Christmas and Cleats

by Solly, Clare

  Squatting down next to him, Dottie dug into the box. Picking up a few at a time, she glanced quickly and then set them gently on the floor before digging in again. “There must be forty or fifty of them in here. Hey, Joe,” she said with a glimmer her eyes, “Do you think you can carry these downstairs for me?”

  “Sure,” he said replacing the book and picking up the box.

  “I also want to take down these photographs. I can’t believe I never knew they were up here,” she marveled talking a look around the entire attic in case there were other treasures hidden.

  “Nothing else up here. I already took a look around in the tight places. Just seems like these were put up here for storage and then forgotten about,” he said walking to the stairs and setting the box down right next to the opening as he started down. Halfway he grabbed the box and descended. “Hand me some of those frames,” he shouted up the ladder.

  Gently she handed him two at a time. There were thirty-two pictures in total.

  “Hetty, you’ll never guess what Joe found.” Dottie felt the surge of excitement like they were kids again. She hollered down the stairs forgetting that anyone else was in the museum. Hetty, Joe and her on an adventure in the museum just after closing hours, when they all were supposed to be working on their homework.

  Hetty, followed by Frank and the rest of the board members made their way to the top of the main staircase. Joe lifted the ladder and pushed it up to the ceiling to give more room in the hallway they were all standing in.

  “Robert, look at this,” Kathryn said, standing over the box of books. “These are old yearbooks. How are they here?”

  “Who knows,” Dottie said, still transfixed by the first photo she had found of the couple holding the horseshoes. “People drop off what they think are helpful donations, but really it’s just junk they wanted to get rid of but didn’t really want to throw away. So, it’s either here or the thrift store. I’m sure they did the same thing for my predecessors.”

  “People just leave their old junk on your porch?” Kathryn asked.

  “Yup.” Hettie answered. “A couple of boxes a week. I help look through it, so I can get first dibs on the rejects.”

  “She’s joking, right?” Amanda asked.

  “Not really,” Frank said.

  “It happens a couple of times a week, with surges around the spring and fall,” Dottie continued.

  “Spring cleaning,” Joe and Hetty said at the same time. “Jinx!” They both shouted and then laughed together just like they did when they were kids.

  “What is this photo that you’re looking at,” the mayor asked over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know,” Dottie said mesmerized. “I want to do more research, but it looks like there was some sort of winter horseshoe tournament. I can’t tell if it was through the high school, but the people in the pictures all look so young. Robert,” Dottie said looking up for the first time since they came down from the attic, “Do you think I could come by the high school and take a look at the past yearbooks? All of the ones in the box didn’t seem to be from around the same time as these photos.”

  “Sure,” Robert said. “Joe, you’re welcome to come visit your alma mater, too,” he said hopefully.

  With a pile of yearbooks at his side, Joe chuckled and said, “Maybe. Dottie is the one who is more interested. And I have so much work to do on my parent’s house.” He started packing the books back into the boxes, “In fact, I should leave you all to your meeting, since I’ve done enough damage here,” he said abruptly. Joe started to climb around everyone and headed toward the stairs. “Dottie, I’ll see ya,” he waved.

  Dottie didn’t register that he had left until she heard the door close.

  Quickly, but carefully, she set down the picture on the floor, ran down the stairs and out the front door. “Hey Joe!” Her voice caught in her throat. “Thanks!” she hollered after him. He had made it into his yard, their old way through the bushes so she only saw him from the waist up. He stopped and waved, then quickly turned and walked toward his house. There was something about watching him disappear that brought back a warmth of nostalgia. She walked back to the museum and hugged herself as the temperature seemed to drop. She pulled the door closed distractedly and leaned against it for a moment and smiled to herself.

  “We’re in here,” Hetty called from the front room. Dottie walked in to find the board members standing. She hadn’t realized she’d been outside that long.

  Hetty continued. “While you were outside, I’ve told them about your plan for the ball and for the exhibit featuring my dresses and crowns.”

  Kathryn stepped forward. “We think it’s a great idea.”

  “We also would like you to curate these new findings and make an exhibit of those,” chimed in the mayor.

  “And whatever you find at the high school that might shed more light on the history behind the photos,” added Robert.

  “Wow, I… that’s amazing!” Dottie was ecstatic. Then her face dropped. “I… I can’t. There is no way we can get all of this done in the three weeks left before Christmas. And you’re closing the museum soon. I would in a heartbeat, and you all know that I always go down swinging, but it just seems like there is no point.”

  “Yes, but…” Hetty chimed in but seemed afraid to finish.

  “I told you this might be a bad idea,” Frank muttered.

  “Hetty said that since Joe lives next door that you could probably get him to visit the museum occasionally,” Amanda dug. “We could put it up on social media that there are Joe Thomas sightings here, and that would bring people in,” Amanda chimed in. “Speculation of where he disappeared too is hot in the media right now.”

  “And with refreshed exhibits we think that it might drive up excitement and interest about this place, creating a buzz,” Kathryn said.

  “The idea is that people will visit, chat about it or post about it on social media and encourage others to visit as well. Maybe with a brief tour of the space, they will also remember it for their events and book it for those types of things,” the mayor chipped in.

  “Ultimately, we need to get the community invested in this as a property, not just a museum. The Christmas ball is a great idea. We all love it,” Henry said. “Especially if you can get Joe to attend. He will be a big draw.”

  They all jumped in voicing their ideas and they all were in agreement that Joe was the key. Dottie sighed. “Sure. Why not?” she replied to all of the expectant faces beaming at her. What else could she say? They were giving her and the museum a second chance. It would be a lot of work. But what else did she have to do? Convincing Joe… she wasn’t quite sure how to do that. Squaring her shoulders, she added, “It will be no problem. I’m up for the task.”

  “Great,” said the mayor. “Meeting adjourned. I’ll see you all at the opening of the exhibits and the ball.”

  As they all said their goodbyes and left the museum, Dottie’s face was dull. She tried to think of all of the ways she could get around it, finding no solution. Frank and Hetty stayed behind and came over to her.

  “Dottie, I just wanted to let you know that I’m just going to finish a few things, so the elements don’t get in, but I’ll be back tomorrow to complete the patching,” Frank said. If she didn’t know better, he seemed to be wanting to tell her something.

  “Was there something else, Frank?” she asked.

  “Well…” he started but was cut off by Hetty coming back in the room eating another cookie.

  “These are just so good,” she said a little too overwhelmingly. “Here Frank, have another and then get going on that roof,” Hetty said.

  “I feel like you know something too,” Dottie accused Hetty.

  “What? What could I know?” Hetty said. “Oooh!” she said looking at her phone. “Dinner rush is about to begin. I’ve got to get back to the diner. Great meeting. Thanks for the cookies. See you later,” Hetty made a hasty retreat for the door.

  Now Dottie knew her frie
nd was really up to something. But what could it be? Hetty couldn’t keep secrets for very long. Dottie knew she would spill the beans eventually. She just hoped it didn’t have to do with Joe Thomas.

  Chapter Eleven

  “So, the board is going to let you keep the museum open longer?”

  “Yes. Well, no. Not exactly. I’m not quite sure on the terms of the agreement—” Dottie said to Harold. He had stopped by the museum about an hour after all of the board members had departed. She told him all that had happened that afternoon, leaving out the parts about her close moments with Joe, of course.

  Harold was an average height and had hair that he always combed and gelled in place. It was shiny and didn’t move. He had bright brown eyes and toothy grin filled with shiny white teeth that were so straight, everyone knew he still wore his retainer to bed. Almost always he was dressed in a suit. Dottie had not seen him in jeans and a tee-shirt outside of his house since high school.

  “Well, that seems like a risky undertaking.” Harold stood in the kitchen with his hands on his hips. “Why would you put all of your time and effort into saving this place if it’s not a sure thing?” Restlessly, he started fiddling with things on the counter and around the kitchen. Dottie was annoyed by his behavior, but stood with her arms crossed, sipping on cocoa. She made it because she needed the comfort. “And for that matter,” Harold continued, “what if you’re not even around to see the place stay open next year?”

  Laughing at the thought of not being stuck in East Haddam, Dottie laughed. “Not be here, I think I’m stuck in this town for life.”

  Harold looked at her with a pained look. “No. No, you’re better than this small-town life. We’ve always talked about the dream to live in a big city.” He paused to let that sink in. “Dottie, I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now…” he paused as he walked around the counter to her. “But I was waiting for the right time…” he took the mug from her hands and set it down next to her on the counter and took her hands in his, “and now seems to be as right as any…”

  Oh, no! Dottie’s mind said. She wasn’t ready for this, especially not after all that had just happened. Harold wasn’t doing this today, of all days. The day that Joe fell through the roof and she found an amazing treasure trove in the attic. The day that the fate of the museum was put in her lap. Her heart raced, but anxiously and full of pressure. Not in the zippy romantic way. She made a face of confusion, and Harold took it as his cue to continue.

  “Dottie,” he said taking a deep breath. “Will you…” he paused making sure she was still looking at him, “... move to New York with me?”

  Bursting with relief that moving was all he was proposing today, Dottie laughed.

  Confused, Harold stepped back and dropped her hands. “I don’t think this is a laughing matter, Dot. I have been working and trying to make this dream come true. You want to travel? New York is a great departure city with three international airports, plus all of that traveling takes money.” He sighed as if she didn’t understand, but then smiled as he continued excitedly. “My interviews went really well, and they’ve offered me the job in New York. I’m to start in two weeks, actually.”

  “Sorry, Harold. I’m really happy for you,” she leapt forward and hugged him in congratulations. “Two weeks? Wow, that is really fast. That’s the week before Christmas.”

  “They actually want me to start sooner,” he said. “There is a big campaign launching in January they want me working on. I told them I needed a little time to talk to you and find a place up there.”

  “Harold, I think,” she said stepping back from him and rationalizing, “I think if they want you sooner, you should go. As long as it’s fine with Mrs. Hobbes.” Harold had been freelancing with a temp agency and had been taking on assistant work. He hated it but was waiting for the right agency to hire him.

  “Really?” His face lit up. “I know that it will be a quick move up to New York, but I’ve already scouted some places that you’ll love—”

  “Harold. I can’t leave before Christmas,” Dottie said shaking her head. “You go on without me and get started and I’ll—”

  “What do you mean? They’re closing this place anyway. Why not go right away and we can start a whole new life together,” Harold was almost pleading. Dottie realized he did this a lot. He tried to make it seem like Dottie was holding them both back from living their dreams.

  “I know it doesn’t make the most sense, but it really means a lot to me to see this through. You should have seen how excited Hetty was about her exhibit. And I’ve never seen the board get so excited about the possibility of featuring anything as they were those photos,” Dottie felt an energy and lightness soar through her. She hadn't felt this way in a very long time. It was exhilarating. “It feels like I have a genuine mystery on my hands, and I would really like to figure it all out.”

  “But I don’t understand. Is all of this,” he said pointing at the innocent cookies on the counter, “worth giving up a great dream with me?”

  “Harold,” she reasoned, “New York will still be there in a month or two. I just want—”

  “It’s Joe, isn’t it? I’ve heard he’s been skulking around here a lot lately,” Harold surged with an anger that Dottie rarely saw.

  “Are you… are you really competing with Joe Thomas?” Dottie was confounded. This was out of left field.

  “No,” Harold looked away as if he were hiding something. And then he looked back and said sternly as he looked out the kitchen window in the direction of Joe’s house. “I just,” he took a deep breath and his anger subsided. In a caring voice he said, “I just want you in New York. I’m no good without you. I’ve done all of this for you.” Harold took her arms and wrapped them around his waist and kissed her forehead. She sighed as if Dottie were upset, and he was soothing her. In a calming voice he said, “Listen, I hear you want more time. I’ll go on ahead and you can come up when your temporary assignment is done.”

  Dottie just smiled but was unconvinced. Not knowing how to voice what she was really feeling, she decided to just roll with it all for now. “Sounds good,” she said with a false smile.

  “Great!” he exclaimed. He started walking toward the kitchen door, pulling out his cell phone. “I’ll call and accept. You go home and get dressed up; we’re going out to celebrate!”

  “I can’t tonight, Harold,” she frowned. “I…” she needed to think up something quickly. “I told Hetty, I’d help her out with—”

  “Fine, fine. We’ll go tomorrow. Hello. Mr. Abbott?” he said into the phone waving Dottie off as the call on his cell connected. “I’ll see you later,” he whispered to her, covering up the speaker, then pulling the door closed behind him. “I would like to officially accept your offer. Now, about company housing…” his voice drifted away as he walked to his car.

  It all seemed reasonable. And the big city was a dream they always talked about. New York seemed exciting. But why did all of this make her skin crawl. Had he always done this, thrown out every tactic in the book? Dottie started thinking—when did she actually start dreaming of living in a big city? And why did it not seem to have such a pull now?

  Chapter Twelve

  “So… you’re telling me the ‘big question’ Harold had to ask you was moving to New York?!?. How rid—” Hetty said leaning on the diner counter in astonishment. She turned away to grab the coffee pot to refill Dottie’s cup and changed her line of thought. “You know though, it really doesn’t surprise me,” she said a bit dumbfounded.

  Dottie looked at her friend, waiting to talk until Hetty was done ranting. Honestly, Dottie still didn’t quite know how she felt about the situation herself. Even now, a day later, Dottie didn’t know what her answer was. She knew what it should be. She knew what Harold wanted to hear. Dottie was just now realizing they were no longer one and the same.

  “Hetty, I have a question,” she looked at her friend in the eye. “And I need you to give me a serious answer, as someone w
ho cares about me deeply—”

  “Loves you!” Hetty shouted and a few heads turned in the diner. “You all heard me, and you know it’s true! I LOVE DOTTIE!”

  “Stop it!” Dottie threw her napkin at Hetty in protest but gave way to laughter bubbling up inside. She needed that laugh. Everything was so serious lately with all of the plans for the museum; first closing, and now having the pressure to plan and execute two new exhibits and a ball.

  After they stopped laughing, in a more subdued volume, Dottie said, “And I love you, too Hetty. But stop trying to change the subject.” Dottie swallowed her fear and said, “I’m not blind, and I know you’re not partial to Harold—”

  “Pffft! I hardly tolerate that man. And its only because I love you so much.”

  “I know. I know. But in your honest observation, did I want to travel or live in a big city before we started dating.”

  Hetty looked puzzled. “I don’t really remember… I know you and Harold started dating after I finally qualified for International Junior Miss, so I wasn’t around a ton because I was getting ready for that one.” Hetty drifted away into her memories.

  With a brain that could take a dress apart and turn it into a pattern, Hetty’s mind worked like a backwards assembly line.

  “I remember when Joe, you and I used to sit in the woods or at the pond we would wonder what far off places were like. Joe promised he would send you postcards if he went.”

  “That’s what all of those postcards were! He visited some of the places we talked about as kids,” a light turned on inside of Dottie.

  “Yeah, you said you wondered if they all were as impressive in person.” Hetty drifted through more memories. Dottie could see the memories churning in her head like old film being rewound slowly. “Nope.”

  “Nope, what? Nope you don’t remember?” Dottie asked.