'Downstairs, little Joe had Edward's full attention. Emily had left half an hour ago, "before it gets dark Edward." and there they were, just the two of them.
It appeared, that despite a wonderful, indeed magical Christmas, Joe was still left wanting one important item. It had been listed and it was the motorbike. Edward had made a start on this. "Sometimes Joe, however much you wish for something it still might not come true in the way you want it to. In fact, "Edward paused, not wanting to confuse little Joe by talking about the zigzag effect, whereby things which seemed to go wrong at one point turn out later to be perfectly right - no, this was too profound for a small boy, and instead Edward chose to talk about his brother Alfred, who when he was very small like Joe was now, had wished for a train set. "That's Alfred there in the photo on my desk." pointed Edward to a clever looking, impeccably dressed man sitting sideways at a large desk. As brothers they shared the same oval face and large deep-set eyes, but where Alfred looked business-like and self-important, Edward looked modest and kind. "And yes! " continued Edward. "It is the same desk. Alfred left it to me in his Will - he was an Administrator you see, loved figures and all of that - now me, I love books and reading. Well anyway, Alfred did not have that train set for Christmas and he never ever forgot it."
"Never forgot it." repeated Joe running the model sports car along the top of the desk. "And of course, as soon as he was able, he saved up his money and bought one anyway." finished Edward. he wondered if any of it made sense. "You see Joe, it changed that little boy, my brother Alfred and made him resentful, determined to have whatever he wanted and pleased when he could disappoint someone else."
A terrible shame - terrible, thought Edward, now talking to himself as Joe was completely preoccupied with moving things round on the desk, and standing on a fine antique chair in order to reach everything nicely. Yes Edward hoped that Alfred had somehow overcome this bitterness. Perhaps he had.
"You Old Administrator you", thought Edward fondly, as he looked at Alfred's photo on the desk, and went to help Joe put all the pens back into the glass pot.'
The End! Pages 27 and 28, Epilogue to Joe's Christmas- smashwords .com
Thank you my friends all over this wonderful world for sharing Joe's Christmas Story - my advent for 2018 - have a magical day wherever you are and whoever you are with - sending you a big star to wish on!! Big Love Wonka PS I may have a new story to share especially for the New Year!! XXXXXX
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