The christmas day horror

The following story is based on true events. Its a memory of a Christmas that I wont soon forget.

It was a cold Christmas eve. I was about 9 or 10. My grandmother used to have family get togethers on Christmas eve every year. My mom and dad were divorced for almost my whole life, so I usually spent one or the other with my dad for the holiday. This year was Christmas eve. He was staying at my grandmother's at the time, Granny we all called her, after granny from the Beverly Hillbillies. There was a good crowd this year. Granny, Dad, me, my great grandmother, and some cousins. Granny had a finished basement with a bar and a pool table, so this is the area that the Christmas parties and just about any other function she would have would be held.

Everyone was downstairs, having a good time, eating, having some drinks, talking, listening to Christmas music. It was safe to say the night was going well.

It was going well for quite a while, deep into the gathering Granny went upstairs to get more refreshments, and food to bring downstairs. While she was up there my Uncle came home. He had been drinking quite a bit and was not in the best of shape from drinking. He started giving granny a hard time, not sure why other than not being himself. He started getting phyiscal. At this point because people could hear what was going on, my cousin Jimmy went upstairs to see what was going on. He asked my uncle what was the matter and to stop giving granny a hard time. My uncle went at my cousin and they started to fist fight. People could hear everything going on and were getting concerned. My dad went up to break up the fighting. There was shouting, and they were all three, fighting.

My dad was trying to break up this mess. my granny went towards the stairs to get away and to keep anyone else from coming upstairs. My dad grabbed Jimmy and pinned him down, but while he wasn't looking my uncle grabbed the biggest cook knife in the butcher block and stabbed my dad in the back of the shoulder. He did so so hard and fast that the blade went all the way through. Jimmy got up and wrestled the knife away from my uncle. My dad came bursting downstairs saying he was dying . He was bleeding quite a bit. This sent everyone into a bit of frenzy, granny rushed everyone out of the house and over to the neighbor's. They were gracious to have us over in the midst of this crisis. My great grandmother blacked out, I passed out after getting hit on the head with the bulkhead basement door in the process of everyone exiting the house. The last thing I remember seeing before blacking out was the ambulance leaving with my dad in it, heading for the local hospital.

I woke up the next day at granny's house, getting ready for her to bring me home to my mom's. I asked her if dad was ok, because all i kept remembering was him saying he was dying and my last sight was the ambulance driving away. "He is" she said "but he's in bad shape." My uncle i found out, had taken off after the assault, he managed to get loose of my cousin, and get on his motorcycle and take off. He would later be found, and arrested, sent to state mental hospital for observation.

This is a memory I will never ever forget. My dad has a scar in the shape of a V on the back of his arm. It is a constant reminder of a Christmas that we almost lost him. Christmas is supposed to be joyful and fun and happy. This Christmas was marred with violence and fear. A dark Christmas of sorts. I , for one, wont soon forget.