The waves were crashing into the pier and travelling twenty feet straight into the air before landing. All those waves, when combined with the wind, had created a coat of ice over everything in sight. The lighthouse, being heated from the inside, had a much lighter coating of ice than its surroundings. Rather than being able to see each Christmas light, the ice covering made the whole lighthouse a gigantic light. Add to that the twirling light on the top, the building sent a shimmering sheen across the water.

The lighthouse keeper didn’t normally spend a lot of time up with the light. It was bright and hard on the eyes in the glass encasement atop the lighthouse. He came up to the top on Christmas Eve because when he looked back over the town he could clearly see all the lights lit up on the town's streets. It was a glorious picture that warmed his heart.

As he turned towards the stairs he noticed a flash of light out on the water. He moved closer to the rail and focused his eyes on the spot he saw light. He pulled his binoculars closer as he stood there. He saw the light emerge behind a wave. It would be tough going out there tonight. With skill a boat could make it to the inner harbour where a calmer scene awaited. He watched as the light bobbed before pulling up his binoculars to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Slowly the stricken boat inched its way towards the gap between the two piers.

The Lighthouse keeper raced down the stairs and started putting on his equipment to protect him from the raging storm. He added the kramp ons to his boots, hoping they would give him a bit more traction on the ice. 

He hurled himself out the door and worked his way down the pier as great waves of water covered him time and again. The wind worked to create an ice covering for his body. He worked his way over to where the boat had pulled up to the dock, grabbed a rope, and tied the boat to the dock.

“Hello," he called out.

A man in a bright red suit appeared from below deck. He looked a little green around the gills which may have been suitable for Christmas Eve but not so good otherwise.

“Hello," he called out, cautiously.

Continued by: Nancy

“What are you doing out on a night like this; not fit for man or beast?” the keeper yelled over the sound of the crashing waves. “Do you need a hand?”

“Oh, I need a hand alright, can you give me one?”

The keeper took a cautious step towards his visitor and even with the grips on his boots, he slid the last six feet and stopped just inches from the face of the guy in red. At close range, he noticed the white beard was tangled and matted and the hairs looked more like icicles than part of a beard. Did this guy chew tobacco or what? Brown stains coated in ice had tinted what might have been a white beard but it was the breath that caused the keeper to slide backwards. This stranded boater had to be over the limit.

“Steady now, it’s slippery and we don’t want to both take a swim,” the lighthouse keeper suggested as he extended his hand and arm. “Slow … easy… there we go…” When he was sure his visitor was upright and steady, he asked,”what is your name, anyways?”

“Some call me Nick, some of the time,” answered the guy in red.

“Well Nick, let’s go get you dried up and warm. The fireplace is warm and cozy in my quarters and I was just about to have some hot chocolate and a snack before bed. We can talk while we warm up and you can tell me your story. By the way, my name is Noel,” the keeper said.

“Thanks, it’s been a rough ride down from the cove. I should not have left in that weather but I was in a bit of a hurry,” Nick explained. “Wait a minute,… I forgot something in the boat. Here, help me over so I can get my things.” Noel waited a minute or two and then heard Nick banging up on the deck of his boat and reaching for a hand to steady himself as he stepped on the dock.

Carefully and cautiously, Nick passed Noel a big glass ball printed with big red letters ‘SALVATION ARMY’.