith his pen knife.
I said I'll bet he did.
Al said I'll bet he had to inself-defense.
I watched Al cut up the appleand we ate it for a while.
How come you didn't want towrite this letter for me?
I said Don't you know how towrite a letter?
All of a sudden Al threw theapple cord clear out the door to
(08:01):
the alley.
I know how to write a letter.
I'll write, he said.
I just don't know how to getthe right answers.
Maybe there was a worm in theapple or something.
He sure looked funny.
How come, I said?
I mean, you don't think you'regoing to get what you want for
Christmas either.
You might put it that way.
Al said only in the army we callit a Dear John letter Boy.
(08:23):
Did he look crabby all of asudden, like this big lion?
The time my father took me tothe zoo that had a toothache and
tried to bite everybody?
What's a Dear John letter, Isaid?
Is it good or bad?
I guess it was this letter thatmade him look so mad all the
time.
All right, now he picked up anorange and threw it out the door
without even eating it oranything.
What's the matter with him?
Anyway, just skip it, joe, hesaid pretty soon.
(08:47):
All it means is that a girlmarried somebody else.
Girls are sure dumb, I said,playing with dolls and kissing
people and everything I hategirls.
Hold that thought, joe.
Al said it may come in handylater on If you're in the army.
How come you work in the postoffice?
I said I got rotated home lastmonth, al said I needed a job.
(09:08):
The post office needed an extraclerk for the Christmas rush.
We were made for each other.
He pulled up his lunch bag andthrew it out the door.
Boy, he sure had good aim.
I bet he could have been a bigleague pitcher or something if
he wanted to.
Look, joe, he said recess isover.
If you have plans for thisafternoon, don't let me detain
you.
Well, I guess I'd better gethome on account of Mrs Henderson
(09:30):
will have a fit.
I said Don't forget to writethe letter right away.
Make it a good one, I'll beback tomorrow.
Al kind of groaned again, likemy father the time my white rat
made a nest in his bedroomslipper.
Look, joe, he said we've justbeen through all this.
Take my word for it.
It's a lost cause.
I can't possibly write theletter.
Sure you can.
(09:51):
I said I'll pay you back forthe stamp and everything out of
this money I saved up forChristmas.
Send it air mail.
I came right back after schoolthe next day and Al was eating
his lunch again in this kind ofempty room.
He didn't even look up when Icame in.
He was eating a fried eggsandwich.
Where's the letter?
I said Does it say my father iscoming, for sure?
(10:11):
Al just kept on eating.
He had kind of a fried eggmustache, didn't it come yet?
I said there's only one moreday until Christmas.
Look, joe.
Al said let's not kid ourselves.
I told you there wouldn't beany letter.
Maybe it just didn't get hereyet.
I said Wasn't there even a bagor box or anything like last
(10:32):
time when he sent the marbles?
I'll let out this big, longsigh.
As a matter of fact, he said,now that you mention it, I do
remember finding this paper bagwith your name on it.
There seems to be some kind ofbig glove in it.
He gave me this old wrinkledpaper bag.
That's a baseball glove.
I said Don't you even know that?
Boy was he dumb.
(10:53):
It was about a million timestoo big, but it was sure a good
glove.
That's one of the things I'msupposed to get for Christmas.
I said Don't you remember Ialready told you there were the
marbles and the baseball gloveand a football and an electric
train, I know?
Al said Just don't keepreminding me.
Is that a fried egg sandwich?
I said Al gave it to me andtook out another one, joe, I'm
(11:17):
eating my lunch.
He said I mean, we're eating mylunch.
Don't you ever get anything toeat at school?
You're not supposed to eatanything at school.
I said he sure didn't knowanything.
You're supposed to learn things, didn't you ever go to school
Off and on?
Al said what things are yousupposed to learn?
Trying and things?
I said I'm in kindergarten.
What were you supposed to learn?
(11:38):
Drawing and things?
Al said I was going to be anarchitect.
I bet that would be fun.
I said what is it?
It's somebody who builds things.
Al said like houses and soforth.
He took out this big banana andpeeled it and I helped him to
eat it.
I sure wish we had a house.
I said can you build one?
First you have to learn how, alsaid.
Then why don't you learn how?
(12:01):
I said.
All of a sudden Al threw thebanana peel clear out the door
to the alley.
He was beginning to look madagain.
Look, joe.
He said it's a long grind.
That was a long time ago.
I had a lot of plans then.
That would never worked out.
All of a sudden he took this bigcandy bar and ate the whole
thing before I could even sayanything.
I've got a whole new set ofproblems now.
(12:23):
He said like finding anotherjob after Christmas Kind of job?
I said Any kind of job.
Al said who cares?
What difference does it make?
You're sure you don't want tobuild a house.
I said so you could have a dogin the backyard and everything.
I sure like dogs.
All of a sudden Al threw thewhole lunch bag out the door
without even eating the rest ofit or anything.
(12:44):
Look, joe.
He said I don't want to build ahouse, I don't want to be an
architect, I don't want to havea dog in the backyard.
Boy, he sure did look crabbynow, like that big lion at the
zoo when that man tried to fixhis toothache that kept roaring
and jumping up and biting people.
Listen, Joe.
He said I've got to get back towork, you've got to get back
(13:06):
home.
Let's just skip the whole thing.
Go play with your marbles.
So then he went back to this bigroom with all the boxes and he
went inside of one of thosecages where people sell stamps
and everything.
He shut the door but I couldtell which cage it was An
account of.
It said stamps on the glass bar.
There wasn't hardly anybody inthis big room.
(13:26):
So I went around the edge tillI got to his door and I opened
it.
Real quiet.
There were about a millionpeople lined up on the other
side of the cage wanting to buystamps and everything.
Hey, al, I said you forgot tolook for the letter.
I'll come back tomorrow andhelp you find it.
Al turned around and looked atme.
He looked madder than ever.
I mean real mad.
My father.
(13:47):
The time I dropped his watch inthe bathtub, let's face it, joe
he said there isn't going to beany letter.
I'm sorry, but sometimes youjust don't get what you want for
Christmas.
You do if you want it hardenough, I said.
My father said so.
He said we would have a realbig Christmas tree this year and
underneath there would bemarbles and the baseball glove
(14:08):
and the football and the Listen,joe.
Al said I've done all I can.
I'm sorry.
Believe me, run along, will you?
I got lost.
I just haven't got any moretime to play games.
Who asked him to play gamesanyway?
All of a sudden the door to thecage shut with a bang right in
front of me.
I guess it blew shut orsomething.
So I went home the next day.
(14:31):
It was Christmas Eve Only.
Not until that night.
You know what I mean.
I didn't get to go to the postoffice after school on account
of Mrs Henderson picking me up.
But pretty soon I sneaked outwhile she was baking some
cookies and she thought I wastaking a nap.
I guess it was pretty late.
All right, it was almost darkby the time I got there.
It was sure cold.
The back door to the postoffice was locked.
(14:53):
I couldn't even open it.
So I came around the side andthere was somebody sitting on
the steps.
It was Al.
He still looked mad Like myfather the time I got lost at
the circus.
He was sort of shivering andhis face looked kind of blue.
What are you doing here?
He said you're late.
I was looking for you.
I said my mother said last nightthat my father really isn't
(15:15):
going to come home for Christmas.
No matter what she said, Ishouldn't have bothered you.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
Think nothing of it.
Al said Everything bothers me.
He gave me this kind of lumpylooking big bag.
I just thought I'd better makesure you got this package that
came for you today.
It looks like it's got somekind of a ball in it.
That's a football.
(15:35):
I said Boy, it was a realfootball, like they use in a
football game and everything.
Thanks for waiting, I said.
I sat down beside him on thesteps.
It was pretty cold.
All right, joe.
Al said why don't you go home?
He sounded like my father thetime I put this real swell
lizard I found once on his plateat dinner.
Doesn't anybody pay attentionto where you are?
(15:57):
Sure, they pay attention.
I said they think I'm asleep.
My mother has to work latetonight until nine o'clock in
the store.
And she said afterwards she'sgoing to go out again and get
the Christmas tree.
Only thing is I'm going tosurprise her.
I'm going to get this big treeand put it up, like my father
always does, so we can put theelectric train.
(16:18):
Under.
What electric train?
Al said the one I wrote aboutin the letter.
Only it hasn't got here yet.
I wouldn't count on it.
Al said you can't be too sureabout getting things.
For example, you need anelectric train, but I need a new
suit.
One of us is apt to bedisappointed.
It'll come all right.
I said Everything else did.
(16:38):
It'll probably be there when Iget back home.
Do you like to pick outChristmas trees and put the
ornaments on and everything.
No, al said I never bought aChristmas tree before.
I said I went with my father,but I guess it's easy.
All right, if you got money.
Sure, I've got money, I said.
I guess he thought I was dumbor something.
I had almost a dollar saved upand I spent 50 cents for a
(17:02):
present from mother, so I've got35 cents left.
All of a sudden Al looked likehe was getting mad again or
tired or something.
Look, joe, just go home, willyou?
He said, forget about theChristmas tree and the electric
train.
Get a good night's sleep.
I will.
I said.
First I want to get the treesso we can put an electric train
under it.
(17:23):
I started down this street whereI saw this big place where they
sell Christmas trees, but Icouldn't hardly even see the
post office.
It was too dark so I kept ongoing.
Pretty soon I heard somebody inback of me.
It was Al.
Hey, joe, he said.
He had this kind of funny lookon his face, like my father, the
time I made this big Father'sDay card for him at school and
(17:43):
brought it home to him.
I just happened to think of afellow I know who sells
Christmas trees.
Al said I saw some big onesthere for about 35 cents.
Well, it was down this way, alsaid.
But if you don't mind waiting,I've got an errand to do first
in the hardware store.
Al told me to wait outside thehardware store and he was in
there for a pretty long time.
But I didn't mind waiting.
(18:05):
On account of there was thiselectric train set up in the
window with tracks and bridgesand tunnels and everything was
sure a swell train.
It was a good thing Al camealong when I bought this
Christmas tree at this place.
He knew for 35 cents.
On account of I couldn't evencarry the tree.
It was so big.
Al had to carry it.
I helped him some.
It sure smelled good.
It was a pretty long walk home.
(18:27):
By the time we got there thistruck was stopped out in front
and a man was just putting a bigbox in front of our door in the
hall.
That's my electric train, Isaid.
I told you it would get here,that's right, al said.
Now that I think of it, you didtell me.
Mrs Henderson was sure mad whenshe saw it Sneaked out and
everything.
But Al said he would get mesome supper.
So after a while she unlockedthe door to our apartment and we
(18:50):
went inside.
Boy, the tree I bought was toobig even, but it fitted fine.
After Al cut the top of the treeoff, like my father used to, it
turned out this electric trainwas so big it ran all around the
living room.
First we put down the tracksand the bridges and the tunnels
and the trestle and the frightcars and the engine and the
(19:11):
passenger chain and the caboose.
Then Al put all these ornamentswe had on the tree, while I put
the marbles and the baseballglove and the football
underneath, like they weresupposed to be.
He had just put this big staron top of the tree.
When my mother came in, boy,was she surprised?
She looked kind of tired andmessed up and she was carrying
(19:31):
all these packages.
This is Al, I said.
My mother looked at Al and helooked at her and all of a
sudden they kind of smiled.
Her face got all red and shejust sort of stood there.
Well, this is certainly kind ofyou, my mother said.
Her voice sure sounded funny.
Joe has told me so much aboutyou, I don't know how to thank
(19:52):
you.
Al started to climb down offthe kitchen stool and he sort of
fell down the last step.
It was a real pleasure, he said, real polite and everything.
He sounded kind of funny too.
I really enjoyed trimming aChristmas tree.
What was the matter with him?
Anyway, he didn't like to trimChristmas trees.
Well, I'll be on my way now.
(20:14):
He said I'm very glad to havemet you.
Oh, do you have to hurry off?
My mother said I'm sure Joewould like you to stay.
Boy, her face was sure pink Allof a sudden.
She didn't look so tired.
I brought home some fruit cakeand I'll just put on some coffee
.
It won't take a minute, won'tyou sit down?
My mother sat down in a chair.
Al sat down in another chair.
(20:36):
I understand you work in thepost office.
My mother said that must beinteresting work.
Well, it's only temporary, ofcourse.
Al said I'm thinking of goingback to study architecture.
That's the career I'm reallyinterested in, building and all.
What did he say that for?
He didn't like building at all.
Hey, al, I said how come?
(20:56):
My mother got up and went intothe kitchen and started to make
some coffee.
Pretty soon you could smell thecoffee and the Christmas tree
all together.
It sure smelled good.
Al turned on the Christmas treelights and then he built a fire
in the fireplace and then hemade the train go.
It ran all over the room underthe bridges and over the
mountains and through thetunnels.
(21:17):
I never saw such a good train.
Pretty soon my mother started tobring in a lot of things to eat
, like when we had a party withmy father in front of the fire.
Her face was all pink and shekept on smiling and everything.
She sure looked nice.
Do you live around here?
She asked Al, yes, I have aroom a few blocks away.
Al said but before too long Iwent to build a house with a big
(21:40):
yard and plenty of room for adog and all that.
What did he go and say?
That for Boy?
He sure must have changed hismind or something.
Hey, al, I said how come Joe?
Al said there's something I'vebeen meaning to tell you for
quite some time.
What I said.
Merry Christmas, he said.
And that was the night myfather came home, the end.
(22:06):
Thank you for listening and mayyou have a very blessed
Christmas.
Welcome to another special holiday bonus episode.
The story you're about to hearwas my oldest daughter's very
favorite story so far of all theones I've recorded, and I hope
it'll be special to each one ofyou as well.
So gather the family and enjoythis holiday story.
The night my father came homeauthor unknown my mother said he
(00:53):
was gone for good, but Ithought if I wrote to Santa
Claus, as soon as I wrote theletter I went down to the post
office to mail it so it wouldget there in time.
Boy, there were about a millionpeople standing in line and
everything, and in there was allthat Christmas music coming out
of the big horn on the wall.
Pretty soon I found the place inthe wall where you put the
(01:14):
letters in, but it was too highup.
So I went out again and I wentaround to the back of the post
office where there were thesebig doors open and a man was
carrying boxes out to a truck.
There must have been a millionboxes.
I never saw so many.
There was nobody there but him.
He was kind of tall and thinand his face was dirty from
where he kept rubbing his handacross it.
(01:35):
He had freckles and his earsstuck out.
I don't know how old he wasPretty old 25, I guess.
Like my father, he kept pickingup these boxes and throwing
them on the truck and he didn'tsee me.
So I yanked on his coat.
Here's a letter.
I said the place out there whereyou're supposed to put it in is
too high up.
He was lifting this big box andhe stopped to look at me.
(01:57):
It was kind of a mad look.
Then he looked down at theletter and he made a noise like
my father the time.
He never saw the skate that Ileft in the hall until he kind
of slid downstairs on it.
That's what I've been waitingfor, he said A letter to Santa
Claus.
He kind of groaned.
It might interest you to knowthat we have sent out 143,000
(02:18):
pieces of mail in the past weekand that there will be at least
twice that much in the nextthree days before Christmas.
This makes my day complete.
I was glad.
He was glad, even though hedidn't look so happy.
He didn't take the letter, so Iheld it out again.
Will it get there right away?
I said it's important.
How old are you?
He said.
He still sounded mad.
(02:38):
Six, I said Well, five.
What's your name?
He said Joe.
I said Look Joe, said he.
He sure looked like he wasgoing to yell at me.
But all of a sudden he didn'tLike my father the time I took
his shaving soap to make somefrosting for my mud pies.
Joe, I can't take your letter.
He said.
Believe me, it won't go anyplace.
(03:00):
I mean, santa Claus has alreadyleft the North Pole, see, he
can't get any more letters.
So just take it back to yourfolks, they'll take care of it
for you.
He didn't understand anything.
Look, I haven't got folks.
I said I mean, I've got amother, but she works in a store
all day and I have to stay withMrs Henderson next door all the
time after I get back fromschool.
(03:21):
That's what I wrote in theletter.
I want my father to come home.
Where'd he go?
He looked at me kind of funnylike he was waiting for
something.
He was sure dumb.
He just went away.
I said he just got hurt in anaccident and then he went away.
My mother said he won't evercome back anymore.
But I want to surprise her.
He's got to come back forChristmas On account of.
(03:43):
He promised I would get somemarbles and a baseball glove and
a football and an electrictrain.
Last year I wasn't old enough,but I am now.
The way he acted, you'd think hedidn't hardly even listen to
what I said.
He didn't even say anything, hejust kept on looking at me and
after a while he kind ofshrugged.
Look, joe, he said.
He sounded real tired all of asudden.
(04:04):
I'm busy.
I'm sorry, go home, will you?
I can't take your letter.
Sure you can.
I said it's got a stamp on it.
What was the matter with him?
Anyway, he was starting to pickup all those boxes again, so I
just put it on this table wherethere were about a million
letters, and I walked out.
I'll be back pretty soon, Isaid tomorrow.
I guess there'll be an answerby tomorrow for sure.
(04:26):
I could hardly wait, thinkinghow surprised my mother was
going to be in everything.
So the next day, as soon as theschool bus let me out at the
corner at noon, I ran down tothe post office.
There were some other peoplemoving boxes around in this big
room, so I just kind of walkedaround the edge till I saw him
in another little empty room.
He was sitting on a box eatinghis lunch.
(04:46):
Did I get a letter.
Yet I said I was kind of out ofbreath.
He let out a big groan when hesaw me standing there and he
kept right on eating this bigsandwich.
His face was still dirty.
He looked madder than ever.
Pretty soon he gave this sigh,like my father once when I cut
up his pajamas for a Halloweencostume.
As a matter of fact, he said aletter did turn up this morning,
(05:09):
addressed to somebody whatnamed Joe.
And nobody, nobody could havebeen more surprised than I was.
I knew it.
I said I told you.
So it was for me.
Alright, I could see my name,joe, on the envelope, but there
was a lot of writing liketypewriting on the paper inside.
So I gave it back to him.
I was in a hurry.
I can't read writing very well.
(05:29):
I said you read it, hurry up.
I told you he was coming homeNow.
Wait a minute, joe" he saidlet's wait and see what the
letter says.
You could hardly wait.
I kept kind of jumping up anddown.
I was in such a hurry.
Sit down, will you?
He said.
I sat down on this box besidehim.
He began to read kind of fastand running the words together
(05:52):
Dear Joe, thank you for yourletter.
I wish I could make sure yourfather could be home for
Christmas, but I'm afraid Ican't, so please don't count on
it.
However, I hope you have amerry Christmas.
Very truly yours, santa Claus.
Is that all I said?
There must be more.
Maybe you dropped the otherpart somewhere.
Look around, will you?
He let out another big groan.
(06:12):
As a matter of fact, he said,now that you mention it, I guess
I did forget one thing.
Some marbles turned up here thismorning and dressed as someone
he named Joe I guess they're foryou too he reached in his
pocket and pulled out this sackof marbles Boy.
They were real good marbles andeverything, and I was sure glad
to get them.
But I was still worried aboutthe letter.
I guess I had better hurry upand write another letter.
(06:34):
I said you can mail it for melike you did before.
I guess I didn't say howimportant it was.
Anyway, I want to thank him forthe marbles.
That won't be necessary, hesaid.
I give you my personalguarantee that there is no point
in writing another letter thistime you write it.
I said you can make it soundbetter Thank him for the marbles
and tell him how important itis that my father come home and
(06:55):
not to forget the rest of thethings I'm supposed to get, like
the baseball glove and thefootball and the electric train.
Mail it right away, will you,joe?
He said you're a determined man, so am I.
Right now I am eating my lunch.
He took out this big hamsandwich.
Is that a ham sandwich?
I said yes.
He said Is it good?
(07:17):
I said yes.
He said he looked at me kind ofmad and he kept on chewing real
hard and then he took anotherham sandwich out of the bag.
Could I possibly persuade youto join me?
He said Sure.
I said it was good too.
I was hungry.
What's your name?
I said Al.
He said Pretty soon.
(07:37):
We finished the sandwiches.
Then he took out this big redapple and started to eat it.
My father used to cut up appleswith his pen knife.
I said I'll bet he did.
Al said I'll bet he had to inself-defense.
I watched Al cut up the appleand we ate it for a while.
How come you didn't want towrite this letter for me?
I said Don't you know how towrite a letter?
All of a sudden Al threw theapple cord clear out the door to
(08:01):
the alley.
I know how to write a letter.
I'll write, he said.
I just don't know how to getthe right answers.
Maybe there was a worm in theapple or something.
He sure looked funny.
How come, I said?
I mean, you don't think you'regoing to get what you want for
Christmas either.
You might put it that way.
Al said only in the army we callit a Dear John letter Boy.
(08:23):
Did he look crabby all of asudden, like this big lion?
The time my father took me tothe zoo that had a toothache and
tried to bite everybody?
What's a Dear John letter, Isaid?
Is it good or bad?
I guess it was this letter thatmade him look so mad all the
time.
All right, now he picked up anorange and threw it out the door
without even eating it oranything.
What's the matter with him?
Anyway, just skip it, joe, hesaid pretty soon.
(08:47):
All it means is that a girlmarried somebody else.
Girls are sure dumb, I said,playing with dolls and kissing
people and everything I hategirls.
Hold that thought, joe.
Al said it may come in handylater on If you're in the army.
How come you work in the postoffice?
I said I got rotated home lastmonth, al said I needed a job.
(09:08):
The post office needed an extraclerk for the Christmas rush.
We were made for each other.
He pulled up his lunch bag andthrew it out the door.
Boy, he sure had good aim.
I bet he could have been a bigleague pitcher or something if
he wanted to.
Look, joe, he said recess isover.
If you have plans for thisafternoon, don't let me detain
you.
Well, I guess I'd better gethome on account of Mrs Henderson
(09:30):
will have a fit.
I said Don't forget to writethe letter right away.
Make it a good one, I'll beback tomorrow.
Al kind of groaned again, likemy father the time my white rat
made a nest in his bedroomslipper.
Look, joe, he said we've justbeen through all this.
Take my word for it.
It's a lost cause.
I can't possibly write theletter.
Sure you can.
(09:51):
I said I'll pay you back forthe stamp and everything out of
this money I saved up forChristmas.
Send it air mail.
I came right back after schoolthe next day and Al was eating
his lunch again in this kind ofempty room.
He didn't even look up when Icame in.
He was eating a fried eggsandwich.
Where's the letter?
I said Does it say my father iscoming, for sure?
(10:11):
Al just kept on eating.
He had kind of a fried eggmustache, didn't it come yet?
I said there's only one moreday until Christmas.
Look, joe.
Al said let's not kid ourselves.
I told you there wouldn't beany letter.
Maybe it just didn't get hereyet.
I said Wasn't there even a bagor box or anything like last
(10:32):
time when he sent the marbles?
I'll let out this big, longsigh.
As a matter of fact, he said,now that you mention it, I do
remember finding this paper bagwith your name on it.
There seems to be some kind ofbig glove in it.
He gave me this old wrinkledpaper bag.
That's a baseball glove.
I said Don't you even know that?
Boy was he dumb.
(10:53):
It was about a million timestoo big, but it was sure a good
glove.
That's one of the things I'msupposed to get for Christmas.
I said Don't you remember Ialready told you there were the
marbles and the baseball gloveand a football and an electric
train, I know?
Al said Just don't keepreminding me.
Is that a fried egg sandwich?
I said Al gave it to me andtook out another one, joe, I'm
(11:17):
eating my lunch.
He said I mean, we're eating mylunch.
Don't you ever get anything toeat at school?
You're not supposed to eatanything at school.
I said he sure didn't knowanything.
You're supposed to learn things, didn't you ever go to school
Off and on?
Al said what things are yousupposed to learn?
Trying and things?
I said I'm in kindergarten.
What were you supposed to learn?
(11:38):
Drawing and things?
Al said I was going to be anarchitect.
I bet that would be fun.
I said what is it?
It's somebody who builds things.
Al said like houses and soforth.
He took out this big banana andpeeled it and I helped him to
eat it.
I sure wish we had a house.
I said can you build one?
First you have to learn how, alsaid.
Then why don't you learn how?
(12:01):
I said.
All of a sudden Al threw thebanana peel clear out the door
to the alley.
He was beginning to look madagain.
Look, joe.
He said it's a long grind.
That was a long time ago.
I had a lot of plans then.
That would never worked out.
All of a sudden he took this bigcandy bar and ate the whole
thing before I could even sayanything.
I've got a whole new set ofproblems now.
(12:23):
He said like finding anotherjob after Christmas Kind of job?
I said Any kind of job.
Al said who cares?
What difference does it make?
You're sure you don't want tobuild a house.
I said so you could have a dogin the backyard and everything.
I sure like dogs.
All of a sudden Al threw thewhole lunch bag out the door
without even eating the rest ofit or anything.
(12:44):
Look, joe.
He said I don't want to build ahouse, I don't want to be an
architect, I don't want to havea dog in the backyard.
Boy, he sure did look crabbynow, like that big lion at the
zoo when that man tried to fixhis toothache that kept roaring
and jumping up and biting people.
Listen, Joe.
He said I've got to get back towork, you've got to get back
(13:06):
home.
Let's just skip the whole thing.
Go play with your marbles.
So then he went back to this bigroom with all the boxes and he
went inside of one of thosecages where people sell stamps
and everything.
He shut the door but I couldtell which cage it was An
account of.
It said stamps on the glass bar.
There wasn't hardly anybody inthis big room.
(13:26):
So I went around the edge tillI got to his door and I opened
it.
Real quiet.
There were about a millionpeople lined up on the other
side of the cage wanting to buystamps and everything.
Hey, al, I said you forgot tolook for the letter.
I'll come back tomorrow andhelp you find it.
Al turned around and looked atme.
He looked madder than ever.
I mean real mad.
My father.
(13:47):
The time I dropped his watch inthe bathtub, let's face it, joe
he said there isn't going to beany letter.
I'm sorry, but sometimes youjust don't get what you want for
Christmas.
You do if you want it hardenough, I said.
My father said so.
He said we would have a realbig Christmas tree this year and
underneath there would bemarbles and the baseball glove
(14:08):
and the football and the Listen,joe.
Al said I've done all I can.
I'm sorry.
Believe me, run along, will you?
I got lost.
I just haven't got any moretime to play games.
Who asked him to play gamesanyway?
All of a sudden the door to thecage shut with a bang right in
front of me.
I guess it blew shut orsomething.
So I went home the next day.
(14:31):
It was Christmas Eve Only.
Not until that night.
You know what I mean.
I didn't get to go to the postoffice after school on account
of Mrs Henderson picking me up.
But pretty soon I sneaked outwhile she was baking some
cookies and she thought I wastaking a nap.
I guess it was pretty late.
All right, it was almost darkby the time I got there.
It was sure cold.
The back door to the postoffice was locked.
(14:53):
I couldn't even open it.
So I came around the side andthere was somebody sitting on
the steps.
It was Al.
He still looked mad Like myfather the time I got lost at
the circus.
He was sort of shivering andhis face looked kind of blue.
What are you doing here?
He said you're late.
I was looking for you.
I said my mother said last nightthat my father really isn't
(15:15):
going to come home for Christmas.
No matter what she said, Ishouldn't have bothered you.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
Think nothing of it.
Al said Everything bothers me.
He gave me this kind of lumpylooking big bag.
I just thought I'd better makesure you got this package that
came for you today.
It looks like it's got somekind of a ball in it.
That's a football.
(15:35):
I said Boy, it was a realfootball, like they use in a
football game and everything.
Thanks for waiting, I said.
I sat down beside him on thesteps.
It was pretty cold.
All right, joe.
Al said why don't you go home?
He sounded like my father thetime I put this real swell
lizard I found once on his plateat dinner.
Doesn't anybody pay attentionto where you are?
(15:57):
Sure, they pay attention.
I said they think I'm asleep.
My mother has to work latetonight until nine o'clock in
the store.
And she said afterwards she'sgoing to go out again and get
the Christmas tree.
Only thing is I'm going tosurprise her.
I'm going to get this big treeand put it up, like my father
always does, so we can put theelectric train.
(16:18):
Under.
What electric train?
Al said the one I wrote aboutin the letter.
Only it hasn't got here yet.
I wouldn't count on it.
Al said you can't be too sureabout getting things.
For example, you need anelectric train, but I need a new
suit.
One of us is apt to bedisappointed.
It'll come all right.
I said Everything else did.
(16:38):
It'll probably be there when Iget back home.
Do you like to pick outChristmas trees and put the
ornaments on and everything.
No, al said I never bought aChristmas tree before.
I said I went with my father,but I guess it's easy.
All right, if you got money.
Sure, I've got money, I said.
I guess he thought I was dumbor something.
I had almost a dollar saved upand I spent 50 cents for a
(17:02):
present from mother, so I've got35 cents left.
All of a sudden Al looked likehe was getting mad again or
tired or something.
Look, joe, just go home, willyou?
He said, forget about theChristmas tree and the electric
train.
Get a good night's sleep.
I will.
I said.
First I want to get the treesso we can put an electric train
under it.
(17:23):
I started down this street whereI saw this big place where they
sell Christmas trees, but Icouldn't hardly even see the
post office.
It was too dark so I kept ongoing.
Pretty soon I heard somebody inback of me.
It was Al.
Hey, joe, he said.
He had this kind of funny lookon his face, like my father, the
time I made this big Father'sDay card for him at school and
(17:43):
brought it home to him.
I just happened to think of afellow I know who sells
Christmas trees.
Al said I saw some big onesthere for about 35 cents.
Well, it was down this way, alsaid.
But if you don't mind waiting,I've got an errand to do first
in the hardware store.
Al told me to wait outside thehardware store and he was in
there for a pretty long time.
But I didn't mind waiting.
(18:05):
On account of there was thiselectric train set up in the
window with tracks and bridgesand tunnels and everything was
sure a swell train.
It was a good thing Al camealong when I bought this
Christmas tree at this place.
He knew for 35 cents.
On account of I couldn't evencarry the tree.
It was so big.
Al had to carry it.
I helped him some.
It sure smelled good.
It was a pretty long walk home.
(18:27):
By the time we got there thistruck was stopped out in front
and a man was just putting a bigbox in front of our door in the
hall.
That's my electric train, Isaid.
I told you it would get here,that's right, al said.
Now that I think of it, you didtell me.
Mrs Henderson was sure mad whenshe saw it Sneaked out and
everything.
But Al said he would get mesome supper.
So after a while she unlockedthe door to our apartment and we
(18:50):
went inside.
Boy, the tree I bought was toobig even, but it fitted fine.
After Al cut the top of the treeoff, like my father used to, it
turned out this electric trainwas so big it ran all around the
living room.
First we put down the tracksand the bridges and the tunnels
and the trestle and the frightcars and the engine and the
(19:11):
passenger chain and the caboose.
Then Al put all these ornamentswe had on the tree, while I put
the marbles and the baseballglove and the football
underneath, like they weresupposed to be.
He had just put this big staron top of the tree.
When my mother came in, boy,was she surprised?
She looked kind of tired andmessed up and she was carrying
(19:31):
all these packages.
This is Al, I said.
My mother looked at Al and helooked at her and all of a
sudden they kind of smiled.
Her face got all red and shejust sort of stood there.
Well, this is certainly kind ofyou, my mother said.
Her voice sure sounded funny.
Joe has told me so much aboutyou, I don't know how to thank
(19:52):
you.
Al started to climb down offthe kitchen stool and he sort of
fell down the last step.
It was a real pleasure, he said, real polite and everything.
He sounded kind of funny too.
I really enjoyed trimming aChristmas tree.
What was the matter with him?
Anyway, he didn't like to trimChristmas trees.
Well, I'll be on my way now.
(20:14):
He said I'm very glad to havemet you.
Oh, do you have to hurry off?
My mother said I'm sure Joewould like you to stay.
Boy, her face was sure pink Allof a sudden.
She didn't look so tired.
I brought home some fruit cakeand I'll just put on some coffee
.
It won't take a minute, won'tyou sit down?
My mother sat down in a chair.
Al sat down in another chair.
(20:36):
I understand you work in thepost office.
My mother said that must beinteresting work.
Well, it's only temporary, ofcourse.
Al said I'm thinking of goingback to study architecture.
That's the career I'm reallyinterested in, building and all.
What did he say that for?
He didn't like building at all.
Hey, al, I said how come?
(20:56):
My mother got up and went intothe kitchen and started to make
some coffee.
Pretty soon you could smell thecoffee and the Christmas tree
all together.
It sure smelled good.
Al turned on the Christmas treelights and then he built a fire
in the fireplace and then hemade the train go.
It ran all over the room underthe bridges and over the
mountains and through thetunnels.
(21:17):
I never saw such a good train.
Pretty soon my mother started tobring in a lot of things to eat
, like when we had a party withmy father in front of the fire.
Her face was all pink and shekept on smiling and everything.
She sure looked nice.
Do you live around here?
She asked Al, yes, I have aroom a few blocks away.
Al said but before too long Iwent to build a house with a big
(21:40):
yard and plenty of room for adog and all that.
What did he go and say?
That for Boy?
He sure must have changed hismind or something.
Hey, al, I said how come Joe?
Al said there's something I'vebeen meaning to tell you for
quite some time.
What I said.
Merry Christmas, he said.
And that was the night myfather came home, the end.
(22:06):
Thank you for listening and mayyou have a very blessed
Christmas.
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