PAGE 6, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18,1974, WHITBY FREE PRESS BIRD 'S EYE VIEW, Something Specia f or Chrilstmals lu honour *of Chîristmîas and aIl îhîîngs ilice I 'ch ike to depart from my usual habit of taking a literary poke ai ife and tell you a'itile siory. Thits is only an inîaginary story with inîaginary people and it probably couldn'i happen anyway - or couhd it? The temperature must have taken a downiurn because thc windows wcre even niore frosîed than site renîeuîbered tem having been since Winier hîad recently gripped the city. In fact, for a fcw tense seconds site was worried that maybe the one window pane ste mosi waîîied to sec îhrough was to0 frosied but a dloser inspection revealcd to her satisfaction ihat thîcre was still enougit ehear space 10 sec whaî site had trudged ten blocks îo sec. As night set in whispers of cold icy snow swirled around hier bare face and re uncovercd hands but ber only defence J104 harwodAjax Piaza, AjaxOado6836611 413 MacEkWZUE AJAX, BOX 113 Ph.mi.6S3.7S» or 839-4174 was to îry to biuddle downl furtber inside bier coat andl janri lier bauds îutu Itie taiîered pockeîs. Taîiered was probably the besi descript ion flr the wliole ensemlble shie wore, or rallier atîeînpted to wear, because il l't poorly and was obviously ei ther a baniid-iîe-downi or a discard by soinebody who assuîiied il was ol 1c)10 ilrtlier use. Buîît 10 Jessica il was very inulib of' use becatise as tat ter- ed as lier cloîhes were tbey st keph the bite ut' Wii 1er away f'roni lier 1-rail body, The wind was picking uip now and îlîreaîened to sweep, lier away unless she sougbît shelier but shie scarcely eveîî îoticed as sheie îioved lier face dloser to the fifilîhwiidow pane 1'roiîi tlie lefi on thie bolton row ini the fronit of Jensen's Varicîy Store. As lier pin k ose came ahinost wi tIiiii collisioni of' Iie glass she gazed wisti'fulîy ai, thie Raggedy Ami dohl shee bad yen îured ou t on tIiis terrible inigb t to sec. The weatlier nia ttered l 'it the 10 lier on this rigb t nur on any of' the hrevions h12 nigb ts she liad beeîi coîning ho sec thie doIt since il f'irsi ap)peared inithie wiiidow. And îhîis nigit, as lie hîad said on s0 niarny otiiers, Mr. Jenîsen spotted Jessica's pîale l'ace inithie frosted window anîd rernarked to lus wife wlîo lielpied Iiiii a ite couinter. "Shîe's back again Marîhia, staring al h iit doîl hike il was the onhly thîîng ini the worhd iiat maitiered!" To Jessica it was aIlli tai niattered. Tiat Raggedy Ann doîl was thie brigitesi star in lier oiherwise dark and dreary environrneîît. Slue con tinued 10 stare ai Raggedy Anu, cariîîg litîle for lte passing of îiîne because slie hiad no reason ho liurry borne- if y/ou could caîl il Iliat. Slîe neyer knew lier fatiber and bier moîber lîad* to work A day anid nighît jusi to pay the exhorbiiaîîi reni thiat was charged lor thîr two roorti flai in a siuîni tencuient. Food was scarce and onhy whîen ber brother lîusîled soniebthy ini tce local pooî hall did they even gel meat on tlie table. But someihîow Jessica, hier mioihier and lier brother survived- or exisîed. I was closed to Christmas, in fact only scant hours until Santa was supposed t0 land on roof tops aIl across the country but Jessica knew better even ai ihie tender age of seven than t0 gel exciied about Santa because everybody knew Santa didn'i visit the slum side of hown. Ai leasi ie liadn't in seven years aîîd sie had no reason to think hie would îhîis year cubher. 0f the few îhings in ife ihai didn't cosi moîîey, lier inmagination was onie and s0 shie sîood ihere in the bîtercold imaginîing herself holding Raggedy Ann tigliti 10lber, carcssing ber shoe-siring hair and kissing lier little red nosc. So conipletely engrossed was she that lier liands camne oui of lier pockets anîd hîeld nothîinîg but air 10 lier chest as slie sîared ai the doîl wiîhout îioticing ihiat Mr. jensenî had rnoved dloser t0 ihe wiîîdow inside the store and was intenily watcliing ier. 'Martha, wc must ask lier ti the store, it's far too cold for bier ho bc standing oui there! ""lIl1 put oni some cocoa," rephied Mrs. Jenseni and she disappeared mbt thie back room as Mr. Jensen %vent out the door and gathîered te lit île girl bac k'insîcle. "You miusl flot stand out there", Mr. Jensen said, "You'II catch a bad cold in this weaiher!" "I meanl tico harîn sir, 1 only wanled to -look ai Raggcdy Aîîn! ", pleaded Jessica. Mr. Jcnseni kncw witbout asking tbal ncithcr Jessica, lier niotlier or ber brother could afford thc ew (lollars Raggcdy Anlii wotuld cost so lic sat lier dlown on a chair near tbche iai ven t and pourcd oui a cup of' bot cocoa t'romn tbe piiclier h is witc izid just brougb t fr-on hie kitelcn. Jessica lookcd wide-eyed at the proffcred cup and said, "Il doni't have any rnoney to paYy you for the cocoa Mr. Jensen", but Mr. Jensen appcared îîot to have lieard as lie pushied the warrn ciîp of steaining cocoa it li er hands and corinmanded ibat shie drink. "You should îîot be oui uonigb t". said Mrs. Jensen, "Il 's Christmias - wlîere's your miotber?" " She bias to work tli r-nidniîgt, replied Jessica in between sips of cocoa. "Orf Christmias EVe??" cuestioned Mrs.-lensen. "Every niiglit!", replied Jessica- "Exceptichen mother gels sick witb a cold or the Ru". "WehllI'ni going 10 walk y/ou back honie", conmrnandcd Mrs. Jensen as slw put on hier coat. She bierded Jessica outthie door but on the way sue stopped for a few seconds to whisper i hier husband's car and then thcy were oui of tic warrn sbop and loto the nurnbing cold. '"ht nust be rnorning", tbought Jessica as she sleepily openied hier eycs.. She stili wasn't sure if Mrs. Jcnsen's walking lier homie and puîîing hier to bed was a dream or, if itl bad reahly happenied. Beside hier she heard her mother couigh, stir, gel up and shuffle out of the bedroom. Suddenly from the odtier room her mother let out a short screarn and Jessica raced to find oui whai had happened. A quickly as she lhad entered the room, she stopped, so shockcd was she by wbat shie saw. There, smack in the middle of the shabby living room-kîchcn was a littie thre foot hiigh Christrmas irce, completely decorated and hiover- ing over many packages which sat on tbe floor beneaih it. Jessica rnoved dloser as she spoîîed tinned food, canned barn, fruits, vegetables, powdered mihk, cheeses, and a large Winter coat wilîi looked ike il rnight fit hier mother. And there was a pair of shoes which niight fit her brother who by flow lad joined îhern 10sture at the Iree. And right on top of the whiohc pile of gifts was Raggedy Ann! The very sanie Raggedy Ann froni Jensen's! Quickly Jessica clutched up the doîl and asked, "Where did this corne from Motlier'?'?",*but il was plain to sec her mother was just as baffhed as she was. While hier brother was trying on the slîoes Jessica noticed bier miotber crying but even ai thie age of seven Jessica knew that for once they werc happy tears. In fact, Jessica was so bappy herseif iliai she decided a few happy tcars mighit be in order t00 su site retreaied to bier bed 10 joyfully clutch Raggedy Ann close to bier as she hiad donc in hier imagination for almosi iwo, wecks. And as she did so she thought, "After seven years lie camne!" The moral?? Well there really isn'î a moral to ibis story excepi 10 say thai there just might be a Jessica in your neighbourhood who is desperate.ly in need of a Raggedy Ann and maybe your Jessica likes hiappy endings 100! HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAM!! When you corne to see the FGORD NIEUWENDYK'S SPORT CENTRE 106 (Joborne St., E. Whitby, Ontario SKIS K"l ON SPECIAL SK<M M'ITCHELL BROTH ERS Building Supplies Ltd. Brooklîn 655-4991 Just In Tîme For Chrisfmas SNO CAT TOBOGGANS 4ft. 5ft. - 6.5O $ 805O $ 9050 0 Rigt now you can IIIUV visit Toronto inexpensively . .. y/ou canlâove te fbuousw2 dai the 2Nightmany unique attractions. The Lord So cial frtoa total cost of $69.90, ujc oadvance.registra- accommodation, dinner ai fthe famous Captain's T'able, complete L O iîh a welcoming refreshment, conti- 1 0 , nntalbreakfast each morning. A bis tour of Toronto is opiional. You wilejyToronto more ai e he Lord Simcoe, where hospitality is a tradition. Free overnight parking K~LFL~Z~9 rom 6: 00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Sec your tr4ve1 agçent or contact us: 150 King Steet West, Toronto. Telephone: 362-1848. 1 Opratd by Berkeley International Hotols Ltd.