THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP

by

CQB & Stephen

CHAPTER 4

THE CHAPTERS

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

A few days later, Christmas morning arrived with a fresh coating of snow all over the town of Bayport.  The Hardy home bustled with excitement as Frank, Joe, Fenton, Laura and Gertrude unwrapped gifts around the huge fir tree in the family room.

Once the excitement died down, Gertrude went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast while Fenton and the boys helped Laura gather torn wrapping paper, boxes and ribbon off the floor.

“Joe, you never showed us what gift you got at school,” Laura mentioned as she handed some paper to her husband. 

Fenton stuffed the paper into a trash bag and grinned, “I’ll bet it’s buried in the bottom of your book bag.”

Joe’s eyes grew wide, “The horse!”  He dropped the box he was holding and ran up the back stairs to his room.

Frank, seeing the mystified looks on his parent’s faces, began to explain about George’s gift.  Joe showed up and handed the lovely carved animal to his mom.

Fenton reached for the piece and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  “We need to sit down and talk,” he said.  They all sat down and waited for Fenton to speak.

“Mr. Rossi, George’s father, was an artist,” Fenton began.  “He was a sculptor.  He would often photograph his finished pieces.  That’s why he had that dark room under the steps.

Mostly he used various kinds of wood to carve and sculpt.  I’d be willing to bet he did this piece.”

“I – I think George was crying in school,” Joe said softly, looking from the horse to his father.

“Do you think that George’s dad made the horse for him?” Frank asked.

“I think so, Frank,” Fenton replied.

Laura looked at Joe.  “How did you get George’s gift?”

Joe quickly told them about the plain notebook paper and how George hid it in the back of the pile.  “I didn’t think anyone would pick his gift, and I didn’t even want to pick it,” Joe told them, being honest, “but it was all that was left, pretty much.  Maybe I should’a picked Alan’s present, then George could still have his horse.”

“Then you would have broken the rule Miss Shaffer made,” Laura admonished.  “You did the right thing, but now I’m going to ask you to do the right thing again.”

“I should give George his horse back, right?” the blond boy asked.

“Yes, baby,” Laura replied with a smile.  “That would be the right thing to do.”

Joe looked again at the horse.  Then he smiled brightly.  “Do we have any wrapping paper left?”

“No, but I’m sure we can salvage a nice piece from one of your gifts,” Laura said.  She pulled a large piece of snowman paper from the trash bag.  She carried it into the sewing room and pressed it with the iron to get rid of wrinkles.

“Perfect,” Joe declared as he and Laura carefully wrapped the horse.

* * *

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Fenton asked his son as he parked his car in front of the old Victorian house.

“No,” Joe answered with a shake of his head.  “I wanna do this by myself.”

“Joe.”

The child turned and faced his father.

“I’m very proud of you, son.”

Joe smiled and exited the car.  He walked up the steps and went into the vestibule of the old building.  His mother had looked up Mrs. Olen’s address in the phone book, so Joe went right to apartment four and knocked on the door.

“Joe! What are you doing here?” George Rossi asked as he opened the door.  “Granny! My friend Joe is here!”

Joe followed George inside the tiny apartment.  Joe was surprised by how small it was, but even more surprised that there was no Christmas tree or decorations except a small plastic wreath on the door.

“I have a gift for you,” Joe said, handing George the present.

“What for?  We already did our gift exchange at school.”

“I know,” Joe said quietly, glancing at George’s grandma.  She was watching them closely.

George frowned as he opened the gift.  His eyes opened in surprise as he saw the polished wood of the horse inside the snowman wrapping paper.

“George? Is that the horse Jonathan made for you?” Granny asked.

“Y-yes,” George admitted, brushing impatiently at the tears in his eyes.  He quickly explained about the gift exchange at school and how he gave the only thing he had that was of any value.

“Oh Georgie,” Granny sighed, pulling him into her arms for a hug.  She then looked intently at Joe.  “Now you, young man; what made you bring it back to George?”

“I think I knew even in school that it was special to George,” Joe confessed.  “But I kinda forgot about it until just a little while ago.” Joe looked at George.  “It belongs to you, George.  ‘Specially since your dad made it for you.”

“You’re the bestest friend in the world,” George smiled and hugged Joe around the neck.  “Thank you!”

Joe blushed at the praise.  “I gotta go.  My dad’s waiting in the car.”

“Do you have to go? Can’t you stay a while and play?” George begged.

“I really can’t,” Joe said, “but if my parents let me, maybe I can come over tomorrow.”

“You’d be most welcome, Joe,” Mrs. Olsen smiled.

George started walking Joe to the door.  “Wait a minute.”  George ran to the box in the corner of the room.  He lifted out a package.

“This is the basketball set I got at school.  It’s only fair that you get it,” George held out the partially unwrapped gift to Joe.

Joe glanced around the dark, dreary apartment. “No,” he said with a shake of his head, “you keep it.  Then we’ll have something to play with when I come over next time.”

George smiled and Joe said good-bye.

* * *

Joe climbed back in the car with a smile still on his face.

“Well?” Fenton asked as he drove toward home.

“You know what’s the bestest gift I got this year?” Joe asked.

“No, I couldn’t begin to guess,” Fenton replied.  “Why don’t you tell me?”

“I’ve got the greatest family in the world and I know you guys love me,” the seven-year-old said, “and now I’ve got a special friendship with George; the gift of friendship. That’s a pretty terrific gift, huh Dad?”

“Yes, Joe,” Fenton smiled proudly, “you’re absolutely right!”

The End

~Merry Christmas~

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