Christmas Candies

I smiled as I lifted the old candy box down from the top closet shelf. It was worn from many years of being handled. I remembered the year my wife and I had gotten the box of assorted chocolates as a Christmas gift. The candy was long gone, but the box had gained a second purpose of collecting buttons, thread, needles, and a variety of other small odds and ends.

I flipped open its broad yellow and white hinged top. The faint aroma of the chocolate wafted up stirring memories lodged in my nostrils. It took me back to a nearly embarrassing incident that makes me smile even now. My wife was still alive and our three children’s ages ranged from four or five to twelve years old.

My wife invited some old our friends over for a post-Christmas celebration; a time for talking, snacking, and exchanging of gifts. Those friends had three children of their own and made a perfect fit for our friendship and for exchanging of gifts.

My wife prepared trays of vegetables and dip, crackers with a cheese ball, and another of assorted cookies. As she showered and got dressed, I set trays of goodies out on the dining room table. It looked festive, but I thought the cookie tray looked a little plain. It would look more celebratory with a few of the chocolate candies scattered on the tray. I lifted the candy box from under the Christmas tree, and opened it up. As I lifted the first piece of chocolate from its resting place, still cradled in its crinkled brown paper cup, the aroma of the confection made my mouth water. I hadn’t eaten one of the chocolates yet and it tempted me. I was feeling a bit hungry and seeing all of the food on the table I thought I’d try a piece.

As I removed the candy from its wrapper, I thought that it felt a bit odd. I turned it over and had a surprise. I saw that one of our kids had picked the chocolate from the underside exposing its center. Apparently the child hadn’t liked the crème hidden inside and returned it to its brown crinkled paper cup, then slipped it back into box, making it look as if it had never been disturbed.

I ate the disfigured piece of chocolate even though I could see that the crème inside wasn’t my one of my favorites. The frugal nature in me rejected the option of throwing it away. Wasting food would have grated on my upbringing.

I picked out a second piece of candy from its paper for the cookie tray. This one felt odd too and when I turned it over, the bottom coating of chocolate was scraped off as well, the creamy filling was exposed.

I checked the rest of the candies. All of them had been mutilated, rendered bottomless, and slyly returned to their candy box homes. That evening none of the sweet confections ever made it onto the cookie tray. Completely by accident I discovered and avoided an embarrassing situation.

Even if I hadn’t caught the mutilated bonbon, our friends would have understood. They had three children too. It’s an amusing story and someone will ask, “Anyone want a piece of chocolate?”