As Christmas decorations appeared in town, our parents called my two younger brothers and me together. At first, I thought someone had died, because I had never seen my parents look so sad. My brothers and I stood waiting for the awful news.

Mom hugged me as she murmured, “Christmas is going to be different this year. We won't be having a tree or presents. We can barely afford food.”Dad, resting on the couch, beckoned (招手示意) the boys into his arms.“Things will change when I get back to work.”

My family was poorer than dirt. Dad, the only bread-earner in our family, worked in a coal mine. However, soon after returning to work at the end of a long strike, Dad was hurt in a rock fall that broke bones in his foot. Lying on the couch with the swollen foot high on pillows, he didn't talk or smile much. There was little to smile about. No work, no income.

At nine years old, I mothered my younger brothers: Rodney, aged six, and Stevie, three. We shared a small bedroom. That night, after our parents’ announcement, we talked.

Rodney began. “Em, did you see how sad Mommy and Daddy looked? I thought Mommy was gonna cry.

“Me, too. Daddy's foot’s … this big” whispered Stevie, holding out his arms.

“Yeah..We're in hard times," I said.“It makes Mommy and Daddy sad."

“But we don't have to be sad," I added, hoping to brighten the mood.

“Since there are still several weeks to go, maybe we can do something to cheer them up," I said with overdone enthusiasm. The boys proposed, “We can take the money from our piggy bank...earn some more..and surprise them with gifts!"

“I can run errands(跑腿) for Aunt Em and neighbors to earn money," I offered.

“Yeah," Rodney added, “I and Stevie can return bottles and save the deposit money... instead of buying candy!" He pushed Stevie gently with his elbow.

“Yeah!”Stevie clutched his hands together.

We had a plan!

Until they nodded off, I coached my little brothers (especially Stevie) in ways to guard our secret. “Don't talk about it during the day."

We awoke in the morning, transforming from sad children to the secret agents on an important mission!

On Christmas morning, we hurried into the living room and handed the gifts to Mommy and Daddy.

“I wish we hadn’t come on this trip!” Jeff’s voice echoed across the narrow canyon (峡谷). His father stopped, breathing heavily. “This is hard on you, but you’ve got to come through with courage!” He gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Now, I don’t know if I can make it without stopping every so often. You’re young, but you’re strong and fast. Do you remember the way back from here to the road, if you had to go alone?”

Jeff flashed back to the painful scene of Mark, his seventeen-year-old brother at their campsite. His leg was bitten by a snake yesterday and they did first aid with the wound so that it wouldn’t get so serious before they returned home. But this morning Mark couldn’t move, and the pain got worse. He needed medical attention right away otherwise he might lose his life. The only way is to get the rescue helicopter as soon as possible. They had left their phone in the car, which was stopped out of the canyon and it must have been out of power by then. Leaving Mark at the campsite and seeking help was their only choice.

“Jeff, could you do it?”

Jeff looked to the end of the canyon, several miles away. He nodded and a plan began to take hold in his mind. “What is the name of that little town we stopped, Dad?” There must be a hospital there.

“Flint. We parked at the side of the road a few miles out of Flint.”

Jeff nodded. Then they continued climbing. Stone by stone, they made their way up the canyon. Gradually, Jeff’s father grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Jeff waved to him and then climbed toward the road. Two hours later, he finally reached the road and struggled toward the town, almost exhausted.

“Can’t stop,” he thought. “Mark’s in big trouble. Keep going.” Suddenly, he saw a truck heading toward him. “Hey, mister!” he shouted, waving both arms. He began to jog toward the truck, and then broke into a full-speed run.

The driver saw Jeff and brought his truck to a stop.

Hours later, Jeff came to himself.

I was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months, I had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knew my father could well afford it. I told my father what I wanted was the sports car. As Graduation Day approached, I waited for signs that my father had purchased the car.

Finally, on the morning of my graduation, my father called me into his private study. He told me how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told me how much he loved me. He handed me a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed, I opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible (圣经), with my name carved in gold. Angrily, I raised my voice to my father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” I then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible. I felt depressed and couldn't accept the fact that my father did not fulfill my expectation.

Many years passed and I was very successful in business. I had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing my father was very old, I thought perhaps I should go to see him. I had not seen him since that Graduation Day. Before I could make the arrangements, I received a call from one of my relatives telling me that my father had passed away, and left all of his possessions to me. I needed to come home immediately and deal with them.

Stepping into my father’s study, I was lost in deep sorrow（悲伤）and guilt.

Finishing reading the Bible, a car key dropped from the back of it.