Chapter 3: A Christmas Carol
Chapter 3:
When Luis heard the sound of somebody clearing their throat he wasn't all
that surprised. Even when he rolled over and saw Hank there, dressed in some
kind of angel type costume he wasn't surprised. It had just been that kind
of night. "Hey Buddy, Halloween was months ago." He said.
"I am the ghost of Christmas Past." Hank announced and Luis grinned.
"Yeah, sure you are... who put you up to this Hank?" Luis got out of bed and
moved toward Hank, intending to give the guy a friendly punch on the shoulder
and kick his behind from his bedroom.
As soon as he touched the spirit a white light surrounded them and the next
thing he knew they were in Sheridan's cottage. Only it wasn't her cottage
then... it was the Lopez-Fitzgerald home. There was Mama and Papa, dancing,
not an unusual sight in those days. There was Christmas music playing on the
radio and decorations filled the room.
Luis looked at the spirit.Okay, so it wasn't Hank, no matter how much he
looked like Hank. 'The ghost of Christmas past...whoa...' Luis thought,
stunned. He looked back at the scene before him, just as two children ran
into the room. Luis recognized himself at about age 5 and Antonio, about 7.
Both little boys ran to the couple, and Martin scooped them up into his arms.
"What are you two still doing up? Santa Claus won't come if you don't get to
sleep."
"Sure he will Papa, we were good this year!" Antonio insisted.
"Real good." Luis agreed with his brother, giving an exaggerated nod.
Martin handed Luis over to Pilar and the couple put the giggling boys to bed.
moments later they returned and adult Luis and the spirit watched as they
produced two shiny red bikes, standing them beside the tree.
"Thank goodness for the Crane's generous bonus." Pilar said.
"Yeah, it sure helped with these bikes. The boys are going to be so
excited..." Martin replied.
Luis was surprised to hear this. So his family hadn't always hated the
Crane's. "That was a great Christmas." He told the spirit. "We got everything
we asked for and everyone was happy."
The spirit nodded. "Yes, that was a good time for your family. We need to
move on now though."
Before Luis could blink they were in a tiny apartment... the place Pilar had
moved her family to when they were forced to move. Luis hated this place that
he barely remembered. "This was after Papa died..." He told the spirit. "That
bastard Alistair Crane kicked us out of our house and we had to live in this
dump." The spirit merely nodded as the apartment door opened and Pilar
ushered her brood inside.
Luis saw his younger self, now about 10, and his heart thudded as he saw how
weary and sad he looked. Antonio shared the look and Pilar looked even
worse. "Mama was working two jobs then... Antonio and I took care of the
babies..." Luis told the spirit. They watched as Pilar took the winter
clothes off little Theresa and Miguel.
Antonio was scowling, and he muttered, "Now we don't have candy canes for the
tree." He pouted, his face sour and angry.
"I am sorry Antonio, but I cannot help it if the store is closed." Pilar
moved to the small tree and plugged in the lights.
"It's stupid Mr. Crane's fault." Antonio was not about to let the subject
lie. "He's the one that made you work at his stupid party! I hate him!"
Pilar gave the boy a glare that quieted him instantly. "We don't hate in this
house! Now come sit by the tree and I will read the Christmas story."
Adult Luis smiled as he watched Theresa, about two years old, toddle over and
plop into young Luis' lap. She had always been his pet from the time she was
born.
"Mama made Christmas special that year, even though we didn't have many
presents, or even a turkey." He mused as he watched the scene.
"You were lucky to have her." The spirit agreed. "Others with many more
possessions weren't always so lucky."
The next time the light faded they were in the house Luis now lived in. Luis
and the spirit watched as a young Luis, maybe 15, helped Theresa and Miguel
make paper chains.
"Won't Mama be surprised Luis?" Theresa, about 7, beamed a gap-toothed smile
up at him, her huge eyes sparkling.
"You bet, Squirt." Luis replied with a grin. "We'll have chains all over the
room... it'll knock her socks off when she gets home."
"When will she ever get home?" Theresa frowned. "She works all the time...
always too late. She misses everything."
"Soon, Squirt." Luis answered as he helped Miguel with his chain.
Adult Luis glanced at the spirit. "The kid was right... Mama did work too
much. Alistair worked her ragged."
"I wish Antonio was here." Miguel said sadly as he struggled with the paper
and glue.
"Me too." Luis agreed, for he also missed his brother, who had been gone for
months.
That year it was Luis who read the Christmas story to Theresa and Miguel. He
also helped them hang up their stockings and leave cookies and milk for
Santa. All the children had been in bed long before Pilar had gotten home.
Still, adult Luis couldn't help but reflect that Christmas had still been
good that year. No matter what had happened Pilar somehow managed to make the
holiday full of good memories. Even the pain of missing Papa and Antonio was
somehow made alright.
"One final time..." The Hank ghost said, touching Luis' arm...
When the light faded they were still in the house and Luis recognized the
time instantly. It was Christmas last year. A first Luis didn't see his
former self, then he noticed his figure in the corner, gazing intently at the
tree.
He was alone in the room... it was late Christmas night, and the remnants of
the gift giving were still scattered around the room.
The spirit and Luis listened as last years Luis spoke to the empty room...
"Another Christmas..." The morose looking man sighed, raking his hands
through his hair. "Another Christmas spent alone..."
"I wasn't alone," Real Luis protested. "I spent the day with my family, as
usual."
"There are many ways to be alone..." The ghost murmured.
Past Luis sighed again. "Why does it have to be this way? Why can't I have
what I want, just this once?" The man's face changed, a smile slowly creeping
across his face as a thought permeated his mind.
The spirit looked at present Luis and said, "Do you wish to see what you were
thinking about just then?"
Luis nodded, wondering what could have brought such a change... such a look
of pleasure. He really didn't recall this night... too much laced eggnog that
night perhaps.
The light faded into the kitchen and Luis saw himself there, with Sheridan.
The scene was a couple of days before Christmas last year. The pair had their
heads together, peering at slides of Spain as Sheridan held them up to the
light.
Real Luis looked at the spirit. "This is what he... I mean I, was thinking
about?"
The ghost nodded, touching Luis' arm and then they were back in the present,
in his bedroom.
"Yeah, I guess I can believe that..." The thoughts of Sheridan still made him
smile, although now they brought a twist of pain as well, from the knowledge
that they could never be a couple... he turned to ask the ghost a question,
but he was alone in the room.
Luis shook his head, climbing back into bed. "What a trip... you're losing it
man..."
To Be Continued...