“Can you buy another ticket?”
“No.” A sob followed the two-letter word. “They have too…” sob, “many expenses. Rose, and tuition, and Trish.”
Her sad emotions were breaking my heart, so I took her in my arms and let her cry. Once she finished crying, Ashley’s cute face gave me a quivery smile.
“You really want to go home?” I asked. She nodded quickly. “Well, then let’s go back to my apartment and find a flight for you. No one should spend the holidays alone.”
Pulling her luggage with one hand and holding her tiny hand with the other, we walked two blocks to the apartment I shared with Daniel. When we arrived, he was working at his computer. He gave me a glare when he saw Ashley, but didn’t say anything. I went to my desk, and started my computer, waiting for the browser to open after the dial up finally connected us to the Internet. With a few clicks, a first-class ticket from Logan International Airport was purchased for her, ready to take her to San Francisco, where her family would celebrate the holidays for the next two weeks. Her vacation included the end-of-the-year party, where her mom invited the entire neighborhood and their families.
“Thank you,” she said, before getting inside the cab. “You made everything better.”
The smile she gave me, along with being able to take away all that sadness she carried earlier today, had reminded me of the meaning of this season. It wasn’t the trees in every other store, or different clerks, teachers, or classmates wishing me a happy holiday. The power to draw a beautiful smile from the girl I wanted to get to know better someday gave me hope, and made me want to believe that family and other things would one day be possible.
“Call me when you arrive,” I said, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “It would be nice to know you arrived safe, Sunshine.”
“Why don’t you come along?” Her question startled me. “My family won’t mind if I bring a friend.”
“Some other year—maybe next year, after I take you out on a date or two.” I winked at her, and dared to give her a quick kiss on the lips. Afraid that she’d slap me, I moved back fast. “Have a safe trip,” I said.
I helped her inside the cab, and I paid the driver a hundred to make sure the precious cargo got to the airport safely. I smiled and waved at Ashley, energized, and in hopes that one day, I’d accompany her to visit her family and celebrate a holiday, a birthday, or every day.
The memories of that time, years ago, filled my heart with joy. I smiled at my wife, who helped our son open the presents my step-sister and Dan—my best friend—gave him for Christmas. My hopes had been fulfilled: nine Christmases, ten birthdays, one wedding, and two precious children later.
The End
MASON & BESS AT CHRISTMAS
Diane Major
It was Christmas on Sanctea and there was a chill in the air. In this world, it was the only day of the year that it snowed.
Mason and Bess woke up with a start. The children could see the snowflakes dancing in the air as they fell outside of their bedroom windows. They both jumped from their beds and trembled with excitement.
The children couldn’t help wondering what presents Father Christmas had left under their beautifully decorated tree. That great big Christmas tree always stood in the main hall of their home during the festive season. The huge conifer sat there waiting for the jolly man, who always dressed in red, to visit the Citadel. This was an annual event that the children always waited for with anticipation.
The two children left their bedrooms and galloped downstairs. They were buzzing with excitement and expectation.
When they reached the hall, Queen Anna, Mason’s Mom, was waiting for them. She stood exactly where the decorated Christmas tree had stood the night before. The Queen was so distracted by the missing tree that she hadn’t noticed the children walk in. Anna was standing with her hands on her hips, shaking her head in disbelief, with a puzzled expression on her face.
“What’s happened to our tree?” Mason blurted out.
Bess looked incredibly sad. She had so looked forward to her presents and to the gala dinner organised for later that day.
“I have no idea,” said the Queen. “It was here last night when I went to bed and now it has disappeared.
“Someone must have moved it!” exclaimed Bess. “We should search the Citadel.”
Everyone in the Citadel was ordered to search for the tree. Even the blue, fluffy Elgaes with the huge eyes, flew around and joined in the hunt. After the building had been thoroughly explored, everyone gathered in the hall.
The Queen looked annoyed.
“Someone must know where the tree has gone. We should all put our winter coats on and see if it has been taken to the gardens.”
Sure enough, the children and all the other people who lived in the Citadel wrapped up warm. They all walked out onto the bright white, fresh, crisp snow. The snow crunched under their feet as more great big fluffy snowflakes fell from the sky.
“Everyone, search the grounds,” cried Mason. “If you see anything suspicious, please tell us at once.”
It was time for the hunt to begin. The whole area was searched without success.
When the group was about to give up, and began to face the thought of having no Christmas, Bess yelled out, “Over here near the gates. Come here and take a look.”
The Queen, Mason, and their people all hurried over to Bess. There on the ground was a pine needle that had once been attached to a conifer tree.
“It’s difficult to be certain in all this snow, but I think the tree has been dragged out of the Citadel through the main gates,” said Mason with a puzzled look on his face.
Queen Anna replied, “I think you might be right. Let’s take a look outside.”
They opened the gates to find a trail of pine needles. The group followed the needles away from the Citadel. They entered some nearby woods and walked through the mushroom-shaped trees that were covered in snow.
“It’s a cold day to be travelling outside of the Citadel, my Queen,” one tree said softly.
Mason looked and sighed, “Yes, but our Christmas tree has disappeared and we must find it. Father Christmas will have called during the night and left our presents under that tree. The problem is, we have no idea who took the tree, or where it has been taken.”
The tree responded excitedly, “Oh, you are looking for a Christmas tree. Well, one was carried through the forest late last night. If you go to the clearing in the middle of the woods, I am sure you’ll find it there.”
Queen Anna, Mason, and Bess led the group towards the glade in the middle of the woods. To everyone’s surprise, when they reached the clearing, there stood an igloo. It was the biggest igloo any of them had ever seen in their lives.
“What’s going on?” whispered Bess.
“I have no idea,” replied Mason.
The Queen looked around the little group, “I will go with Mason and Bess. We’ll try to discover what’s inside.”
Anna and the children silently crept toward the igloo entrance. When they reached the opening and peaked inside, they were amazed. The Queen began to smile and beckoned all her people to follow them.
There, in the middle of the igloo, stood their Christmas tree. Under the dome-shaped house made of ice were numerous tables and chairs. The tables and chair had clearly been set up for Christmas dinner. On the tables were great tureens full of food, huge cakes, juice that came in many colours, crackers, and tiny wrapped presents. There appeared to be enough small gifts for everyone.
Mason and Bess were amazed when they scanned the room. A look of astonishment spread across their faces. Inside the igloo were lots of their friends who were sitting or standing at the tables.
The dragons, Shirker and Laird waved their wings. Sarette, Queen of the Fairies had brought some of her troop along with her. Lots of blue, fluffy Elgaes that they knew well hovered on the edge of a table. The two children recognised so many creatures at this Christmas celebration.
br /> Suddenly, they noticed two human children waving at them. The children were making their way towards Mason and Bess. They recognised Katie and Bobbi. Mason couldn’t help wondering how Father Christmas had managed to get the children from Earth to Sanctea, especially as it was Christmas Day.
It soon became obvious that the human children remembered the adventure they had all been on together. Bess assumed those memories about meeting the fairies had been given back to them temporarily. Katie and Bobbi weren’t allowed to remember that adventure on a permanent basis. If human beings found out about the existence of other worlds, it could cause all sorts of problems.
Father Christmas now addressed the Queen, Mason, and Bess.
“Oh, I’m delighted you got my message and you could make it, especially as you are the guests of honour.”
“Message, what message?” asked the Queen with a baffled expression on her face.
Father Christmas looked aghast.
“It’s those elves. I should have known. They forgot to leave the note, didn’t they?”
Mason and Bess smiled as Queen Anna replied, “No harm done. We’re here, aren’t we?”
Bess noticed two grand seats at the top of a long table. Father Christmas sat at one and he led Queen Anna to the other.
Father Christmas brushed his hand through the air and everyone sat down.
The jolly man, who was dressed in red, stood back up and proclaimed, “Welcome everyone. I thought we would do something a little different this year. Christmas isn’t just about presents. Don’t you think that it’s a wonderful idea to spend time with your family and friends?”
Everyone clapped.
Father Christmas continued.
“But before we eat, would everyone open their tiny present, the special ones I left on the tables for each of you. I do hope they are something that will always remind you of today’s celebration.”
Mason and Bess were excited. They each took a little gift from the table and unwrapped it carefully. Inside the box was a small pendant on a chain. On the front of the pendant was a beautiful Christmas tree with presents underneath it and on the back was an inscription that said, ‘From Father Christmas.’
Everyone’s pendant was identical, but the length of the chain varied depending on the size of the guest.
All of Father Christmas’s guests were delighted with their presents, knowing that the pendants were something that would remind them of this special day forever.
“Have a wonderful time,” shouted Father Christmas and a band behind the Christmas tree began to play.
Everyone at the celebration had a brilliant time. After dinner there was an opportunity for family and friends to chat with one another. Later in the day, some of the guests formed a small choir to sing along with the band, while others chose to dance.
When it was time to leave the igloo, and return to their homes, the guests all looked a little sad.
When Father Christmas noticed the expressions on their faces, he cried out, “Maybe we could do this again next year.”
The whole crowd cheered.
The End.
WEEKEND WIFE
Elizabeth Rye
(AKA Grace Rellie)
Blair spent Thanksgiving Day slaving in a cramped stuffy kitchen for a dinner only she and her dog, Roquefort would eat. Five days later she was still eating the blasted bird. Now she hated turkey. The dog hated turkey. The whole turkey population might cease to exist as far as she was concerned.
The first year, she remembered working toe to toe with her handsome husband in a sunny kitchen. She’d stuffed the turkey rather clumsily while Derek had no problem making the mashed potatoes. “The white wine helps,” he’d told her with a wink as he poured some into the creamy dish smelling of garlic and rosemary.
Returning to the present she felt a stab of loneliness. “I miss my husband,” Blair thought. Ex-husband, she corrected herself. Looking back she could see that their arguments had become increasingly more common until it had broken them apart. If they’d gotten counseling maybe they’d have made it but they hadn’t and she’d found herself single again.
She’d moved into a dingy drab apartment where the guy upstairs frequently pounded the floor as if he were jumping on a pogo stick and her other neighbor played the bagpipes at three in the morning like some ritualistic cult. Hours painting and redecorating had only made the space livable. The place wasn’t a home.
Home was where you cuddled with your husband on winter nights, where holidays were spent with loved ones and families grew up. Blair wanted this and more, but she knew only Derek could restore her dream.
Christmas was coming and the last two had been abysmal failures without him. At least Roquefort had enjoyed one Christmas, she reflected. Too bad he’d had to smash her snowman jar to bits in order to eat her entire batch of oatmeal craisin cookies.
Still reminiscing of the past, she was shocked a few days later when she pressed the answering machine button. “Blair. It’s Derek. We need to talk. I need your help.”
Paralyzed she stared at the phone. He’d called. Panicked she reached for the phone. “Lisa. Pick up,” she yelled.
“You’ve reached Lisa’s phone. I’m not here right now or I’m busy or I just don’t want to talk to you right now. If it’s important leave a message after the beep. If I think it’s important I might call you back.” Blair glared at the phone. Normally her friend’s quirky message made her smile. Right now all it did was aggravate her.
“Lisa. Derek just called. I don’t know what to do. Call me back in a microsecond. Please….” She let the last word trail, in case her friend was listening and heard the anxiety in her voice and decided to pick up. She didn’t.
Nervous, Blair paced while she waited for Lisa to return her call. When that didn’t help she resorted to cleaning. First she washed the few dishes and put them away. She checked to make sure she’d set phone to ring and not vibrate. More pacing later, she rearranged her towels in the closet. Blair then straightened the vanity until she lined up the bottles from tallest to shortest. Her mind raced in a mixture of discombobulated emotions and ideas. Salt shaker refilled she reached for the phone and hit redial.
The woman sometimes called back in minutes, but she was also known for calling back days later. A free spirit, if she decided to live off the grid for a few days, she did. Other times nothing and no one got Lisa off the computer or away from the phone. Everything came down to her mood.
On the second ring, there was a click. “Look, I don’t know what to do,” Blair said not bothering to identify herself.
“About what?” Lisa questioned between obvious bites of an apple.
Blair grunted. “Derek called.”
Lisa sighed. “What did he want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Huh? I don’t get it. Didn’t you talk to him?”
Blair shook her head. “No. He was on my answering machine.”
“So call him and see what he wants.”
“I don’t know,” Blair hedged. “I mean, I still love him but it’s over between us.”
Lisa grunted as she took another bite. “Nothing’s over until the fat lady sings remember?”
“Yea.”
“Well think about this,” Lisa coaxed. “If your relationship had been ruined forever Derek wouldn’t be calling two years later.”
Blair closed her eyes and tried to focus. “I guess.”
“You know I’m right,” Lisa said with conviction. “Isn’t this what you’ve been talking about ever since the divorce? Come on,” she cajoled. “This is a start. That’s all you need. Use his call to your advantage. Make him sorry he let you go. Promise me you’ll call him as soon as you hang up.”
Blair stared across the room at the picture of a younger version of her and Derek on the beach. The perky red headed woman in a ponytail and a sun-bleached blond man glared back at her with equally love-struck grins. She wanted those days back. “Okay,” she promised. “I?
??ll call.” But first she’d eat a giant bowl of rocky road ice cream to settle her nerves.
Twenty minutes later she licked the spoon of the last drop of chocolate goodness. Holding the phone in her shaking hand, she put her left hand to her stomach to still the jitters. From memory she dialed Derek’s number. What if he didn’t answer? What if he did?
“Hello.” She was amazed at how one word could send the jitters back into turbo. So much for the ice cream, she thought.
“Derek,” she croaked. “It’s Blair...”
There was a breath of empty air. “I’m glad you called,” he finally said.
“I’m glad too,” she answered truthfully.
Derek didn’t answer in kind; instead he got straight to the point. “Aunt Agnes is sick. Doctors say that she might not live past the holidays, some sort of rare cancer; and for some reason she’s asked you and me to stay with her for Christmas. She’s always liked you.” He paused. “I never told Aunt Agnes about the divorce and I don’t want to tell her now. I called because I was hoping you’d consider being my wife for the weekend. I’ll sleep on a chair or the floor. I won’t bother you.”
Blair smiled, holding tears back. His voice no longer held the note of love she remembered. Instead, she heard a logical business mind working on an impending schedule. Maybe Lisa was wrong. Perhaps their love was over. No. She refused to believe this.
Her voice wavered, “I’ve always liked her too.” She sniffed. “I’ll think about it. Can I call you in the morning?”
Derek’s voice became clearer this time and she wondered if he was steeling himself against her. “I understand. Tomorrow then.”
The line went dead, and Blair bit her lip. She realized then that if hope remained for them to be reunite she’d have to work extra hard.
Next morning, their conversation was quick and straightforward. He laid the rules down and stated clearly that he expected her to stick to them. They would play husband and wife in public for his aunt. In private they were strictly two individuals acting as roommates.