The snow fell like a blanket on Bobby, as he sat shivering on the streets of Kashmir. Nobody stopped to offer him anything warm and he sat by a thicket on the side of the road, watching the darkness unfold around him. After a while, he shoved his freezing hands into the pockets of his frayed, old coat and fished out his last piece of chocolate. He realised, later, that it had an aftertaste.
Bobby was an orphan who had grown up on the streets of Srinagar. He lived off the kindness of people on Evergreen Road, who took it upon themselves to feed him and give him a little spot to sleep in. But with the recent communal clashes and the harsh winter, it seemed as if everyone had forgotten about little Bobby. Most of the houses on Evergreen Road were now empty. The few people who still lived there were too scared to venture out in the evenings. Bobby spent his time playing in the snow and chasing the local dogs around the streets.
A white blanket
That night was the coldest and the temperature dropped well below zero. Bobby tried to keep his spirits up but being alone in the cold, dark streets left him feeling a little upset. Why wasn’t anyone there to take care of him? He could hear music and conversation from inside the houses. He imagined how warm it would be to sit inside one of them and how wonderful it would be to drink a hot cup of tea.
Thinking so, he shifted into a restless sleep. Just as the snowy blanket was starting to make Bobby uncomfortable, he suddenly felt a hand on his cheek. The hand was rough but warm and Bobby nuzzled against it. Soon, he felt himself being lifted off the ground and carried. Too sleepy and tired to wake up, he allowed himself to be carried. Suddenly, it wasn’t cold anymore and Bobby felt a warm, snugly blanket wrapped around him.
When he woke up in the morning, he found himself on a nice, thick rug, snuggled up beside a blazing fire. Next to it was a Christmas tree, twinkling with fairy lights. Bobby couldn’t believe his eyes and rubbed them for a few minutes. He opened them again and realised that it wasn’t a dream after all. He shuffled up and walked to the tree and looked at it with awe, for he had never seen one before. Under the tree was a box wrapped in bright red, large bold letters scribbled on it — “For Bobby”. Who could have left Bobby a present? Where was he?
He grabbed the box and began to unwrap it. Then, he tore it open and found a new coat and mittens inside. A card on top, read, “Stay warm. Merry Christmas, Bobby! P.S: Check the pockets.” Bobby was so excited he dug into the pocket of the brown coat. He found, to his delight, that they were full of chocolates. “Merry Christmas Bobby,” said a voice from behind. Bobby stopped what he was doing and turned around.
Mr. Johnson stood by the staircase, smiling at him, holding out a hot cup of tea. Bobby rattled his memories and realised that he hadn’t seen the old man around in months. Johnson made a living out of shovelling snow and was often found walking around with a spade, dragging his trolley behind him. He was old and always looked mean and grumpy and the children were scared of him. Today, however, he looked completely different.
Bobby put the box back down and ran towards Johnson, throwing his arms around the old man’s neck. “Thank you, Mr. Johnson,” he said, and tears began to fall down his cheeks. “It’s all right, little one. I was shovelling snow last night and found you under a mountain of snow. I couldn’t just leave you there, could I? It felt like you could use a warm blanket and a fire to sleep better. I hope you are feeling okay,” Mr. Johnson replied, letting go and wiping Bobby’s tears.
“I wished so much for a warm fire and a hot cup of tea last night, and someone to hug. This morning, I woke up to find that my wish has come true,” he smiled and then, suddenly, Bobby went silent. His smile turned upside down again. “What’s the matter?” wondered Mr. Johnson. “But I have nothing to give you,” said Bobby, sadly. Mr. Johnson laughed and gathered him up in his arms again. “My boy, I haven’t had a family in years and no one to care for. And then, I found you. You are my gift.”
GAME:
Answer: My wish: Bobby wished for a “hot cup of tea.”
