Santa & the Bottle

Today is my little brother’s birthday! So, I thought I would share a story about him that he will most likely kill me for later.  He turned 37 today and is the epitome of the baby of the family. He has always been and most likely always will be.

The year that he turned like two or three our parents decided he needed to give up the bottle he was attached to.  It was also the year that my brother decided he wanted a big truck for Christmas. He told everyone. That would listen to him. He loved trucks (still does.) So, our parents came up with a plan. Our father told him that Santa would bring him the biggest truck his elves could make if Charlie gave Santa his bottle. Now, Charlie being the smart little boy he was had to think about this for a while.

A couple of days went by where Charlie asked why Santa needed his bottle. Daddy told him that Santa needed it to give to another little boy who needed more than Charlie did.  Charlie reluctantly agreed. Thus, began the great truck search.

Christmas Eve came, and we were doing our last-minute shopping. Way back then we lived pay check to pay check and our father worked two jobs.  We didn’t understand that as children but now I do. Anyway, we were shopping as a family when daddy told Ma to take Charlie over a few aisles. Apparently, he found the truck and was sending my older brother to pay for it and take it out to the car. This was the eighties y’all. You could send your child to the parking at night on their own. Just saying!!

I swear every aisle we went down I saw Billy running by with that truck. I don’t know they managed it, but the truck made it to the car with no problem.  That after mass Daddy told Charlie he needed to give up the bottle. All he had to do was place it under the tree and Santa would take care of the rest.  He did, then he picked it back up and gave it a suck or two, and put it back. He went to go to bed but rushed back out took another long suck on it before putting it back. He looked at our parents and said, “Just in case.”

The next morning dawned beautifully and Charlie could be heard all over the house yelling about the biggest truck he had ever seen that Santa brought him. After all the presents were opened he looked all around under the tree. Ma asked what he was looking for and he said he was just checking.  He wanted to be sure that Santa really took the bottle.   He never picked up another bottle. He gave it to Santa like a big boy and that was it.   That story will embarrass him which is what a big sister is for.

So, Happy Birthday Charlie! I hope your day is wonderful and I am glad that you are my baby brother.