The Christmas Edition

by Robin Shope

  “By the way, I looked at your photographs in the office.”

  She scrunched her nose and blushed. “I know it was silly to frame them but Dad likes to have my work hanging up.”

  “The black and white photographs are particularly amazing with the way you used the light and dark contrast. They remind me of Cecil B. DeMille’s movies in the 1930s and 40s.”

  Lucy knew that was over the top praise but didn’t say anything. It would have come across as false modesty.

  “Lucy, they took my breath away. They are works of art. You should send them somewhere, like…to magazines.”

  “Aw, how kind of you to say,” Lucy demurred. “But now you have gone too far. Magazines are filled with pictures much better than mine. I am an amateur and any professional in that field would spot me in a heartbeat.”

  “You’re wrong. You have a fresh eye. In some ways, you are like me; we stop to notice the little things other people don’t. When I was younger this consumed me. I find I am still a bit on the obsessive side.”

  “Now this sounds interesting.” Lucy laughed. She pulled a chair over to Joe’s desk and set her equipment on the floor. Lucy sat with one leg crossed over the other. “Tell me more.”

  “One of your most fascinating pictures is of a forest. There is a saying ‘you can’t see the forest through the trees’, but you take it a step further. In one of the pictures, you singled out one leaf. One obscure leaf and then you focused your camera lens on it. Of all the trees in the entire forest, why did you decide on that particular one?”

  “I don’t know,” Lucy answered quickly. “I looked up and there it was.”

  “Oh no. There’s more to it than that. You selected that leaf, that single leaf.”

  Lucy reflected for a moment and then answered, “I decided on that one leaf because it was lost in the array of thousands of leaves on hundreds of trees. I felt I was the only one who ever saw it and so I snapped its picture.”

  Joe leaned back in his chair until it creaked. He rested his elbows on the armrest and pressed his fingertips together. “What else?”

  “I don’t know what you mean?” She jiggled her leg.

  “Close your eyes and think about that day. You are standing in the woods. What kind of day is it?”

  Lucy closed her eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “Was it rainy, cloudy…”

  “Sunny! It was sunny that day and I will have you know I only took pictures and left only footprints.” Lucy peeked one eye open.

  “No fair, you’re looking. Keep your eyes closed.” He smiled. “Tell me about the moment you selected that leaf?”

  Lucy took a deep breath and shut her eyes again. “It was really quiet in the woods. I went alone because I like it that way. I stepped off the trail and made my own path between trees, over fallen logs. It was uneven terrain but I welcomed it. I kept walking, moving further and further away from houses. So quiet, I nearly heard the beat of my heart but then the sound of wind came gushing through like a storm drowning out everything else. Strange. The sun was so bright above the trees that at certain points it dried up the shadows completely. When I looked up, the sunlight was so sharp I had to cup my hand over my eyes.

  “I went further into the woods, where the shade was deeper and it was much colder. I heard the caw of a crow. It was somewhere close and I had to find him. I wanted to see what he looked like so I got my camera ready and followed the trunk of an old oak up until it reached a branch that had three crooks in it. Just the very second I spotted the crow, it flew off. The wind kept right on coming making the leaves spin like colorful tops. It made a sound like it was talking in its own secret language. Some leaves were knocked away from the tree and floated to the ground as though the fight to stay where they were wasn’t worth the trouble.

  “Then I saw the leaf, small and so pale that it was nearly wiped clear of any color at all. And yet it had that hint of yellow.” Lucy opened her eyes. “It held onto the tree fearlessly.”

  “That’s what I thought,” he said with an approving nod. “And that story is what I saw in your picture.”

  Tears filtered into Lucy’s eyes. Joe got her.

  “Lucy, the paper should buy a domain and then through the web address, you would be able to do a photographic journal.”

  Lucy grimaced as though someone had accidentally stepped on her foot. “Come on, let’s get our day started.”

  ****

  A blanket of snow circled above and then blew sideways as they rode in Joe’s SUV down County O toward their first stop of the day, the town of Delavan. Lucy told him how to get there. The country seemed to confuse him. Lucy figured it was because they didn’t have tall buildings that blocked out the sky. He knew how to deal with traffic and skyscrapers. It was wide-open spaces that caused the problems.

  “Is another blizzard on its way?” Joe turned on his wipers and tipped his head to get a good look at the sky.

  “None in the forecast; this bit of snow is merely winter air,” Lucy said, her cheeks crimson from cold. Her mind was centered on Joe and the fun she knew they would have as they spent today together, all day. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. There was an aura about him that stirred her emotions. No other man had ever gotten to her like he did. Maybe it was because he wasn’t from around here. Every guy she had ever dated was from Turtle Creek. She hoped she was as interesting to him as he was to her. Thinking about Joe almost kissing her yesterday made her sigh.

  “Is everything okay?” he looked her way.

  “Very okay.” She punctuated her answer with a smile. Right then she resolved that even if it took all night she would sit in this vehicle until she got her kiss. No flaking out on him this time. Business protocol or not, she was ready for the business of romance.

  Joe reached over, grabbed her left leg and gave it a squeeze. “You seem to have gone somewhere.”

  She took hold of his hand and held on to it. “No, I am right here with you.” He made her heart race. Last night Lucy slept peacefully—dreaming of the almost kiss, soothed by the hope of a first kiss. Today, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine his arms around her and his lips on hers.

  “Thanks for asking me along today.”

  “I must make a small correction. I didn’t just ask you along; we both have work to do and I need you.” Her blush was immediate. She noticed Joe’s eyes. They were soft gray, almost pale, but right now they were darker, emitting a strong emotion.

  Joe pulled to the side of the road and got out. Lucy wondered if they had a flat tire and was surprised when he opened her door and pulled her out onto the snow. With tenderness, Joe drew her to him. She didn’t have the sense to look away. She was locked in this moment and knew she’d carry it to her grave. His touch made her melt into him. His arms kept her from falling. Joe brought his lips within an inch of hers. He looked into her eyes as if asking if this was all right. Her breath caught in anticipation of what the next moment would bring. She wouldn’t turn away this time. The sun was high now, casting them in winter radiance. “Joe…”

  His mouth prevented her from saying another syllable. This was their first kiss, happening right here at the side of the road just under the snowy boughs of tall pine trees. Joe kissed each hand, her neck and then her lips. He used his lips as one would use their fingers when plotting the way to go on a map. Then he gathered her even closer. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him for all she was worth.

  He stepped back and whistled. “We needed to get that out of the way. Now, its time for us to get to work.” Joe helped Lucy back into the vehicle, and within minutes, they were on their way. Once they reached Delavan, they turned onto the brick street of Walworth Avenue. Joe parked in the first available spot. “Should I apologize for kissing you back there on the road?”

  “You better not!” Lucy threw her arms back around his neck and kissed him again. She couldn’t get enough of Joe’s fabulous lips. By the delightful feel of them, she guessed they had gotten a
lot of practice over the years. “Okay! Now I think we’re really ready to start our day.” She breathed. “Here are your press credentials.” She handed it to him to wear around his collar, just like she wore hers. Lucy grabbed a hold of her camera case with one hand and opened the car door with the other.

  As soon as her feet hit the street, there was no mistaking it. The town’s decorating committee had done an excellent job. Garlands were strung from lamppost to lamppost all the way down the street and more garland swaged across the street. At each of the two intersections, a giant bell was hung. Wreaths decorated every store’s entrance. Each was unique, indicative of the store’s wares. Bradley’s Department Store had a wreath made of miniature sweaters. Coachman’s Music Store had small instruments on theirs. The antique store had icicles made of antique silvered mercury glass with hand painted decoration. Elizabeth’s Family Restaurant had the day’s blue-plate special displayed. Boutelle’s Bakery had wedding cake toppers wired onto their wreath. For two blocks on either side of the street, door wreaths greeted customers. Lucy took pictures of them all.

  Joe started his man-on-the-street interviews and Lucy caught pictures of him with the townspeople.

  “Why is Christmas your favorite holiday?” Joe asked a high-school girl named Tina.

  “Because of the great presents!” She squealed effectively diminishing Lucy’s hearing capacity for the day.

  “But don’t you get presents on your birthday and other times of the year?” he pressed.

  Tina’s brow wrinkled. She hadn’t considered this. “Yeah, I guess. It’s just more special now.”

  “In what way is it more special?”

  Now she seemed to understand. “It’s the time of year that my family seems to really get along.”

  “Why is that?” Joe pushed.

  “All year long we seem to go our own way. Mom and Dad have their work schedules. I play softball, then basketball and then track. But Christmas brings us back together. We go to church and that makes us think of others, like those we love. We’re a closer family for it, for a little while at least.”

  “Good answer!” Joe gave her a high-five and wrote down her full name so he’d get it right for the article. “Now be sure to buy The Turtle Creek Newspaper between now and Christmas so you can read all about yourself.”

  “Give me your best smile,” Lucy instructed.

  Tina stood in front of the bank and posed one foot in front of the other. Lucy took a head shot which revealed a mouth filled with braces. “Excellent!”

  Lucy took Joe’s arm. Today she felt bold, so she acted on those feelings. It paid off as Joe smiled broadly at her and kissed her cheek.

  “Who’s next?” she asked.

  “You tell me who strikes your fancy.”

  Lucy looked up and down the street and then she made her decision. “How about that older couple walking right toward us? They look like they might be a good interview.”

  Joe approached them by first showing his credentials. “If you have a moment, I would love to ask you a few questions for The Turtle Creek Newspaper.”

  When the lady saw Lucy with her camera, she pulled off her knit cap and began to straighten her hair. “I guess it’s all right. My name is Blanche and this is my husband, Herbert.”

  “Nice to meet you both,” Joe shook their hands. “How many Christmases have you spent with this man beside you, whom I assume is your husband?”

  “Sure enough, Herbert is my husband.” She took Herbert’s hand. “We have been together not nearly long enough. Only five years.”

  Lucy was surprised by her answer. “Five years, huh?” she butted in to Joe’s interview and then shot him an “I’m sorry” look. His smile told her he didn’t mind so she continued. “Love happened late in life?”

  “Just the opposite. Love happened early in life while we were still in grammar school. It continued on through high school, but then the war came and Herbert left. I married someone else. He came home and married the daughter of a gas station owner which has since gone out of business.”

  “Gas was cheap back then, ten cents a gallon,” Herbert had his first say.

  “So how did you two finally get back together?” Joe asked.

  “Death,” Herbert said.

  “He means the death of our spouses. You have to forgive my husband’s abruptness,” Blanche explained. “Both our spouses ended up in the same nursing home. It’s terrible losing your loved one, but Herbert and I were there for one another. That’s where we reconnected. After they died, we married. It seemed natural, almost meant to be.”

  “And we haven’t spent a day apart since,” Herbert squeezed his wife’s hand.

  “So we are making up for the lost years and Christmas has become a miraculous time of the year for us. We know we have more days behind us than ahead so we make every moment count, every Christmas meaningful.” Herbert and Blanche looked at each other in a unique way, as if they could read one another’s thoughts. Lucy adjusted the settings on her camera and took their picture.

  When the couple walked away, she caught Joe wiping a tear from his eye. He looked at her as if he needed to offer an explanation. “That wind is so sharp.”

  But there was no wind today. “It sure is,” she agreed sharing this moment with him was special.

  Joe’s next pick was a young couple coming down the street with three kids. “This one is all yours,” Lucy said and stepped back.

  Again Joe introduced himself and flashed his credentials. The woman was anxious to answer Joe’s questions but the husband looked irritated. The middle-school boy tugged at his father’s arm as though he had somewhere he wanted to be instead of out on the street, answering questions. The two smaller girls danced around their parents.

  “What is your Christmas wish?” Joe asked the woman.

  “Peace on earth.” She grabbed the shoulder of one of the girls just before she ran into the street.

  “Nice sentiment,” Joe agreed.

  “Did you say ‘peace on earth’? I want peace in our family! These kids are driving us nuts!” the man complained.

  Joe wasn’t deterred. “Oh, so the little blessings haven’t been tamed yet?”

  “Not by any means,” the man scowled. “The holidays make it worse. They get all jazzed up on candy and thoughts of Santa bringing them presents. All I hear about for months leading up to Christmas is what I can buy them.”

  “I envy you,” Joe said as he looked from child to child and then back to the man.

  “Huh?”

  “What a great time in their lives to teach them about giving,” Joe told them. “There are angel trees all over town. They remind us of the needs of others. More important, the recipients are reminded that they are not forgotten. This is a way your children can get involved by helping someone their age.”

  “You know that is a great idea, hon,” the woman told her husband who immediately warmed to the idea.

  Joe and Lucy followed the family into the bank. Just inside the door was a five-foot tall tree covered with paper angels. Each angel had the name of a child written on it along with his or her Christmas wish. Lucy and Joe stepped back to watch in silence as the Humphrey family started a family tradition.

  Mrs. Humphrey patiently explained to her children about how not every child is as blessed as they are. It seemed to fall on deaf ears until she took one of the angels down from the tree. “On Christmas morning, this child by the name of Kylie would love to have a Barbie doll.”

  “You mean Kylie only gets one gift?” the taller of the two girls asked.

  “That’s right,” Mr. Humphrey said. “But there will be no gifts for any of these children if others don’t help.”

  His words struck a chord with all three children. The boy began to read the information on the angels, trying to connect. In a few minutes, he had made his choice and pulled an angel off the tree. “This kid is my age. He wants a football. Can we get him one?”

  “Of course,” his mother answ
ered. “What about you girls?”

  The girls both agreed to give something, too.

  “Then let’s do that.” Mrs. Humphrey and the girls became absorbed in looking at the many names and wishes.

  “Is it all right if I get a present for two kids, Dad?” the boy asked. “Buy me one less gift and use that money so someone else can have a Merry Christmas.”

  One of the girls added, “I want to do that, too. I will give my allowance so this other girl by the name of Mary Lee can have a pair of pajamas.”

  Lucy took photographs capturing the moment when the holidays changed from being all about them into being about helping others.

  After the Humphrey family left, Joe said, “This is turning out to be my best Christmas.”

  “Mine, too.”