Jays Christmas Dinner

Jay’s Christmas Dinner

By Paul McCann  

Jay dropped out of school when he was 16 . His Father had a few connections around town and he was able to secure an apprenticeship for him as a Chef with a local social club in town .  Jay was earning very good money at 16 and started to save some money .

Just before he finished his apprenticeship one of Jays work colleagues introduced him to the drug scene and that was  when things started to go wrong for him .  At home his Father tried to talk sense to him but Jay rebelled and became angry . Affected by hard drugs Jay often smashed up the furniture and punched holes in the walls with his fist .  Jays Mother never helped because she too was using drugs and playing around with other men . Jays Father tried hard to keep the family together but his wife had other plans, one day she took all the kids and ran off with another man .  

Jay was now  a qualified Chef with the world at his feet but his world was a mixed up existence fuelled by narcotics .  He left his family behind and took on a job as top Chef at a holiday resort on a tropical island .

He cared for nothing or no one . All he cared for was his drugs  .He had no friends and became an angry  Chef commanding big money every week . Everyone spoke about his attitude .

Each time Jay’s Father had tried to make contact with him Jay just hung up the phone . Eventually Jays Father stopped ringing and ended up living alone . He had lost  his job , he had lost his family and he had found a life as one of the homeless community , living in the peoples palace somewhere in the city . Most every day he was hungry and walked the streets as a beggar , but nobody cared . Jays Father almost killed himself one day when he walked in front of an oncoming truck .  People said that he was drunk but that wasn’t true .  Jays Father just had suffered too much and wanted to take an exit from life but that wasn’t successful . He ended up with some serious injuries which he eventually recovered from .

He was able to walk again on two wooden pegs that were his legs and found that alcohol eased some of the pain . He was still living in the homeless shelter and grew older by the day .

Jay had a bad reputation around town . There were no positives in his life .The day he decided to quit drugs was when things started to go right again , It took time but soon he was living a drug free life .

Jay left the holiday resort and took a job as a chef in a city restaurant . He had battled his way through the ranks and made a name for himself in the culinary world . He found fame and fortune on a TV program winning the final and become the Nations Top Chef .

Jays father was unaware of his sons achievement as he lived in an overcrowded homeless shelter called Simons House ,  that was built at the end of a back alley in the city . There was no TV or heating , there was no hot running water , just a mattress on the floor with a bowl of porridge in the morning and a cup of soup at night . Jays Father slept most of the day and spoke to no one .

Jay was now a celebrity and wanted to boost his public image a little so he had the idea to cook a Christmas dinner for all the residents who lived in a homeless shelter . The event would be broadcast on National television on a prime time viewing slot . The Television network decided to choose the shelter with the greatest need and after a lot of research Simons House was selected as the place where Jay would cook the Christmas dinner .’

So in the shelter that Jay’s father was living , Jay was going to do present the program called Jay feeds the needy at Christmas .

So everything was set and the TV crew were all there at Simons House .  Jay was there dressed in fancy attire cooking up a storm in this very modest kitchen  .  In the comfort of their armchairs,  millions of viewers from all over the country watched the show . It was making a big impact . People rang the television network and made large donations for the residents of Simons House .

The cameras panned in as Jay personally brought the plates of food to all the residents who were sitting at their tables . Jay had cooked a three course meal for the homeless at during the commercial break the producer of the program asked Jay to randomly choose a resident and sit down with him with him to eat Christmas dinner  .

After the commercial break Jay walked around with a plate in his hand and saw an old man sitting alone at a small table and he decided to sit with him .

Jay sat down and said hello .

“The old man just fumbled with his knife and fork,  eating the turkey and baked potato . He slurped the orange juice and never looked up . Jay attempted to engage the old man in a conversation and said  .

“ Happy Christmas , my name is Jay . I cooked you Christmas dinner ,. Hope you like it .“   

Four TV  cameras zoomed in from different angles . The old man stopped eating and slowly looked into Jays face . Jay froze as his father spoke .

“ Hello son , I’ve waited a lifetime to hear your voice again . It’s good to see you after so long .“

The cameras kept rolling as a little miracle was happening on Christmas day at Simons House . Jay and his Father both wept as words would not come . There was too much to say and no where to start .

It was almost time for the show to end as the TV crew started handing out gifts to all of the residents at Simons House . For everyone of the residents at Simons House it was the best Christmas they ever had.

Jay and his father had a lot to catch up on and they both left the peoples palace that day in a limousine .

That feed the needy show not only toped the ratings but it started a nation wide awareness campaign on help for the hungry and homeless .

The End

By Paul McCann