by Jim Sano
“Do you make all of your parishioners feel this welcomed, Father Tom?”
“Only the ones that bray. What brings you by?”
“I wanted to invite you to a party at my family’s house in Hingham.”
Tom said with an exaggerated accent, “I would love to come to the Sowth Showa. When is this gala event?”
As soon as David said, “Christmas Eve,” Tom’s face dropped.
Tom could obviously see the disappointment on David’s face as he said, “David, I’m sorry but Christmas Eve and Day are like the Super Bowl for priests.”
“I should’ve thought of that. When are your Masses?”
“We have a 4:00 and then a midnight Mass.”
David smiled. “Perfect! That gives you plenty of time in between.”
“Right. Let me see what I can do.”
Chapter 43
On Christmas Eve morning, David drove into work with his car loaded down with gifts for Izzie’s family and his sales team. Despite Kathleen’s response to David’s “proposal,” he was feeling almost relieved to have more time. About eleven, he headed over to My Brother’s Table with several people from work, including Izzie, who brought Joseph, Isabelle, and Jenny with her. Sam had a big smile as David brought in the troops and assigned each their responsibilities for lunch. Later, when David handed out one hundred new winter coats, Izzie stood aghast. “Mr. Kelly, I’d swear you were Santa Claus.” He shared a quick drink with Sean and Kevin at Dempsey’s and was feeling a different kind of good.
He drove down to Hingham and got there just as the caterers arrived with the traditional Italian Christmas Eve menu of seven types of fishes, appetizers, drinks, and desserts. He spared no expense to make this a festive party for neighbors and friends who came—and they came. Kathleen, David, Amy, and James could hardly move in and out of the kitchen to the rooms where people were talking loudly, laughing, and enjoying themselves. At about a quarter of seven, David noticed Tom making his way through the front door, and he worked his way over to greet him. By the time he reached him to shake his hand and thank him for coming, he noticed that Angelo had accompanied him as well. Angelo gave David a hug. “I hope you don’t mind my crashing, but Father Tom wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
David clapped Angelo on the back. “You’re welcome here anytime, and I’m glad you came. The food is in the next room, but first, can I get you two a drink before you turn into pumpkins?”
Tom and Angelo both said together, “Yes,” and they made their way into the room where the food and Christmas tree were. David made sure they were set and asked them to not move until he got back.
Somehow, David squeezed his way into the kitchen where Kathleen was organizing refills of the food trays. She was wearing a Santa hat and a big smile when she saw David’s head above the crowd. Kathleen loved people and holiday parties and felt especially good that everyone seemed to be having a good time. He asked for someone to take over filling the trays as he grabbed Kathleen’s hand and headed back out to find Tom and Angelo. When they finally got there, Amy and James were already talking with them. Angelo was playing a game with James to see if he could guess which hand held a prize.
David put his hand on Tom’s shoulder. “It looks as if you’ve already met Amy and James. Tom. Angelo. This is Kathleen. She is responsible for all this Christmas cheer.”
Kathleen looked into Tom’s eyes and pursed her lips to keep from crying because she probably knew that he was the reason for the change in David. Kathleen’s perception wouldn’t have missed the depth and kindness in him. Kathleen wiped her hand on her apron and put it out to shake Tom’s, saying, “Is it, Father Tom?”
Tom took her hand.
Kathleen said, “I can’t tell you how good it is to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from David and couldn’t be more pleased that you came, especially when it’s such a busy time for you.”
Tom swallowed his bite of lobster. “Not too busy for David, and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you too.”
David turned slightly. “This is Angelo, a longtime dear friend of my father. He’s the reason I know about Pop. I could never repay him for what he means to both Pop and me.” With the kindest eyes, Kathleen greeted Angelo and thanked him for being such a friend to Gianni. David grabbed two drinks from the table, and they all raised their glasses and wished Gianni a holy Christmas.
Tom and Angelo stayed at the party for a couple of hours before they had to return to St. Anthony’s. They caught Kathleen and David near the door to say goodbye and thanked them for inviting them. She started to shake Tom’s hand again, but then spontaneously gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you so much and Merry Christmas.”
By 10:30, most people had left to head back to their homes or go to evening Christmas services. Finally, by eleven everyone was gone and the four of them collapsed on the large couch in front of the tree. Kathleen said to the kids, “That was fun. Now, do we want to go to the midnight Mass tonight or go tomorrow morning?”
Amy said, “I’m tired but I would rather go tonight and not have to rush tomorrow.”
James nodded, and to everyone’s surprise, David said, “I guess I could come along.”
They had to get ready and leave quickly to have any chance of finding seats at this Mass at St. Paul’s Church in Hingham Center.
The choir was singing Christmas carols while people filed in and greeted each other. A friend who spotted Kathleen waved them over to a pew with space for three, which they promptly took, since few remaining spots were available. James sat happily on David’s lap as they sang along with the choir until Mass began. Everything looked and sounded beautiful, but it all seemed like ritualistic pomp and circumstance to David. He hadn’t been to Mass since he was eight, and that was not by mistake. He spent as much time as James just looking at the different people around them. When it came time for Communion, David stepped into the aisle and let everyone file out of the pew to receive as he sat back down until they returned. One thing that David did notice was how much this meant to Kathleen, and David had no clue why. Amy even seemed especially reverent when receiving as well.
Everyone was tired but happy as they traveled home, staring at all the homes lit up, and anticipating Christmas morning. It even started to snow just enough to give the ride a quiet, intimate feeling. When they got home, James ran upstairs and then back down with four stockings to put by the fireplace. David noticed that one of them had his name on it.
After the kids went to bed, David put his arms around Kathleen. “Are you happy, Kat?”
“I’m happy tonight just because you’re here.”
“Hopefully you’ll get better presents than just me.”
Kathleen gazed into David’s eyes. “You know what I mean.”
David kissed her softly, and then more passionately than they had for many years.
David knew what would be a perfect way to end the evening, but Kathleen slipped under his grasp. “You’d better watch out, you’d better not cry, you’d better not pout, and I’m telling you why,” and as she reached her room she said, “Santa Claus is coming to town.” David smiled as he grabbed one of Santa’s cookies, leaving the crumbs on the plate that James would be sure to check in the morning, and went to his own room to sleep soundly.
James was up before daybreak and immediately woke everyone else. Kathleen put on some coffee and Amy turned on the tree lights while David lit the fire to help warm the room. They took turns opening the presents in their stockings until they reached the traditional clementine at the bottom. Amy was excited about her first cell phone, which Kathleen wasn’t completely sold on. The last package under the tree was for Amy, a large, wrapped box with a series of smaller boxes inside, which she unwrapped until she finally revealed a jewelry box made of attractive woven silver. Amy thought it was beautiful, and Kathleen looked on curiously as she opened it to find a small silver card, which she read aloud, “This gift entitles the beautiful and gift
ed young holder of this card to a magical trip to Italy.”
Kathleen gave David a look that let him know that they needed to talk. David nodded, while, Amy squealing with delight, hugged him before he turned to help James set up his new racetrack set.
He stayed most of the day but needed to get back that evening to be at work fairly early to tend to two major deals still in the closing process. He felt as if he had a good day, and that everyone enjoyed their Christmas. Kathleen echoed the same as she helped pack up his things, bumping him with her hip. “I never got a trip to Italy.”
“I would be happy to take you on a trip around the world. It was Pop’s idea.”
“Dad?”
“Yes. I was talking to him about Amy being at an important point in her life for making decisions that can be life-changing. Since we really don’t know each other well, and she’s in a difficult stage to really connect with, he said it might be good to just go somewhere and spend dedicated time together.”
“New Hampshire is somewhere. Italy? And how do I know what decision path you are planning on helping her to explore?”
“I get it, and I won’t take her unless you’re totally comfortable with both.”
“That’s a promise I’ll make you keep.”
David hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, despite James’ pleas to stay, and made his trip back to his apartment and furry companion.
Chapter 44
David caught an early flight on Saturday morning to Richmond and arrived at the prison early. He exchanged Merry Christmas greetings with the guards out front and presented his approved papers at the desk inside the visitor entrance. The desk guard smiled at David and brought his papers into an office and reemerged with his senior officer, Sergeant Bo Dillon, who asked David if he didn’t mind coming into his office. David was sure his visit approvals were still valid as he followed the sergeant into his austere office. “Is everything okay with my paperwork, Sergeant Dillon?”
“Yes. There are no administrative issues. I wanted to let you know you won’t be able to see your dad today.”
David’s eyes widened as he sat forward in his seat. “Is he all right? Did something happen to him?”
There was a hesitation in Dillon’s response. “David, your father means a great deal to most of the men and guards in this prison. Everyone was saddened when he was diagnosed this past summer.”
“Diagnosed? Diagnosed with what?”
Dillon walked and put his hand on David’s shoulder. “I’m sorry if you didn’t know, David, but your father was diagnosed with cancer. He’s already gone through a series of treatments. Evidently, he may have had a relapse this week or may just be worn down.”
Suddenly, David felt as if his world had turned upside down again and was in shock as he left the prison facility. Dillon wasn’t able to tell him much about his father’s actual medical status but did let him know the local hospital where he was being treated. He headed over to find out what he could. At the reception desk, he asked if there was anyone he could talk to about Gianni Fidele. The receptionist immediately knew his name and directed him to the nurse’s station outside the room where his father had stayed. David met several nurses who had only kind words to say about Gianni and they asked David to sit in the waiting room while they flagged down Dr. Finn.
Sometime later, a tall, lanky man in a white doctor’s coat stood in front of him. “Mr. Fidele, it’s good to meet you. I’m Dr. Finn. I can’t tell you how much of a privilege it’s been to care for your father, and that’s not something I often experience with patients from the prison. Please don’t take that the wrong way.”
David didn’t bother to correct or explain the difference in last names. “No. No problem. Can you tell me what he has, and what’s being done for him?”
The doctor sat down. “Mr. Fidele, I’m sorry for this news, but there’s not much more we can do for your dad. He has an advanced stage of cancer that’s entering his spine.”
David just sat in shock for a full minute. “How long are we talking about?”
The doctor shook his head. “I wish I could tell you. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to make it through the summer, but he is both a stubborn and incredibly positive man. His will to live has been so strong that I think he has refused to let it beat him so far. It was almost as if he had something to finish in his life.”
David left the hospital in a daze and a strong sense of denial that his father was sick. Nothing seemed fair after all these years of loss. Would he only get to see his father for a handful of weeks and then be left again? How could God be so cruel twice in his life, twice to a man like his father? There was little David could do over the weekend, so he took his scheduled flight home to figure out what he was going to do.
At home, he called Kathleen to let her know he wouldn’t be over on the weekend and to trust that it was for a good reason. David felt as if he needed to shake this feeling of malaise that filled his head and heart. On Sunday, David called a friend at a top law firm for some advice on getting his father a release based on a medical exception. He told David that this wasn’t common, but they’d begin working with their team in Virginia to put together a plea for Gianni’s release into David’s custody due to the immediate circumstances. He’d make his dad’s case a priority, knowing that time was precious, and that David would cover any expense.
During the week, David could feel his entire being pulling back to the safe haven of the world he built over the past several decades. He’d normally have organized a New Year’s Eve party for the office at Dante’s, and then go down to the Cape for an extended weekend after closing out the quarter, but he did none of those. Nor did he spend New Year’s with his family or see Tom. He felt like he finally had a focus and something to live for, but he knew once his father was taken from him again, that would be all gone. For the next few weeks, he worked, exercised, read, slept or just sat in his apartment waiting until he heard from the law firm and from prison that his father was up to having visitors.
On Friday afternoon, he was in his office finishing up a conference call when Izzie walked in to get his attention. He just held his hand up not to interrupt the call. Before he knew it, twelve boys in basketball uniforms walked into his office. Billy Maguire and Double J Johnson held up a warm-up jacket with the letters “ST. ANTHONY’S” stitched on a curve across the front. Before David could say anything, they turned the jacket around and the back read, “COACH KELLY.” Billy handed the jacket to him. “Coach, we have a big game this afternoon and we need you there. We learned a lot from you because we believed in you and stuck with you. Now you’re stuck with us.”
David looked down at all the faces that had become familiar to him over the past several months. He smiled when he caught the smirk on Izzie’s face. He said, “Boys, if you promise to play like we’ve practiced and give it your best, I’ll be there cheering you on.”
Double J said, “And coaching us on. We still need some work!”
Tom poked his head into David’s office as the boys filed past him. “See you at the game, coach!”
David arrived at the game in his finely tailored suit and realized he probably looked more like a highly-paid NBA coach wannabe than a kids’ coach. He took off his jacket and tie and slipped on his new coaching jacket to cheer the boys on. The game was fun as the team started off slowly but stayed on their game plan to fight their way back and actually won on the last play. To celebrate, they went out for pizza and arrived home full, with a feeling of satisfaction.
After the kids were dropped off back home, Tom asked David if he wanted to catch up for a bit. David was tempted to say “No,” but went back to the rectory with Tom.
“We have orange tonic or some good ole—”
David smiled and exclaimed, “Moxie! I don’t think I’ve had that stuff since my father tried to poison me with it as a kid. Do you actually drink that?”
“It is an acquired taste and this way I know Luke won’t drink it up on me.”
David opted for the orange soda, and Tom went for the high-test Moxie.
“How is Luke doing these days?”
“Well, he has been showing up at the Friday coffeehouses, so I’ve been seeing him on a more regular basis. He’s such a young man now, but I worry about him in this culture.”
“Now that I’m spending more time with Amy and James, I can understand your concerns, but I think you’ve provided a light to follow.”
“Thanks. That means a lot. So, tell me how have you been? I haven’t heard from you for several weeks and that’s not always a good sign.”
David sat back and stared at the table as he ran his fingers across it feeling as if he were at a fork in the road; one would lead him to an emotional response, the other to a managed response. He decided to take a risk. “I went down to visit my dad the Saturday after Christmas, and they said he was too sick for visitors—he has late-stage cancer they can no longer treat.”
Tom's mouth fell open in shock.
“I’m working to see if they might consider a release for medical reasons, but that may take time he doesn’t have. I really don’t know what’s going to happen here. I just know I finally got to see my father after being robbed of him for all those years and now—” David took a deep, shaky breath. “And now he is leaving me again. Why? Why would God be this cruel to him?”
“David, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t imagine how devastating a blow this must be after you finally got to be with him. I can’t tell you why, but I can tell you that God can never be cruel. God can only ever act out of love.”