Christmas Presents

When Herman Kesting went back home to Bellingham, Minnesota, he continued to write and send me Christmas presents. The one I remember most was a toy gun, one of those cowboy cap pistols complete with a holster.

It was my aunt who claimed the parcel from the post office and I asked her where the other pistol was. She said there was only one but I couldn’t be fooled because the box had a picture showing two pistols with two holsters. But no, she insisted there was only one and I missed the fun of packing two pistols and be contented with one. In any case, the single pistol with holster was a source of pride as it was different from those available locally. All the other kids would sport a “Bang-O” but mine was different; my indoctrination to a state-side bias.

After a few years, the gun broke down. Lo and behold, she comes out with the other pistol and the left handed holster. I guess Aunts will never understand the difference between being a cowboy sporting two guns and a bandit having one pistol tucked in his pants. But things have changed much since after the war. Today, my daughter would not think of me giving her son any gun for a christmas present. I wonder if Santa would ever give him one when he writes him for a toy gun.