(advent) Day 15 – Donations

[vg_ford]

Thursday, December 15

 

Can you believe that it’s Christmas in only ten days? Schrodinger asked, as he and Molly walked down the street towards St. Michael’s Church. It’s really snuck up on me this year!

 

“Really? How?” Molly teased him. She was moving slowly to avoid any icy patches, as she was carrying the precious Advent calendar in her arms. The snow from the day before had finally stopped, but the temperatures had plunged, and the last thing she wanted to do was fall on the Snow Queen’s castle.

 

I don’t know, but it feels like it has, Schrodinger said, and Molly was struck again by how literal he could be when he felt like it. Even with the Advent calendar. I don’t even have my shopping done yet!

 

“You and me both,” she said, as they stepped onto the walkway. Molly relaxed a little – Father Christopher was very good at making sure the walks were shoveled and de-iced, which was comforting.

 

The good father himself answered the door to the rectory once Schrodinger had rung the bell, holding it open so they could come inside. “You’re the first ones here!” he said, as they went into his big kitchen. “Although Kiaya called to say she and Gideon were on their way.”

 

“Corrine said she was picking up Lily at school and then coming over,” Molly said. “She left the bookstore when we did.”

 

“So they’ll be here soon too. Excellent.” Father Christopher rubbed his hands together, pleased. “With so many hands, this should go quickly.”

 

Are we doing the baskets for the needy again, Father? Schrodinger asked, looking around. The kitchen table was empty except for a cup of tea and the castle, and the CrossCat tilted his ears at the priest.

 

“Not exactly,” Father Christopher said, going over to his stove, where a large pot of fresh tomato sauce was bubbling gently. “Once everyone is here, I’ll explain.” He looked at Molly. “Did you bring bread?”

 

She nodded, pulling off her backpack. “Do you think two loaves will be enough? I made big ones.”

 

“It will be plenty.” Father Christopher took the two big loaves of Italian bread Molly had made earlier in the day and laid them on the counter beside the stove. “We’ll make the garlic bread in a bit, before we eat.”

 

Molly had time to take off her coat and they all had a cup of tea before the doorbell rang again. When Lily, Kaylee, Jack, Gideon, Corrine, and Kiaya had all come in and shed their coats, Father Christmas filled tea cups (and hot chocolate cups for Kaylee and Gideon, who had requested it) and then explained what they were going to do.

 

“I was going to do the baskets for the poor again this year, and I have,” he said, taking a sip of his own tea. “But then I was talking to Mrs. Hoskins, who has the boarding house down at the harbor.”

 

“The one for the visiting sailors?” Molly said. “She’s a sweetheart.”

 

“Indeed, she is,” Father Christopher agreed. “She stopped in a few days ago with some more presents for the orphanage in Portland, and was talking about how she had some new folks in the boarding house now. Folks who don’t seem to have anywhere to go, and she was looking for some ideas for Christmas presents for them. And that got me thinking.”

 

That maybe we should be making some baskets for them, too? Schrodinger asked.

 

“Yes, exactly,” Father Christopher said. “These folks aren’t homeless, but they’re far from home, and Christmas can be very lonely if you’re spending it alone.”

 

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Kiaya said. She smiled. “I’m so glad we moved here. This is a town that takes care of everyone, doesn’t it?”

 

“We certainly try,” Father Christopher agreed. He looked at the castle in the middle of the kitchen table. “So, how does this magical creation work?”

 

“We have to find the day’s number,” Lily said. “It’s hidden somewhere on the castle itself.”

 

“And when we find it, we press it, with our fingers,” Kaylee added, not to be outdone.

 

“And a window opens!” Gideon finished. “And it shows us a scene from the Snow Queen’s house, and then we get to do something!”

 

It’s pretty amazing, Jack said. They did a great job with it.

 

“So let’s look.”

 

Molly moved the castle so they could all look at it, and for a few minutes, there was silence as the ten of them looked.

 

There it is, Kaylee! Jack said suddenly. On the bottom right side of the main hall!

 

Her little finger touched the small “15” that hovered near a window that had a little window box attached to it, with some flowering plants in it. The window opened, and for a moment, the smell of tomato sauce was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh bread and roasting meats. The room inside was obviously a kitchen (and Molly had to wonder how many kitchens the Snow Queen had in her palace, really), and there were people busily making what looked to be a huge feast. There was an intricate dance of cooks and servers and helpers all moving at once, under the watchful eye of a tall woman in a stained apron, who didn’t let anything out of the kitchen without touching it at least once. She looked up at them, and tossed a napkin towards them.

 

It fell in Kaylee’s hand, and she read slowly, “Christmas is a time for sharing. Especially with those who have very little of their own.”

 

“Good sentiments,” Father Christopher said. “Are we ready to start our preparations?”

 

They were, and so they followed him into the large dining room in the rectory. For most of the time, the dining room was used as a secondary office for Father Christopher, who preferred to entertain guests in either the kitchen or the large living room. But right now, it was covered with an array of items to be put into the gift bags that were piled at one end.

 

“Mrs. Hoskins was nice enough to give me the names of all her guests, and I called the Seaman’s Hostel as well,” Father Christopher said. “Then I went around to the various shops around here, and tried to get things I thought they would like.”

 

Molly looked over the supplies. There were practical things, like warm woolen socks and handkerchiefs, and a pile of the plaid lumberjack shirts many of the sailors seemed to prefer. But there were other things too – gift certificates to the bookstore and other shops, blank books, chocolates and other goodies that would brighten anyone’s day.

 

“This is a great idea,” she said, moving to the end with the gift bags. “When do we start?”

 

>Activity: Donate something today. It can be something as small as 15 minutes to help someone with chores, or buying a gift for someone who might not have one.

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