The Christmas box

Photo: Picasa

Lucien “Lou” Arsenault, 89, of Rumford fondly remembers a childhood Christmas morning. (Times photo by Cherri Crockett

RUMFORD- Christmas time is upon us once again and in the hustle and bustle of the season, I was hoping to help you take a step back and take a trip down memory lane. What do you remember about Christmases past? Was it a moment, a gift? How old were you?

At 89, Lucien “Lou” Arsenault can clearly recall the Christmas morning he received one of the best gifts of his childhood.

“It was Christmas morning, I was about six years old and under the tree was a large cardboard box. The biggest box I’d ever seen. It was for me and my next oldest brother, Clarence, who was seven or eight. We decided to open it, but we didn’t know how. It really was big.”

Arsenault, in his French dialect and with that twinkle in his eye as he remembered that morning, was priceless to witness.

He continued on, “Our older brother, Edgar, he was about 15, said he would open the box for us. Well, inside was a beautiful red and yellow toy truck with a dump body. It had dual wheels in back and a beautiful steering wheel. Well, the truck was given to my brother, Clarence, and I was given the box.”

I questioned him, that he really got the box and his brother the truck. He laughed.

“Well I wasn’t very happy with the box until I found out the box made into a garage and you could lock the door. I can remember that. I was happy I had the garage and the only key. I had the only key to it. If my brother wouldn’t let me play with the truck, I wouldn’t unlock the garage. We had a great time playing with that truck that winter and then in the summertime, too. That truck could dump, I tell you. Geez, it was fantastic.”

When I asked him if he and his brother got into a lot of fights over the “box garage” and the truck, Arsenault stated with a light-hearted smile, “Everything finally turned out okay. We didn’t fight a lot. But, I can tell you that I will never forget that Christmas. Geez, it was so good.”

In having the opportunity to talk with Mr. Arsenault, it made me want to talk to others of the older generation and hear their memories. If you or someone you know has a special Christmas story, please contact me by calling 364-7893 or emailing me at ccrockett@rumfordfallstimes.com.

I would enjoy hearing it and sharing it with our readers.