CAL'S CHRISTMAS VISITOR
Chapter Two

Jack and Cal stood in the doorway of a large stone mansion. Cal recognized it as his grandmother’s home. A place that had been torn down years ago. He turned and looked at Jack suspiciously, wondering indeed how Jack had been able to take him here. Cal was just about to ask Dawson, but he was distracted by the activity in the foyer.

All around him, he heard the sounds that always reminded him of a family get-together. The din of children yelling and laughing, the clinking of dishes and the soft murmur of conversation in the parlor. He looked around him and saw his grandmother approaching him. She came closer and closer, her hands reaching out to him. He could smell the scent of her perfumed hanky and see the delicate details of her cut velvet dress. He tried to put his arms out to her, but he felt Jack’s restraining touch.

“She doesn’t know we are here, Cal. Just watch what is going on here.”

Cal jerked his head in the direction of Jack.

“Don’t try and tell me what to do at my own grandmother’s house, Dawson,” he snarled.

Jack’s forehead creased and he nodded his head. He had plenty of time to wait for Cal to see what would happen.

“Cal, Caledon. Oh, I am so glad that your father brought you for Christmas dinner.”

Minnie Hockley opened her arms to him. But Cal did not feel their warmth. Instead he saw a small boy reaching up to her, cuddling in the comforting embrace.

“Grandma, I want to go and play with my cousins. And visit Mrs. Booth in the kitchen. You promised she would save me the wishbone.”

Minnie smiled indulgently at her small grandson. How she wished that she had him with her all the time. She would fuss over him and turn him into a real gentleman. One who was well mannered and considerate of others. She glanced over at her son Nathan. He stood with his perpetual frown and impatient stance. Somehow, despite her efforts, her only son had become a slave to his business, a tyrant in the company, and had none of the humane qualities that she herself was noted for. His heart had hardened even more when his wife, the mother of young Cal, had died three years earlier. She shook her head sadly, wondering what was to become of the innocent boy.

“Of course, Caledon. Mrs. Booth is waiting for you. And your cousins told me to send you right upstairs. They are playing a good game of hide and seek.”

“Hide and seek?” muttered Cal. “God, What a waste of time that was. And visiting the cook in the kitchen. What was I thinking of? Making friends with the servants? People like you?” he said, looking at Jack with a sneer on his face.

Jack smoothed his hair off his face, the handcuff jingling as he did so.

“Dammit, Dawson, stop that incessant noise.” He looked at Jack and then at the handcuffs. Suddenly something dawned on him. “How did you get out of that room? I thought I had you taken care of once and for all.”

Jack smiled that gentle smile of his. “You didn’t count on Rose.”

“Rose?” asked Cal.

“Yeah, she cut them apart with an axe. She saved my life. And then…” but Jack stopped, deciding not to reveal anymore to Cal for the time being.

Cal stood with his mouth open about to say something when he heard his name being called from the top of the stairs.

“Cal! Hey it’s cousin Cal. Come on up here. Grannie bought us some toys and we’re playing hide and seek. Come on.”

He glanced up to the landing of the stairway and saw four of his cousins waving for him to join him. He always enjoyed playing with them. He was with adults so much, that on the few occasions he was allowed to play with other children, he almost did not know how.

Cal looked from his cousin, to his smiling grandmother and back to his stern faced father who was watching him from the parlor. He waved up to the group on the stairs.

“I’ll be right there. I, I want to say hello to Mrs. Booth.”

“Hey, Cal, ask her if she can please send us up a plate of those delicious sugar cookies,” shouted his look alike cousin Phillip.

“Yeah, and some cocoa,” added Violet, the girl cousin closest to his age.

He nodded enthusiastically. Just as he was about to follow his Grandmother down the hall to the kitchen, his father stepped out and blocked his way.

“Caledon,” he said in a booming voice, “I was just about to take several of your uncles on a tour of the new mill. You must accompany me.”

“But, Father, I was just going to have some fun with my cousins.” He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.

Minnie Hockley took a few steps closer to her son.

“Really, Nathan. It’s Christmas. Forget about the business for one day. Let the boy have a good time. You are going to turn him into an arrogant copy of yourself.”

Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “Forget business. Hah! Let me remind you Mother, that I allow you to live here and pay for everything you do here. If you want me to forget my business, I can just as well to forget to pay your bills.”

Minnie closed her eyes and felt as though she had been slapped in the face. She was almost ashamed to admit that she had given birth to such a son.

“And anyway, Mother, what is wrong with Cal turning out like me. Look at the money I have. Just keep out of things and let me handle Cal,” shouted Nathan.

She lowered her head as tears came to her eyes. Nathan always had to have the last word. And she didn’t have the strength today to fight back. He would only have had another degrading comment for her. Nathan’s own father had a sharp tongue, but he had never insulted her in public. What was the world coming to?

“Do you see, Jack, how you have to put people in their places. If my father had not been attending to his business at every waking moment, what would I have now?”

Jack looked at Cal with a serious look on his face. “I don’t know Cal. What do you have now?”

Cal opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His head jerked as he turned to Jack. The only response he got was the knowing look in Jack’s soulful eyes.

"My, my father did his utmost best for me. He installed a respect and interest for the business in me at an early age. But you wouldn't understand business would you Dawson?" Cal stammered.

Jack leaned against the wall and looked sadly at Cal.

"So, you are telling me that on Christmas Day you would rather be going on a tour of the new mill with the adults, rather than playing with your cousins and the toys?"

"Absolutely!" replied Cal with conviction.

"It was a great honor to be asked to accompany father to the mill at that age. To join the tour of the new mill was indeed a very great honor. Christmas Day was an excellent choice--no dirty workers running around. I remember my uncles were very impressed with what father had achieved. We had the very latest in machinery. Yes, I would rather go," Cal smiled, thinking he had scored a point over Jack.

"Then look over there," Jack said, pointing. The men in topcoats and hats began to assemble in the hall. As they walked out of the door, a solitary boy followed them sobbing. Nathan came back and grabbed him by the arm.

"Now, Caledon, you stop that now. I will not have that behavior in public. You are coming and I will have no more of this nonsense, or you will go to your room with no dinner for the rest of the day. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"You will thank me for this one day!" snapped Nathan and dragged Cal out of the door by his hand.

Cal stood in shock and surprise. He stared after the figures disappearing down the path.

"I had no idea. I did not remember that," he mumbled. He looked up. Also watching the figures sadly was his grandmother. She wiped a tear away and went to find Cal's cousins.

Cal turned on Jack.

"Why are you showing me this? What's the point?"

"That is for you to decide. Follow me, it's time to go."

They walked towards the front door. Again, as they walked through, the brilliant white light blinded Cal. He shielded his eyes again and as he tentatively removed them, he was relieved to see he was back in his study.

"That's a relief," muttered Cal to himself. "Pretty painless." He looked at Jack who said nothing, but jerked his head towards Cal's desk.

Cal turned and his heart fell when he saw himself, aged sixteen seated at the desk. It wasn't over yet.

The younger Cal was bent over his desk in study. His sleek black hair was shorter and well groomed. The older Cal smiled approvingly at his appearance.

"Do you remember this Christmas?" asked Jack.

"Not particularly," replied Cal.

There was no evidence in the room that it was Christmas, Jack noticed. He went and stood beside the fireplace.

There was a knock on the door. Before the younger Cal could answer, the door opened and his cousin Phillip, still wrapped up from the weather outside, entered.

"Were you taught not to knock before you enter someone's room?" snapped the younger Cal sarcastically.

"Why cousin, it's only your room," replied Phillip cheerfully. The younger boy eyed him with obvious dislike.

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"To ask you to change your mind about tomorrow. You know Grandmama has been ill for a while now. Her only request is that the family are all together for Christmas Day."

Cal bent down back over his book.

"I told you, I am too busy. We have more orders to complete at the mill and the entire work force thinks they can have the day off. Someone has to be responsible."

"Cal, for God's sake, it's Christmas Day tomorrow!" exclaimed Phillip. "Don't you ever stop working? Just have the day off, please Grandmama and all will be back to normal the day after."

"Don't waste my time, Phillip. Close the door on your way out." Cal didn't look up.

Phillip shook his head.

"Merry Christmas, Cal," he said genuinely. He started towards the door, then paused to look back at his cousin. Cal carried on with his work. Phil shook his head and left.

Jack knocked his hair out of his eyes. He looked sadly on as Cal resumed his work, not a flicker of emotion on his face. He looked at the older Cal who appeared slightly moved, but not as remorseful as Jack was hoping. This was going to be tough.

"So you didn't go to the family party, even after your Granny repeatedly asked for you?"

"No, Father and I stayed at home and went over the books."

"You never saw your Grandmother again did you?"

"No, she died in January," said Cal matter of factly.

"How do you feel about that?" Jack persisted.

"How am I supposed to feel? She was my grandmother!" Cal snapped agitatedly. He look up at Jack, annoyance on his face. He glared momentarily, then looked away again.

"She was also the person that fussed over you, tried to protect you and gave you all those wonderful hugs that you looked forward to."

Cal turned and gave Jack a questioning look, a furrow appearing in his forehead.

Jack smiled to himself, beginning to feel relieved that at last he was getting through, that somewhere deep down in Cal, there was perhaps a real emotion.

Cal strolled over to the desk to look over the younger Cal's shoulder at what he was reading.

"But she was old. Old people die Jack. It is a fact of life."

Jack's shoulders slumped. His relief had been short-lived and he felt his temper rising. Caledon Hockley was a hard case; this was not going to be easy. He needed to shake Cal up and as painful this would be for himself, he knew now just what was necessary to do that.

Chapter Three
Stories