Scarecrow and Mrs. King
"Christmas Past"
Written by Anne Riener
December 2008
"Christmas Past"
Written by Anne Riener
December 2008
The final chords of a Bing Crosby Christmas song played on a record player in the living room. The music ended softly and the needle skipped on the vinyl unnoticed. A grandfather clock in the corner of the room ticked away. The whole house smelled of gingerbread, vanilla, and pine, and bright red candles burned on the fireplace mantle. Shiny ornaments hung on the tree, while fresh pine needles fell on the brightly wrapped packages which lay underneath. A small boy sat on a sofa in his grandmother’s house staring out the window, he watched the snowflakes slowly drift to the ground. Heaving a heavy sigh, he sank back further into the sofa, feeling a dull ache in the pit of his stomach. He could hear his grandmother on the telephone in the kitchen, "I wish I knew what to do for the boy. He seems so sad—"
The boy turned to his attention back to watching the snowfall, no longer interested in his grandmother's conversation. Outside the weather was getting colder and he shivered.
Marie had just finished making eggnog. Then putting a pumpkin pie into the oven, she pulled off her festive patterned apron with winter berries, holly, and mistletoe and hung it on the hook behind the kitchen door. Leaving the kitchen, she saw her grandson sitting on the sofa in front of the bay window. She crossed over to him, sat down, and placed her hand on the knee. "Lee, what's wrong?" she asked, trying to hand him a candy cane. Lee appeared to not have heard nor seen her. He was too engrossed in the falling snow. She gave up, and put the candy back into her pocket. Then she turned her attention to the winter scene outside the window as well.
The moonlight reflected off the snow covered streets, while the trees and shrubs were buried under a wintry blanket. Everything was quiet—maybe too quiet.
Looking over at him, she whispered, "It's beautiful outside."
He nodded. "Yes," he finally replied, breaking the stillness.
"It's Christmas Eve. Any idea which present you're going to unwrap first?" she asked him.
He looked up at her and shook his head.
"Me either." She then unfolded an afghan from the back of the sofa and covered them both. He snuggled up to her. "Lee, I know you're lonely, but things will get better, you'll see." She kissed the top of his head. "How about you come into the kitchen and help me make some cookies?"
Lee grabbed his grandmother's hand and after they both stood up, she led him into the kitchen.
Lee sat on his knees on a chair at the kitchen table, mixing a bowl of cookie dough. After his grandmother opened a bag of chocolate chips, he poured them into the mix, and continued to stir the dough. Then his grandmother lay a cookie sheet down in front of him. "Now only a spoonful will do it." He scooped up a heaping spoon of dough placing it on the pan. "That a boy, Lee. Keep doing it like that.” She then walked over to the oven to check on the pie.
A gust of wind blew through the kitchen as the front door opened. "Daddy's home," Lee heard a male voice say. He turned around to see his mom and dad enter the living room. Hopping off the chair, he ran over to his dad, who tossed him into the air. Lee squealed with delight.
His grandmother came into the living room. Taking Jennie's coat, she brushed off the snow. "I'm so glad you were able to make it home for Christmas. Lee has been lonely without you."
"I missed you, Daddy," Lee said, wrapping his arms tightly around his dad's neck.
"I missed you too, Buddy, and I hope we're never separated on Christmas again."
“I sincerely hope you mean that, Matthew," Marie scolded him. "I think it's time you and Jennie think of retiring—for Lee's sake. He misses you two when you are gone." She gave him a stern look.
"Mother, that's emotional blackmail.” Matthew ran his hand through his hair, glancing sideways at Jennie, before turning his attention back to her.
"We'll talk about it, okay?"
"That's all I ask." She patted his cheek, then heading off toward the dining room, she called out, "Now, who's ready for dinner?"
Matthew, still carrying Lee, smiled as he put his arm around his wife's shoulder and they all followed Grandma into the dining room for Christmas Eve dinner.
The boy turned to his attention back to watching the snowfall, no longer interested in his grandmother's conversation. Outside the weather was getting colder and he shivered.
Marie had just finished making eggnog. Then putting a pumpkin pie into the oven, she pulled off her festive patterned apron with winter berries, holly, and mistletoe and hung it on the hook behind the kitchen door. Leaving the kitchen, she saw her grandson sitting on the sofa in front of the bay window. She crossed over to him, sat down, and placed her hand on the knee. "Lee, what's wrong?" she asked, trying to hand him a candy cane. Lee appeared to not have heard nor seen her. He was too engrossed in the falling snow. She gave up, and put the candy back into her pocket. Then she turned her attention to the winter scene outside the window as well.
The moonlight reflected off the snow covered streets, while the trees and shrubs were buried under a wintry blanket. Everything was quiet—maybe too quiet.
Looking over at him, she whispered, "It's beautiful outside."
He nodded. "Yes," he finally replied, breaking the stillness.
"It's Christmas Eve. Any idea which present you're going to unwrap first?" she asked him.
He looked up at her and shook his head.
"Me either." She then unfolded an afghan from the back of the sofa and covered them both. He snuggled up to her. "Lee, I know you're lonely, but things will get better, you'll see." She kissed the top of his head. "How about you come into the kitchen and help me make some cookies?"
Lee grabbed his grandmother's hand and after they both stood up, she led him into the kitchen.
Lee sat on his knees on a chair at the kitchen table, mixing a bowl of cookie dough. After his grandmother opened a bag of chocolate chips, he poured them into the mix, and continued to stir the dough. Then his grandmother lay a cookie sheet down in front of him. "Now only a spoonful will do it." He scooped up a heaping spoon of dough placing it on the pan. "That a boy, Lee. Keep doing it like that.” She then walked over to the oven to check on the pie.
A gust of wind blew through the kitchen as the front door opened. "Daddy's home," Lee heard a male voice say. He turned around to see his mom and dad enter the living room. Hopping off the chair, he ran over to his dad, who tossed him into the air. Lee squealed with delight.
His grandmother came into the living room. Taking Jennie's coat, she brushed off the snow. "I'm so glad you were able to make it home for Christmas. Lee has been lonely without you."
"I missed you, Daddy," Lee said, wrapping his arms tightly around his dad's neck.
"I missed you too, Buddy, and I hope we're never separated on Christmas again."
“I sincerely hope you mean that, Matthew," Marie scolded him. "I think it's time you and Jennie think of retiring—for Lee's sake. He misses you two when you are gone." She gave him a stern look.
"Mother, that's emotional blackmail.” Matthew ran his hand through his hair, glancing sideways at Jennie, before turning his attention back to her.
"We'll talk about it, okay?"
"That's all I ask." She patted his cheek, then heading off toward the dining room, she called out, "Now, who's ready for dinner?"
Matthew, still carrying Lee, smiled as he put his arm around his wife's shoulder and they all followed Grandma into the dining room for Christmas Eve dinner.
