[CarlHoliday] The Christmas Fairy by Carl Holiday

[Graeme]

The Christmas Fairy by Carl Holiday

It

[Graeme]

The setting for this tale is one of childhood memories, and I thought they were depicted perfectly. Kids understand a lot more than they are sometimes given credit for, and Ronnie's reaction to his mother's explanation of why he had to go stay with his cousins and grandparents showed that. It explained the melancholy feel to the opening part of the narration -- more than the stated reason about being picked on by all the girls.

 

Ronnie standing up to his uncle when he was asked if he was a fairy was one of the most moving scenes I've read in a while. It was simple, but the retort Ronnie used, about not being allowed to play sports, turned the tables back on his Uncle. I had to wonder how guilty Ronnie's Uncle Brand must have felt, as he realised that maybe he had been misjudging his nephew. For a boy to not play sports is seen in many western cultures as being weak, but Brand should have realised that it wasn't that simple. Ronnie wanted to play sport, but a tragedy before he was born prevented him from doing so.

 

Overall, this is just a simply delightful tale of a young man's discovery about himself, but Carl's immersed that journey in a country atmosphere that I found charming and very real. Even the darker elements, such as the reference to what Ronnie's late Uncle Ray wanted to do with him, just enrich the whole story.

 

A great job, Carl. Thank you!

[kitten]

This very gentle and evocative tale gave me great pleasure.

 

It deals with some very dramatic aspects of life in an understated way that is the opposite of melodrama. It captures the essence of adolescent uncertainty and religion-generated guilt in a way that avoids being angst-ridden. It brings to life real people behaving realistically, without being profligate with descriptions. It reminds me of my own teenage years in so many ways, not just in ways that reflect sexuality.

 

Thank you, Carl.

 

Kit

[Dolores Esteban]

The story left me in a pensive mood. I was not able to instantly move on and read another story. I was thinking. I guess that was what you had in mind. It worked out well. A very good story.

 

[onebigday]

I enjoyed this story. As a writer of humour, I found this one both humorous and poignant at the same time. Having grown up on the farm and milked a cow or two too many, I could identify with the guy fleeing to the barn - the barn could be a friendly place when others made fun of me or when I felt persecuted by my brothers. Being a railfan, I liked the train bits too - this fall I wanted to cycle the Iron Goat trail which might have been the rail line you travelled on in the 60's. Thanks for writing this.

[C James]

Recognizing the "code words".. That was very poignant to me. Kids do indeed often undertand far more than adults assume, and that's surely one of the times.

 

Thanks, Carl, for a great story.