Title: Dimples - Christmas Daybreak
Rating: G
Summary: Professor has a heart attack while Shirley is practising at the theatre a week ahead of Christmas. So, while she is staying at Allen and Betty's house, she decides to recite the poem the Professor tells her every year at Christmas.
 

   Sylvia Dolores Appleby pushed her tight blond curls out of her face, trying to ignore the fact the bright lights were shining in her brown eyes, sweat dripping down her blouse. Why does this scene always seem to last the longest? A tiny part of her brain complained. Sylvia (or Dimples, as she preferred to be called) had performed Uncle Tom's Cabin so many times (notice it's in italics- 110 was the number of this show) that all the moves and dialogue seemed to seep in inside of her, becoming a part of her. But lately, since the Professor's health had been failing, Allen pointed out that she was forgetting her lines more often. Plus, during this scene, when Eve dies, it was becoming more uncomfortable. Now that she was getting a little older, she had realized what the meaning of death meant. Death was what had happened ot her parents. Seeing the other character's in this scene pretend to cry, and watch their faces distort in pain as they ask her not to die was now scary - It was all a game before.

 Finally, the curtains closed and applause broke out. Dimples hurried with "Uncle Tom" backstage, to get her regular cup of water while he get his coffee. "Great job," Allen grinned, hurrying over to them. The cast had noticed that recently Allen was smiling more - Probably due to the fact that Cleo Marsh had left the theatre because she had been offered a new job across town. "It had been a real battle getting the theatre over from her," Allen said later. "But it was worth it. Too many bad memories being around her."

 Dimple couldn't agree more. Betty, Allen's wife, also didn't enjoy being with her. Dimple walked over to her makeup table, which she had gotten a couple months ago. It was fun having makeup put on, but to her it was even more fun to take it off at the end. She knew she looked like a little girl playing dress-up - She was, of course, but Dimple's had never liked being labelled anything. Professor said you should always do what you want.

 Speaking of Professor, where is he? She couldn't help but notice that he wasn't backstage, where he said he would meet her. Since his health went starting failing, he hadn't been going to most of the performances. "I'll make it up to you tonight. We'll go out for ice cream," he had promised as he scratched his right arm.

 "Miss Appleby," Hawkins stammered as he rushed up.

  Ah, here he is! Dimples ran up to tug his hand, her eyes shining.

 "I've got some bad news about Professor," he said, grabbing her small hand and pulling her out to the street. "He collapsed this evening, right after you left, and I brought over the doctor." Hawkins was still stuttering while saying this, and some of the words were nearly inaudible- But Dimples knew what he was saying still, even as her heart missed a beat and her breathing became ragged.

 The dimples gone for the moment, the eyes overcast, she said, "Is he going to be all right?"

 "Doctor says he'll be fine eventually, but you won't be able to stay at home for a couple weeks."

  "But where am I going to stay?"

~

 Betty Loring Drew swiped on a spot of rouge on her cheeks while checking her reflection in the mirror- She was getting a little pale from the result of her pregnancy and didn't want to show it (lets not forget that also only 'bad women' wore rouge at that time, so one must be extra careful).

 "Mrs Drew, there's someone to see you," the maid said. Visitors, at this time of the morning?

 "Why, Dimples! What are you doing here?" Betty said. While the maid was taking her coat and Dimples sat down next to her, she couldn't help but notice the glassy eyed expression. "Is something the matter?"

 That was all it took. Betty soon found herself holding Dimples in her arms while a few tears escaped. "Oh, Mrs Drew," she wailed.

 "It's all right, Precious.. Tell me what's happened."

 "The Professor's had a heart attack. I'm not allowed to stay at home for a couple weeks."

 "But Christmas is in three weeks!" Betty blurted out. She could of kicked herself the moment she said it. "I'll call Allen and ask him to come down from the theatre." She shushed Dimple's protests, and sent a servant to stop by at his work to bring him back. Waiting for Allen, she cracked her knuckles. I really ought to stop that habit. But she was starting up on little things like that for some time now. Ever since the doctor had told her she was pregnant, emotions kept flooding back and forth, back and forth. This wouldn't be so bad, she knew, if she would stop feeling so quilty. She hadn't told Allen yet. It wasn't that she wasn't happy she was pregnant; she was ecstatic. 'The right moment hasn't come up yet' was often the excuse, but she was able to admit the truth on most days. The truth being that she was at the point of her life that she realized she wasn't some carefree teen any more. She was a married woman that was going to have a baby and a lot of responsibilities. Did other women go through this, too? The practical side told her that they had, but she often rebelled. Oh, when is Allen getting here? Dimples was beginning to become uncomfortable by this stretch of silence.

 Finally, Dimples asked, "Will I be going back for Christmas?" She already knew the answer, but just wanted to get it out in the open.

 "You'll still be staying here, but you can still visit. You'll have to understand your grandfather will need his rest." Betty thought about what Mrs Caroline Drew, her mother-in-law, would say in this circumstance. Probably nothing comforting, knowing her. Perhaps she'd say that a young girl, such as Dimples, shouldn't be faced with such a thing. She should be sheltered and protected. With that in mind, she sent the girl to the guest room with a small doll she had kept as a child. "I'll send Allen up when he comes home. Just play in your room for now and try to forget about everything."

 "I'll try."

 ~

 Allen had hurried back the moment he had heard the news. "Allen," Betty leapt up when he came through the door. "Dimples is up in her room right now, playing. I think she should get her mind off of this whole thing right now, so be gentle."

 "When am I not?" he replied, flashing another quick grin until he noticed that she was biting on her nails. Now that he thought about it, Betty had been acting awfully strange lately. And it was obvious to him and the staff that she'd been wearing rouge. Someone needs to teach her how to put that stuff on.

 He gave a slight rap on the door before entering, a bit surprised that it had been closed to begin with. Dimples turned to look at him, and he inspected her face. It was as beautiful and youthful and looked identical to the face that he first saw over a year ago. She just didn't smile as much as she used to. Maybe Mother was right- That she should of stayed with her instead of being in poverty. Not complete poverty- She got quite a bit from being Eve in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

 "C'mon, where are those dimples?" She smiled a little, to his satisfaction. "That's better." When he couldn't think of anything else to say, he said, "You know, if you don't smile anymore, you'll lose your dimples." She laughed. "Yep, it's true. I know a friend of a friend of a friend that had the same thing happen to them!"

 "You did not!"

 "Of course I did!" She set her doll down next to her, giving him her full attention. "So, do you want to talk about what happened?"

 "Not quite yet. I was just thinking of my parents." She hesitated, but he didn't prod. "I was too young when they died to remember them, I just remember.. feelings. I depend a lot on the Professor. I don't know what I'd do if.." She didn't finish, but let her voice trail off. "I've also been thinking about Christmas."

 "What about it?"

 She seemed almost surprised to hear his voice, as if she had forgotten he was there. "My grandfather always reads me this poem on Christmas Eve, called the Christmas Daybreak."

 "That's a nice name for a poem." She blushed at his remark, which stunned him. Dimples never blushed. "However, I could stop by your place tomorrow and pick up the poem. Then, you could perform it on the Christmas presentation."

 She frowned. "We're going to perform on Christmas?"

 "Oh, no! The day before Christmas Eve is the Christmas play, so you can say it then. I'll even ask the doctor if the Professor can stop by the place." He saw her brighten at this, and added, "Just don't get your hopes up." I'll kill if he can't come! he thought to himself. Dimples was smiling, in any case, so he took it as a sign to leave the room.

~

Christmas Performance:

 Just as Dimples had expected, the ending scene seemed to last even longer. As if that were possible. The last of her patience was beginning to wear through right just as she took Eve's last breath. Phew. When the curtain closed, she rushed backstage to throw off her night-gown which hung heavily over her evening dress. Mrs Caroline Drew had bought it especially for this evening.

 Allen walked onto the stage, holding up his hands in a gesture to ask the audience to stay put. Dimples could tell from back here that his face was glowing- Not just from the rush of standing up there, but from the announcement made earlier that day by his wife. Dimples couldn't help giggling from the shocked expression on his face. 'Fatherhood does that to people,' Betty explained. "Please, ladies and gentlemen.. Stay for one moment longer. We have our own little Eve, otherwise known as Sylvia Dolores Appleby, up here to say a poem her grandfather tells her every year for Christmas." He walked offstage, and Dimples was happy to note that the audience was  quiet in anticipation. She hated people applauding ahead of time. It was like they were expecting something they may not get.

 She stared at her shoes until she got to the centre of the stage and then focused on a spot above the audience.

 "Christmas Daybreak:
 "Before the paling of the stars,
"Before the winter morn,
"Before the earliest cockcrow,
"Jesus Christ was born:
"Born in a stable,
"Cradled in a manger,
"In the world His hands had made,
"Born a stranger.

"Priest and king lay fast asleep
"In Jerusalem,
"Young and old lay fast asleep
"In crowded Bethlehem:

"Saint and angel, ox and ass,
"Kept a watch together,
"Before the Christmas daybreak
"In the winter weather.

"Jesus on His Mother's breast
"In the stable cold,
"Spotless Lamb of God was He,
"Shepherd of the fold.
"Let us kneel with Mary Maid,
"With Joseph bent and hoary,
"With saint and angel, ox and ass,
"To hail the King of Glory."

 Dimples smiled at the applause which broke out, and finally gathered the courage to look down at the centre spot in first row- Taken by the Professor.

-Callista Loveday-Madaci