The Magical Music Box

by 

Megan De Lima

This book is dedicated to all the people who lost their lives and to the ordinary people, police workers, fire fighters and to the health workers, all of whom worked tirelessly to save lives during the pandemic of 2020. 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: December 24th 2020                                                    Page 5         

Chapter 2: The North Pole                                                              Page 11       

Chapter 3: The problem                                                                  Page 12

Chapter 4: The magical music box                                               Page 17

Chapter 5: Christmas Day 2020                                                     Page 20

Chapter 1

December 24, 2020

In a quiet neighborhood the Lima family just finished listening to the online Christmas eve mass.  They had put up their tree but there were a very few gifts under it. The cookies and milk were placed at the fireplace. "I wonder if Santa got my  email and will get me my gifts?", Timmy said. Timmy's sister who was 11 years old said "I'm sure he got our mail and will get our gifts but it is a sad Christmas. I remember the whole family gathering last Christmas, then the singing and the food and the opening of the presents." She felt sad and missed all of this and she particularly missed grandma and grandpa and was worried they were all alone. She wondered what sort of Christmas it would be this year.    

Across the street in the Blake family home there was only little Johnny and his mom. The tree was up, but the house was quiet.  His dad was in the army serving in Afghanistan but he wouldn't be home for Christmas because he was not released by his unit.  Even if he were released there weren't any flights taking off as there was a lock-down due to the pandemic of COVID 19. 

Johnny and his mom were lonely. He had so hoped that his dad would be home and he wondered if Santa got his email. He didn't ask for very much but a picture of his dad in his full uniform and a soccer ball to play with. He kept looking out of the window and could see the light flurries across. There weren't many stars in the sky and he too recalled the last Christmas when dad was home. It was so much fun.

Five houses down the street the porch was dark. Elsa, Emma, and Ethan were alone with their mom. They didn't put up a tree because they had lost their dad who was a health care worker a month ago. They sat before their television looking at old pictures and videos  of happier days growing up with their dad. Times were hard now, food is what they needed because their mom had to get a job. There was unemployment everywhere. They too had written to Santa, but it was not a happy time for them. The future was bleak.

Chapter 2 

The North Pole - October 31, 2020

 Santa was in a frenzy the nights had gotten longer in the north pole. It was cold, and a light snow had already begun. The reindeer were out among the hills trying to munch on the last of the moss. Santa was upset. "What has happened to the Polar Express, it last came on the 15th! There's no mail since, we got all the earlier orders out." said Santa. The elves were busy working.  Eddie the elf in charge told him that he better turn on the television to see what was happening in the world. The enormity of the calamity struck them. It was the Coronavirus. The whole world was affected, about 40 million people had gotten infected and almost one million had died. 

Santa raised his hands and said, "what will we do, what will we do!?" Eddie suggested that Santa should send an email.

Chapter 3

A Problem

There was a general lockdown and trains and planes weren't going anywhere.

So Mrs. Claus sat down and sent an email to the whole world!

So the emails kept pouring in. 

"Dear Santa, I'm with my family but grandma and grandpa are alone...."

"Dear Santa, we are home together but dad gave his life as a health care worker..." 

"Dear Santa,  Mom and I are alone but dad is stuck in Afghanistan .."  

And so read the emails, some happy and some sad.