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Tommy was ten years old and he had never known a Christmas when he hadn't felt cold and hungry. As far back as he could remember he could think of every Christmas Day when his mother would go off to the run down saloon. She worked as a waitress there, getting drinks for the customers and wiping tables and cleaning up after closing time. Tommy's mother was a thin, tired looking woman who lived alone with Tommy in a seedy apartment complex. Suspicious looking people came and went, and stray dogs scrounged amongst the trash cans tipping them over as wrappers, bottles, cans and all sorts of filthy things spilled on to the dirt alleyway that ran in front of the building. Tommy was always dressed in rags, torn pants, dirty shirt too small for is wiry little body, and scuffed shoes that were worn so thin at the soles he just knew that this Christmas he would probably feel the snow through the bottoms. He shivered as he sat in the tiny living room where there was a scratched wooden table with two rickety chairs pushed into it, the lumpy sofa on which he sat, and on the floor against one wall was a dirty old mattress with a thin blanket thrown over it. That was where he slept . His mother had the small bedroom in which there was just room for a bed, a dresser with three drawers and the closet that held the few clothes she and Tommy wore. It was 8a.m. in the morning on Christmas Day and Lily, Tommy's mother, had already left for work. Sometimes she would work first at an office building, scrubbing floors then go to the Thirsty Mug Saloon around noon, and work there until eleven at night. When she can home she was so tired she had little or not time to talk to, or play with her son. It was not because she didn't love him, she loved him very much but to make enough to pay the rent and buy them some food, she had to work as hard as she did and Tommy understood this. He loved his Mom a lot and wished he could DO something that would make things better but he couldn't think of anything at all. He didn't have any friends because there were very few children in the complex and those who there were, were either infants and too young to play with or older ones were kept indoors because their parents thought the suspicious looking characters wandering in and out of the building weren't safe for their children to be around. In this, they were right. There were a lot of drug deals and other illegal things going on. Tommy knew a lot of what went on around his apartment but he never told his Mom. She would worry more than ever about him. Today is Christmas again, Tommy thought, and he felt sad. He had seen all the toys, the bright lights and colored paper and ornaments in the shop windows, and he had often wondered what it would be like to have a REAL toy that wasn't broken or so used that if there as a spring in it to make it talk or walk or something, it would be too run down to do anything properly. He shivered again as he moved to find a level spot on the couch, and looked through the gray smutty window where he could barely make out the back of the building just across the alleyway. Everyday when he wasn't in school seemed to drag by so slowly, and today, especially, he thought would be another long long time of doing nothing. As he drummed his once white, but now gray, sneakers against the front of the couch, he thought he heard a dog bark. Not that that was unusual there were plenty of mangy creatures, cats ,and dogs that frequented the alleyway day and night looking for scraps to eat, but this dog's bark was different. It sounded almost like a command " Come out, Come here!". Tommy got up and went to the window, making a circular movement with his hand to wipe off some of the grime so he could see out. He looked down into the alley and saw a young dog sitting right opposite his front window looking straight at him. The things that was so remarkable about this dog was that it was pure white. There was never ANYTHING WHITE in that place that Tommy could remember! Even the cats and dogs that were supposed to have white paws or necks or patches on them weren't white- More like a drab gray or sometimes so black with dirt no one could tell exactly what color they were supposed to be! This pure white dog that looked like a mixture of hound and collie and about the size of a collie. It sat perfectly still staring intently at Tommy. It barked again, and this time wagged it's tail and stood up with its nose pointing towards the main street that crossed the east end of the alley. It ran a few steps to the left and then returned to the spot across rom Tommy and barked again. Tommy felt a little twinge of excitement that went down his spine. Did the dog know he was there ? Was it barking at HIM? Did he want Tommy to follow him somewhere? Well, there was certainly nothing else for him to do - he was used to sitting alone all day, (when he wasn't out roaming the town), and the two books he had, old copies of Treasure Island and Jungle Stories, were so worn from reading, a lot of the pages were loose and he had to hold them in place while he read. He knew both books by heart and once he laughed to himself because he thought it was dumb to be even holding the book and turning the pages when he knew exactly what was coming next and what the words were! Tommy wondered what his mother would say if he went out and followed the Dog. Would she mind? He told himself that he probably wouldn't be going very far, and anyway, he could always come back if he wanted to. He didn't have a watch but there were plenty of places he could look through a window and see a clock and he was pretty good at telling time by the amount of daylight there was or if the sun was shining, where it would be at a particular hour. Like when it was noon it would be straight up over head. So Tommy went to the closet and took down a thin cotton plaid jacket the sleeves of which didn't even reach his wrists, and put that on. He then went out the front door and the Dog immediately came up to him and licked his hand, wagged his tail, turned and trotted off to the left towards the main street. Tommy almost had to run to keep up with him but it was easy to follow because the Dog's white coat was like a patch of color in the all dark background. Tommy knew his town very well, becasue the last four years since he was six years old, he had often explored the streets on his own and knew them inside out so he knew he wouldn't get lost where ever the Dog led him. As he got more into the center of the town there were Christmas trees lining the streets all lit up with small colored lights strung over the branches and gold and silver tinsel woven around the ornaments that hung and bobbed in the light wind blowing coldly from the north. The shops were ablaze with their windows decorated to entice people in, but the streets were empty. This was Christmas Day and everyone was at home cooking Christmas dinner. Children were unwrapping presents and tearing off colored paper, leaving it strewn all over the floor as they sat around their Christmas trees and opened on packet after another, screaming with delight. Tommy saw none of this because they were not going by any houses, but along the main street where the stores were. His thin jacket didn't protect him from the wind that bit into him and made him shiver even though it wasn't very strong. Still the Dog went ahead. He seemed to know exactly where he was headed and Tommy followed behind, occasionally slowing down to look at something in a store window that caught his eye. They eventually turned off the main street and headed towards the residential part of town where the houses grew larger and more expensive looking. Tommy started to feel uncomfortable - he had never come to this part of town before. Poor people didn't mix with the rich and it was plain that these houses belonged to people with money! The Dog finally slowed down and turned into a wide driveway that curved up to a huge mansion standing back off the road at least a quarter of a block away. Tommy stopped dead. No WAY was he going to follow that Dog up that driveway. The Dog stopped too when he saw Tommy wasn't following. He came trotting back to the road and barked at Tommy then turned and set off up the drive again. Again, Tommy stood where he was not moving. He felt so out of place standing in his ragged clothes in front of this mansion, even though he wasn't anywhere near the front door and he had no idea why the Dog had led him there. Then he noticed the Dog look back at him as though asking him to wait and he thought well, maybe he's gone after a bone or something and wants me to play with him. This is probably where he lives and he's like me, he's lonely and wants a playmate. So he decided to just wait at the end of the drive, after all, no one could tell him to go away when he wasn't on private property and he hadn't moved one step up the drive. He hopped on one foot and then the other to keep warm and hoped the Dog would soon bring his ball back or whatever he wanted to play with. Then he heard a voice say, " Hi." Tommy jumped and looked up to see another boy about his age who had come down the drive led by the white Dog. Both boys gasped when they saw each other. It was like looking straight at themselves in the mirror. The only difference was the boy from the house was dressed in clean blue jeans with a pale blue shirt under a brown leather jacket, and he wore white and blue sneakers that looked almost new. " Who are you?" asked the new boy. Tommy told him his name and how he came to be there. " You mean Tad went and GOT you?" the boy cried in amazement and Tad wagged his tail furiously at the sound of his name. Chris, the new boy, said Tad was always going off doing his own thing and he never knew what he'd be up to next but this was the fist time he had ever brought anyone home! Apparently, Tad had gone right into the house through his own little door flap in the three car garage and then through another flap into the back porch and into the house. He had gone hunting for his little master and barked at him till Chris thought he'd better go and see what all the excitement was about. He saw Tommy's figure at the bottom of the drive and wondered if something was wrong or if someone had lost their way. The two boys hit if off right away, and Chris asked Tommy what he was doing for Christmas. Tommy told him his mother was working and that he had been just sitting at home with nothing to do. Chris's eyes lit up with the mischievous gleam, " Say!" he exclaimed, " we could be TWINS - let's have some fun. I don't have any bothers or sisters and my folks are so busy getting ready for a huge dinner tonight, planning seating arrangements and a bunch of boring things, how about we smuggle you into my bedroom and we could swap clothes and see what happens?" Tommy felt very nervous, and he told Chris he had NO idea how to behave in rich people's homes and he wasn't used to wearing anything but his old worn jeans, shoes and shirt that were nearly always dirty, but Chris said, well, he wasn't used to wearing anything but clean clothes and new ones at that, and he often wished he could GET dirty and not have to be clean all the time!! He finally talked Tommy into coming inside the house and they snuck up through the trees on the lawn and Chris went first to check out the back room of the house and waved Tommy to come quickly. Tommy ran through the back door and found himself in a small hallway where, to one side, a flight of stairs led up out of sight. the boys quickly ran up the stairs which ended at a thickly carpeted corridor and Tad, who had followed them closely ran ahead to a door on the right a short way down the hall. "This is my bedroom," Chris said, " Welcome. Now let's sit down and plan what we will do." The boys sat on Chris's bed which was queen sized and Tommy had never sat on anything so soft in all his life and he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering round the room and noticing everything. Rows of books lined the shelves in a polished oak book case. There were posters of different film stars, singers and sports pros on the walls, and a stereo with cassette, CD, radio and speakers stood against one wall. There was a walk in closet, something Tommy had never seen before and boy toys sitting around on the floor or on a table. An arm chair in one corner looked like you could push a handle and the seat would go back. Tommy wondered if Chris would let him try it later. It was warm in the room and Tommy felt warm inside too- and found himself telling Chris what life had been like for him. Chris looked horrified and told Tommy all about how he had grown up in luxury, never wanting or needing anything he couldn't have for the asking. His folks were kind, he said, adding that he was adopted, but they were both professionals, his dad was a doctor and his mother a president of a large cosmetic Company and both spend a lot of time working in their professions. In one sense, Tommy told him, " We are the same- 'cos even though you're rich and I'm poor our folks don't have no time for us, not because they don't love us but because they are so busy" . Privately, he thought, yes, but my Mom WOULD stay home with me if she could and yours don't seem to care if you're alone. They don't HAVE to both be working, but he didn't say his thoughts out loud because he didn't want to hurt his new friend. Tommy silently said to himself, " Thanks Mom, I know you REALLY love me". After they had exchanged stories and talked about what the could do, the boys changed clothes, both feeling strange in the other one's pants, shirt and shoes. Chris then spent a long time coaching Tommy on how he was supposed to behave if he was going to pretend to be Chris. They couldn't believe they were the same age and that they not only looked alike, they SOUNDED alike when they talked! By now it was getting near lunch time and Chris said that because a formal dinner was planned for that evening at 7pm, there would be a light lunch for each family member to get whenever they wished, and Chris said he would normally simply go to the kitchen and help himself to whatever Cook would let him have. Tommy was SO hungry he thought he wouldn't mind eating ANYTHING and as they entered the kitchen, the smell of baking cakes and cookies filled the air and Tommy's stomach gave a loud Rumble. The kitchen was large, airy and bright, and also, so CLEAN Tommy was almost dazzled by the gleaming knives, spoons and ladles and the shiny pots and pans, some of which were already on the two stoves and some hanging up on hooks above a large tiled center piece. The cook and his helper did a double take as the boys entered the kitchen and the chief cook who had a chef's hat on looked at Tommy and said, " Who do we have here Master Christopher?" Tommy gulped, then smiled and said " This is my friend Tommy, Cook" and Chris smiled at Cook and said politely, " How do you do sir". Cook seemed embarrassed to be called "sir" and mumbled something about the boys helping themselves to any thing in the 'fridge ( actually there were two of them), that wasn't covered or looked like it might be prepared for the dinner that night. Tommy told Chris there were plates in the cupboard over the counter on the right and cutlery in the drawer of the counter. Chris grinned at him, and when Cook and his helper weren't looking, gave Tommy the thumbs up sign in congratulations for remembering where he had told him to find knives and forks. Tommy had gone to the 'fridge and found some leftover beef which they made into sandwiches and they had sweet pickles and lettuce and tomatoes as well. Tommy was ravenous and Cook looked a little alarmed at seeing Tommy scoff down THREE large sandwiches and drink two big glasses of milk without blinking an eye. " You are certainly hungry master Chris, " he said, " Didn't I send up enough breakfast for you ?" Tommy nodded. He couldn't speak because his mouth was full of roast beef sandwich. Chris spoke up, " We boys always have a good appetite, sir. We use a lot of energy, don't we Chris?" he looked at Tommy and grinned. Tommy swallowed his mouthful, " That's right Cook. Never can have enough!" Cook shook his head and the boys finished eating and left the kitchen. "Well," said Chris, " we have all after noon to do something. Any suggestions?" Tommy thought a minute and then asked Chris if he had any friends around. Perhaps they could go visit them and wish them a Happy Christmas. Chris thought that was an excellent idea and told Tommy he had four who lived right on their street and they could start there. He then gave Tommy a long run down on who his friends were and what they were like and the sort of things they did together. He was amazed how quickly Tommy could take it all in and REMEMBER what he was told. He had had a good idea of that when Tommy had told him where to get the things in the kitchen, but he thought his new friend was really smart. He didn't understand that Tommy had to have a good memory to survive in his life that was so totally opposite to Chris's. The two boys then went to go to the back stairs again and slip out of the house. However, just as they were heading down the hallway, a rich deep voice said, " Chris, where are you going and who is that with you?" The boys turned guiltily and Tommy saw a tall, broad shouldered man dressed in a gray striped suit with maroon tie and highly polished black shoes, walking towards them. The man looked straight at Tommy and Tommy felt his tummy turn over inside. This was supposed to be his father and he almost forgot what Chris had told him about his folks, but he managed to smile and said, " Oh, Hi, Dad, this is Tommy, he's a friend of mine ( at which, the man raised an eyebrow in question), we were just going to go and wish the Longlets, Summers, and a couple of others, a Happy Christmas." " You were, were you," answered the man, " well, I'm sorry, I have other news for you. Your mother and I were also going to do a little visiting and we want you to come with us. " Tommy didn't know what to do and Chris looked dismayed and tried to turn that into a disappointed expression. He piped up, " Oh, I say, sir, I'm so sorry to have intruded, I most certainly don't want to stop Chris from going with you. It's just Chris kindly invited me to see his posters and stuff." Dr. Thornton, Chris's Dad raised his other eyebrow when Chris started talking because he sounded exactly like Tommy, and he looked baffled at the two boys who stood in front of him looking the spitting image of each other. Tommy swallowed hard then ventured, " I don't suppose Tommy could come WITH us , could he Dad? After all, it's pretty miserable being alone on a Holiday like Christmas and we were having a neat time together." Dr. Thornton looked at the boys and he was somehow taken back to his childhood when he, as an only child also, would so often wish he could have had someone his age to be with and a sad feeling crept into him as he realized for the first time how is own son must sometimes feel. He smiled at Chris and said, " Well, Tommy, seems like my boy has taken a shine to you and there would be plenty of room in the car for you to come along, but if you'll pardon my saying so, maybe you could borrow some of Chris's clothes for the visits. I'm sure you are dressed to play and have fun," he added tactfully, so as not to make it seem he thought Tommy's clothes were really rags, which they were, " Chris," he turned to Tommy, " take Tommy back to your room and give him a change of clothes and meet your mother and I at the front door as soon as you can. We are going to go visit the Wassermann's and they are expecting us soon". The boys rushed back to Chris's bedroom and while they chose some pants, shirt and shoes for Tommy, Chris told him all about the Wassermanns who were rich Jews. Mr. Wassermann was a scientist who worked in research, something to do with aerodynamics, and his wife was a lady of fame in high society. They had three children ages, fourteen, nine and six. Chris said they were a really cool family. Not at all snobby and really understanding of kids. It seemed that years ago, Dr. Wassermann had been in a German concentration camp so he knew all about poverty and fear and what it was like to not have anything. Anyways, since he had come to the States and married and made a name for himself in research he had bought this large house not so far from the Thorntons and the two families had grown to like and enjoy each other over the years. Tommy was dressed, not quite identically to Chris but near enough that as they looked in the mirror it was like seeing twins dressed in nearly matching pants and shirts. Tommy had on Chris's clothes and Chris put on a pair of blue jeans that were a little newer than those Tommy wore, a pale yellow shirt and brown leather jacket that had pockets in different places, and the sneakers that had red lines instead of blue, like the ones Tommy now had on. They went the other way when they left the bedroom and this led to the top of a wide carpeted stairway that wound down into a spacious entry. From this, doors led off to a study, a dining room, the living room and a library. A hallway led back to the kitchen and other rooms and Tommy had to really control himself and not look like all this was new, foreign and fantastic to him. Which it was. As the boys ran down the stairs Tommy wanted to take his shoes off and feel the soft carpet with his feet, They saw Chris's parents standing at the front door waiting for them. Mrs. Thornton was almost as tall as her husband and had blond hair, pale blue eyes and was dressed in a stylish navy linen suit with a long sleeved pale pink blouse that had a frilly collar and cuffs and she wore a single strand of pearls round her neck. As the children came closer both adults looked at them and then at each other and Dr. Thornton said to Tommy, " Chris, if I had seen you just now and didn't know what you had on, I wouldn't know which was you and which was Tommy!" Mrs. Thornton said, " Chris, say something, your father says you boys even SOUND alike!" Tommy though he'd have some fun, and he WAS really enjoying himself. "Well, Mom, the fact is, we actually changed clothes and I am Tommy wearing the clothes Dad saw, and this is Chris." he said pointing at Chris. The Thorntons looked helplessly at the boys, not knowing whether to believe him or not. Chris laughed so hard he thought he'd bust. He also thought, wow, Tommy sure thinks fast- this is going even better than I expected, and he added to the puzzle by piping up with, "Of course, Chris is only joking,." Mrs. Thornton gasped as he spoke. "But you sound EXACTLY like Chris," she exclaimed. "He IS Chris," said Tommy. "I'm Tommy," said Chris. Dr. Thornton laughed, "well," he said, " Whichever you are we need to get going, or the Wassermanns will wonder if we are coming today." He hustled the others out the door and into a Lincoln Continental that sat with its engine purring smoothly, and got into the drivers seat, his wife sitting beside him and the boys in the back. As they were driving along, Dr. Thornton asked Chris to tell them a little about himself. Chris, remembering the story Tommy had told him related it to his parents, after signaling first to Tommy if that would be okay. Tommy nodded his head. His folks were very quiet for a while, and Tommy and Chris wondered what they were thinking. At last Dr. T said, " Tommy, I am so glad Tad found you. I don't know WHY he should choose to roam so far from home or WHY he picked on your home to sit and bark, but it seems that you need to have a REAL Christmas for once in your life. After we have visited the Wassermanns we will stop by where your mother works and ask her if you can stay with us for the night- Chris would love to have company- he really doesn't get much, ( I really don't have ANY, thought Chris, overwhelmed by what his father was saying), and perhaps your mother would be so kind as to come and visit us when she can" Tommy, too, was overwhelmed by what he was hearing but it was Chris who had to answer and he replied, "Wow, I don't know what to say, sir. Thank you very much but I don't think you would want to go to the place my Mom works at. It's not exactly the sort of place you would be seen in." Mr. Thornton's jaw stuck out, " Don't worry about that Tommy. Believe me, I have been in some bars that are probably worse thant he one you know." Mrs. Thornton looked sideways at her husband but didn't say anything. Chris thought he'd better change the subject so he said to Tommy, " Chris, why do you call your dog Tad?" His mother spoke up before Tommy could say anything and he was so relieved because Chris hadn't told him why. "When we first got Tad," she explained, "we brought him home from a pet shop, for Chris and he was just a wee puppy looking adorable and cuddly and his little tail wagging fit to fall off. When we showed him to Chris's father, he said, 'isn't he a tad bit small to leave his mama' , so we decided right then and there to call him Tad. He's such an intelligent dog and totally devoted to Chris as you have seen," she added, "he certainly seems to have taken a great liking to you, Tommy." Tad had been left at the house and had kept close to Chris as they went to the car but the Thorntons had thought Chris was Tommy because he was wearing different clothes. The Wassermann's house gave the feeling of a home- there was a roaring fire blazing in the fireplace, and a tall decorated tree stood close by, the firelight making the colored ornaments gleam and glisten and a stereo was softly playing Christmas music. The family was warm and friendly and Tommy didn't feel in the slightest bit intimidated by Dr. Wassermann and the kids all got along great. They were told they could go see the children's room if they wished and of course, they were happy to let the grownups talk to each other. When they were alone they told Michael, Tony and Judy who they really were, and there was much laughter and scheming as to how they could play a trick on Dr. and Mrs. Wassermann. They decided Chris and Tommy would change clothes again and still pretend the each was still the other one. When they went back to the living room Chris's Dad turned to Chris, who was now back in his original jeans and shirt, and said, " Chris, Dr. Wassermann would like to meet Tommy's Mother. I was telling him that perhaps she might like to consider a different job. I didn't say where she is now because I don't know, but that she would probably enjoy something different. What do you think Tommy?" he turned to Tommy, who now had Chris's other clothes on. Tommy, while inside was so excited he could hardly contain himself, nodded at Chris. " You forgot Dad, we swapped clothes. He's really Tommy, so you'd better ask him." The Wassermann kids were trying to stifle their giggles and laughter as they watched the adults look from one boy to the other not knowing who was really who. Chris, looking serious, yet pleased, said he was sure his mother would be very happy and thanked Dr. Wassermann for his suggestion and said he would tell his mother about it. Dr. Thornton had a strange expression on his face looking at his son, that Tommy noticed- He noticed things quickly, but it was gone in a moment and he wondered if he had imagined it. There was more keeping the grownups puzzled and guessing as Tommy and Chris kept switching names and roles and pretending each was the other till the Wassermann kids thought they'd have to leave the room they were coughing, spluttering, pretending to sneeze, looking at this and that trying not to laugh out loud and give things away. The adults were getting so confused they gave up and told Tommy and Chris that they would just take their word about who they were and hope they were telling the truth! When there were in the car again, Dr. Wassermann had given who he thought was Tommy, and he had it right, his telephone number and asked him to have his mother call him when she could, Dr. Thornton asked directions to the saloon where she worked. When the car pulled up in front of Dave's Saloon, Dr. T told everyone to stay in the car and he would go in by himself. He asked what Tommy's mother's name was and went striding into the Pub. As he left he told the rest of them to make sure they locked the car doors. There were a good number of unsavory looking characters lounging around and gawking at the Lincoln which no doubt, they had never seen within several miles of Dave's Saloon if they had ever seen one! It was at least ten minutes before Dr. Thornton returned and they were about to go in and see if he was all right when he came out and got in the car and started up the engine. Before he drove off, he spoke to the boys at the back, saying he had found Lily and that she was happy if Tommy could spend some time with Chris and it would be fine for him to stay overnight. Tommy remembered the piece of paper with Dr. Wassermann's number on it and asked Dr. T if he could run in and give it to his mother and thank her for letting him be with Chris. Dr. T said he could- as long as it was Tommy, and not Chris going in there because he knew his son was not used to places like bars and didn't want him to start the habit so young! Tommy went into the smoke- filled room where hard faced looking men sat at the bar or at tables with their cans or mugs of beer or whiskey, and pushed his way to the bar here he saw his mother wiping some glasses at the back. He called to her and was surprised to see that it seemed she had been crying as her eyes were red. " Are you alright Mom?" he asked. Lily nodded, " Sure, I'm fine Tommy, I am a bit overwhelmed at what you have been doing today and I can't understand how that dog found you. But I'm glad you are having so much fun, I know you are having the time of your life and I know I can't give you that but I sure won't stop you enjoying anything you can get." She came round the counter and gave Tommy a tight hug, holding him close and tears welled up in her eyes again. Tommy looked worried, "Are you SURE you're okay, Mom?" he asked. Lily sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her thin sweater and told him she was just so happy he had found some friends. Tommy gave her the number of Dr. Wassermann's phone and said to call him when she could - " You could call him from here, Mom". They didn't have a phone at home and the rare occasion a phone call needed to be made they went to a public call box. Lily's pale, tired face lit up when she heard about the possibility of maybe being able to get a different job and she promised to call the next time she had a break, and Tommy, satisfied she was okay, went back out to the car. Tommy could hardly contain himself and finally the boys decided to tell Chris's parents who was really who so they could be themselves and Tommy wouldn't have to try to remember everything about Chris's home and family and friends, and Chris wouldn't have to try to remember what all he needed to know. They found the solution of people getting them right simply by promising to wear different clothes and say who was wearing what. Tommy had a bedroom to himself, the first time in his life that he had ever slept on a queen sized bed let alone had a private room. There was one of the armchairs like Chris had, and when he was alone he sat in it and pulled the handle at the side and laid back with his feet propped up in the footrest that extended out when he did that. The boys played games and went down to Dr. T's study and he let them play some more games on the computer like Dungeons and Dragons , some car racing and mystery games and they had a great time till it was getting near dinner time. What a FEAST! Tommy had not only never SEEN so much food he had never been at this kind of meal where the men wore tails and ties and the women long gowns and the table was set with a confusing array of knives, forks and plates all set out with the smallest forks and spoons on the inside and napkins in crystal holders and tall glasses that gleamed in the candlelight where candles in tall holders stood down the length of the table in the center. Tommy's stomach wasn't used to eating so much. He was full from his beef sandwiches at lunch time and he found he felt stuffed after soup and halfway through the main course which was turkey with all the trimmings, baked potatoes, vegetables and salad on the side. No one seemed to notice when he left quite a bit on his plate and his eyes opened wide when he saw the dessert brought in. Pies and ice cream, cakes and cookies, and he asked Chris in a whisper if they could go to the kitchen later and have some left overs because he was so stuffed he couldn't manage anything else. Chris grinned and said they'd raid the kitchen after midnight when Cook wasn't there, so Tommy had only a small bowl of ice cream. He was happy to see there were a LOT of leftovers! The grownups retired to the living room for coffee and to talk and the boys were excused and they went to Chris's room and Tommy looked at all the books he had and asked if he could borrow one or two because he loved to read. Chris said, sure, and he put two aside. They talked and talked and Tad lay on the floor, his tail wagging and occasionally he got up and went to one or other of the boys to be petted and give then a dog lick. After the guests had left and it was late, they said goodnight to Dr. and Mrs. Thornton and Tommy thanked them both for the most wonderful Christmas he had ever known. At a quarter after midnight, the bots were far to excited to be sleeping and Tommy said he could eat something if Chris felt the same way, which he did. They went down the back stairs and into the kitchen and made sure no one was around. Then they turned, opened the fridges and got some plates and a fork and spoon each and helped themselves to pie, ice cream, chocolate cake and cookies. They were having great fun and Tommy didn't think he could be any happier except he wished his mother could be with them and share some of this wonderful food. They were laughing as they recounted how they had bewildered everyone with their switching back and forth being Chris and Tommy when they were suddenly conscious they were not alone. When they looked round they saw Dr. and Mrs. Thornton still dressed in their evening clothes and standing in the doorway. The boys turned red and Chris explained they were hungry and thought they'd just see if there were any leftovers they could find so had come downstairs to look. The Thornton's sat down at the kitchen table and Dr. T looked at Tommy and said. " Tommy, there's something I need to tell you." He looked sad and grave and serious, and the boys were quiet. Mrs. Thornton put her hand on her husband's arm and smiled at Tommy. It was obviously difficult for Dr. T to say what he wanted to say but he finally told Tommy that when they were at the Wassermann's Dr Wassermann had asked him if he had thought about why is son and Tommy looked like they could be twins since not only were their looks the same and they spoke alike they had some of the same mannerisms and was it POSSIBLE they could be related? Dr. Thornton asked Tommy if he remembered when he had said that he had been in worst places than the saloon where his mother now worked and Tommy nodded. It seems that about eleven years ago when he was depressed over some financial troubles he had gone to one such bar where he knew those of his fellow doctors and friends would never see him because they would never go there, and he had gotten very drunk. While he was drunk he had apparently played to one of the waitress and gotten her pregnant. Being a doctor he had friends who were obstetricians and had had one, who owed him a favor, to deliver the child for him telling his wife, who couldn't have children that he had adopted a baby. What he hadn't known was that there had actually been TWO babies, boys, and that the mother had pleaded with the obstetrician to let her keep one promising she would take care if it and raise it herself. So Dr. T had been given a baby boy and called him Chris and he and Mrs. T had loved and brought him up as their only son. He didn't know that he actually had another son and his name was Tommy, ( at which Tommy and Chris both gasped out loud), and that when he went into Dave's Saloon that afternoon he knew he would see Lily, the woman he got pregnant so many years ago. He had told her that her other son was well cared for and that his stepmother loved him, and that since Tommy was his son he was also responsible for him and she would never again need to worry about his being cared for. He also told her that he would never take Tommy away from her and if she could forgive him, he would want to have her meet his wife. He knew she would forgive and understand what had happened, ( here, he looked at his wife who smiled at him encouraging him in his story), and perhaps they could keep in close contact and the boys could be together as much as possible. Chris couldn't contain himself, " You're my BROTHER!" he cried and Tommy was so excited he had no words and thumped Chris on the back and then he stopped suddenly and looked at Dr. T. "And you're my FATHER!" he said, wide eyed - Dr Thornton got up and went over to Tommy and hugged him, and said, " That's right - son." Well, none of them could sleep now, so they dished out more ice cream and opened some bottles of Sparkling Cider and drank to the new life for all of them. The next day, Lily called from work to tell Tommy she had talked to Dr. Wassermann who told her he needed help in one if his offices and could she come for an interview in two day's time. It turned out the interview ended with her securing a job and starting the following week with a wage that took her breath away and would be enough for she and Tommy to move into a respectable two bedroom apartment near enough to her work that she could walk there. Dr. Thornton had discreetly given her some money to buy clothes suitable for her new work and Tommy was moved to the same school where Chris went, and you can imagine the fun and tricks and antics they got up to there! Tommy was looking out of the window of his new apartment one day, when he heard a sharp bark. He ran to the door and let Tad in. He knelt down and gave the Dog a tight hug and whispered in his ear, " If you hadn't found me Tad, I never would have known I had a dad and a brother and a nice step mother, and we would never be here and Mom would never have stopped looking and being tired. I don't know how you found me, but you gave me the most wonderful Christmas I ever had and the presents I got I can keep for ever and ever. Thank you Tad Thank you SOOO much." Tad wagged his tail and started out the door, looking behind him to make sure Tommy was following. This time, Tommy knew exactly where they were going. **************************** Goessoftly (Retired Therapsit) http://www.goessoftlyishere.com No copies permitted. | PIGMUS STORY 1. Heather | PIGMUS STORY 2 Nancy | PIGMUS STORY 3. Drew | PIGMUS STORY 4 Holly | PIGMUS STORY 5 Nobody | PIGMUS STORY 6 Mollie | PIGMUS STORY 7 Heidi | PIGMUS STORY 8 . Veronica | PIGMUS STORY 9. Nichole | PIGMUS STORY 10. Stephanie | Sunny | Merry Flipper | NORRY | Tommy's Christmas | The Wish | | THE HEALING PROCESS | DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER | POETRY | Biographical Entries | THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE | STORIES FOR LITTLES (Pigmus and friends) | SEEDLING THOUGHTS TO WATER | |
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