My childhood memories - my brother never got sick

 I must always smile whenever I remember this story . It started in a winter afternoon ...we expected the form teacher of my   big  brother  to visit   us .  He was a five grader at that time .It was/is the custom   in Hungary that  the  form teachers visit once a year the family of every student to  have better  idea about the surroundings of the student and have a friendly chat with the parents .

Well, she was a very nice lady - she was sitting in the kids room  and drinking coffee with my mum . She told many good things about my brother  - he is smart , helpful  and very popular . My mother was very proud .

Then the teacher added and "what is really  exceptional  - he did not miss a single day from school last year . He seems very healthy child as well ".... Then my mother went overconfident and she told  her "  I do not intend to brag  but ... he has not been down with any illness for one and a half year ."

The teacher praised him and added that only the art teacher  is complaining about my brother that his level is not good enough  for his age ..Perhaps if my mother encouraged  him he would  show more talent .

When the form teacher left our home  my mother was disturbed by this art teacher's remark . It turned out that they had  homework - they had to paint  something colorful   around their  home . My mother looked out the kitchen window and told to my brother   : Look  there  !  The fence which is hiding the garbage  cans !   it is a nice topic ... I remember him drawing that colorful fence   it  had large orange/yellow triangles  and really there was not many other colorful things to choose that winter day ....  my mother was cooking and encouraged him  "   be brave  - do not be afraid to paint it large .... "  everybody loved the result


 So my brother was  waiting very much to go to the school the next day - he wanted to tell  the other students about the teacher's visit and he expected some nice words  from the art teacher .  . But when  he woke up he was very unwell : high temperature , sore throat .... My mother felt miserable .... She was nearly  crying  'I am so much ashamed  now .... I  was too proud yesterday that you are never ill .  They will laugh  when they hear you are down with flu "

In Mum's Bed 1908 Photograph by dianegaddis
Print photos at Zazzle

 Luckily , nobody teased him  for this  ... then this story  always reminds me not to take the good health of our child as a personal victory  .  Some kids gets sick more often than others  .

And what happened to the painting ?  My brother could show it to the teacher after a week !  The only thing she could tell him  was " this is not your work - somebody else has made it "  and deterred him for life from the career as an artist .

Christmas stories from my childhood - my auntie's house

Pretty Vintage Miss by almawad
 We started a new life with my family in a new town . After my father got a better position we lived a more comfortable life than before  but we were not happy at all . In our previous dwelling place everything looked better  and my elder brother and I wished to move back . It was not possible and we had to find to good point in the town . It was not easy ! It had only a few things that we liked and one of those was the house of my auntie ...

Every thing used to be so beautiful at my auntie's house . High ceilings , odd geometric patterned curtains ,fine ceramics ,gorgeous old furniture ... as all the house had been covered by some golden dust of a bygone era .As a little girl I did not know words and notions like art-deco or bourgeois or artistic sense .
Their Christmas tree was so beautiful too - full of interesting decoration which were not available at shops at that time ... her cakes were traditional delicacies spiced up with original ideas . I had always felt that to be with them at Christmas was a great privilege .Our parents were chatting after lunch and we were merrily merrily playing ....Firmly , I believed that all those beauty and charm in their house was due to the fact that they had only one child and that is how they could afford it ! And   I happened  to feel   jealous  and wished our home was filled with luxury and beauty like that !

 But one year - instead of the usual cheer - we found that bad mood reigned in their home when we arrived on Christmas Day  .My cousin did not want to come out and play with us.  He closed himself inside his bedroom . Under the tree there were the unopened gifts .He did not want to open them and refused to taste the wonderful lunch as well .

My auntie was sad .It was very embarrassing to hear her explanation : "Santa does not exit . We had to tell him . He had been longing for a little brother or sister for years and he has been writing letters to Santa to get one .Unfortunately it is not possible . "

When I first heard it I was very much surprised at the fact that he still believed in Santa. Then I remembered how nice that my parents never lied to us about this issue. They had always told us that this was just a game.

All that was sad but we were children . We did not understood the weight of their problem .We were merry as usual with my brothers .This one cheered up my auntie .We appreciated her Xmas lunch , admired her wonderfully decorated tree and were grateful for the presents .We went home sooner than usual .

Our flat was much smaller and furnished at an average level of the 1970's Hungary .There were two old paintings on the wall ,my mother had a porcelain dinner set for special occasions . That was all the luxury we had .Still all that made me very happy at that moment . It was then that I understood how great gift is to have brothers growing up with me !
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My auntie 's home is still lovely . I live far from her and can not go home for Xmas usually . Luckily their days and their Xmas is always merry - full of laughter and cheers. Their three grandchildren live near them and they make their days very special all the year around .



Read more Christmas Stories

Christmas story or the ugly book's tale

 1970 was a pretty difficult year .   My father saw no other way to   rise the family's living standard  than going to the capital to study  for a year  in hope of getting a better position   . It made us suffer financially and emotionally as well .  How much I missed  him ! He came home just for a short visit for the weekends . On Sundays he had to leave  us right after our lunch . After kissing him good-bye at the bus station my mum was walking home with grim face – then before arriving home she burst out crying .  Usually , I  could not help  crying with her - we were sobbing in the street . The next door women were laughing at us .” Hey ,are you crazy ? /” He is coming back next week – he didn't go to war , but to college ."

It was hard for my mum .She was left alone with three  little kids and very little money .My father had to concentrate on his studies . We had to suffer for a better future .

Christmas was very near and my mother had very little money for presents . She hoped to get something unexpected : bonus or some money from my father – but nothing came .She had to arrange all the presents somehow on her own means ..
The shops were going to close and remain closed for Christmas time when
my mother ran to the toy shop : she had found a wooden toy car for my little brother and a doll for me – after paying she was left with very little money .” could you suggest something for a nine year old boy ?” she asked „for this money we've a book „ she had pointed to a ugly looking book with grey cover in the shop window . It was meant for summer visitors – a travel book on lake Balaton at discount price .
„ No „ was the first reaction of my mum „ „ it can not be a present for him „
We do not have anything else -and sorry we are closing „ Are you taking the book or not ?”

My mother recognized that she had no other option . She bought an ugly looking discount priced book for her first born son . What will he say when he sees it under the tree? What a life ! How far were her dreams from the reality !

My father arrived  just some hours before exchanging gifts .He was not scared at all  when my mum told him about the book .” I will arrange that „ he had told her with confidence . (They never lied us about the presents – it was always clear for us that they bought it or they prepared them on their own .)

„ My son „ „ You get no toys this winter , because we thought with your mum that you are big enough to have a book instead – and not any book but a book written for adults . I consider that you are smart enough to read it and tell us later about it" 
That was my father's trick .
 And  it worked wonderfully ! My brother was not disappointed but proud !He started to read as soon as he found some free time . And the book  despite its ugly cover turned out to be very interesting : it told stories ,legends on the origin of the mountains and hills surrounding us . We had lived in Tapolca basin surrounded by so many different type of mountains . He had learned a lot about them .First he told these stories only  for us at home . Then he shared his knowledge with his buddies as well .Finally he became famous in the neighbourhood as an expert of mountains -and often even adults stopped him and asked him to tell about the story of this or that mountain .

When they asked amazed:where did you learn all this ?: he answered proudly : from a book I got for Christmas .

Epiloge

My brother is in his fourtiies nowadays and he still knows a lot on that area ,he loves the books and had learnt a lots of different hobbies merely from books wihtout tutors .And of course he still remembers with pleasure to that ugly looking book ...