by Leona
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program
"Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and
have been used without permission. No
copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.
Christmas was coming fast this year. Heath and Janine loved the season and in
their own home, they tried to make it special for Leah. This year they had David, so it made it even
more special. David was now six months old and starting to crawl. He followed Leah as best he could, and
laughed whenever she was around. He had
dark hair, and big brown eyes that observed everything. He recognized his parents and always watched
his big sister.
Leah was two and a half years old now, with big blue eyes
and curly blonde hair. She was the love
of Heath and Janine’s life, the only child they would have naturally. David came to them as a special baby, having
lost his parents in a tragic carriage accident. Janine was thinking of their special children as she set out to
do her holiday baking. They would be
making sugar cookies, butter cookies, and a bunch of different pastries. Heath brought home some cider, and some
treats from Silas.
“We get twee, Mama?”
asked Leah, pouring the flour into the bowl.
“Yep. We’ll go
with Papa to get the tree. Won’t that
be fun?”
“Oh yes.
Fun!” She clapped her hands
together in glee. Heath picked that
moment to walk in the door with Audra and Fred. “Papa!” she yelled, running into Heath’s arms.
“Hi Lil One. You
helpin’ Mama?”
“Yeah. We make cookies”
Leah hugged her father with her flour ridden arms. “Hi Aunt Audwa. Hi Unca Fred. You good?”
Audra smiled and nodded.
“Yes we are fine Leah. How are
you?”
“Mama says we get twee!” she announced excitedly. “Santa come soon, Papa?”
Soon, Lil One.
Janey you got the coffee on?”
Janine nodded.
“Hi Audra, Fred.
Sorry I got my hands full.
Wasn’t expectin’ company.”
“That’s okay Janey.
Need some help?” Audra looked
for an apron, finding one and slipped it on. Janine grinned at her and handed her
the cookie cutters. Leah came running
to the table, grabbed a cookie cutter and helped cut some cookies. Heath and Fred poured themselves a coffee,
settling down in the living room to play a game of cards. David picked that moment to start crying.
“Heath can you get David?”
“Yep” Janine
sighed, Heath was still playing cards.
“Like now?” Heath
looked up at her and grinned. She
almost threw a cutter at him but decided against it. She would get him back later.
Audra grinned at her and finished her tray of cookies and put them in
the oven. They were almost done and it
was time to start the supper. Heath
walked past her to grab the bottle and kissed Janine’s neck. She giggled and blushed as Audra observed
them.
“Audra, did ya guys wanna stay for supper?”
“That sounds good,” Audra replied and looked over to her
tall, dark and handsome husband. as he nodded.
Janine and Audra started supper, gossiping all the while.
Supper was a happy affair, Leah talking up a storm as
usual about Santa Claus and what he was going to bring her. She had a very long list. “Want doll, want
book, want….” The women cleaned off the table as Heath picked up David and put
him in his playpen.
He took Leah by
the hand and sat her on his lap and
asked, “Leah did ya know that Christmas is not about what you get but what ya
give?”
“It is?” Leah
looked confused. She didn’t understand
about giving but she listened with interest as her father explained about
Christmas.
“A long time ago, there was a little baby born in a
manager. He was a special baby,
Leah. More special than anyone of
us.” Leah sat on his lap, listening
intently to the Christmas story her father was telling.
“Baby Jesus, Papa?”
Heath nodded.
“Yes Leah. He was
called the Son of God. He helped all
kinds of people, young, old, the sick and the well. People of different colours, sizes and shapes. He was a very giving person. He forgave everyone of their wrongs.. We
celebrate His birthday because of His giving ways and the happiness He brought
to the people. He never asked for a
thing in return.” Leah thought about
this for a long while.
Then she spoke in a grown up voice, “I wanna be goo’ like
Baby Jesus, Papa.”
“I know ya do Lil One.
Christmas is for givin’ and makin’ people happy. Do ya think ya can do that?” Leah nodded her blonde head.
“Yes Papa.” Heath
hugged his daughter. “Make childwen
supper Papa?”
“I think that’s a good idea Leah. We can do that. Can’t we Janine?” Janine had listened to the story and nodded.
“Yes Leah. That’s
a very good idea. Why don’t we make
some cookies and take them to the orphanage as well. Maybe we can find some of your old toys you don’t play with and
give them to the children as well.”
Leah nodded. “K,
Mama. Goo’ idea! Let’s do now!”
Everyone chuckled.
“Maybe tomorrow, Sweetie. Aunt
Audra and Uncle Fred are still here visiting.”
She hugged her daughter and told her it was time to get ready for
bed.
“K Mama. Wove
you.”
“Love you too Leah.”
Leah ran up the stairs singing as she went. The adults watched her as she ran past. “Leah! Walk!” Janine
called.
“K. Mama!” Janine
had brought out coffee and dessert.
“We got to get going soon, Janey. It’s getting late.” Fred and Audra took the dessert and
coffee. They talked for a while longer
while Leah played with David. They all
yawned and decided to call it a night.
They left, promising to visit again soon.
As they got the children ready for bed, Heath heard Leah
ask Janine about Santa Claus. “Mama,
Santa like Jesus?”
“Sort of, Leah. He
is a kind and good person. He brings
children presents because he wants to.”
“Oh. Bring
pwesents to mamas and papas too?”
“Yes Leah. Mamas
and papas are special. They help Santa
because he can’t get everywhere all at once.
So he gives grownups special gifts.
The gift of love. That’s
Christmas, Honey. A season of
love. Do ya understand?”
“Yes Mama.” Leah
stretched out her arms for a hug from her parents and said good night.
They closed the door slightly and wandered downstairs. They headed out to their beloved swing on
the porch and sat there arms wrapped around each other.
“Think she understands, Heath?”
“I reckon” They
sat in companionable silence for a while.
Then Heath mentioned, “I reckon
we’ll get the tree tomorrow. It’s
gettin’ pretty close to Christmas.”
“Okay. Sounds fine
to me. Leah will like that.” She snuggled closer to her favorite
cowboy. “Ya okay, Love?” He sounded so far away when he answered.
“Yeah, just thinkin’.”
“Bout what?” She sat up and looked at him
“Bout Mama.” He
hardly ever mentioned his mother and his childhood, so she listened, knowing
she was going to learn something new about him. “We were poor but she always made Christmas special. I miss her most ‘round this time.” She
understood. She missed her parents too,
but his Mama he would never see again. “She woulda loved Leah and you” He smiled at the thought. “you’re a lot like her, ya know Janey.”
“I am?”
“Yeah she was kind, gentle and good to all even though
they were mean and cruel to her.” His drawl got stronger as he talked. “She did all she could to make Christmas
special and I want to do the same for Leah and ya. Would ya do me a favor, my pretty?”
“Anything Heath.
Anything.” She held his hand
while he caressed it with his masculine one.
“Can you cook a meal like I had when I was a boy?” She nodded. “I want potatoes, grits,
vegetables and meat. I went out and
shot some meat, usually rabbit, for our dinner. I’ll do that myself, k?”
Janine nodded.
“Don’t kill my rabbits though, Heath.”
He smiled. “I
wouldn’t do that Janine. I know how
much those rabbits mean to you.” He put
his hand under her chin and lifted her face.
“I love ya, my pretty. I’m so
happy we have each other.” He kissed
her lips gently and helped her off the swing.
“Time for bed, my pretty.”
“Yep, I’m plum tuckered!”
He smiled and took her hand. He
was very happy.
They went out to find a tree the next morning. They spent a few hours looking for the
perfect tree. Heath wanted a small tree
but full of thick branches. He made ornaments for the tree, as did
Janine and Leah. They even made a small one for David. It was going to be a great Christmas. They finally found the tree they were
looking for and brought it home.
Heath set the tree up in front of the big window in the
living room. They decorated it that
night with the ornaments they had made.
Wooden ones, cookie ones, fabric ones and waxed ones. It looked beautiful. They strung popcorn as well. It was the most beautiful tree they had
seen. Heath lifted Leah up to put the
star at the top. When he set her down
on her feet, they all stood back and looked at the tree. Leah clasped her hands together and asked,
“Papa, why star on twee?”
Heath glanced at Janine, picking up Leah and held her as
they observed the tree. “Well Leah, the
star represents Baby Jesus’ birth. It
was the star that the wise men followed to find the manager. We put it there to show that we are
following it too.”
“Oh. It’s vewy
pwetty” They all nodded in
agreement.
Christmas eve arrived and they had their Christmas dinner
that night. They were going to have the
big dinner with the family. They had
all the things that Heath wanted, including the wild rabbit. Heath reassured Janine it wasn’t one of hers
but one he shot in the woods. She ran
out to make sure that her rabbits were still there.
“Told ya I wouldn’t hurt your rabbits, Janey.” She smiled at him. She trusted him, just sometimes, he liked to play little games
with her. After supper they hung the
stockings up on the mantel of the fireplace,
sang a few Christmas carols and put the children to bed. They had things to do before they went to
bed so there was to be no romantic swing this night. After they had finished putting the presents under the tree, they
made their way up to their bed and fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the
pillow.
They woke up the next morning with Leah squealing in
delight. “Santa here! Santa here!” They glanced at each other and got up. Janine got David up and went downstairs. “LOOK MAMA!
LOOK PAPA!” She said pointing at
the tree. “PWESENTS!” They looked and saw there were more presents
under the tree than they had put there last night. The surprised parents looked at each other. Could it be? They wondered to each
other. Nodding silently, they headed
towards the tree and found that there were some with their name on them.
They opened the presents, not knowing who they were from
and wondered who had put them under the tree.
There was a sled for Leah, a pull toy for David, saddle bags adorned
with Heath’s name on them and a beautiful pair of boots for Janine. Who had done this? They looked at the wrappings, there was no clue on them as to who
they were from.
“Santa here. I hear
him.”
“You heard him?” Janine asked skeptically.
“Yes, Mama. He had
a big fluffy beawd. Big boots and jamas.”
“You were dreamin’ lil one” commented Heath.
“No Papa. I saw
him.” Heath and Janine gaped at the
little girl who believed what she was saying.
They let the matter drop while they ate breakfast. After breakfast they did the dishes, packed
up the children and headed off to see the family.
There were more gifts and more treats. Leah told them all about seeing Santa and
they told about the extra gifts. No one
could explain it. They all sat around
after the hefty dinner and reminisced about Christmases past. If they had been paying attention, they
would have seen someone peeking in the front window. Someone with a big fluffy beard, big boots and pajamas. Could it be…….? Nah. It was all a dream,
like Heath said, or was it?