Diana leaned forward to peek out the large glass front window. Shaking her head, she replied, “Nope. I’ve never seen him before. I’ll have to call the cops to have him removed. We can’t have bums sitting outside the diner scaring customers off. I hope this isn’t going to be an issue in this town like it is in the city.” She huffed.
“No, wait. It’s almost Christmas. And maybe he’s just passing through. Can you put a holiday plate together for him and put it on my tab? You can make it to go.” I wasn’t going to give the guy money so he could go blow it on booze and such, but I wanted to do something to help him out.
Diana nodded without reply and gave me a small smile. She was born and raised in Friendship, and while her disdain for the man outside was evident, I knew she was a good person and would take care of the meal as I asked without question.
Emily finally came to take her seat and began sipping the chocolate milk I’d ordered for her. “What were you talking to Diana about?” she asked me.
She was so young and innocent that I was tempted to lie, not wanting to draw attention to the man outside. But I never lied to her, and as sad as it was that the man clearly didn’t have a home of his own, I was honest. “I was talking to Diana about getting the homeless man outside some dinner.” I paused, waiting for the barrage of questions I expected. Sometimes her curiosity could be overwhelming. Emily surprised me, though, and asked me a question that made me realize I hadn’t done such a bad job raising her alone after all.
“May I please give him my dinner too? And I think he probably needs some pie, because it’s the best pie. And also, in case he needs something for later, because everyone needs a snack at bedtime.” Her steely blue eyes met mine, and I had to fight back the tears I felt forming.
“You know what, Emily? We’ll order him what you’re having too. You need to eat some dinner, but I promise, on our way out, we’ll make sure he’s got a hot meal and a sweet treat to have before bed, too, okay?”
“Thanks, Daddy.” She sent her sweet smile across the booth to me, and as my thoughts shifted to how this man ended up in our little town, I decided I was going to make sure he had what he needed to get by through the holidays. It was the least that Emily and I could do, as fortunate as we were. After all, it was the season of giving.
Chapter Three
Samantha
I’m fairly certain that the chill hit me before the plane even landed, while we were just descending into the great Northeast. It was an uneventful flight thankfully, and we touched down in Massachusetts right on time.
I was spending two weeks in Friendship, which was quite a bit longer than usual, but I missed my sister, and it had been an entire year already since we’d seen each other. She was taking most of the time off as well, leaving plenty of time to relax, chat, and participate in the numerous holiday activities. Since it was the middle of the day and the family was still working, I got my own ride to Robin’s house. Even though I live over a thousand miles away, I still had my own key. I’d planned to drop my bag off and then head right back out to Main Street and pick up a few winter items.
I’d attempted to find a few warm items at the mall in Florida, but it was a wasted trip. I always found it strange that you could buy sweaters and coats in Florida. The stores changed out their inventory as if it were going to get cold, even though it never did. What they didn’t carry, though, were clothes warm enough to keep you toasty in New England. Sure, I could have ordered some things online, but I liked Robin’s downtown strip, and I loved supporting local businesses instead of the big-name manufacturing companies. And after the long flight, I knew it would be nice to walk around as well.
Friendship was exactly what you would envision if someone said to you, “New England at Christmas.” It reminded me of a holiday card with its small shops and local businesses that had been passed down from generations in many cases. There was a small pond near the center of the town that you could actually skate on when it froze over, and they held a Christmas tree lighting each year in the square. The entire two weeks leading up to Christmas in Friendship was filled with choir concerts, the annual Christmas play, as well as a little winter wonderland downtown chock full of things for the families to do together. My nieces would be performing in the concert, and their enthusiasm was always contagious even for a scrooge like myself. Thank goodness for the joy of children at Christmas.
A short ride from the airport later, I let myself into my sister’s house and looked around. Everything already looked and smelled like the holidays. I could tell she’d been baking, the aroma of vanilla and sugar wafted through the house. On a small table just inside the door was an envelope that had my name on it and a little wooden block that had been carved to look like a Christmas tree. I grinned and shoved my suitcase out of the way, grabbing the envelope greedily.
When I opened it, I read the little note from Robin.
Sister,
I know it’s not your favorite time of year, but I promise you that this year we will make new memories and eat all the cookies our pants will allow us to. There’s a batch on the counter for you to get started with now! I love you so much, and I’m so happy you’re here with us. We’re getting a tree tonight, and we have lots of fun surprises planned for the time you are here.
Now go shop for some warm clothes because I know you didn’t bring enough.
See you soon!
Love you,
Robin
I grasped the letter close to my heart, holding back tears. She was trying so hard to make the holidays something different and wonderful for all of us as a family. As I let out a big sigh, I resolved to put in a little more effort to enjoy the season with my family and to appreciate what they were trying to do for me. It wasn’t fair to everyone else if I had a bad attitude, and even if I had to pretend, it was worth it.
After I read the note a few more times while shoving some of the peanut butter blossoms, my favorite cookie, in my mouth, I grabbed my jacket and took off to do a little shopping. I was craving a good cup of coffee, too, and the coffee shop downtown was exactly what I needed. It was no big chain, just an awesome older woman running a coffee-and bakeshop with her daughter, and it was the best coffee in the world. I had bought some the year before to take home, but it wasn’t the same. I mused to myself that they must make it with melted snow or something, giving it the perfect flavor.
As I approached the coffee shop, a homeless man stole my attention with a warm smile. Normally, I would have gone about my business, but I was drawn to stop and talk to him.
“Bah humbug,” he said.
“What?” I asked, surprised.
“Bah humbug, right? The holidays are dreadful.”
“Um, I guess,” I replied. I agreed with him, of course, but was taken aback by his blatant disregard for the holiday. Most people this time of year were filled with cheesy smiles and brimming with cheer. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee, sir?” I asked quickly. It seemed like the Christmassy thing to do. I was holding on to myself as the wind whipped, causing me to shiver.
“What a kind and generous offer, miss. I would love to take you up on it.” He smiled kindly at me as if he’d never said “bah humbug” in the first place.