Christmas Trinkets

by LoRee Peery

  “Think I’m awake now. I need your coffee. I’ve been wondering, how do you do that?”

  She gestured with open hands. “Do what?”

  “Be so happy and optimistic. You are sunny all the time.”

  “I don’t. Jesus does it in me.”

  “It kind of seems wrong with someone like me, who’s serious and not a smiley person. Can you see that?”

  “It’s who I am, I guess. I checked you out online. I mean, I looked up your books. You write rather hopeless sounding stories. That’s who you are.”

  “Guess you could say I do what I am.”

  Winter jerked on the leash.

  “To me, that’s sad. I’ve always had hope.”

  “Where do you find hope? Dig down deep and pull it from your guts? I grew up without knowing my parents. You grew up without a dad.”

  “Since knowing Christ as an adult, I haven’t needed the absent father from my childhood.” She picked up the dog’s pace. “Hope is everywhere. No matter how dark the world seems, or how despairing I’ve felt over the years. Such as how lost I was after Mom died. One morning I recognized signs of life, and each day I saw more to be thankful for.”

  “How could there be good in your mother’s death?”

  “She’s no longer in pain. I don’t know if it was the cancer itself or the treatment that weakened her to death, but I believe she’s in heaven. Heaven is a blessed hope.” She kicked a rock off the path. “The ultimate hope is found in Jesus. He redeemed me, died for my sins, and freed me from an eternity apart from His presence.” Moments later she huffed. “Man, they’re almost running. Did you go out for athletics in school?”

  Kameron blew a vaporous breath. “I was born clumsy. You know in grade school when the class is divided in two and captains choose who each wants on the team? I was always the last one chosen when it came to anything physical. Just not my cup of tea. But if we teamed up to research book reports, I was in high demand.”

  “You must do something to keep in shape.”

  He nudged her shoulder. “Are you paying me a compliment in a roundabout way?”

  “Are you fishing for one?”

  The dogs slowed.

  He stopped and faced her.

  She couldn’t resist a little teasing. “Glad to know you’re used to walking. It eases my mind that you haven’t hurt yourself taking the dogs out here in the wilds.”

  “Nope. As unmanly as it sounds, I often walk. The outdoor air clears my head, and especially among trees in the park, I can easily put myself in the fictitious woods where I set my stories. And just so you know, I have plenty of little scars from mishaps on mountain bikes and skateboards.”

  “Athletic endeavors.”

  “Not really. Anger drove me out of the house. I grabbed toys that moved fast. Thought I could outrun my troubles.” He gave Summer more lead line where she followed rabbit tracks in the snow. “What about you, scars from leaping hurdles in track or anything?”

  “My outdoor adventures were solitary as well. I happen to be quite familiar with this trail we’re on right now. Back in the day before the rail tracks were removed, I stepped on a rock and it rolled. Fell on an iron spike and a rusty piece scraped my left ankle bone. I’d show it to you if I was in sandals instead of boots. The silly thing became infected and still lets me know it’s there.”

  The dogs barked around a curve ahead.

  Hayley and Kameron jogged to catch up.

  “Too bad you two can’t turn into a walking stick.” A man’s voice came from down the embankment.

  Kameron handed the leashes to Hayley and descended to extend a hand.

  At the top, the elderly man planted himself in the middle of the trail. “Thanks for your aide. I was stumbling along like a side-hill dingbat.”

  Hayley’s giggle burst forth. “A what?”

  “That’s what old-timers call a guy with one leg shorter. Now that I have my breath, I’m headed back to my warm chair.” The old man walked away without any sign of a limp.

  Hayley started laughing once he was out of earshot. “Oh, I’ve needed to do that ever since that woman yelled ‘My teeth’ yesterday.”

  Kameron busied himself with the leashes.

  She grabbed his arm for balance and laughed harder. Finally, she stood straight. “It doesn’t hurt to laugh. In fact, it feels really good to let go and relieve tension. I can’t imagine how tired your tense muscles and mind must be. I’ve made it my mission, as much as finding out about the jewelry, to get you to lighten up while you’re here in Edgewood.”

  He tromped ahead, resuming their walk. After a time, he spoke. “I suppose life would be easier if I could let go and lighten up. But it’s not who I am.”

  “I’m praying for you, Kameron. God had a hand in you coming to Edgewood. He has a plan for your life whether you can acknowledge that or not. I don’t know what it’d be like to live with what you’ve had to, but nothing is too hard for God. He’s bigger than anything either of us could dream of struggling with.”

  “What’s so wonderful about being abandoned as a baby? Thrown away? I don’t know how I can ever get over that.”

  “Throw it away. Don’t look back and see it as awful. God has done wonders for both of us that we know nothing about yet. The greatest thing He did was sending Jesus to save us from our sins. That’s what Christmas is about.”

  He abruptly turned.

  Shut me up, Lord. You’re in the life-changing business. And right now Kameron needs You more than anyone I can think of.

  6

  Hayley met Kameron for supper on the walk in front of the Travis home. The five-year-old frame house was located four blocks from their garage.

  He gave her a nod and ran an eye over the home. “I’ve wondered about this place since I came. Don’t you think the house is a bit large for the lot?”

  She laughed. “I remember how much talk there was during construction. Blythe said her parents didn’t care. The size of both house and lot are OK because they have little time to mow. Their business is more than full-time.”

  Kameron’s stomach rumbled. “That must be our sign to knock on the door.”

  Bette Jean and a large tabby met them. “Welcome, welcome. I hope you brought your appetites.”

  Hayley bent over. “You know I’m going to pet you, Mr. Twain. That’s right. Arch your back. Twine your tail. Meet Kameron. You no doubt smell Winter and Summer.”

  At the mention of the neighbor dogs, the cat ran and hid under the couch.

  They all laughed but Kameron.

  He nodded at Ross. “Did I hear someone mention Twain?”

  Hayley unzipped her jacket and made sure her necklace rested on the outside of her shirt.

  “Crazy name for a cat.” Kameron took advantage of the hanger Ross offered for his coat. “Coincidence? I thumbed through Roughing It by Mark Twain at Hayley’s shop. It made me feel old. I almost needed a magnifying glass for the size-six font.”

  Hayley smoothed her hair off her shoulders. “I’m convinced the tiny print is the reason the book hasn’t sold. Let me help you in the kitchen, Bette Jean.”

  “Do you have an interest in cars, Kameron?” Ross guided him into his office. “I’ve got quite the collection of antique toys.”

  “Sorry to say, sir, I grew up a nerd. I remain a bookish kind of guy.”

  Kameron’s reply was the last Hayley made out until Bette called the men to the table.

  They chatted about Christmas coming up, how the town respected Pastor Gregg, mechanics, and Kameron’s books.

  “I never was much of a reader, except for the Bible.” Ross made eye contact with Bette Jean and from the change in her expression, seemed to have sent a silent message known only to her. “I’ll pick up the paper once in a blue moon.”

  Bette Jean shook her head. “One thing for sure, a body doesn’t learn what God says by readin’ the newspaper.”

  “In our generation, it’s social media.” Hayley folded her napkin. “If
it’s on the Internet, it’s true, you know.”

  “False, more likely. I skim over a big percentage of posts, especially political stuff, when I need to get on my sites.” Kameron reached for another sugar cookie. “If I was a baker, I’d ask for this recipe.”

  “You need to come around often, young man. And compliment my cooking any time you like.”

  “I don’t pay much attention to food, it’s just something my body cries out for. That pot roast was so tender I hardly had to use my teeth.”

  Hayley loved this older couple. They had let her grieve over the death of her mother and encouraged her with words of faith. And now, they’d refrained from asking Kameron anything personal, not even how he knew the pastor. Ross and Bette Jean weren’t intrusive, but nurtured anyone who came their way. Hayley hoped she could nurture Kameron in the same way. Contented, she twirled the teabag in her second cup of cinnamon and spice, set it aside, and absently fingered her necklace. The brew would cool in a moment or two.

  “I haven’t seen you without that necklace since your mom took her ride to heaven. Sure makes me curious why she never wore such an interesting piece of jewelry.”

  “You won’t believe what Kameron has.”

  He lowered his chin at her. Without a word in response to her coaxing eyes, he leaned back and stretched in order to reach his keys.

  “Goodness me, they match.” Bette Jean swung her head back and forth between the younger adults. “What do you think of that, honey?”

  Ross did the eyebrow thing.

  Hayley giggled and grinned at Kameron.

  Without a word, he held out the fob.

  Her heart pounded as she reached back to unhook her locket chain. With reverence, she set it on the table, and met Kameron’s gaze again.

  He unhooked the fob chain from his key ring and dropped it into her waiting palm.

  She wiped her own palms on her pant legs, fit the T-bar into the points of the hearts, and held her breath. Right, left, click, and lift.

  Bette Jean gasped.

  Ross leaned forward. “Would you look at that?”

  Bette Jean rubbed her hands together. With glee, or to prevent herself from reaching out and grabbing? “There’s a mystery here all right.”

  “Where exactly did you find the necklace?” Bette Jean dropped her hands to her lap.

  “In an old shoebox Mom had on the closet shelf.”

  Ross clasped Kameron’s shoulder. “How about your chain?”

  “Pastor Gregg gave it to me on a different keychain along with my first car keys.”

  Hayley studied the photographs. “He didn’t say anything about it?”

  “Just that it was old and to remember where it came from.” He picked up the conjoined pieces and removed the T-bar, looked at the faces in the locket for the first time, and scowled. “Every time I drove that car, until I graduated, I felt like I carried Pastor Gregg around as a conscience in my pocket.”

  All but Kameron laughed over that.

  “You young‘uns need to come to your own conclusion, but it looks to me as though your meeting was ordained by God.” Bette Jean looked deep into Kameron’s eyes and then Hayley’s, which made her squirm. “I’ll get these supper dishes done now.”

  Ross slid back his chair. “Now, sugar, can’t they wait ‘til morning?”

  “No way. I like to wake up to today, not yesterday.”

  

  Outside a half hour later, Kameron rocked back on his heels, staring at the clear black sky with its myriad stars. “I can’t remember the last time I did this. Maybe as far back as my first story because one of my wandering boys saw a shooting star.”

  “I can’t remember the last time I saw a shooting star. The sky is always with us. Night comes every twenty-four hours but how often do I look up?”

  He lowered his head and nudged her shoulder. “You pray. Your heart looks up.”

  “Kameron Kohl. Listen to you.”

  “As I said. The head stuff is there.” He rolled a crusty square of snow onto the toe of his boot and kicked it off to the side. “Your friends are good people.”

  “I hope Bette Jean didn’t make you too uncomfortable. She’s a hopeless romantic.”

  “You have to admit a couple the same age whose pictures are in a locket makes a person think of love. I think the woman looks like you.” The dude looks like Gregg, but I’m not ready to go there yet.

  “She has the look of the nineteen sixties with that hair in a beehive. Did you see she’s wearing the necklace? I’m guessing the jewelry is much older, and the army picture on the guy yells Vietnam era to me. That makes the lady my grandmother’s age, if I’d ever known a grandma. Wasn’t Pastor Gregg in ‘Nam? Seems like I’ve seen him wear a veteran’s cap.”

  This conversation was getting too close for comfort. Kameron jogged in place. “That coffee wasn’t decaf, but it’s too cold to stand here and talk.”

  “My tea wasn’t decaf, either.” She raised a brow and flirty half smile. “If you play soft Christmas music, I’d love to come cuddle up with the dogs.”

  “They’d love that after their last trip to the backyard.”

  She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm.

  It took all of three minutes to reach Gregg’s home. The dogs greeted Hayley as though she was the one feeding and walking them. She let Winter and Summer out the kitchen door while he carried in a log for the wood burner.

  “The Travises didn’t ask about your parents or your past, but I’ve been wondering how you got along with…um…Teresa? Then her step-daughter became a step-sister to you.”

  “Right. On both counts.” He tossed pillows from the couch onto the rug in front of the hearth. “Teresa accepted Samantha as part of the John-Wormwinkle-widower package. I was already grown up and out of the house, so I didn’t consider the sister thing.”

  Hayley gave each dog one last pat. Summer got caught between Winter’s legs as he stepped over the terrier, which made Hayley laugh. She did that a lot.

  The dogs yawned in unison and sauntered to their beds.

  Hayley sighed. “Pastor Gregg told me Summer is twelve. He’ll be lost when she dies.”

  “Funny you used those words. Gregg told me not too long ago that without Jesus, I’ll be lost when he passes away.”

  “Pastor Gregg is supposed to be older and wiser. And he’s right. I wish I would have understood loss more, but I didn’t grasp it until Mom died. The emptiness of grief can be devastating. Unbearable, at times. I saw that in my mom when we first moved here. She was moody, sad, spacy, then turned depressed within hours. I was too little to grasp all that was going on.”

  He stuck his knuckle against his lips, searching for what to say.

  Hayley continued. “I wondered if she’d ever come out of it. I can feel with you, never having known a real father and mother. God provided for you despite whatever your birth mother did to you.”

  “Yeah. He provided for me.” Kameron stretched his legs. “Teresa adopted me, and I suppose I called her Mommy as a kid and just looked at Gregg as the head of the house. He tried. The church was, and is, his family.”

  “Mom tried, too, but she couldn’t be both parents. If she could have expressed it, my mother may have said she only existed, life was dark. That’s the way it was until she established the shop. I’d see her go to a dark place only on occasion once she got caught up in searching for novelties.”

  “My heart often goes to a dark pit.”

  “Mine tried to. I’d get stuck on the unfairness, the injustice of growing up without knowing my father every once in a while. Mom refused to tell me anything about her past. I couldn’t be down very long, it’s not who I am.”

  “At least Gregg and Teresa were upfront with me. They could have told me all manner of stories, and I wouldn’t have known the difference.”

  “I handled the missing parent in my imagination. Much the way you buried yourself in reading and now writing. That made-up story that Mom an
d I were in Witness Protection? After she died, I found an undated news clipping hidden in her closet. It had to do with international money laundering. One guy was charged with fraud for stealing from another crooked man. I looked, but was unable to find a thing about the incident, or the man’s name, online.”

  “Hey, you’ve got an imagination.”

  “Oh, sure. For an unfounded conclusion. Now I turn to the Bible, to God’s truth.” She rotated her body so the tree lights glimmered on one perfectly sculpted cheek. “Speaking of God, He provides a light at the end of the tunnel. Goodness is waiting for you.”

  “How do you know God could help me?”

  “He says so. The Bible helps me, no matter what. I pray the same for you, Kameron. I believe the Holy Spirit shows me the way. There’s a verse in First John that says we know and can rely on the love God has for us.”

  “Chapter four, verse sixteen.”

  She sat bolt upright. “You know the Bible?”

  “I grew up in a pastor’s house, remember? Knowing what the Bible says is a big part of my problem. It’s in my head but there’s a barrier somewhere that keeps me from feeling it in my heart.”

  “Love and trusting God is so much more than a feeling, Kameron.” She placed her hand on his arm where it rested on the table. “I want to pray. Would you join me?”

  He didn’t say a word. He’d lived with hurt so long Hayley probably saw him as vulnerable. He nodded more with his shoulders than his head.

  “Father God, my dear Lord Jesus, You know Kameron. You guided his birth mother to lovingly cover him and place him safely at the church. Thank you Pastor Gregg and his sister’s unselfish love took in Kameron, adopted him. You have adopted all believers. We were born in sin and by placing our belief in You, we’ve entered into Your family. Please fill Kameron’s heart with Your love so He can call you Daddy. In Christ’s name, amen.”

  7

  Hayley raised her head.

  Kameron stared at the wall, vulnerability coloring his countenance.

  As much as she longed to lighten his load, Jesus had to be the One to make Kameron smile.