SUBJECT: Christmas, unexpected, gifts

CHARACTERS: Mother, Son (10 to 14 years old)

PROPS: None 

SETTING: Home 

(Mother walks in on moping son) 

Mother: Hi, sweetie.  What''s the matter? 

Son: Nothing 

Mother: Is all this Christmas cheer just too much?  You

want to balance it with a good old-fashioned gripe session? 

Son: I don''t know. 

(Pause) 

Mother: Whenever you want to talk . . . 

Son: They got me a savings bond. 

Mother: What? 

Son: Grandma and Grandad.  They got me a savings bond for

Christmas.

Mother: And that''s not what you wanted. 

Son: No.  It''s not just that.  Every time I went to their

house, I hinted that I wanted some Rollerblades.  I talked about how all my

friends had them, I talked about how they were the hottest thing at school.  I

pointed out pictures of Rollerblades in maga…