In front of a toy shop, an eleven-year-old boy sets up a small improvised stall. On a piece of cardboard he places some school books and drawings made by him, colored with care. He’s alone. He wants to collect a few euros to buy a Christmas present for his three-year-old sister.
The story comes from Mugnano of Naples, municipality in the northern area of the Neapolitan capital. The person in charge of the business he stopped in front of noticed the child: she saw him alone, observed his silent determination and decided to report the situation to the Mugnano police station.
The military intervenes discreetly. They approach the child, reassure him, talk to him without haste. His name is Alessio. He says he left home with a specific objective: give a gift to the little sister without asking the father for money. He says he wasn’t doing well at school and didn’t feel up to asking for help. A sense of responsibility that weighs on his shoulders as a child, in a family already marked by the premature loss of his mother, which occurred recently.
While Alessio is on the street with his drawings, his father experiences minutes of anguish. Realizing his son’s absence, he goes to the barracks to report his disappearance, which occurred in a moment of distraction. The meeting with the police patrol dissolves the anxiety: the child was found and is in good condition. Once the story has been reconstructed, the fragility of the family moment and the depth of the little boy’s gesture emerge.
Struck by Alessio’s maturity and sensitivity, the carabinieri spontaneously decide to do something more. From their own pocket they buy two Christmas presents: one for him and one for his little sister. A simple gesture, but full of meaning, which gives the child the chance to experience Christmas without feeling alone or inadequate.
The morning ends in a peaceful atmosphere. Alessio spends a few moments in the barracks with the soldiers, with smiles and kind words, before returning home with his father. The man, visibly emotional, agrees to take some photos he remembers.
A simple story, without fuss, very Christmassy. An eleven year old child who, with a silent and love-filled gesture, reminded everyone of the essential meaning of Christmas: attention towards others, shared responsibility, solidarity that comes from listening. It is in these small signs, often far from the spotlight, that a community finds the most authentic sense of celebration.
