2020 Christmas Advent Calendar

Music Boxes, Blankets, and Bees

Day 1: Christmas Market

The weekend Farms market was overrun with people trying to sell other things for Christmas, like toys and clothes, sweets and pastries, and so much more. Town Square was always the place of events, and this was just another of them.

Phil pulled into a parking spot not far from the actual center, getting out while Wilbur and Techno left the car.

"Tommy, don't forget your hat, son," he said watching as the little blond boy hopped out of his car. He was wrapped up in a red jacket, and two little red mittens wrapped around his hands. The boy held a red and white knitted cap in his covered hands. Phil let out a laugh, kneeling down to his height and taken the hat into his hands, before helping the small blond put the hat on. "There, much better."

The little boy pushed his bangs to the side, frowning slightly. "I feel like a marshmallow."

A laugh off to the side of them and Phil looked up at his two oldest sons. The twins were 12 and were only a few minutes apart, with Techno being the oldest and Wilbur being ten minutes younger.

The oldest twin wore a red jacket much like his little brother, but he had a fur-lined in the hood and around the bottom. His hair was a long mess of brown hair, tried back in a ponytail. The end of the hair was dyed light pink, which looked a little faded. He didn't wear gloves, Phil realized since the teen had said before that

His brother, on the other hand, looked somewhat different. His hair was cut much shorter and was able for his bangs to rest over his left eye, blocking out the brown eye from sight. Wilbur wore a brown jacket over his thick yellow sweater, and Phil could see he wore his fingerless gloves.

The father let out a short chuckle, standing to his feet. "It's time to be looking for presents, boys, not laughing at your brother," he chided them, leading them off to the colorful array of booths set up in town square, some having strings of lights and decorations hung up around them. "I'm going to let the two of you head off on your own, alright? I'll stay with your brother. Meet us by the water fountain in two hours ok?"

Both boys nodded, before walking away, and Phil could hear them start to laugh, probably planning out what they wanted to get for everyone.

Phil turned to the boy beside him, who was looking around with wide blue eyes. "Who do you want to get a present for first, mate?"

"Wilby," the six-year-old said, still looking around. "He needs something music-related."

The father joined him in looking around, while they walked from booth to booth.

Soon the two came to a booth full of little wooden boxes and small instruments. Phil watched as Tommy started to look at the boxes while he turned to the older gentleman behind the table, sitting bundled up in a blanket.

"Are these music boxes?" He asked, glancing at his son who had moved on to look at a flute. "They all look so beautiful."

"My son and I made them," the man said, smiling up gently at the father. "They all have different songs, and you can put a picture in it if you wish to."

Phil picked up a one at random, being careful with it. The wood was dark spruce, with little engravings of music notes and little whale looking creatures. It reminded him of Orcas, Wilbur's favorite sea animal.

The man gestured for him to open it, and he did.

A melony began to play, and it was the sound of "All I want for Christmas is you" if Phil's memory served him well. It had caught the attention of the blond boy next to him, who looking up with wide eyes at the thing.

"That one looks like Wilby would like it," he said, rubbing at his nose. It was starting to turn a bright red at this point, from how cold it was. Phil was sure his own was just as red. "Can we get that one, Dad?"

Phil smiled as he nodded, turning back to the man. "How much?"

"Well, my son usually says we should sell them for more," he said, letting out a chuckle. "Since your son seems to like it so much, how about ten pounds?"

The bucket-hat wearing man was taken back. "Are you sure? That is not much and you put so much work into this."
"I am quite sure." The man stood up, placing his blanket into the chair before reaching down below the table, and pulled out some white paper and a brown paper sack. "Let me wrap it up for you. Better to keep someone's gift a secret, yes?"

Tommy nodded and watched as the man took the music box from Phil and started to wrap it. His father dug the right amount of pounds he needed to pay with and gave it to the man, who in return gave him the paper bag, music box hidden inside.

"Enjoy your day, sir, and thank you," Phil said, smiling. He started to lead Tommy away so they could go grab Techno a gift as well. The blond boy looked back and saw the man was waving back at them, so he turned it with his own wave.

The next few booths had nothing that caught his son's eyes, and Phil almost had to laugh when he would shake his little head at the stuff he saw.

Then they stopped over at a clothing booth, full of homemade shirts and sweaters and, blankets and scarves. It was fun to see all the little quotes and art that the woman running the booth had printed on there.

Phil felt a hand pull on his arm. Looking down, he saw that the blond boy was pointing over at the rack of blankets. Each one was a different color, ranging from blue to carney yellow. The one his son was pointing at was a mix of pink, yellow, and red. It wasn't knitted like the others, just pieces of fabric are sewn together.

"That's actually a blanket my granddaughter helped me make," said the woman, pulling it off the rack. It was much bigger than it looked, but it also looked well put together, and most likely put together with a sewing machine. "It's five pounds, dear."
When Phil noticed the look his son was giving him, Phil knew he wanted to get it for Techno. It was actually kind of screamed the twelve year's old color scheme he seemed to have, he noted. He fished the money out and gave it to the woman, who handed him the blanket.

Checking his watch, Phil saw that it was time to go meet up with Techno and Wilbur at the fountain. He told Tommy, telling him that they needed to start heading that way.

When the fountain came into sight, he saw that his boys were waiting there. There were at least two bags with the two of them.

And before they could reach them, he felt a pull on the back of his jacket.
"Dad, Dad, Dad," Tommy said, causing the man to stop and turn to him.

"Tommy, Tommy, Tommy," said the father, smiling at him. "What you need?"

"There's a bee!" he said, pointing over to a table full of stuffed animals and toys. The bee in question was a knitted, stuffed bee, about the size of a melon. It was just about as round as one, too. "Can we get that for Tubbo? He loves bees!"

"You sure, mate?"

His son nodded, his hat almost falling into his eyes at how quickly he was nodding his little head. "Please?"
Phil let out a smile laugh, before letting Tommy lead him to the booth. There was a young man behind the table, holding a cup of a steaming drink. His green scarf was almost covering his mouth.

"Excusing me, sir?" the scarf-wearing man looked over at them, eyes starting. "How much for that bee?"

The man held up three fingers, telling him the price. Phil nodded, taking out the pounds and held it to the quiet man, who nodded, taking the money.

His son then reach over and took the bee in his arms. It looked almost too big in his arms like he was trying to carry a large watermelon. Phil chuckled at the sight, before thanking the man again, and heading off to meet up with his sons.

The twins were on their phones, probably chatting with friends. He was happy that his sons seemed to have fun that day, and no one seemed to have any problems that day.

And looking down to his son, holding the stuffed bee like a precious diamond, he knew that this coming to the weekend market was a good idea.