Book Three: Part 6 - Facing Evil - Chapter 6
Christmas Weekend In Montie
Saturday was a busy day for many businesses and shoppers. It has always been the unwritten law that Christmas Eve where more money is spent on that one day other than Valentine’s and Mother’s Day. People all over were looking for that special or unusual gift.
That very morning, Ed took Baker and Stevie out for some last-minute shopping, and as planned, a dealer named Stan Jensen, left a gift in the garage.
When they returned home, no on other than Ed looked in the garage as he pulled into the drive way. What he saw made him smile.
Other shoppers out and about such As Captain Raymond Todd, along with his wife, Elaine, each doing their last-minute gift finding for friends and neighbors. Both wore smiles; especially his wife. She was happy that in one more week, he would be officially retired from the force.
Her wish had finally come true. She wanted him to spend his remaining years with her, without fearing for his life. Her nerves were frayed when he was shot. They spent the last several days planning a trip and intended to take advantage of every day they were away.
Johnathan Prescott went to a specialty store and bought a Christmas card and signed it: Always There, John.
He sealed it and later slipped it into Dianne’s locker. He knew she wouldn’t see it until Monday, but a day late was better than no day at all.
As he turned to leave, he walked right into Dianne.
“Sorry. You surprised me.”
“No problem, Johnathan. What’s up? How come you are here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I, uh, I left something in my locker I need to get.”
Oh no, Johnathan thought.
“Oh, all right; well. I have to run. Have a safe Christmas.”
Dianne smiled.
“You too, Johnathan. Enjoy your time with your parents.”
When she was sure he was out of sight, she grabbed a card from inside her coat pocket addressed to Johnathan and walked over to his locker and slipped it inside.
She knew he wouldn’t see it until Monday, but being late was better than nothing at all. She signed her’s: Maybe, sounds good, Dianne.
Then came the afternoon where Ellie picked up Stevie for a date to see a movie. Ellie’s six months older than him, but she’s driving her mother’s Mazda.
The thing that made Ellie fall for Stevie was his strength and courage to put himself on the line for his friends. There are other jocks in school that are cuter and taller, but Stevie just had that unexplained aura she could feel, and she was drawn to him effortlessly.
Their day ended with an early dinner (pizza), at Pizza Hut, followed up with a hug and a couple deep kisses after she drove him home, before he went inside his house.
The rest of the day had thousands of people wrapping presents, placing name tags on various sized gifts, and preparing for the festivities. Of course, no one was thinking ahead to New Year’s just yet.
Travel would be minimal and there would be no accidents.
Satchell poured himself a glass of red wine and gave a toast to all those gone to heaven (or even hell for those most deserving), wiping away tears from his eyes, he poured one more glass, drained it and went to sleep.
Such a private man he is; and we may never know all there is excepting to say he will do all he can, while he can, to be the best he can be, for himself and the Twenty-Second.
And then came Sunday morning.
Christmas started at first light for most homes with the sounds of small feet running and screaming voices of the little ones who would first check the plate that held chocolate chip cookies and next to it a glass of milk, finding one gone, the other empty; when half-awake smiling parents would hear, “Mommy! Daddy! Look! Santa was here!”
From there, gifts were opened in a melee of laughter and giggles, and wrapping paper was tossed about, forgotten because of what it covered: toys, clothes, CD’s, I-Pod’s, computers, DVD’s, and yes, even books.
For those much older, car keys for a teen’s first car, or like one very unsuspecting adult, car keys to a brand new 2012 Fire-Red Hummer, sitting ever so quietly in the garage.
Baker was surprised, shocked, happy, and in joyous tears.
Hey, it’s Christmas.
Dianne enjoyed a great Christmas dinner along with a classic holiday movie, and shared laughter as jokes and stories were told.
When Ellie arrived, she briefly kissed, then hugged Stevie, and they exchanged gifts. Then she kissed him several more times after she saw what Stevie gave her.
One was a locket with his and her picture inside of it, side by side when opened. The other was a ring to make their going steady, official.
Ellie gave him a bracelet with an inscription on the back that read: I Do For You. On the back part of the clasp were the initials: S & E.
There was one person not so happy.
There was one person putting a plan together. An end-all plan.
But he also knew he had to do a warm-up exercise first. He had a contract on a man named Murphy in Manhattan. Once he was out of the way, he would be free to concentrate on sweet-Janis.