The Fourth Story of the Holidays...

This year, I bring you something a little bit different...12 Holiday Excerpts and Flash Fiction!

Our next author with our next holiday tale is Joshua Pantalleresco...

Little Drummer Boy
by Joshua Pantelleresco

All I have is a song and a drum. I rumpabombom my drum nervous. Everything in my skin was crawling as the line moved closer inch by inch. Soon it would be my turn. Oh man. What was I doing here? I look at the people in front and behind me and they all seemed to have the same question. At least I wasn't alone in that.

I smell the perfumes at the various people in front of me. Scents of myrrh and frankincense caress the air. I watch a family of four hold a large portion of gold. The people behind me had shirts, and clothes and something to offer the new king.

Me? I just have a song and a drum.

I got to the head of the line and wanted desperately to leave. I didn't belong here. I wasn't rich, or had any money. I was a kid on the street. Nobody special. Nobody important. I just have a song and a drum. I got no gifts to bring.

Rumpabombom. Rumpabombom. Rumpabombom.

I heard the sheep, and saw the hay. My heart stopped, and the drum went silent. It was time.

I didn't expect the mother and father to be so kind. Relief was on the mom's face as she held the baby in her arms. The newborn king heard cooing sounds and her husband held her and made silly faces to the baby. My heart held still and softened looking at the loving family.

Then the mother and father turn their attention to me, and the my heart started to play it's own tune. I took a deep breath.

“Shall I play for him?” I ask. I had nothing else to give. All I have to my name is a song and a drum. It was all I had to give. The mother nodded.

I close my eyes and pray my God. Please let this be enough.

The drum started, and I hesitate. My first notes slow and steady. I hear my heart fluttering more than the beat of the drums.  I stumble, I fall, and I stop. I nearly drop the drum. What was I thinking?  I didn't belong here.

When did tears start to fall? I brush the tears away and look at the mom and dad. They were watching me. He was watching me.

He smiled at me.

Watching him smile, I realized that the king was like me. He didn't have much. He didn't even have a drum and a song. He just had a smile. Like me, it was all he had to give. Something in my heart loosened. A song came to my head.

The sticks on the drum moved on their own accord. The song came, and my world shrunk to me and my drum. The whole world was the sound of the music, and it was me and my drum and the baby. My song, my drum and his smile. I played my best, and he smiled at me.

My song, my drum and his smile. It was enough.

Joshua Pantalleresco is a writer, podcaster and broadcaster. He's been published in magazines such as Onspec, Writers Weekly, I'm Here With...Magazine and Author's Magazine as a freelance writer. His podcast, Just Joshing, is an Aurora Award Winning Podcast that features Joshua interviewing authors and other creatives. He hosts the myculture.ca show with Sarah Ostapchuk (who torments him by emailing him pictures of cupcakes she bakes for her son). The first book of the series, Alice Zero, is nominated for the Elgin Award. He lives in Canmore.

Find Book 2, Alice Won? here!