Christmas Eve

The golden dog who bit his nails got excited and knocked ornaments off the tree with his tail. The boy played the spinet and the girl danced the Lindy by herself. The woman scrubbed the kitchen floors and cabinets. The man adjusted something using the vice on his basement workbench. A neighbor walked over with a tray of cookies and the man said something fresh to her about baking. The dog sprawled in the hallway with his paws cheating onto the living room rug. The boy lay on the rug near the piano and teased the dog with his fingers. The woman put the ornaments back on the tree, talking or singing to herself or to someone. The man left for a while, the gravel in the driveway spitting back from the tires of his Impala. The girl closed the door to her room and put on her hi-fi. The boy, who also bit his nails, examined under the tree and saw his name on at least three tags on big boxes. The dog seemed to be smiling and looked expectant. The man stayed out until after dark. The boy played a Hanukkah song on the spinet, then a Christmas song. The woman sang in the kitchen with a bad voice like a little girl. When they ate dinner, late and dark, the girl chattered and laughed hard through the silence. And then came the opening of the presents. The dog pranced and ripped at the green wrapping paper with his half-bitten nails and his smiling teeth until the man on the couch yelled at him to stop. The woman in the rocking chair, the girl on the floor, the boy played the piano and they sang together the boy's favorite carol. Joy to the World.