Knowing the consequences of being unprepared for Christmas morning, Jeff packed himself into the car and headed for the mall. Bad plan. 3 hours later he returned home disheveled, annoyed and much worse- empty handed. “Now what do I do?” he thought grimly. “The mall is a zoo that I can’t bear to navigate, and I still don’t have anything for Gwen.” That thought nagged him the rest of the afternoon as the hours before Christmas grew shorter and shorter....

Saturday passed uneventfully, as the heartless minions behind Christmas refused to delay the inevitable. Saturday evening found Jeff still empty-handed, and Christmas growing closer with every passing second.

Sunday dawned, and as Jeff’s sluggish brain went through its usual start up procedure, the date flashed into his head. A burst of adrenalin brought him to full consciousness ahead of schedule. “**** !” he said to himself “It’s Christmas Eve, and I *still* don’t have anything for Gwen!”. He thought and thought, and a dim idea began to collect and assume form, dispelling the last cobweb from his brain. “Honey” he announced to Gwen as he threw his legs out of the bed “I need to go to the shop to do some work today. I hope you don’t mind.” Knowing full well that this announcement was code for “Honey, my butt’s up against a wall- today is Christmas, I didn’t get you anything so I have to go to the shop and make you something - QUICK!”, Gwen responded calmly. “Of course dear” she smiled, “I have some things to take care of there, so it’s no problem. We can go in for as long as you need.”

Upon arrival, Jeff disappeared into his shop with a grim look of determination. Gwen retired to her shop and wondered what he would come up with. The busy sounds of power tools, sawing, grinders and hammering soon issued from Jeff’s shop and continued for several hours. Then the sound of a torch, then hammering. BIG hammering. HEAVY forging with a heavy hammer alternated with the hiss of the torch and went on for a long time. “Good Lord” thought Gwen “What on Earth is he making out there?” As the sounds of heavy forging continued, Gwen racked her brain and couldn’t think of a single thing that would require such hammer work. “Oh well, I suppose I’ll find out soon enough!”

The heavy hammering finally subsided and was replaced by the sound of much lighter hammer work, then grinding. Silence reigned for a time, and then, as dusk settled around the shop, Jeff emerged with a smile. “I’m through!” he announced cheerily “we can go home now!”. In his hands were several boxes and a mysterious bundle swaddled in grimy shop rags.

Once home, Gwen was advised to steer clear of the kitchen, where there were presents to be wrapped. Completely intrigued, Gwen disappeared into the computer room to occupy herself with you all for a while. In due time, the gifts were announced wrapped and the scene clear. Jeff greeted Gwen with a self-satisfied smile and a hug when she rounded the corner into the kitchen. “There” he announced, grinning “all done!”.

Christmas morning arrived right on schedule-- the *new* schedule, that is. Gifts were distributed, and a certain heavy package was placed in Gwen’s pile of gifts with the warning to “open that one last”. As the morning wore on, the mountain of gifts were unwrapped and exclaimed over, finally leaving a single, heavy package to be opened. “I hope you like it” said Jeff as he handed the package to Gwen. The package was solemnly unwrapped and as the last bit of tissue fell away

was exposed, its curved edge gleaming dimly in the morning light. “Holy cow, a cleaver!!” Gwen exclaimed as she lifted the heavy knife from its bed of tissue paper. “So this is what all the heavy forge work was about!”. “Yes” Jeff admitted with a sheepish smile. “I knew you wanted one, so I made it. I hope you like it.” Like it?” exclaimed Gwen “I love it! It looks just like the one in Scappi’s “Opera!” “That’s the one I copied” said Jeff with a sigh of relief, knowing this would be a happy Christmas after all.

The End

His reaction...