It wasn’t much warmer inside the dark and seemingly empty house. You’d think a wealthy man such as Mr. Scrooge would have fancy furnishings and expensive artwork adorning his home, but of course anyone who’s read the Dickens story would know that this wealthy man did not like to part with one cent of his money. And so he lived like a pauper. How many people had no choice but to live this way and could only dream of a better life and here was someone who had every opportunity to live comfortably, but denied himself that luxury. The irony.
Up the stairs we went, Scrooge leading the way with a lit candle. The large room we entered at the top was more like an apartment or suite, with a sitting room and fireplace and a bedroom through another doorway. If it sounds cozy, it wasn’t! But at least I could sit near the fireplace and warm up a bit.
In spite of the fact he had company, Scrooge stepped out of the room to change into his nightclothes, robe and sleeping cap. He placed a tin of soup over the fire for a few minutes and then poured the steaming broth into small bowl. As I watched him do this I realized seeing him do this in the movies time and again growing up is what had given me the idea later in life to sometimes have a bowl of hot soup as a bedtime snack on cold winter nights. Ebeneezer Scrooge – my inspiration!
He took his soup quickly, before it could turn cold. I would have loved if he’d shared some with me, cold as I was and a bit hungry, too, but I knew better than to expect that kind of thoughtfulness from him. Besides, Marley was due any moment and so the soup was about to be thrown into the fireplace!
Just then we heard a noise. Scrooge was startled and looked up from his soup. Then that sound of dragging chains. Scrooge was clearly frightened now and looked at me as if I were somehow the cause of all this.
“Don’t look at me, Ebby, Charles Dickins thought of this one!” He was too scared to question what I’d said.
Then bells started ringing loudly and Scrooge ran to the door and threw all five locks in an effort to keep the intruder out. Of course I knew this would not work! Then it happened! Each lock Scrooge had just thrown came unlocked again, all by themselves, or so it seemed. The door flew open and there stood a ghost of a man – Jacob Marley! Scrooge hollered in terror and there went the soup! He was shaking with fear as the see-through Marley came closer.
And so the scene went as expected – Marley explaining the long chain and why he had come to warn and help Scrooge and about the three spirits who were to come during the night. After Marley left, Scrooge tried to deny what he saw again. “Bah! Humbug!” he said.
It was midnight and I was getting very sleepy. Since Ebeneezer was not tired at all, or so he said (I think he was just plain scared out of his wits!) – he said he would be staying up and I could feel free to sleep in the bedroom if I wished. If he got tired, he said he’d be comfortable on the couch. I was surprised at his kindness. Taking note of my reaction and reading my thoughts, he said, “I may be stingy, but I AM a gentleman”. This guy had a heart, he really did. And the three spirits hadn’t even visited him yet!
I thanked him and said goodnight as I headed toward the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. It was kind of creepy! But I loved that I was going to get to sleep in the great big bed with the famous bed curtains!! I found a spare set of nightclothes and climbed into the bed, closing the bed curtains around me. Comfy cozy! It wasn’t long before I was fast asleep.
As the clock chimed one o’clock, I was jolted awake. Oddly, the bed curtains were opened again. I nearly screamed when I saw someone standing nearby. A ghost! Not a scary-looking one, but a ghost all the same. Oh no, I thought. This is supposed to happen to Ebby, not me! But obviously it was becoming my adventure too. This was going to be a long night!
The Spirit of Christmas Past led me out of the window and we were flying! We landed on Brummitt Lane, the street where I grew up. We were looking through the living room window. The house was dark, all were asleep. Or were they? Out came a little girl tip-toeing into the room. It was me! I was maybe 7 years old. Oh, this was really weird, like being in Back to the Future or something and seeing yourself!
“Oh, I remember this!” I exclaimed. “I wasn’t sneaking out to see my gifts under the tree, I was trying to find out where that awful sound was coming from. Do you hear it?”
The Spirit merely nodded, knowingly, as the strange sound like spinning wheels filled the house. I watched myself discover one of my gifts – a baby buggy for my dolls that I had wanted. Was it those wheels spinning I wondered? No, they were still. I kept walking, trying to follow the sound. It led me to just outside my parents’ bedroom door. I almost laughed. It was my dad snoring!! Relieved that there was no weird thing going on in the house, I went back to bed, excited about my baby buggy, but a little sad that I’d spoiled my own surprise.
The Spirit and I had a good laugh and then moved on. This time we were outside Grandma Klein’s house, looking into the dining room where the Bennetts, Kleins and Rodgers clans all gathered around the beautifully set festive table filled with all sorts of wonderful food. Grandma’s good cooking, of course! There were Grandma and Grandpa Rodgers. Oh, so long ago. And Grandma and Grandpa Klein, too. Mom and Dad, my brothers Steve and Chris and me. The clinking of silverware and glasses, the chatter and laughter of everyone enjoying the meal, each other’s company and the special day. Oh, how I’ve missed all this!
The scene changed to a few hours later as my brothers and me had our sleds and were having great fun sliding down the hill on the side of Grandma’s house! Those were the days! If only I could really relive them instead of merely watching them, but then again, most people couldn’t even do this much, so I had to be content.
Moving on again, we were now standing inside of our old apartment at Lakeside. I was a grown-up now and was up before the kids Christmas morning turning on the Christmas tree lights and drinking a cup of coffee. Then I went over to the white stereo, opened the lid and turned on the turn-table, placing the needle down on John Denver and the Muppets’ “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. This song was the signal for the kids who were eagerly waiting, to emerge from their rooms and start searching for where Santa had hidden their stockings. This was our tradition. And here they came, half running, half dancing out of their rooms! Oh, look how little and cute they all are! One by one they found their hidden stockings and started tearing into them, finding all sorts of treasures! Then onto the presents and shouts of glee as each one was opened!
Skipping ahead a few hours, we all were seated at our table for Christmas Dinner. Mom and Dad were there, too. A wonderful ham, tons of mashed potatoes and gravy, of course our “Grandma Beans”, corn, yams & rolls. Cake awaited us if we still had more room afterwards! We may have only had a humble and small apartment, but our meal was a feast and the family time was the best!
I suddenly found myself back in my room – or Scrooge’s room. Just as I snuggled back down under the covers hoping for a little sleep, the clock chimed two! The room lit up like it was on fire.
“Oh great, here comes the next ghost!” I mumbled. Then I heard loud laughter coming from the other room and thought I might as well go out there and get it over with! Yep, it was him, the Spirit of Christmas Present. What would he have to show me, I wondered and wasn’t this supposed to be Ebby’s experience? Where was he, anyway?.
Soon, we were on our way! First stop was the home of Donald Trump! Well, Penthouse Suite, actually, at Trump Tower in New York. This place was bigger than all the homes or apartments I’d ever lived in – put together! Fancy, plush furniture and expensive paintings. A grand view of the city and a table set for a king! Family and friends were at the table as servants served the food, one course at a time. Everyone was dressed elegantly and manners were impeccable. The Trumps’ new baby was not to be seen. Rather, a nanny cared for the child in another part of the penthouse.
“What do you notice?” the Spirit asked me.<
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“Well, they have everything money can buy and a beautiful home. No one’s going to go hungry here, that’s for sure. But what I notice most is that there is no warm, cozy feeling here. No holiday cheer. It’s rather cold and impersonal. And why isn’t the baby at the table in a high chair, welcome to share the meal with all the others? She should be the main attraction, I’d think! Christmas is for children, after all, more than anyone. People are stiff and polite – not relaxed. There are no funny family stories being told or jokes or laughter. This is sad, I think.”
There seemed to be some commotion going on in the kitchen. People yelling. We looked a little closer to see what was going on. Apparently one of the servers accidentally poured too much water in one of the guests’ glasses and it spilled over onto the tablecloth making a mess and marring the perfect table setting. Mr. Trump was really letting her have it. His face was red with anger and pointing his finger in her face he yelled, “You’re fired!” The poor woman fled the apartment in tears.
I looked at the Spirit and said, “I think maybe this guy is who needs to be visited by three ghosts”. The Spirit nodded in agreement. We went on.
“Where are we now?” I asked, but soon I figured it out. We were at Bill Gates’ house! It was a grand home, every bit as nice or even nicer than the Trump home, but the atmosphere was different. Warmer and friendlier (user-friendly? Lol) There were children and lots of people gathered together, dressed nice, but yet casual and festive. Smells of good food filled the house, as did laughter, games, and music. And no servers (ha ha). Bill and his wife had prepared most of the meal together and other family members brought their favorite side dishes. The cooks and maids all had been given the entire week off – with pay -- for the holidays so they could be with their families, along with a generous Christmas bonus to show his appreciation for all their wonderful work throughout the year.
“Why so different?” I asked the Spirit. “Both these guys are rich.”
The Spirit answered me: “Yes, they both are rich, just like Ebeneezer Scrooge. Donald rather flaunts his riches and is also power-hungry. He cared more about his dinner party going perfectly than about humiliating that hard-working young lady who had to work on Christmas instead of being with her children. Bill, on the other hand was thoughtful enough to give his servants not only the day off, but a whole week .. WITH pay! And a bonus! He showed them respect, appreciation and consideration of their need to spend time with their families, just as he wanted to do. Kindness makes all the difference in the world.
You might say that Donald Trump is sort of like Scrooge BEFORE the three spirits changed his heart and Bill Gates is Scrooge AFTERWARDS.
Onto the next house. It was the home of Pat, a lady I knew from work. It was to be her first Christmas since her husband Billy died. Not an easy day, of course, but she had family around her and together they got through.
The scenes of Christmas were flying by me so fast now, it was like a slide show or video montage. I saw people gathered together on Christmas Eve in church, singing Silent Night and lighting candles. I saw people at a homeless shelter being served food and given some small gifts from the community. I saw people wandering the streets with no warm clothes shivering, lonely and hungry. I saw happy middle class homes, decorated and warm with plenty of food and laughter and lonely homes without a Christmas tree or loved ones or a feast. I saw families sharing a quiet dinner together, all of them feeling the absence of a son or brother or husband far away in Iraq and trying to keep a brave face and enjoy what they could of the holiday.
So many different kinds of homes, so many different situations. Some happy, some lonely. Some warm and filled with good things, some empty and cold. Most were somewhere in between. But Christmas wasn’t about how much you had or whether life was easy or hard, it was about how God came to earth to save everyone and whether rich or poor, we all need Him.
Suddenly the slide show went black and I found myself alone on a cold wintery street. Turning around I saw an ominous figure. Oh boy, I thought. Here’s the scary one. Remembering that Scrooge did not get any good news from this spirit, I cringed, wondering what was in store for me. As I stood there shaking more from fear than the cold, the dark, hooded figure pointed his skeletal fingers and I knew I was meant to go in the direction he pointed. I complied and walked on.
I found myself in a strange futuristic world, living in what looked more like a space station than a house. I was old, maybe 80-ish. Completely gray. My neighbor on one side was Captain Kirk – his house looked like the Starship Enterprise. On the other side was Marty McFly, with that famous DeLorean car parked in the driveway! Walking down the street past my house was a little boy dropping Reese’s Pieces behind him as E.T. followed him saying “Ell—i—ot, Ell—i—ot”! Wow, so this was the future!
There were no Christmas lights anywhere. I learned Christmas had been outlawed, since it offended atheists. Neither could Jews celebrate Hanukkah for the same reason. Not even a “holiday” tree was allowed. No carols, no candlelight services. What had the world come to? Not anyplace I wanted to live, that was for sure. This was what becomes of a world that keeps removing any thought of God from people’s consciences. It was void of love and warmth. Like a colorful world gone black and white – or as gray as my hair!! How could I get out of here, I desperately wondered. I realized I wasn’t watching this scenario as I had with the other Spirits. I was actually there! I turned to ask the Spirit to take me home, but he was gone. Oh no! I was lost! Stuck in this horrible, ugly future world!
I hung my head in despair when out of the corner of my eye I spotted none other than Marty McFly heading out to his DeLorean. A time machine! That’s the ticket! Off I ran asking him to wait for me.
He stopped, confused at my hysteria! “Take me with you!” I pleaded.
“Where?” he asked.
“Anywhere, but here!” I answered as I slid into the passenger seat.
He got into the driver seat, still confused, but started the engine. After backing out of the drive and onto the street, he merely started driving around, not knowing where to go. I looked at him like he was nuts. He must have thought the same thing about me!
“Come on!” I shouted. “Make this thing fly! Take me back to the past!”
His eyes got big. “W-what makes you think it can do that?” he demanded to know.
“Marty, I know this is a time machine. Everyone knows that!”
“Everyone?” he asked in disbelief. His secret was out, he realized.
“Well? Let’s go!” I said impatiently.
“Sorry, but I can’t help you” he said.
“What? Why not?” I answered in panic.
“Well, because this machine is broken until Doc gets back from wherever he and his bride went on their honeymoon and can fix it.”
Then I remembered. Doc had made a new time machine out of a train and had gotten married. “What am I going to do?”
Pulling back into his own driveway, he pointed to my other neighbor’s house and said, “Why don’t you ask Captain Kirk? He might have a way to help you”.
“Well it’s worth a try, I guess”. I thanked Marty for his help and jumped out of the car.
Knocking on the entrance to the Starship Enterprise-looking house, I waited. The door, or hatch rather, opened with no one greeting me from the other side, so I just stepped aboard. I followed the curving hallway until it led me to what appeared to be a replica of the Enterprise’s “Bridge”, or command center … steering room … whatever. There was Spock sitting at a console and Uhura and Sulu! Then I heard the sound of the doors opening and shutting and turned around. It was Kirk, himself. He walked over to me and welcomed me aboard the Starship Enterprise and asked what he could do for me.
“I want to go home” I cried, sounding a bit like Dorothy Gale trying to get back to Kansas.
“I think we can handl
e that” Kirk replied. He told me to quickly find a seat and strap in as he took his famous Captain’s chair. Pushing a button on the arm of his seat, I heard him say, “Scotty, take us out”.
“Ay-ay, Captain” came the familiar Scottish-sounding reply.
This was really a ship, I was realizing, not a replica. His home WAS the ship!
We had just started to lift off the ground when Kirk spoke up. “Wait a minute, Scotty.”
“What is it, Captain?”
“There’s a man ….on the wing!”
“What’s that, sir?” Scotty asked.
“There’s a man …on the wing!” he shouted even louder. He said it over and over again, as if deranged.
“Captain”, Spock spoke up. “We have no wing!”
“Nevertheless … he’s there. I’m … sorry, miss.. whoever you are … I’m afraid we cannot accommodate your mission. We have a situation.”
“First Marty couldn’t help me, now you can’t either. What am I to do now?” I asked to anyone who might have a clue.
Sulu turned around and said, “Captain, we’re getting a strange transmission.”
“Bring it up onscreen, Sulu”, Kirk commanded.