The pink and blue bus pulled up at exactly 8.15 a.m., as it always did. Becka stood patiently with her two sisters waiting for Mr. Bailey to open the door. She was a little excited because they were riding a brand new bus today. Six new buses had arrived last month and the Prospect Primary students couldn’t stop talking about the cool features the buses offered. Small televisions, equipped with earphones, accessorised the back of each chair. They reminded Becka of her experience on JetBlue Airlines a few years back. She was thrilled to watch Nickelodeon the entire flight! The only difference between the JetBlue TV’s and the ones on the bus was that the local bus only showed World News, keeping Bermudians informed of the daily issues that haunt our world.

Even though Becka couldn’t wait to sit comfortably and watch TV today, she had something else on her mind, and as she sat in her chair and glimpsed the Masters Limited Christmas elf flying across the screen, Becka’s eyes started to fill with tears. See, Becka’s mom was employed at Sonesta Beach Resort as a waitress and even though the summer months gave the Evans’ family enough money to live comfortably, the winter was difficult due to lay-offs. This year was really bad! Her mother was recently “let go” and a man from the UK was hired. Becka’s mother was told that the hotel was developing into a five-star resort and the staff was required to be educated and experienced professionals. She had only been in the industry for three years and they wanted staff with five to ten years experience.

Unfortunately, this lay-off was announced in November so as other families counted down the days to Christmas, the families affected by the new Sonesta development dreaded each moment that passed.

The Cedar Hill bus turned the roundabout and the children watched Johnny Barnes’ hand wave happily from his morning post. Usually everyone rose from their seats, anxious for Mr. Barnes to see their little hands wave back. This time many children remained seated as tears slowly escaped their eyes and caressed their cheeks. Suddenly, Keisha Simmons rose from her seat and turned to the back of the bus. Her eyes wandered to each child with tear-stained cheeks. Just as Mr. Bailey started to tell her to sit down, Keisha slide into her seat and whispered to her seatmate. Michelle Tucker turned and spread Keisha’s words to her brother, Michael, from Mrs. Robinson’s P4 class, and he passed it on to Eugene Smith, who whispered to the next child. Soon the bus was filled with movement, smiles and excited chatter.

When the bus pulled up in front of the school, one-by-one, the students climbed off and proudly walked into the crowded school yard. Children looked at them curiously as they wondered what the excitement was about. One student, Kalen Howes, walked up to Becka and said: “Hey Becka, where are your shoelaces?” Becka smiled and walked off with her head held high. Chelsea Raynor looked up from the rope she was turning and smiled at Becka.

“Hey, Beckie! Wanna jump double-dutch with us?” she asked cheerfully. Chelsea was Becka’s best friend.

Becka said, “Sure, Chels!” After dropping her backpack, she waited for the rope to come back around so that she could jump in. Just before Becka started to jump, Chelsea noticed Becka’s shoes.

“Becka! Where are your shoelaces?!” she asked. Becka grinned. “Becka, tell me! Why don’t you have any laces in your shoes?”

Becka said” “It’s a secret. Stop shouting and come here!”

With Chelsea close enough to whisper, Becka told her about Keisha’s wonderful idea.

The plan was that the children would remove their laces from their shoes and tie them on the front doorknob of their home. Keisha had already sent a letter to Santa, asking him to not forget these special homes. She knew that her parents were struggling and would not be able to offer a fun Christmas this year. She just knew Santa would be able to help! At first, she was just going to keep the idea to herself but when she saw that other kids were suffering, she decided to share her plan. Santa had plenty for everyone!

Mrs. Robinson smiled as she overheard Becka and Chelsea’s conversation. She liked Keisha because she had a big heart and a huge imagination. The children rushed over in a quest to be first in line when they heard the school bell ring. Mrs. Robinson walked to the front of the line, silently counting the students who had already followed the latest trend.

A week had passed and students around the island were coming to school without shoelaces. Many had already been called into the Principal’s office but they stood their ground, as they tried to contain their excitement while waiting for Santa’s arrival. When approached by a School Guidance Counselor, one student replied: “I love to watch the world news on the bus but it seems like the world is more important than us. I just don’t want Santa to leave us out on Christmas day.”

Mrs. Robinson sat in the Island-wide staff meeting, listening to the teacher’s concerns about the “Shoelace Rebellion”. She suddenly realised how determined the students were to make this Christmas special. When Mr. Wakefield, the Prospect Primary School principal, acknowledged Mrs. Robinson’s hand, she shared everything she had overheard from Becka and Chelsea’s conversation. The teachers sat in amazement. They couldn’t believe that one child’s passion could affect such a large population of students.

Several minutes had passed as the teachers brainstormed ideas on how to handle the “Shoelace Rebellion”. Finally, Mr. Wakefield came up with a great idea! He proposed to write a letter, on behalf of the students, requesting assistance from the Premier, Honorable Dr. Ewart Brown. He planned to remind the Premier of the employment situation and to make him aware of the way it was affecting Bermuda’s youth.

Two weeks passed and Christmas was only one week away. The principal sighed as he reached for his phone. He still had a pile of Santa wish lists to fill and he knew that the government gift fund would not be enough. It would be a true miracle for him to stretch the $2,000 in order to please the needy children at school.

“Hello, Mr. Wakefield’s office. Prospect Primary School,” he answered.

“Mr. Wakefield, Dr. Brown here. How are you?” the Premier replied.

“Well sir, it’s a great pleasure to talk to you. I trust that all is well with you and yours?” said Mr. Wakefield.

“Yes, sir, everything is good on the home front. Now, we’ve received your letter and I must say, we were touched by the children’s passion and determination. It makes me proud to be a part of a country with such strong young people.”

“Yes. We were quite surprised to learn from Mrs. Robinson of this “Shoelace Rebellion”. I’ve even seen the shoelaces tied on the doors of homes as I drive home from work each day. There is a real employment problem on the island and our young people are making a stand. I truly believe that we must step up to the plate and respond to their concerns,” said Mr. Wakefield.

“I agree,” said Dr. Brown. “That is why we have decided to act as Santa on Christmas Eve. We have a great plan but will need help from the teachers to make it a success.”

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to assist, Dr. Brown. Just tell me what you need us to do.” The two talked enthusiastically about the Premier’s plan. When Mr. Wakefield put the receiver on the hook, he looked up and whispered, “Thanks”. His prayer had been answered.

December 24th was a wonderful day. The teachers and politicians gathered in CedarBridge Academy’s hall, wrapping gifts and writing children’s names on colourful labels. They had a busy night ahead of them but they didn’t even think of it as they loaded cars and trucks and set on their journeys around the island. Mrs. Robinson’s group was assigned to the Warwick parish. Mr. Wakefield and his elves were sent to various points in St. George’s.

Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown’s truck carried gifts towards the Pembroke area. Yes, our Premier rolled up his sleeves and pitched in! Teachers and politicians were all over the island, placing gifts under glistening trees donated by Aberfeldy Nursery. They left turkeys, hams and groceries from MarketPlace. They even had cakes from Crow Lane and Zaki’s Bakeries. The most touching gifts came from members of the public who donated pies and other goodies.

Mrs. Robinson smiled as she hung a special stocking on a hook above Keisha Simmons’ bed.

One little girl with a big heart and a huge imagination had made a humungous impact on our tiny island. Christmas day in Bermuda will never be the same as the tale of the Christmas Lace became a part of our island’s tradition.

The Christmas Lace