Christmas With The Crockers

I thought you might enjoy one of the Christmas scenes from my book,
 "The South End"

When Gloria and the kids arrived in town two days before Christmas, Frank invited Doris, Linda and George, and Jimmy and Shirley to join his family at the Samoset for dinner. Doris had never eaten at the Samoset except for a few committee meetings and banquets for organizations she and Louis were involved in. She was very awed with all the Christmas decorations at the resort. Gloria and Frank gave her the grand tour, including the view of the ocean and the breakwater lighthouse from their room. She especially liked the big Christmas tree by the fireplace in the main lounge.

They were given a special table in Marcel’s Restaurant, overlooking Penobscot Bay. The table was decorated by a three-foot tall old-fashioned elaborately dressed Father Christmas. Doris assumed it belonged to the hotel and admired it throughout the meal. When Gloria presented it to her at the end of the meal, she was flabbergasted. Gloria bought it especially for Doris at Macy’s in New York City when she returned to get the car.

Hidden in the folds of Father Christmas’ gown was a small box with Doris’ name on it. Gloria retrieved it from the folds and said, “This box has your name on it, mother. Why don’t you open it.”

Doris put her hand over her heart. “For me? Oh, this is too much.”

“Open it, mother,” said Frank.

With trembling hands, Doris opened the box to reveal a pair of diamond earrings.

“Ohhhh…they’re so beautiful. You shouldn’t have,” she said.

Jimmy piped up, “You’ll look real good when you wear them to church, Ma. Those old hens will think you got a new man or something.”

Frank glared at Jimmy. Besides reminding Doris she was now a widow, he was also scoffing at a gift he could never afford to give his mother. Frank could see that and so could everyone else. The remark went over Doris’ head, however.

O.K., thought Frank. Get your digs in now little brother. I’ll settle with you later.

Frank spoke up quickly, “Mother, you wear them anywhere you want to. You deserve them.”

“Try them on,” said Linda.

“Yes, do, Gramma,” said Jessie, jumping up to help.

After adjusting them on her grandmother’s ears, she stood back to look.

“Oh, you look so beautiful, Gramma.”

Doris beamed. She moved her head from side to side to make them shine in the lights.

“I do? Oh I wish I could see them. I’ll have to look at them in the mirror later. Thank you, Gloria and Frank. This is the best present I ever got.”

“Hmmph,” said Jimmy, slumping in his chair with crossed arms.

Doris leaned over and gave Frank a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you for making this a special Christmas, son, and you too Gloria. This nice dinner and everything. It’s so nice to have the whole family around me.”

“Thank you, Mother,” said Frank, “for all the Christmases you made so special for us when we were kids. It’s about time we all did something special for you.”

In spite of Jimmy’s sullenness, the evening was a huge success. Now the family was gathered once again for Christmas eve at Linda’s house on Ocean Street. Frank stood in the kitchen and inhaled deeply, taking in the special smells of Christmas. Pies were baking in the oven and he could smell the scent from the Christmas tree in the front room every time someone opened the kitchen door. Memories of his mother’s kitchen and the Christmases of his youth flooded his mind. He was glad Gloria agreed to spend Christmas with his family in Maine and even happier that his own children could experience a New England Christmas.

What made this Christmas even more special to Frank were the younger children, the great-grandchildren, the next generation of Crockers. There’s something about children’s laughter that makes Christmas really seem like Christmas, Frank thought. There was an abundance of children at Linda’s house tonight. Linda had four children, all living in the area, three of them married with children. All seven grandchildren showed up at Linda’s on Christmas Eve to have a party with Nana and get their promised Christmas stockings and the Christmas cookies Linda always gave them to take home and leave for Santa.

Jimmy had two children. Little Jimmy was his only grandchild. Jimmy brought him to the party at Linda’s. He was the first grandchild to arrive and he was underfoot in the kitchen as usual, keeping up a lively chatter.

Not all of the parents were there, however, as some of them were still shopping for the children in question or putting together toys to put under their own trees for the morning. Nana’s party gave them a chance to do this and was in fact the reason Linda started the tradition in the first place. They would all show up later in the evening.

As each child arrived, they gave Nana a big kiss and handed her a present to put under her own tree. Since Joey and Jessie were here this year, Linda enlisted their aid in keeping the little ones happy and in line. Neither Joey nor Jessie had met all of the second cousins. Jessie was delighted to be of help. She loved kids and was, in fact, studying to be a teacher in college. Joey wasn’t so sure about the little munchkins, but he pitched in anyway.

Doris sat among all of them and watched their antics with a big smile on her face. She hoped that some of the older ones would remember their great-grandfather Louis. As her mind wandered to Christmases past, the oldest great-grandchild, seven-year-old Jake, approached her timidly.

“Gramma Doris?” he said.

“What is it, Jake? Come here and talk to your old Gramma a minute.”

Jake walked slowly over to Doris. He had a big frown on his face. Doris
made a place for him next to her and put a loving arm around him, hugging him to her side.

“My, you’re getting to be such a big boy, Jake, but why such a face?”

“Well…” he hesitated.

“What is it? You can tell me.”

“Well…I just…it’s…I miss Grampa Louis. He died didn’t he.”

Doris was very touched and she gave him a squeeze.

“Yes, son, he did, but you know what?”

“What?”

Jake looked at her hopefully.

“He’s here with us today in this very house.”

Jake got very excited and looked all around the room searching for his old friend and great-grandfather; he expected the man who used to tell him jokes and laugh a lot to walk by him at any minute.

Doris said, “No you can’t see him, Jake, but he’s here all right. In spirit. Do you know what an angel is?”

“Yes…I think so. They fly around in heaven a lot and do good things for people on earth.”

“That’s right, Jake,” Doris said. “Well your Grandpa Louis is an angel now. He’s watching over all of us. He’s probably looking at you and me right this very minute.”

Jake’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“He is? Can we talk to him?”

“No. Not out loud anyway. You can talk to him with your heart though. He’s right here.”

Doris touched him lightly on the chest.

“And when you say your prayers tonight, if you say ‘God bless, Grandpa Louis,’ I betcha he’ll hear you.”

“He will?”

“Yes, he will. I’m sure of it.”

Jake sat quietly a minute with a look of great concentration on his face. Doris could almost see the wheels of understanding turning in his head. She waited patiently for him to process the information and ask his next question.

“Gramma?” he said, after a while.

“Yes, dear, what else would you like to know?”

“It’s just…well…if Grampa Louis can’t talk to us and we can’t see him, who’s gonna tell the story?”

“Oh my,” said Doris. “We’ll have to think about that one, won’t we.”

It was a tradition at the Christmas eve party for Grampa Louis to recite the “The Night Before Christmas,” by Clement Moore. Jake looked at Doris expectantly, waiting for an answer. Just then Frank walked by with another present to put under the tree.

“Ah hah,” said Doris. “I think we have our answer, Jake.”

“We do?” he said.

“Yes we do. Do you see that man right there? Do you know who he is?”

Jake screwed up his face and thought some more. He had never met Frank before. All of a sudden he said, “No…but you know what Gramma?”

“What, Jake?”

His face lit up. “He looks a lot like Grampa Louis.”

“You’re right, Jake. My what a smart boy you are.”

Doris was amazed that a seven-year-old could pick out family resemblances so easily.

“Do you know why he looks like Grampa Louis,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because that man is Grampa Louis’ son. He looks like his daddy just like you look like your daddy. What do you think of that?”

“Is his name Louis too? My daddy’s name is Jake, like mine is.”

“No, his name is Frank Crocker. He’s your great-uncle, like Grampa Louis was your great-grampa.”

“Oh,” said Jake, looking very confused.

“But you know what?” Doris said. “Because he looks so much like Grampa Louis, I think he should read the story this year. What do you think?”

“Do you think he would, Gramma?”

“I bet if you went over to him and asked him nicely and said please. I think he would. Why don’t you go try.”

“Well…O.K. Now?”

“Yes. Now. Go on, go ask him nicely.”

Doris gave him a little nudge and Jake got up and headed for Frank timidly. He turned back once and said, “What’s his name, Gramma, I forgot.”

“Call him Great-uncle Frank,” said Doris, very seriously.

She couldn’t wait to see the expression on Frank’s face when he heard that moniker.

Frank was down on one knee when he felt a tug on his sweater sleeve. He turned toward the tug and looked into the face of his own son, Joey. He blinked a minute as if in a time warp.

“Great-Uncle Frank?”

Frank was taken aback at the name and was speechless for a minute until he heard a snicker and looked toward the couch and saw the smile on his mother’s face. He shook his finger at her.

“You put him up to this, didn’t you.”

Doris laughed and clapped her hands together.

“Great-Uncle Frank?” Jake said again.

Doris burst out laughing and Frank couldn’t help it. He had to laugh too.

“What’s so funny?” Jake said. “Isn’t that your name? Gramma said…”

Jake stood there uncertainly, now afraid to ask what he had come over to Frank to ask. Frank quickly put him at ease.

“It’s O.K., pardner. Yes, your Gramma’s right, but Great-Uncle Frank is such a long name. Why don’t you just call me Uncle Frank. O.K.? And what is your name?”

“Oh…O.K…my name is Jake and Gramma said…”

Frank held out his hand and Jake held his out tentatively. Frank shook his tiny hand and said, “And what can I do for you, Jake, my man?”

“Well…Gramma said…I said…well, anyway. You look like Grampa Louis and so you should read the story this year, I mean…please…”

“The story?”

Frank looked to his mother for help, amazed as much as she was, that one so young would think he looked like his father, Louis. He suddenly realized Doris was giving him a message through the voice of a child. It moved him very much.

“Tradition, Frank. Family tradition. It’s your turn to read the Christmas story.”

Doris produced a book from behind her back.

“Remember? I was going to read it this year, but Jake had a better idea. Out of the mouths of babes.”

Frank recognized the tattered old book instantly. It was the book from which his father had read “The Night Before Christmas” to he and Jimmy and Linda for so many Christmases. The old boy kept up the tradition all these years, he thought, even down to the great-grandchildren. Suddenly the thought crossed his mind that Louis must have been the last person to touch that book except for his mother.

He looked at Doris and dropped his jaw in amazement. Jake looked back and forth between them, not knowing quite what to do.

Frank came over and took the old book from Doris and held it reverently. Some of the leaves were loose and were sticking at odd ends out of the cover.

“I’d be delighted to read it,” he said, looking at his mother lovingly.

“Oh boy, oh boy,” Jake said, jumping up and down.

He ran and gathered the rest of the great-grandchildren.

“Come on, everyone. Uncle Frank’s gonna read the story.”

All seven great-grandchildren came running and gathered on the floor in front of Frank. Frank sat down on the floor too and put his arm around Jake. Jake smiled up at him. He felt very special because he had found a new storyteller for the group.

When the adults in the house heard that Frank was going to read the story, they all dropped what they were doing and gathered around in the background to witness the kids enjoy the story once more. Frank not only looked like Louis, he sounded like him too and some of the women had to dab at their eyes as he read, including Doris. It was only right that Frank continue the tradition. The Crocker clan all felt a sense of continuance, a feeling that all was right with the world on this very special Christmas Eve. Frank felt the presence of his father very near him as he read the familiar words.

The evening ended when the rest of the family arrived to pick up their respective children. Linda suggested that they all revive the old family tradition of singing Christmas carols around the old upright piano in the den. Doris was an accomplished piano player, a talent she had passed on to Linda, who inherited the family piano when Doris and Louis moved to their small apartment several years earlier.

Doris eagerly agreed to take her rightful place at the keys and the whole family gathered around her to sing the carols once again. Gloria stood next to Frank and squeezed his hand. He looked at her and thanked her with his eyes. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Thank-you, Frank. This is the best Christmas we’ve ever had.”

Merry Christmas, Everyone

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