Chapter Eleven
The sun peaked into the farm house as if to say,
“Wake up, all of you. It is Christmas day. You kids in there, awaken your parents. Smile and giggle. Run around excited. Do not let those older people lie around in bed and then try to eat before the big moment. Let that wait.”
Mark and Mary ran all over opening doors and shaking the grown-ups, including Matt. They slid around on their wool socks and brought instant coffee and toast, that was burnt at the edges, to everyone.
“Now you eat and get down stairs.” they commanded to each recipient.
And, everyone followed their orders. Soon the Henley family was gathered round the fancy tree. Not being familiar with this family routine, Luke was the last to arrive. Then they drew straws from Herman’s big hand. Matt got the short one
“Dad, this is more for kids.”
“Well, you don’t have that many years till you’re away from home. This is one of the last chances at a Henley tradition.”
Matt moved slowly to the pile of gifts and picked one from the bottom.
“Ah! Here’s one for you, Mom.”
Michelle reached over and took hold. Then she peeled it as if relieving a grape of its skin.
“C’mon mom, not so slow.”
Mark squirmed looking for one with his name on it while Michelle exclaimed,
“Oh, uncle Herb got me such a nice wool sweater.”
The gift opening process went on for the Henley family until nothing seemed left. Luke had watched while not saying a word and then all eyes went to him. He felt left out and felt embarrassed. There were no gifts for him and he none for the Henley’s,
“I don’t need a gift from you. This time with you all has been a wonderful gift.”
Herman turned and pulled a deep-green paper wrapped box from behind his back.
“Luke, we did get you one and I think you will appreciate it.”
Luke took it and took great care as he undid the bow and taped edges. His eyes widened, when he looked inside to what was a peculiar Christmas ornament. It was red and like the ones on his tree.
Herman chuckled,
“Luke, it fell off Dad’s tree and we kept it for some special occasion. Now it’s yours.”
Luke held it up for all to see,
“I’m putting this into a plastic box and preserve it.”
Matt jumped into the conversation, “Dad! There’s one more gift for Luke.”
He passed it to Luke. Michelle and Herman exchanged surprised looks. Luke shook it and a “Boing” sound came from inside, much to Mark’s amusement. Just then the front door bell rang. Only Luke looked up to the doorway. The others were still fixed upon this mystery box.
“O.K. Luke! I’ll bet that’s for you.” as Herman smiled.
Mary chuckled and ran off to answer the ringing at the door. In a minute, she returned with an even bigger smile on her face while holding the hand of a petite woman with wavy, long, black hair. They stood at the living room threshold as if posing. The stranger wore a black leather jacket, short red skirt and green dress boots. Mouths dropped. Matt looked her over. This woman was not like his Country Gal, Stella. This Gal had olive skin, black eyes, kissy lips and a Roman nose that looked quite noble. Luke felt proud. “Angie” he blurted out.
“I didn’t expect you till afternoon.” Luke faltered and, “Oh, yes, this is the great family I told you about last night.”
He introduced each member while Mary led Angie around to each person in this Christmas scene. Herman stood up like a gentleman and shook her hand. Her small hand was lost in the farmer’s big mitt. Michelle motioned her to sit down. Matt started doing a star-struck teenager distancing as Angie sat down next to him.
There was a questioning silence that hung as a backdrop to the chit-chat that followed: asking about her drive down, the weather, ‘so glad you could make it’, etc. Maybe it was the olive skin and black wavy hair and those high green boots or the intrigue of two people who were once in love and maybe, still in love. Angie placed herself across from Luke and took careful choreographed looks towards him, frowning and smiling with her eyes.
“Sorry, we already opened all the gifts, but we can share breakfast as a Christmas gift” said as Herman finished his last piece of toast.
Just then Matt exclaimed,
“Dad, there seems to be some unopened gifts behind the sofa over here.”
Matt pushed them over to the tree and announced,
“There’s one here for the whole family. It says, ‘to the Henley’s’.”
“You open it son.” Herman reclined onto the floor.
Matt hurriedly attacked it like someone half his age. The opened paper revealed a green box woven of pine branches.”
“Pull off the top!” yelled Mark.
Matt looked inside and his face took on a childish expression,
“Dad! It’s beautiful. Inside this pine woven box are three dark red balls. They look like burned coal or something. You look Mom.”
Michelle slid over to Matt and looked inside. “Herman! It’s the tree.”
A watery quality came over her eyes. Mark and Mary ran over, looked inside and then ran like bullets upstairs.
“Say, Luke you still haven’t opened yours. The one just before your friend came.” Luke hesitated and fear crept over his face. Angie looked on with great curiosity.
“O.K. I’ll open it if you want.” Angie moved through the Christmas debris of opened gifts and sat next to Luke. Then, they both started to remove the wrapping. Angie, ignorant of the recent history of the tree let out a cry,
“Wow! Neat. It’s a star with crooked points on it. This reminds me of a small meteorite that landed in my cousin’s back yard, but this is much prettier and bigger.”
She noticed a card inside and read it slowly,
“It says, ‘To Luke and . . .’ she stopped and looked at Luke. “. . and to Angie the visitor.”
Angie fell backwards with laughter. Then she arose and looked at Michelle. “C’mon, you guys did this for me and Luke, right?”
Michelle shrugged her shoulders and looked at Herman who repeated her movement.
Just then, Mark and Mary returned from upstairs. Mark was out of breath but spoke,
“Dad! Mom! It’s gone! It’s not in grandpa’s room.”
Luke shot up like a rocket and Herman grabbed his arm,
“Sit down Luke. This happened to grandpa’s tree and we never got gifts from that tree like these and don’t ask me where your tree is.”
Luke sank to the floor, cupped his chin in his hands and stared out somewhere.
Matt got up and while rubbing his stomach asked, “So, where’s breakfast. I’ll even help, Mom.”
Michelle’s mouth dropped. She rose and led Matt toward the kitchen with both her hands guiding him by his shoulders. She stopped at the door, without looking back, motioned with an arm for the others to follow her and Matt.
“O.K. guys let’s all make a big pancake for Luke and Angie.”
Then, quiet filled the once chaotic living room. They sat amongst all the Christmas wrappings and gifts. Angie looked at Luke and wondered about his mysterious disappointment about a tree. In time, Luke broke his silence and told her all the events since that evenings searching for a Christmas tree and his finding the special one in the tree lot. Angie liked the story and saw something different in Luke’s face. He seemed more alive even in his funk over the missing tree. She wished that they could have shared that night ride through the country. She responded,
“I had a feeling this holiday was going to be something special. I didn’t know why, but even the divorce papers could not shake that belief.”
Luke moved over to her and they held hands. Angie looked away for a moment collecting her thoughts about him and wondering if she should open herself up. After all, Luke had closed her out of his life. And that family of his, they had been cruel. She looked back his way and decided to at least enjoy this wonderful co
untry Christmas with the Henley’s.
Luke remembered breakfast was in progress. He took her hand and they both arose while he proposed,
“Let’s enjoy a filling breakfast and enjoy Christmas.”
At the table sat the expanded family. Herman filled his large frame with food, Michelle was being the gracious hostess, Mark and Mary somberly played with their food and Matt secretly eyed both Angie and Luke. He saw a possible picture of him and Stella.
Mark spoke up “Mom, where is Mary’s tree? She really liked it a lot.”
“Both of you have seen two trees like that and maybe there will be another one next year. Maybe you two can write letters to Luke and see if he comes across another one.”
Soon Mark and Mary were eating with gusto and looked Luke’s way. They seemed over their sadness.
In time, the dishes were cleaned, all orchestrated by Matt. It was 1:30 pm and the winter sun already felt dimmed a bit.
Herman, with drying cloth in hand, started toward the living room door.
“I’m tired and going for a short snooze.’ He snapped Michelle’s backside with the wet towel and she grabbed the free end and they both exited. Mark and Mary with the excitement of no chores, ran out, gathered their Christmas booty and went upstairs to play.
Matt dried the last pan and turned to the couple as he exited the kitchen,
“The folks said I could drive over to Stella’s for Christmas cookies.”
Then Luke and Angie were alone. “Angie, do you think they are always leaving us alone on purpose?”
“I hope not. That’s such an old corny routine, but out here maybe that’s their way.”
Luke without thinking, grabbed the other wet towel and snapped Angie’s behind,
“Luke! You should have done that two years ago. But, now we’re divorced and for some good reasons.”
Luke looked away,
“Yeah, this does seem dumb. Maybe phoning you was being Country Corny?”
Angie looked out the kitchen window over the sink. Then Angie’s voice bounced off the window
“Luke, I’d like to get out and see more of this area in daylight. You drive. I just spent 3 hours driving down here.”
Luke found some paper and a pen in his pockets and made a note for the family, saying they would be back by 3:30 pm. Angie attached it to the refrigerator door with an unused turtle shaped magnet.
The sun had been doing its best to melt the surface snow. It crunched under their feet and soon under the tires as they drove. The snow had blue tinge from the beautiful clear sky above them. Luke’s car started right up.
“Herman must have done something to it.” as he looked down at the floor to a cardboard box emptied of its spark plugs.
“Luke, you never did have a mind for cars. Not even simple maintenance.” He felt that curl again.
They made their way on roads now cleared by the strong sun and ambled up and down county roads, but this time in daylight. Shortly, Luke turned off to a gravel one and down a line of trees. This driver was always drawn to the mystery of those lines. Just as on that night ride before. The car stopped and the driver’s door swung open.
“Luke! It’s cold out here. Get back in.”
Angie sat for a moment, shrugged, buttoned her collar, got out, and stomped her feet in the snow to make some warmth or maybe express some frustration.
“Oh well. Now I have a chance to walk a cold country road with a member of the men’s towel snapping fraternity.”
Luke led the way till he had one foot into the row of trees and then felt a chill.
She casually walked past him into the line of trees and bumped him into a remembrance of that night ride while floating about that mysterious world,
“Stop, Angie!” It’s that river. I’m sure of it!”
“What river?”
“It’s a long tale even I may not understand. Something I did not tell you back at the house.”
Angie stepped further into the trees. After a few steps she saw a river, a good sized one. Maybe a city block wide rushing through its deep trail in the landscape. Both of them heard the rushing of water deep in the earth. Luke mumbled, “Not so scary in the daylight.”
“Say, Luke. Isn’t that the Henley’s barn a mile, maybe, beyond this river?”
“You’re right honey. Maybe a mile away.”
They stood there listening to the quiet of the windless winter cold. Everything seemed locked away in the frozen land except the free spirit of the nearby moving water, happily gurgling away.
“I wonder where this river goes Luke.
“We could follow it. I saw some canoes in the barn two days back. We could ride it in the springtime. I’m not much on whitewater, but this river may not be difficult.”
Angie turned and looked Luke in the eyes. “What is this, ‘we’ part and the ‘honey’ a minute ago? I think we need to talk. I am not just going to shake off the recent past so easily.”
Luke looked away for a second.
“You’re right Angie. Maybe I need to know what I want here.”
Angie moved her head in agreement. In a few minutes the cold began to sink in, despite the best efforts of the sun and they quickly returned to the car. In a minute the stored engine heat rushed out of the vents and the car maneuvered back out of the dead end road. The car seemed to hesitate as if being of two minds today instead of the usual one mind. Finally it made a right turn onto the paved road and continued to follow the river.
Inside, Luke gave Angie the remaining bits of his adventures since finding the tree. She listened to the story of ‘grandpa’ with smiles of disbelief.
“Angie! It is all true. Darn the tree seems to be gone but the family is not, and neither am I. God! I would never tell the folks. They would say I had finally warped my mind. He looked over at her just as she looked away to the cold landscape outside.
“I’m sorry Angie. But, well, you know what they think of you.”
“Yeah. I write poetry and perform Modern Dance.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and shook herself. Luke stared ahead. “Say there is the river again and a small dam too.”
The road sank down to meet the river bank. The car crept along this stretch of real river road. Two sets of eyes watched the water rage over the man-made obstacle. All that pent up energy released from the smoothness upstream to the rough, free, swirling, foaming dance downstream.
The car stopped.
“Damn it Luke! What is going on here? You act as if the divorce and all before it never happened.” Luke sat fiddling with the steering wheel.
“I do not understand either. I remember lying under the tree watching the night sky. It seemed to be asking where it came from. At least that is my sense of it. The tree was just a tree. But, it is special and it wanted to know its purpose and why it was special.”
Angie was quiet and stared out her window.
“It is hard to explain. I love that tree. And yet I never let on, not even to myself. And the Henley’s loved ‘grandpa’s tree’ but they do not seem attached to it. They just enjoyed. The little ones seemed to be attached to it though.”
Angie tapped her side window and sighed a large fog onto the surface,
“I’d like to meet this tree.”
She drew a kid’s version of a Christmas tree in her window fog.
Luke looked out his side window,
“Yeah, I wish it was here. You would love it, Angie.”
“Well, sometimes we don’t know what we have until we lose it, do we Luke.”
She tugged at his coat sleeve teasingly.
“Darn, Angie. I have felt nothing but guilt for the last year. There I was letting an unborn child go and letting you go.”
“Luke, I know that guilt about our-ah-potential little one.”
She returned to her foggy window and doodled on it.
Luke spat out,
“Guilt sucks! I am fed up with it. It is like wearing gold handcuffs. They never rust away w
ith time and they somehow seem so noble.”
“How about the loss Luke! You ever feel that!” her voice bounced off her window back to Luke’s ears.
The car made its way back to the farm at 3:00PM. The lights were already on for the winter dusk and the big tree was bright. There was a light in grandpa’s window. Then Herman started waving to the car as he made his way to the barn.
“Angie, I am sorry for all that happened. This family is like a warm hand on my chest melting away the shell of guilt into a soft feel of sorrow.”
Angie stared at him with her mouth open wide.
“Darn Luke. When did you start expressing yourself like a poet?”
“I have been reading Rod McKuen and Robert Frost. Hope I did not plagiarize anything.”
“Whatever it is, I like it. I mean, I like you saying it.”