* Christmas is coming.
My partner agreed that I would look after one of her friends children while they went off somewhere to do something. They dumped 7 yr old Darren at the door and told me not to give him any nuts. My partner had left a Scooby-Doo video to entertain the little treasure.
As we were sat there I asked young Darren what Santa was bringing him for Christmas. He replied that Santa wasn't brining him anything. A bit surprised I asked if this was because he had been a bad boy. He replied that Santa wasn't bringing him anything for Christmas because Father Christmas doesn't exist and is just a load of rubbish parents tell their kids.
So what do you want for Christmas I enquired. He said he hadn't choosen his present yet. How come I asked him. He hadn't choosen because his mother couldn't find the Argos catalog. He looks through this and rings the presents he wants (maximum 5) and puts a letter B next to his big present. Then his dad will see if he can get them cheaper on the Internet.
I then asked if he was doing anything at school for Christmas, for instance a nativity play. He had no idea what a nativity play was but informed me his class had to choose a Christmas message. Each class in the school would then file out infront of their adoring parents and shout out the message and then sing a song.
His class wanted to do 'A pet is not just for Christmas' but it had already been bagsed by another class. Instead they were doing 'Remember the children in Africa this Christmas' for their message and were then singing 'Here it is merry Christmas everybody's having fun'.
I was overcome with emotion at this description of a typical English Christmas. Even so I was greatly relieved when his parents returned and took him away.