Bradley Wallace Murphy just turned thirteen, and he's not happy about it. He doesn't fit in at school, he's no good at sports, a bully torments him, he's a disappointment to his parents, and his only "friends" are fictional characters on a TV show c...
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CHAPTER 14
A Christmas Adventure
November blustered its way into December and, of course, the advent of Christmas, without doubt, Bradley Wallace's favorite time of year. Everyone was so filled with goodwill and acted friendly toward each other, sort of proof that people could co-exist without strife. Why then, he'd always wondered, couldn't the Christmas season last all year?
Whilly expressed it more strongly: if people could be good and kind to each other one month out of the year, why couldn't they act that way during the other eleven?
It was a bright, cloudless December day, mercifully without rain, as dragon and boy sat atop the grassy hillside discussing this apparent paradox. The air around them crackled with a crisp, almost hostile cold snap that had descended over Northern California like the new Ice Age. Bundled up in his heaviest down jacket, Bradley Wallace pondered the question Whilly had raised, similar to his queries about Thanksgiving - since it was obvious humans could be good to one another, why weren't they?
"Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus," Bradley Wallace began, as much for his benefit as the dragon's. "When Jesus grew up, he wandered around telling everyone to love thy neighbor and not to judge or condemn and a lot of people followed him."
*They also killed him,* Whilly commented; he'd already heard the story.
"That's true," he agreed, frowning at the dragon's seemingly arrogant tone. "But I think maybe some of his spirit of goodness rubs off on people during Christmas time because they're more open to it."
*That still doesn't explain why they aren't open to it all the time,* Whilly continued, still perplexed. *It's not logical for humans to fight when they can be good to each other just as easily.*
Bradley Wallace agreed. But as Dr. McCoy would always tell Spock on Star Trek, humans are not motivated by logic.
"I think maybe people are afraid to be nice sometimes. To be nice to someone you have to be open and think about others first, and I guess a lot of people are kind of afraid of that."
He paused, surprised by his own words, and wondered where such notions had come from. And yet, it all seemed so clear. If people would just conquer their fears and selfishness, peace on earth and goodwill toward men wouldn't just be greetings on Christmas cards. They would be real.
*You are becoming very profound these days, Bradley Wallace.*
He smiled. "That's probably because you keep asking so many eternal questions and then don't stop bugging me till I come up with answers."
*I like your answers,* the dragon explained, and Bradley Wallace laughed.
"You're nuts," he chided good-naturedly, punching Whilly affectionately on what he figured was the dragon's shoulder. But the compliment made him feel good.
