Thursday, December 1, 2022

WEP & Harry's Mission

Nothing was going to stop Harry from achieving his mission. He’d planned every step. It had taken him days and days. Now, he had to make sure no one messed it up.


He ate all his supper. Even the broccoli.

He scraped off his plate. Put it in the dishwasher.

He didn’t splash in the bath.

Well, not too much.


Harry put on his new pajamas. The feet were a little too long, but he’d be careful.


At bedtime, he only asked for one extra story.

Then he waited.

Waiting was hard.

So was staying awake.


Harry pinched his toes and counted all the way to a hundred.

He whispered his plan to Marshall, but the stuffed Dalmatian didn’t have any ideas on how to stay awake.


When he’d waited forever, he looked at his clock. The first number was a nine. Or was it a six? He traced the number on his hand like his teacher had shown him. It was a nine.


That had to be late. No one could stay awake until nine.


Harry hugged Marshall for luck and then snuck out of bed. The nightlight helped him see and he peeked into the hall. Lights were still on downstairs but they’d have to leave them on tonight.


Harry slid to the side of the stairs and held the banister tight. His pjs were a little slippery but he only fell once on his way down.


When he reached the bottom, he looked down the hall. No one. He tiptoed into the living room and grinned. No presents were under the tree yet. He wasn’t too late.


Harry went straight to his hiding place, between the two chairs and in front of the bookshelf. Then he sat down to wait some more. He was going to see Santa’s face for the first time. All he had to do was not fall asleep.


Harry jerked awake when something wet touched his face. He tried to roll away, but the wet followed him. When something barked, Harry opened his eyes as the dog licked him again. A Dalmatian. Just like Marshall. “Did Santa bring you?”


The dog woofed and jumped in Harry’s lap.


Mom and Dad came into the room with their coffee cups. “Merry Christmas, Harry.”


“Did Santa bring me a puppy?”


“Didn’t you see Santa?”


“No.” He must have fallen asleep after all. He hadn't seen Santa's face.


Mom picked up a red paper from the plate where they’d left the cookies. “Looks like Santa left you a note.”


“What does it say?”


“Maybe next year.”


Harry nodded and hugged the Dalmation. "I'll see him next year."

***

Tagline: Harry's on a mission to see a face for the first time

The above is part of the WEP challenge First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Please check out the links to read the other entries into the challenge. There's lots of time to join as the entries will be open from Dec 1-15. I hope you'll join in the fun!!!



21 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Awwww. This is lovely. Thank you.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Well done Jemi - quite delightful ... staying awake is tough! Great fun - cheers Hilary

N. R. Williams said...

That was sweet. Our oldest fell asleep in the bathroom right around 4 am. We thought she'd never go to sleep. That year, hubby put together a rocking horse for her.
Nancy

Olga Godim said...

Sweet and charming.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Aww this is ubercute! The later he gets to see the face of Santa the better...great Christmas story, Jemi.

Denise Covey said...

Aww, so lovely. What a great way to use the prompt. Perfect for the season! Like the linked Dalmatians. Left me with the warm and fuzzies.

Yolanda Renée said...

So sweet, now all you have to do is the picture book and publish it for next Christmas! The kids will love it!

Happy Holidays!
Wishing you and yours love, joy, and happiness!

Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost said...

I'm glad Henry got his Dalmatian puppy. That Santa is a sneaky one!
Was I the only kid who liked broccoli? Actually, I liked (and still like) most vegetables. However, I only like zucchini and yellow squash when they're cooked. Back in the 70s, people would put raw zucchini in salads, and I'd eat it thinking it was cucumber. Yech!

Jemi Fraser said...

Sue - thank you!

Hilary - I wish I struggled to stay awake - it's the getting to sleep part I struggle with now! :)

NR - So cute!!! Oh, those nights of no sleep to set everything up!

Olga - thank you!

Nila - thanks - and I hope Harry has some years yet!

Denise - thanks! I love the warm fuzzies :)

Yolanda - that's a great idea...hmmm!

OO - I loved broccoli as a kid - still do - so you're not alone! Raw zucchini is the absolute worst!! I'm a big veggie lover too!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I love that!

I'm very much like Harry. :) I have a hard time staying up until 9, too.

cleemckenzie said...

Ahhh. A great story for the season and for the theme! Thanks, Jemi

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,
I remember as a kid, I wanted to see Santa‘s face and I stayed up late, knowing that I would catch him. Unfortunately, I fell asleep in my hiding place and my father put me to bed. As kids we do funny things. It was a disappointment for me when I found out there was no Santa.
Very nice story.
Merry Christmas and have a safe crossover into 2023.
Shalom aleichem

Nick Wilford said...

I loved where you went with this! Very cute.

A Hundred Quills said...

This was too cute, Jemi. Harry is my winner for December. I love him. Perfect setting for Christmas.
-Sonia

Jemi Fraser said...

Elizabeth - me too! 9 is late!! :)

Lee - thanks!

Pat - I love that you tried it the same as Harry!!

Nick - Thank you - it was fun!

Sonia - Thanks so much!!

Bernadette said...

So cute :) Santa's letter was the cherry on the top.

L.G. Keltner said...

This was so cute! I enjoyed every second of reading this. Thank you for sharing such a lovely story.

J.Q. Rose said...

That was such a sweet, simple story. Well-told. I smiled all the way through the story. Thank you for sharing.

Beth Camp said...

What a cute twist! Perfectly told from the child's point of view yet capturing the magic/joy of Christmas. Really enjoyed this one.

Jemi Fraser said...

Bernadette - thank you :)

Laura - Thanks! I think we all need a dose of happy :)

JQ - thank you!

Beth - thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed!

J Lenni Dorner said...

Aww, full of holiday joy there. Great entertainment.
Seasons greetings.