Pure Christmas

Submitted by Eroyan Barmy

Once way back in college with a group of freinds who i to this day consider some of the greatest people i have ever met. We decided to have a Christmas party and so the day drew close and we as being the young people we were. Had just planned to hang out drink and enjoy ourselves. It of course started with me. I called them and said,

"Hey Brandon, do you or Chris have a tree?"

Laughing he replied," Hell no we can afford one why?"

"Oh don't worry about it was just wondering."

Hanging up the phone i knew i didn't have money for a tree either but it was Christmas we had to have a tree for a Christmas party. So i had been working for my dad and we had a shop across the tracks in town. So i hopped in the car with a couple of freinds going to the party a little early and told em we had to make a quick stop. Driving down to the shop i opened it up grabbed a saw and went out back across the loading area and down into the sump hole and up the bank to the other side.

Picking out a pine tree that was tall but at least was even i cut the top off and nailed an x out of scrap boards on the bottom. All of us giggling and laughing over it we put it in the trunk and headed to our freinds apartment.

Of course as i brought it in there was an eruption of laughter and jokes but grinning and hugging people we sat the lil tree agaisnt the wall and looked at it. IT was leaning to the side a lil and stood about 3 ft tall. About up to most peoples tummy's and giggled. It only had about three rows of limbs on it. I mean this was a natural pine tree not a breed christmas tree.

As i drank a beer and we all talked about it i said,

"Well i got a string of lights but i thats all i have to decorate it with."

Brandom pipped up" I got a star , yanno one of the ones with lights in it already." He ran off to get it.

So we put on my string of lights and the star and smiled to each other.

"Yanno it doesn't look that bad." someone said.

"No no it doesn't" I replied.

Chris got home and laughed and then said, "Wait i got gold garland, I used it for a feather boa for halloween once. "

Adding that and tieing one of our freinds to a chair with the rest cause we could. The lil tree was getting to me more glowing and warm. Suddenly as more people arrived and the party got to swining bottle caps became christmas balls and hung on the tree. And lil bottles of wine and liguor people had became others.

By the end of the night the lil leaning christmas tree had gone from a little spaced out limbed tree. To a real christmas tree. Adorned with what we had and what we could make from paper and bottlecaps and things lying around.

To this day of all the trees i love and have owned. That little tree, that tree cut down and nailed by me and decorated by freinds thinking of nothing but each other and our lil tree. Became and still is the most beautiful tree i have ever seen. It was made not cause we had to but cause we wanted to and cause the spirit of Christmas lived inside us and still does today. We made it with love. And i still remeber it glow and it warmth and you could feel Christmas, it was Christmas in its purest form.