(advent) Day 5 – What treasures we find…

Monday, December 5

 

Lily sat at the table in the tea room after school, supposedly doing her homework. In reality, she was absently twirling her pencil in one hand while she watched Kaylee and Gideon work on a puzzle at the next table. Schrodinger and Jack were napping in the big cat bed next to the wood stove, and there was a steady hum around her, as people came in and out of the bookstore.

 

Her thoughts were as far away as her best friend was. Zoey’s absence was painful, but Lily found that what she missed most was sharing the magic with her. The castle was even more amazing than their last advent calendar.

 

“Everything okay, Miss Lily?”

 

She looked up, startled. Goldie was standing next to her table, a book in one hand and a mug of tea in the other. “Do you mind if I join you?” he asked.

 

“No, go ahead.” Lily moved her school bag to the floor next to her, and he settled into the seat. “I’m just doing homework.”

 

Goldie laughed gently. “Is that what you’re calling it? Looks like you were daydreaming to this old pirate.”

 

Lily nodded sheepishly. “Well, I’m SUPPOSED to be doing homework.” She scowled at the notebook in front of her. “But I can’t seem to concentrate.”

 

“I hear you. It’s hard to get things done when you miss someone.”

 

“You know, it’s not like I don’t talk to her every night,” Lily said. “But it’s just not the same. You get used to having someone there, and then they’re not. And it feels…” She trailed off, not sure what to say.

 

“Like there’s a hole there,” Goldie completed for her. “Like part of you is missing.”

 

She nodded again. “Silly, isn’t it? It’s not like she’s gone forever.”

 

“No, it’s not silly.”

 

Lily blinked. That wasn’t what she had been expecting to hear. “Really?”

 

Goldie leaned over and laid his gnarled hand over hers. The sea-roughened skin felt oddly comforting. “You miss your friend. True friendship is a treasure, and you’re right to miss her. But don’t forget that she’s coming back. Have your adventures here for both of you, and then, when you see her again, you can share everything you’ve both done. That way, neither of you misses anything.”

 

Lily thought about that for a moment. “So maybe instead of just missing her, I should keep a journal? So that I have everything.”

 

“Many crewmates keep journals for just such a reason,” Goldie told her. “See?” And he reached into the breast pocket in his coat. Lily watched as he pulled out a small leather-bound book. “I write down what I’ve done every day, so I can write to my best friend.”

 

“Where is your best friend?” Lily asked him, then realized he might not want to tell her. “If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”

 

“I don’t mind at all,” he said. “His name is Ink, and he sails with Cap’n Chris Steele. We grew up together, but Cap’n Chekov only had one berth when we went to sea. We write each other every week.”

 

Lily looked at the little notebook, and then reached down to her backpack. In there was her wallet, and it had the ten dollars that she’d saved from her allowance. She’d been thinking of buying another book with it, but now, she knew what she needed. “Thank you, Goldie,” she said, and slipped from her chair.

 

Aunt Margie had a display of blank books towards the front of the store, and Lily looked at each of them in turn, wanting to make sure she chose the right one. In the end, she found a little leather-bound book that was very similar to the one Goldie carried. This one, however, had a golden heart embossed on the front cover, and the words “Best Friends” written underneath it. It was perfect.

 

“Find what you were looking for?” DC asked, as she rang her up.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Lily said, and took the book back to her table. Goldie was still sitting there, reading, but he looked up as she took her seat and said, “Thank you, Goldie. That helps.”

 

He smiled and went back to his book, and she started her homework again.

 

After she was done, Lily packed up her schoolwork and went into the kitchen, where Molly was setting out loaves of lemon-blueberry bread and cranberry-nut bread to cool on the sideboard. “I’m done, Molly,” she said. “Can we do the calendar now?”

 

“Absolutely,” Molly said, letting the last loaf drop from its tin onto the cooling rack. “Why don’t you go round up the others, and I’ll bring the castle out to the tea room? I think that might be better today, since I’ve got to get these together.”

 

“Okay!” Lily ran out and woke up Schrodinger and Jack, then the three of them convinced Kaylee and Gideon to put away the puzzle. By the time they were done, Molly had brought the castle out and set it on the table near Goldie.

 

“That is amazing,” Goldie said, looking over the castle. “The Snow Queen’s castle, in miniature.”

 

Would you like to help us look for the number? Schrodinger asked him. We need to find it to see what the activity is today!

 

“Surely!” Goldie put aside his book and joined them in looking for the 5 that they knew was there somewhere.

 

Lily was the one to find it this time, hiding on the side of a small building in the courtyard. She pressed it, and the window opened to show them what looked like an artist’s studio. There were large tables covered with paper in all sorts of different shades and colors, and at one of the tables was a young man with bright green hair and beard, leaning over a paper chain that he was making. As they watched, the paper nearest to him jumped up and separated itself into neat strips, then flowed towards him, folding itself into the chain. The chain itself wound like a snake around the room.

 

One of the pieces of paper came arrowing out the window and dropped into Lily’s hand, revealing itself as a ribbon with the following words on it: “Follow the pirate to find your treasure chain!”

 

She looked at Goldie. “Are you taking us somewhere? Where are we finding a treasure chain?”

 

He winked at her. “Get your coats, and I’ll show you!”

 

It took them a few minutes – Molly had to put the castle away, and then she and Kiaya (who had decided to join them) herded everyone outside, where Pavel waited for them in his large sleigh. “It’s a good thing I brought the big one,” he joked, as they piled in. “Otherwise, Goldie might’ve had to walk.”

 

“Wouldn’t be the first time, Cap’n,” Goldie said, as he climbed up beside the driver. “Not the first time at all.”

 

“Where are we going, Pavel?” Gideon asked, as the sleigh started to move. “Where is the treasure chain?”

 

“You’ll see, my fine young sailor, you’ll see!”

 

No matter how much they clamored, and promised kisses and Molly’s cookies (to which Molly laughed, telling them they were awfully free with her goodies, especially since they weren’t making them), Pavel refused to tell them where they were going. After a few minutes, Lily stopped trying and instead looked at the lights going by. The late afternoon sun was slipping below the horizon and the Christmas lights were coming on. This was part of what Lily loved about being in the Cove – the way the entire community came together to celebrate the season. Zoey had told her the night before that her grandmother’s town only put lights up in the main commercial part of the town. “It’s just sad,” she’d said. “But we brought some of our lights, and we’re going to decorate Gran’s house tomorrow. I’ll send you pictures! Can you send me pictures of the Cove lights? Especially the Station? What’s the theme this year?”

 

“Molly, do you know what the theme for the Station is this year?” Lily asked, interrupting Kaylee, who was still begging Pavel to tell them where they were going.

 

“Drew said they were doing a Christmas Past theme, but he didn’t give me any details,” Molly said. “Maybe we’ll have to go to the Station in the next few days to see what they’ve got going on. Whatever it is, involves a lot of snow this year.”

 

It’s a good thing we have it, then! Schrodinger said. That one Christmas with Caliban was dreary, and not just because he was here and being obnoxious. I can’t imagine Christmas without snow.

 

“Me either,” Kaylee said, bouncing around on Molly’s lap. “It’s not Christmas if there are no snowmen!”

 

“Melting snowmen!” Gideon said. “We could make melting snowmen!”

 

“Why?” his mother asked. “It’s too cold for them to melt.”

 

“Not if we feed them hot chocolate!” Gideon said, and he and Kaylee began to laugh.

 

Lily was about to say something, but then the sleigh turned up a familiar driveway. “The nursing home!” she said instead, tugging on her sister’s sleeve. “Look, Kaylee, the nursing home! We’re going to see Grandma Rose and everyone!”

 

Ever since the advent calendar had introduced them to Carter’s Cove Assisted Living Facility, Lily and Zoey had come to love the residents of the facility, and had managed to get their parents to take them there at least once every two weeks, to listen, play games, and just enjoy the company of the older folks. Grandma Rose in particular was Lily’s favorite – she had once lived in Russia, and taught several diplomats French, and was teaching Lily and Zoey to crochet.

 

“Yay!” Kaylee said. “I wonder what we’re doing here?”

 

That became apparent when Mrs. Dawson led them into the main room. Just like in the workshop that they had seen in the castle, there were piles of paper that several of the residents were busy cutting into strips. Lily spotted Grandma Rose sitting with some of her friends, and went running over to her.

 

“Grandma Rose! Bonjour!”

 

“Bonjour, Lily!” Grandma Rose said, putting her scissors down and reaching out to enfold Lily in a perfumed hug. Lily loved the way she smelled – of her signature flower, along with the faintest hint of sugar and tea, and old books. “But where is Zoey?”

 

“She’s with her grandmother for December and January,” Lily said sadly. “She’s missing all the fun!”

 

“Well, all the fun here,” Grandma Rose said, patting the seat next to her. “But I’ll bet her grandmother is thrilled to have her there. And she has cousins there, yes?”

 

“Yes,” Lily said, climbing into the chair. Spread out on the table before them was a plethora of brightly colored wrapping paper, ready to be made into paper chains. “And she’s happy to see them. And her gran. But she misses Christmas in the Cove. It’s not the same, not being in a Crossroads town.”

 

“No, it’s not,” Grandma Rose agreed, picking up her scissors again and starting to cut more strips. The paper in front of her was green, with reindeer and snowmen dancing across it with candy canes. Lily looked at the table – there were already strips of other wrapping paper, and a glue stick, which she picked up. Then she started to create a chain. “But it is wonderful in other ways. Never underestimate the value of different experiences, child.”

 

“Tell me about Christmas when you were younger, Grandma Rose. What was it like when you were a child?”

 

And as they sat and constructed the chains, the older woman wove a tale for her of glittering lights and warm fires, Christmas trees decked with glass ornaments that had come from far shores, and candles that didn’t burn with regular flame, so they didn’t have to worry about fires, and crocheted snowflakes and stars. It sounded lovely to Lily, and she was surprised at how quickly the chains came together.

 

“Treasure chains,” she said, and Grandma Rose looked at her.

 

“What?”

 

“The castle said we were making treasure chains,” Lily said. “But I’m thinking that the real treasure chains are the stories we get.” She told Grandma Rose about the castle, and about the notebook she had purchased, since Zoey couldn’t be there.

 

“A journal is a wonderful thing,” Grandma Rose agreed. “Not only will it give you the memories to share with Zoey, but someday, in a far distant future, when we are gone, you will be able to look back and tell your grandchildren about what you did, and what we did. The stories will live on.”

 

> Activity: Paper chains! Put them up around your home, or around someone else’s home, if you like!

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.