The Three Gifts

by

Daris Howard

Copyright 2003

by

Daris Howard

All Rights Reserved

My wife and I spent an evening with some of my high school friends and their wives shortly after we were all married and we talked of past events in life. The conversation turned to one Halloween when my three friends stole some children's Halloween candy. I was not with them on this escapade, but listened to their telling of it and how embarrassed they were.

This event, plus some things that have happened to me and those I have known, gave me the basis for this book. I hope my friends, family, and the students I have taught over the years can enjoy reading this book as much as I did writing it. May we all feel the three gifts of Christmas in our own lives.

Daris Howard

I would like to dedicate this book to my family, and especially to two of my daughters. On the December 23, 1996, we had a stillborn daughter. As we sat in the hospital room and her still little body was placed in our arms, I thought about my sweet little Tracy and wondered what kind of life she would have had if she had lived.

Just two years later, as we were trying to adopt our beautiful little nineteen-month-old foster daughter, whom we called Angel, she came down with chicken pox.

We always reenact the Christmas story as a family. I usually have a starring role as the donkey. However, on that Christmas Eve Angel wanted her "Daddy" and I sat on the couch with her curled up in my arms.

I remember tucking her into bed that night and reaching out to brush her beautiful blond hair from her face. She reached out her chubby little hand and held onto my finger for quite a long time as if to say, "I love you, Daddy," and I told her I loved her too.

That was the last time I would be able to tell her that in this life, because the next morning, Christmas day, due to complications from the chicken pox, she had gone to spend Christmas with God.

These are my two Christmas angels and to them especially, as well as to the rest of my family that I love so much, I dedicate this book.

Daris Howard

Chapter 1

The Sentencing

"The court finds the defendants guilty of assault and theft as charged," Judge Jensen said, looking over her glasses at the three young men. "Do the defendants have any final words in regard to this matter?"

Justin, a tall, wiry teenager, stood up. "Go ahead and make us sit in jail a few days. Who cares?"

"Justin, sit down," the defense attorney said. The other two young men snickered.

The judge scowled. "You boys don't seem to feel that this crime is any big deal."

Justin didn't even try to hide his smirking. "Okay, so we swiped a few kids' Halloween candy. Big deal. Guys do it all the time."

The exasperation began to rise in the judge's voice. "Young man, just because others do something does not make it right. You do not seem to realize that some children have very little to look forward to. Simple things like Halloween candy mean a lot to them."

Justin rolled his eyes. "So go ahead and give us some jail time and forget the lecture. You're not our mother."

The judge leaned back in her chair. By the crease in her brow it was obvious that the attitude of these young men bothered her. She sat silently for so long the three of them began to squirm.

The silence was finally broken by the prosecuting attorney. "May the prosecution approach the bench?"

As Judge Jensen signaled her to come forward, the young men started to get a little nervous.

"You've gone and done it now, Justin," Tom, the stockiest of the teens said. "I think they're really ticked."

"So what's the big deal? What's she going to do, add a couple of days onto our sentence? It's just more school we'll miss."

"But what if it affects basketball season?" Sam asked. Sam was the tallest of the three and had an athletic build.

Justin seemed unconcerned. "It will probably only be a weekend jail sentence anyway."

"And I had planned to go hunting and get some more golf in before it gets too cold," Tom complained.

Just then the prosecuting attorney headed back to her seat and Judge Jensen picked up on the boys' conversation.

"And I had planned to give you some jail time. But the more I think about it the more I realize that it would just give you something to brag about at school. Since your crime was against children, I think the punishment should be related. Attorney Mathews and I work as volunteers at the Women's Crisis Center at the hospital and they're always in need of help. Taking into consideration her counsel, you are each hereby given a sentence of 100 hours service in the children's room at the Women's Crisis Center."

Justin jumped to his feet. "Wait a minute! You're saying we have to babysit? I would rather go to jail! If we refuse, what will you do, just send us to jail? Well, then I refuse."

The other two young men pulled him back down into his seat as they looked at the judge in disbelief.

"I will not send you to jail," Judge Jensen continued. "But since you used a car to travel around town doing your misdeeds, it is obvious you used a vehicle in the course of committing your crime. Therefore, I will suspend your driver's licenses until such time as this court can verify you have completed your 100 hours of service."

"Service!" Justin hollered, "You call that service? That is blackmail, that's what it is! Why, that--"

"Would you shut up?" Sam said interrupting him. "Every time you open your mouth it just gets worse."

"To further insure that you do not procrastinate in this matter," Judge Jensen continued, "it is the decision of this court that you will have time on school nights and weekends to complete the sentence before Christmas, since there are eight weeks left. For each week beyond that, there will be six more hours added to the sentence. And you had better not be caught driving before Christmas, or before this court has revisited this case, or your license will be suspended for another full year. Further, when this sentence is completed, the court holds discretion in reviewing the attitude of the defendants pertaining to this matter to determine whether this should be cleared from your records."

The judge paused just a moment to let the sentence sink in, then turned to the defense attorney. "Does the defense have any comment?"

The three young men looked hopeful as Attorney Jackson rose to speak. "The defense feels that is a fair sentence."

"Dad!" Justin exclaimed. "What kind of defense is that?"

"I agree with the judge! It's time you learned to take responsibility for your behavior. I don't blame Sam or Tom as much as you. You were the one driving, and if I know a thing or two this was your idea."

"Great idea, Justin," Tom said sarcastically. "Let's hire your dad to defend us."

Justin scowled. "Well, I thought he'd be on our side."

"The defendants may pick up their personal belongings from the bailiff," Judge Jensen said. "You must turn your driver's licenses over to the court clerk at this time."

The young men walked over to get their belongings. It was obvious this was not the sentence they expected.

"What a mean judge," Justin said.

Tom nodded. "Yeah."

Justin reached to take his keys from the bailiff, but his dad intercepted them. "I'll take those."

"What's the matter, Dad?" Justin asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"Trust is something that has to be earned. Right now you've got some earning to do." Then he turned to the other young men. "Have you all turned in your driver's licenses?" The young men nodded dejectedly. "Good. We are going to make sure you young men take care of this sentence."

As the young men filed out of the court room, their parents joined them from the observation area. Mr. Jackson turned and smiled at the judge. She smiled back. This wasn't quite the outcome he had expected, but he knew Judge Jensen was a caring person and perhaps this was just what his son needed to get his life back on track.