by
Sabine Clement
(pierre@hhipe.uia.ac.be)
The Sheffield living room. All is calm, all is quiet.
That is, until the front door smashes open and a cold December gust blows in. Gracie follows, carrying the top of a pine tree. Brighton is next, trunk on his shoulder, trying to keep the prickly twigs out of his face. Maggie almost doubles up under the weight of the tree.
"Careful, careful, don't damage the door!" Maxwell shouts from outside. "Now follow my instructions. Maggie, lift the tree a little higher. Okay. Now Brighton, pull!"
All three kids pull, but then the tree refuses to cooperate any longer.
"Daddy, we're stuck here!" Grace shouts.
"Oh blast. Well, pull again!"
They pull and tear and grumble and groan, but the tree doesn't budge.
"Come on, kids, you can do it!" Fran encourages them. "Come on, Mister Sheffield, one final effort!"
"Miss Fine, you'd be a bigger help if you helped pushing," Maxwell's voice comes.
"Yes, control his breathing!" Niles' dry voice joins in.
The kids shudder from laughing.
"But I'm carrying the decorations!" Fran complains.
"Oh, put them somewhere aside, and get inside. You're needed there!"
"Ooooh, can't Niles help?," she wails.
"Miss Fine, Niles should not strain himself. Doctor's orders."
"Okay. But I hold you responsible for the state of my dress after we're thru with this!"
A few moments later, Fran appears from under the Christmas tree. She has several festoons wound around her neck like feather boa's, and wears a collection of Christmas balls in her ears.
"You know, it would have been easier if we'd done this the other way 'round!" she says. "Not that I have any experience, but what we have here, is more like a breech birth."
"Okay then, get this tree outside again, and we'll turn around," Maxwell agrees.
Under their combined efforts, the Christmas tree finally gives in and all of the Sheffield's and Fran tumble inside. As they are getting up, Niles enters, carrying a single gold star.
"Congratulations. It's a Christmas tree."
"Why anyone would want to put a tree inside of their house, is beyond me," CC comments as she walks in.
"And here's Jolly Old Saint Nicholas!" Niles welcomes her. "Just on time, as always."
Of course, it took some more time before the enormous pine tree was transformed into an authentic Christmas tree. The family has been working for hours, running up and down the stairs to get more decorations or another overall view on the tree. Niles goes back and forth between kitchen and living room, carrying plum pudding, cookies, Glühwein, chocolate milk. They devour it all.
Finally, Fran is applying the last tinsel, while Maxwell, who's standing on the stairs, lifts Gracie on his shoulders. From this position, the girl can just reach the top of the tree and put the gold star in place. Then they all assemble at the foot of the gigantic Christmas tree, and look at one another, a satisfied grin on their faces.
"Three, two, one, GO!" they shout in unison.
Maxwell plugs in the lights.
"Aaaaah...," they all marvel, and then the whole family goes silent, admiring the view.
"It's beautiful...," Fran finally says in awe. "I just love decorating the Christmas tree, it's something you guys really got me hooked on."
She hugs Gracie tight, and she feels Maggie pulling an arm around her. Maxwell places his hands on Brighton's shoulders. The family feel washes over her like never before. Must be the time of the year.
"Come on, Gracie - bedtime for you," she says, in an effort to keep those emotions down.
"I hope it snows tonight," Grace says, an eager look on her face. "I really think everything should be dressed in white on Christmas day."
"You're not the only one, honey," Fran smiles.
"Oh, but tonight will be a special night, Grace," Maxwell adds. "It's Christmas night."
The girl hugs her father.
"So I can make a wish?"
"Sure you can. Magic may happen," he says fondly. "Sleep tight, sweetheart."
"Sleep tight, daddy."
Later, that night.
Fran is standing in front of the Christmas tree, lost in thought. She's all alone in the living room. The two youngest kids and Niles have gone to bed, Maggie's gone visiting a friend and only Santa knows where Maxwell is hanging out.
The huge tree is towering over the nanny, making her feel very small. She thinks back of her childhood. She thinks back of her teenage years. She thinks back of early adulthood. She thinks about now. And finally, she thinks of the future.
The tinsel glitters softly, the various decorations glisten and the golden star on top gleams in the lights of the candles.
The sight of this all splendour makes her eyes shine. For some reason, she doesn't fear the future so much anymore. Because the here and now felt so warm, reassuring and comforting. So lasting. It couldn't be that this would ever end. It just wasn't possible. She closes her eyes. Feels the warmth and smells a mixture of pine tree, Christmas pudding and spicy Glühwein. She wraps herself in the spirit of Christmas. She leans back in two strong arms, and rests against his chest.
"Lost in thought?," Maxwell whispers in her ear.
"Hmmm, yeah...," she admits, and to her surprise, she isn't surprised at his sudden appearance. She stretches herself out. "Whoa, I sure was going places. This Christmas tree is way better than any Club Med brochure!"
"Yes, I noticed your wonder," he smiles tenderly. "It brought me back to my first Christmas, the first Christmas I remember. I just couldn't keep my eyes of all the twinkling and the lights. I kept on chiming those little Christmas bells for hours on end..."
He gets a dreamy look on his face, and she likes it.
"Anyway," he resumes. "I saw your admiration, so I went out and bought you a little present. So close your eyes."
She does as she's told, and hears him rumbling and rustling. Finally he speaks again.
"Now hold out your hand..."
She does.
"Ouch!" she exclaims, opens her eyes and sees that she's grabbed right into a miniature pine tree. A tiny green needle pricks in her index finger, a trickle of blood appears. She puts her finger in her mouth and sucks on it. Maxwell looks a little defeated, and starts explaining his reasoning.
"I just thought you might want to have your own little Christmas tree. You know, to put in your room. If you want to..."
Fran melts. He's really looking sweet and sorry.
"It'f lovely. Fo cute. Thankf," and she smiles warmly.
"Here, I got you some fitting decorations too," he adds, gaining confidence, and digs up mini festoons, silver tinsel and the like. Before they know it, they're at decorating a Christmas tree all over again. Soon, there's not a single green needle to be seen, so they simply move on to decorating one another. They're giggling and teasing like little children, telling one another Christmas an Hanukkah memories. Finally, they're through all the decorations.
"We better get this thing upstairs. And ourselves outta here, before Maggie comes home and finds us like this...," Fran giggles.
"I don't know. You don't look that different...," Maxwell says. "Me, on the other hand..."
He looks down, causing a rain of tinsel to fall from his hair.
"I'm not really myself tonight..."
"It's Christmas night," Fran smiles. "Magic happens..."
She gets this expectant look in her eyes.
And in one fluent motion, he lifts up the tree, and carries it all the way to Fran's room - a final escape.
Fran's room.
She's sitting on the bed, staring at her own little Christmas tree. Wishing for the magic to happen.
Maxwell walks in, striking his hand through his damp hair. He's removed all Christmas decoration, and has taken a shower. A long shower. A long train of thought. Thinking about his childhood. Thinking about his teenage years. Thinking about his early adulthood. Thinking about now, about this very night. And finally, thinking about the future. And now, upon seeing Fran, he comes to a decision.
Fran smiles when she notices him standing in the door, and pats on the bed. He comes sit next to her. She can't help noticing that he seems a little nervous.
"You know, something is still missing here...," he finally says.
She doesn't respond, simply looks at him.
"Little trees should come with little gifts...," he continues, and smiles nervously. He puts his hand in his pocket and picks out a very small box.
"... But little gifts can hold big decisions...," he finishes, while he hands her the small cube.
A shiver goes down her spine, and her heart misses a beat. She looks at her hand, holding the box. Then looks up, question marks in her eyes.
He speaks slowly, decidedly. She listens. Intently. In the end, she can only nod, for she doesn't trust her own voice.
"Oh, Fran, I love you," he whispers and holds her to never let her go. And she realizes that hearing him speak those words, firmly, without hesitation, must be the greatest gift of all.
THE END
Outside, snowflakes descend gently from the skies and cover the world. Tonight, their magic will dress everything in white.
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