Chester Gillan, the Minister of Social Services and Seniors, awoke. Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold. Oh, glorious. Glorious!
“What’s to-day?” cried the Minister, calling downward to a boy playing with his toy plane in the street.
“Eh?” returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.
“What’s to-day, my fine fellow?” said the Minister.
“To-day?” replied the boy. “Why, Christmas Day.”
“It’s Christmas Day!” said the Minister to himself. “I haven’t missed it. Hello, my fine fellow!”
“My fine fellow, you must go wake the Premier. We have to put what is wrong right. We must look after Islanders with disabilities. We must put the money back that we took from them, all $651,000.”
“No even better, we should give them the same increase just like everyone else. We increased cash and benefits 5%, let’s increase money to the DSP 5% which is only $435,000.”
“What a fine day this will be, sir.” said the boy and he shot off so so fast a bullet could not have got there faster.
“Well, indeed.” thought the Minister as he repented of his miserly ways.
It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!
(Thanks to Charles Dickens)
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