On Christmas Eve
November 2024
He stood in the doorway and surveyed all that was no longer before him. It was Christmas Eve and the thieves had taken everything that was not nailed down. The police had come and gone. Their insurance company had been notified. His wife had taken the kids to her parents house for now, to keep them away from the gloom this nothingness would cast over them. He walked quietly to the window at the rear of the house looking out past the deck to where the water lay lapping at the shore. “At least they didn’t take that,” he mused to himself.
While he had given some thought towards solving the issues they faced, his most immediate concern was his kids. They had seen the tree with the decorations carefully laid out and the presents thoughtfully displayed beneath it. Their energy at Christmas was overwhelming. You could almost touch their excitement when they had decorated the tree and placed the first gifts underneath it. And now there was nothing.
He closed his eyes and shuddered with disappointment, when on Christmas morning they would have no gifts. Their bank account was low. Replacing what had been bought was out of the question. It was late and the stores were closed.
In his gloom he noticed headlights on the walls of the house. He glanced at the driveway through the window.
His wife and kids were back.
He hurried outside to meet them.
“I thought you were staying at your parents house?” he asked.
“We could have but I changed my mind,” his wife whispered pointing to the slumbering bodies in the back seat. ”I have brought my parents sleeping bags. Help me take the kids in and get them into their bags for the night. I have a plan." He picked up his sleeping son from the back seat while his wife lifted their daughter and carried them into their rooms. Once the kids were in the sleeping bags they quietly closed the door and returned to the living room.
“What’s your plan?” he asked as she tossed a sleeping bag to him.
“It’s Christmas right?” she asked.
He looked at her blankly.
“So we put on our pj’s and don our night caps and settle in for a long slumbering nap.”
“That’s your plan?” he asked wide eyed.
“You have to trust me. It is going to work,” she replied.
He had learned through experience that trusting his wife was exactly what he needed to do. He took his wife's offered hand, carried his sleeping bag under the other arm, and walked down the hall for their “winter nap.”
“Mommy! Daddy!” their excited kids squealed when they entered their parents bedroom the next morning. “Come look! Quick!” they yelled as they tugged on their parents arms.
“What is it?" asked their sleepy father. He was trying to work out the kinks from sleeping on the floor.
“There is nothing in our house,” said their 5 year old son.
“There is a Christmas tree,” corrected their 6 year old daughter.
Michael’s eyes flew fully open and he became alert. “A Christmas tree?”
“It is bee-u-ti-ful,” they intoned together, giggling.
He looked at his wife. “Part of your surprise?” he asked.
“It looks like Santa has arrived,” she replied.
“Santa,” both excited kids intoned. “He was here too!”
“Too?” Michael asked as he scrambled to his feet. “Let’s see.”
They quickly walked to the living room where the parents discovered a fully decorated spruce tree with gifts underneath it and stockings laid out against the wall. There was a note sticking out of Michael’s stocking. While his kids excitedly danced around he plucked the note out of his stocking.
“Dear MIchael and Alicia,
Santa is pleased to assist you in providing a perfect Christmas morning for your children. Please accept our gifts in the spirit meant. Soon all will be well once again. This episode will soon be a story for your kids to tell at future Christmas’.
Love Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Michael looked at Alicia. “Your parents?” he asked.
“You know they don’t have the money to do this.”
“Who then?”
Alicia looked at Michael with that twinkle in her eye. He had seen it before. It was at this point that he knew that it was better to trust his wife than to ask questions. She would have an answer but he would never hear it.
“Thank you for making this Christmas special for the kids,” he offered.
“I did nothing,” she replied. “I’m as curious about this as you are.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. As he opened the door he noticed a moving truck in the driveway.
“Are you Michael?” the burly man in a movers uniform asked.
“Yes, " asked a perplexed Michael.
“We have a delivery for you. Please sign here.”
“A delivery?” he asked as Alicia and the kids gathered around.
“You received a delivery from the big guy himself. Sign here please.”
As Michael signed he asked again, “the big guy?”
The man gave him a look. “Somebody very important is looking out for you. We will start bringing the stuff in.”
Michael stood back and watched in wonder as for the next two hours a whole army of men returned each piece of furniture that had been stolen the day before. Alicia had moved the kids to their rooms and was entertaining them. When she came down the hallway she was amazed.
“This is all of our stuff?” she said, picking up the pictures that had been placed on the end table.
“Every last bit of it ma’am,” replied the burly man. “We are done here,” he added. “Have yourselves a wonderful Christmas,” and with that he closed the door.
They stood looking around.
“It is truly a Christmas miracle,” said Michael.
“It truly is,” replied a frowning Alicia.
A man stood at the end of the street watching Michael and Alicia’s house. He took out his cell phone and dialled a number only he could know.
A voice on the other end spoke. “Everything has been returned?”
“Yes. As you directed, it has been done.”
“And the individuals who perpetrated this crime?”
“Dispatched.”
“Anything else?”
“All seems to be calm”
“Make certain it stays that way.” The phone call ended with a click. The man looked at his phone. It was going to be many hours until his replacement arrived.
The man had been careful to remain out of sight of the house but he had not been good enough. Alicia had spotted him shortly after the truck arrived with their belongings.
On the one hand it gave her great relief to know that she was looked after. She had suspected that there had been someone watching out for their family. Spotting the man down the street had confirmed it. However it irked her to no end to realize that he had allowed this to happen.
Alicia made her plans and when the time came she put them into action.
She arrived at his place of business unannounced a few days later.
“Thank you,” said Alicia quietly when she walked into his office.
“Everything was returned?” he asked.
“Yes,” replied Alicia. “Everything was returned and put back where it was taken from.”
“Why do you have men watching us?” she inquired.
“I have to look out for my assets,” he replied calmly. ”Michael does not know about this?” he questioned.
“It is as you have wished,” she stated. “He knows nothing about you or your business or our connection.”
“I do not like owing favours, but for you I have made an exception.”
She would not acknowledge the favour. She wasn’t sure that it would turn out well for her or her family. The fact that he admitted that he owed her big time was enough to put a scare into her. “While it annoys me that we are being watched I have to thank you for looking out for us. You didn’t have to do this,” she said as she turned to leave.
“Alicia,” he called out. She turned and looked at him before reaching the door. “I look out for those I care about. I still owe you. Someday you will collect. Until then…”
She nodded briefly as she turned, not letting him see the smile that had crept to her lips.
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