Home For Christmas:

A Bear Market Tale

by

Valentina Michelle Smith

  

For the last few days, Brad Moyer's life had raced by like a hurricane.

Brad had received his orders a few weeks ago. The first set was unpleasant; a stop-loss order that kept him in the military for an additional two years. The second set of orders was more welcome, since he was being assigned as an instructor at Hurlburt Field in Florida, and was being returned to the States. He would be back in time for a 30-day leave over the Christmas holidays.

Brad had barely enough time to pack up and process out. The sensation of boarding the transport plane for home seemed surreal. He barely was conscious of his surroundings as he rode from the air base to the civilian airport and boarded the jet for his trip home. In fact, he had almost convinced himself that it was all a dream, until his plane landed.

He spotted Kate as soon as he exited the jetway. Her hair had grown and was styled a little differently, but there was no mistaking her shining eyes or her wonderful smile. They immediately embraced, pressed their lips together, and didn't stop until they needed air.

"Let's go home," Brad said.

"Yes, right now," Kate replied. "Do you have any bags?"

"Just my carry-on here. I sent everything else ahead in my hold baggage."

They smiled and headed for the parking lot. The rest of the night and all of the next day was spent in their apartment, in bed.

Brad stretched out, enjoying the softness of the sheets and the warmth of the blanket. Kate smiled as she gazed at his naked body, and Brad actually blushed a little bit. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"You," he answered.

"Is that all?"

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, it is Christmas."

"And I just got the finest Christmas present of my life."

"Me, too. I just hope you aren't disappointed that I didn't put up a tree."

"No, not at all. Besides, it would be too hard taking it down to move. We have to pack up and move all the way to Florida."

"I know, but I would love to have a little bit of Christmas for ourselves."

"Oh, so you want an old-fashioned Christmas like you had as a kid, eh?"

Katy frowned. "Not exactly. In fact, I hope it will be nothing like our family Christmas used to be."

Brad felt Katy's mood suddenly shift. "Hey, I hope I didn't say something wrong."

Katy paused and her brow furrowed. She was obviously mulling something over in her head. Then she said, "It's nothing you said, Brad. It's just that Christmas wasn't exactly very merry when I was growing up.

"Mom lost a baby around Christmas time when I was eight. She was heartbroken, and so was I. I was looking forward to having a little sister or brother. I so wanted to be the 'big sister!' And then right before Christmas, her mother, My Grandmother, passed away."

Katy choked back a sob, but tears trickled down her cheeks. "We didn't put up a tree that year. Mom was too depressed and needed to go away. Next year we didn't bother decorating for Christmas. We packed up and went skiing at Aspen. And from then on, that's how we spent Christmas, someplace other than home. Oh, I got presents and all that, but I would have given anything just to have one Christmas at home, watching my little sister open the presents that Santa had left her."

Katy fell silent. Brad leaned over and kissed her teary cheeks. He wiped the tears off with a tissue and kissed her again. "I'm not exactly a little sister, but maybe I can make our Christmas a little happier."

Then Brad sat up. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we take a little walk, enjoy the lights of the city, and find ourselves a Christmas tree?"

"Oh Brad, I don't know. Do you really think we can find anything decent so close to Christmas?"

"I don't care if all that's left is a Charlie Brown tree with two twigs and one Christmas ball. We'll bring it home and it will be all ours!"

Now Kate's frown was replaced with a smile. "All right, let's do it! And maybe we can get something to eat and do a little shopping."

"Now that sounds like a plan. Do you want to take the first shower?"

Kate smiled coyly. "Let's shower together," she said.

They did. A few hours later they were walking together, enjoying the delights of a city that dressed itself up for the holidays.

Christmas in the city is a time of wonder. For a few weeks the hustle and bustle of urban life takes on a quality quite different from the rest of the year. Brightly lit shop windows compete with each other to display their wares in a holiday setting. Brass bands and bell ringers keep vigil on the street corners, beckoning passers-by to share some small bit of cheer with those less fortunate. Homes and streets are all decorated with bright colorful lights. Some windows display Christmas candles, others feature a Hanukkah menorah, but all shine brightly in the night.

Along the streets and sidewalks, people go about their business, some shopping, some visiting, some just taking in the joy of the season. It was a brisk evening, clear and cold, causing clouds to form as one exhaled. Children take a special delight in this phenomenon, and laugh as they create billowing white mist that disappears almost as soon as it forms. Couples stroll along, pausing to gaze into shop windows. And as part of this parade, Kate and Brad Moyer now stopped to admire one particular shop.

"Look, honey," said Brad, "there's a train running in the window."

Kate peered into the display. The train was red, and it circled what appeared to be a castle. "You know, I think that it's a model of the Hogwarts Express, and it's circling Hogwarts School."

"The owner must be a Harry Potter fan. This is quite an interesting place. It has teddy bears, model planes, rockets, and all sorts of things."

"Why don't we go in and take a look around?"

Brad smiled. "Sounds like a great idea."

They opened the door and were greeted by a tinkling bell. The shop appeared to be much larger than the store front suggested, with rows and rows of toys, hobby items, and plush animals. Behind a glass display counter, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair dressed in khaki pants and a blue knit shirt was sipping a cup of coffee. She seemed to be young, about thirty, but her brown eyes and smile implied an ancient wisdom.

"Hello," she said, "are you looking for something in particular?"

"We're just looking," Kate replied.

"Well take your time and look around, and if you need any help, just ask me or my husband Mike. And help yourselves to something to drink. We have some warm mulled cider today if you like."

"Sounds wonderful. I think I'd like some."

The conversation was interrupted by a Chocolate Labrador Retriever who bustled out to meet Kate and Brad. "That's Jesse James, our intrepid security force," the woman said. "Don't be afraid, he's quite gentle. If we ever do have a burglar, Jesse will probably slobber him into submission."

Jesse sniffed at Kate and Brad, his tail wagging enthusiastically. He licked Kate's hand, and then Brad's. Satisfied, he trotted back behind the display case and resumed his nap. "Jesse approves," the woman said, "and that's good enough for me." She extended her hand. "I'm Nora Griscom, but everyone calls me Sarge. Welcome to the Bear Market."

Kate took Sarge's outstretched hand. Her grip was firm, but not crushing. This was a hand that had known work, but retained its feminine grace. Brad also shook hands with Sarge. "Were you in the service?" he asked.

"I was in the Air Force for some twenty-five odd years," Sarge answered. She then twirled her pen and twitched her brows in a passable imitation of Groucho Marx and said, "And they were twenty-five of the oddest years I ever spent."

The couple laughed. Brad then said, "I'm still in the Air Force. I just got back from the Gulf, on my way to Hurlburt Field."

"I spent a few years at Hurlburt Field. I was a crew chief for an AC-130 gunship."

"What a coincidence, I'm a gunship loader. I'm going to be an instructor."

"Take a look up at the wall. There's a picture of me next to my aircraft."

Brad looked at the array of pictures on Sarge's "I Love Me" wall. About halfway up he spotter her posing next to a 105mm howitzer protruding from the side of a C-130. "I'll bet that looks familiar," Sarge said.

"I'll say," Brad replied, "but I usually see the other end of it as I load it with shells. It sure makes one hell of a boom, and when it fires, we all feel it."

"Tell you what," Sarge said, "I have a special deal for all gunship weenies. Any plush animal in the shop is yours for a dollar."

"I couldn't take that," Brad protested.

"Nonsense, it's the least I can do for a fellow airman. Look around and pick something special. If not for you, then maybe for that special gal of yours."

Brad looked over at Kate and smiled. "Do you see anything you like?" he asked her.

"Why don't we just look around," Kate answered. "I'm sure we can find something."

Brad said, "Well, if Sarge doesn't mind, I suppose we could."

"Go ahead and look," Sarge answered. "Take your time."

Brad and Kate looked at each other, smiled, and began to browse through the store's stock of plush animals. Sarge smiled and took a sip from her cup.

There is something about plushies that can melt the hardest of hearts. Kate and Brad were both caught up in the selection of cuddly bears and other precious animals. Some were quite elaborately dressed, others were just plain furry critters with cute little smiles or pouty little frowns. But as cute as they were, none seemed to stand out. At least, not until Brad found the monkey.

It was a sock monkey, the kind that looked like it was made from a pair of woolen work socks. "Oh my gosh!" Brad exclaimed, "It's Suzie!"

"Suzie?" Kate asked.

"She was my comfort doll," said Brad. "They gave me Suzie when I was a baby, and I wouldn't go to sleep without her."

Brad picked up the monkey, held it close to his nose, and inhaled. "It even smells like Suzie! I can't believe this, I thought I lost her forever!"

Brad became lost in thought. Then, without warning, tears began to creep down his cheeks. "Brad, is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that..." He paused, then continued. "They took her from me. They took Suzie away from me when I was five."

He sobbed a bit before going on. "It was right about when Mom and Dad split up. We lived with Mom, but Dad got us every other Christmas. I was the youngest of four, and the only boy. Dad wanted a very manly son who would play sports and do guy things with him. He freaked out when I brought Suzie with me. He took her away and gave me hell for being a sissy. I cried all night."

Another sob. "That's when Sally was born."

"Sally?" asked Kate.

"My alter ego. I told you about how I used to try on my sisters' things. Whenever I did I called myself Sally. It was right after we returned home from Dad's. I sneaked into my sister Margie's room and put on one of her old party dresses. Then I walked downstairs where Mom and my sisters were and said that I was a girl now and could I please have Suzie back?

"Mom freaked out almost as badly as Dad. She screamed at me that I was a boy and I could go to Hell for wearing a dress. I was spanked and sent to bed.

"Well, that was not the last time I tried a dress on, but I learned to keep it a secret. I never told anybody about it, other than you. And now you know why."

Kate looked at her husband, the strong but gentle man she loved so dearly, and found a new depth of feeling for him.. She hugged him close as if he were a child. "It's all right," she said. "It's fine. Why don't we take the monkey home. And if you want to be Sally for a little while, that's fine too."

"It's not that," said Brad. "I just wish we both could have had Christmas without pain. I just wish we could have some good memories about Christmas as kids."

"Let's make some good memories of our own," Kate replied. "Let's start by buying this sock monkey."

They went up to the counter where Sarge was sipping coffee. "Well, it looks like you found something," she said. "The offer is still open. She's yours for a dollar."

"I'll take her," Brad said. "This monkey brings back a lot of memories."

"It isn't too late you know."

Brad and Kate were puzzled. "Too late for what?" Kate asked.

"To have an old-fashioned Christmas as a family, with Mom and Dad. To go to sleep hugging Suzie and wake up to open presents left under the tree by Santa. To watch your little sister's delight as she discovers the perfect present left just for her by her big sister.

"You see, I knew you were coming. The animals told me, and they usually know what they are talking about. You two both got short-changed as kids. Well there isn't much I can do about the past, but there's a lot I can do to give you both something you need."

There was something convincing and reassuring about the way Sarge spoke, something that kept Kate and Brad from simply dismissing her as a lunatic and running from the store. They would never have believed anyone else who spoke this way. But they listened calmly as Sarge continued.

"This is a very magical place, and it was no accident that you found yourselves here. We run a sort of camp for folks like you, people who need to be children for a little while. You aren't the only ones who need our help. Of course, the camp is closed for the holidays, but some friends of mine would still like to help."

Kate and Brad were suddenly aware of two other persons standing at the counter. One was a tall man with dark brown hair and a short, red beard distinguished by two rather insolent white streaks on either side of his chin. He was dressed in black trousers, a black shirt, and, of all things, a cloak made of raven feathers. He held a strong Blackthorn staff in a manner that suggested authority. The other, a woman with auburn hair, was dressed in a Hunter Green wool skirt, an Aran-patterned fisherman's sweater, and a gray walking cape held with a silver brooch at the neck. Perhaps the most amazing thing was that nobody in the store seemed to think them unusual.

Sarge said, "Let me introduce you to some friends of mine. This handsome fellow is an old Air Force buddy of mine, Bill Smith. Smitty was a test pilot when we met. There's a picture of us over there next to the X-57. The lady is Smitty's lovely wife Molly. By the way, Molly's a witch, and Bill's a druid."

Kate and Brad were silent for a long time, taking in this incredible information. Then Kate spoke up. "You want to help us? How?"

Molly answered, "We want to restore something that was taken from you, something very precious, your childhood."

Bill continued, "You two were never allowed to really enjoy Christmas when you were kids. That's the time when you form your best memories of the holiday, when you go to sleep with dreams of Santa and wake up to find presents under the tree and stockings filled with goodies. It's a time for family to come together and rejoice in the spirit of the Holiday. And it's a time to remember when the Creator took human form, to walk among us as one of us."

Brad said, "So what are you going to do, send us back in time to re-do our lives?"

"Our magic is not that powerful," Molly said. "A life do-over takes a very powerful spell, and cannot be done without a compelling reason. We can't undo the past. But we can give you something for the present."

"What we can give you," said Bill, "is Christmas as a family. A whole family, where you can be a child, and your Mommy and Daddy will care for you."

"This is a lot to take in," said Kate. "I mean, how can you do it? And what exactly will you do?"

"Molly and I will cast a spell. For one week you will be children, and we will be your parents."

"So this is all make-believe? A game?"

"No, it will be very real," said Molly. "When we cast the spell, you will be our children, and we will be your parents. You will have your adult memories, but they will be in the background."

"Will we remember everything?" Brad asked.

"Yes, you will remember everything that happens."

"This sounds crazy," Brad said to Kate after a very long silence.

"Yes, but we might never have this chance again," Kate replied. "Soon we'll have our own kids, and we'll be the Mommy and Daddy. It might be nice to have some memories to help us make Christmas happy for them."

Brad reflected for a minute. "What about our families?" he asked. "What about the people we know? And what about our apartment?"

"All will be taken care of by the spell," Bill assured Brad. "None of your relatives will think anything unusual has happened to you. As for your apartment, it will be safe, protected by a special enchantment."

Kate then asked, "What do we have to do in return? Is there some price for this? Do we have to sign some sort of contract?"

"It's been taken care of," said Bill. "There's no contract signed in blood or selling your soul or any of that sort of horror movie nonsense. Let's just call this a Christmas present from one airman's family to another."

Kate and Brad looked at each other, and nodded. Together they said, "We accept."

Bill grinned. "All right, let's do a little magic." He lifted his staff and held it out straight. Molly grasped the outstretched end. "Now you two grab the staff in the middle."

With all four holding the Blackthorn staff, Molly and Bill began chanting in a language that sounded familiar and alien at the same time. It sounded like Gaelic, but also like Latin, and also like Greek. It was a melodious language that suggested song. And as they chanted, a golden light emanated from the staff, enveloping the four with a warmth that penetrated their being. For an instant there was only the light. Then, it faded.

Katie and Sally stood between their Mommy and Daddy. Sally, five years old with golden hair in a pair of braids held with pretty blue bows, giggled as she held her sock monkey, Suzie. She wore a striped shirt and Dora the Explorer overalls visible through her open coat. Katie, her big sister, was a bit more sophisticated with her Hannah Montana top and her jeans. Sally was holding her Mommy's hand. Mommy was wearing Capri pants with a teal top and her purple parka that Katie always thought looked really neat.

Daddy asked, "Did you girls find anything you like?" Daddy was wearing his blue jeans with a Henley shirt and his leather Air Force jacket.

"We found Thomas the Tank Engine," Sally said. "Can we get him, Daddy, please?"

"Well, we're on our way to see Santa," Daddy said. "Why don't you ask him and maybe he can bring it tomorrow night?" He winked a conspiratorial wink at Katie, who winked back.

Mommy said, "Why don't I take Sally over to visit Santa, Bill? Then you can look around the store a bit. We'll meet you over at the food court."

"Good idea," Daddy said. "Then we can go to the tree farm and get our Christmas tree."

"Can we put it up tonight?" asked Katie.

"We sure can, Princess," Daddy said.

"And then can we put up the Nativity set?"

"What would Christmas be without the Baby Jesus? Of course we can."

"Yay! I love Christmas, and I love you too, Daddy."

"And what about me?" asked Mommy.

"I love you too, Mommy."

"Me, too," Sally chimed in. "And I love my big sister Katie and Daddy."

"All right, girls," Mommy said, "let's all go see Santa."

Molly and the girls all exited to the Mall. Bill looked over at Sarge and asked, "So can you wrap up one of those Thomas the Tank Engine sets?"

"Sure thing, 'Santa,'" Sarge said. "And Smitty, thanks a bunch."

"No, Sarge, thank YOU." Smith paid for the train set and then headed for his car to hide the trains in the trunk. Sally and Katie would both be very happy on Christmas morning.

As Sarge stood behind the counter, her husband Mike came by and rubbed her back. "That's a nice thing Smitty and Molly are doing," he said.

"Well, Molly and Smitty are getting something out of it as well."

"Oh?"

"Yep. They don't have any kids of their own. Why they never had kids is their own business, and they seem plenty happy with the situation, so I don't pry. But sometimes they must wonder whit it would have been like to wake up on Christmas morning and watch their kids open their presents. So this is a win-win for everybody. Brad and Katie get the Christmas they never had as kids, and Molly and Bill get the Christmas they never had as parents."

Mike patted Sarge's belly, large with their own first child. "We'll find out how that feels next year after Junior arrives."

"Yeah, well the way he's kicking today, I think the first thing we ought to get him is a football. This kid has a great future as a place kicker."

They laughed, then smiled, and kissed each other. Then Sarge poured herself another cup of decaf and went over to help a young boy find a particular model car he was looking for. Mike turned to help a man select a plush for his granddaughter. This was indeed a busy time at the Bear Market.

  

© 2007 Valentina Michelle Smith

  

  

  

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© 2007 by Valentina Michelle Smith. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of StorySite and the copyright holder.