Episode 3.22, Dancing With The Moon
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At Home
Joan – “Last night was fantastic! I haven’t had that much fun in a
long time.”
Grace – “You should have seen the expression on Clay’s face when I
offered a demonstration of the bris. It was priceless. But I still
don’t subscribe to the whole bogus dating ritual.”
Joan – “Don’t give me that. You had a blast.”
Grace – “But I would have had just as much fun meeting everyone there
in jeans and a T-shirt.”
Joan – “Didn’t you see Luke’s face when you came down the stairs last
night?”
Grace – “Yeah, a typical male response to superficial matters of
appearance. What ever happened to letting your true beauty shine from
within?”
Joan – “If there are places on your body where that actually happens,
you’re not attractive, you’re leaking.”
Both laugh at Joan’s comment. Grace says, “Girardi, you are more
warped than I am!”
Joan – “Miss Candy told us in make-up class that all humans have
imperfections. We conceal them because we are girls. Everything is
not a conspiracy, and disturbing the dating ritual only creates
havoc. Besides, assuming that you are more enlightened than the
millions of people who created a tradition is a bit arrogant, don’t
you think?”
Grace – “Why should I participate in the dating rat race? Even if I
win it, I’m still a rat. You know I loathe hypocrisy, yet you still
think I should continue with this ritualistic dogma.”
Joan – “Yes, I do. Tell me, why did you go to dance class with me the
other day? I know you really didn’t want to go.”
Grace – “Because you’re my friend, and I know you really wanted me to
go with you.”
Joan – “Okay, so my brother is in love with you. Don’t you think he’s
worth a little compromise?”
Grace – “Whose side are you on?”
Joan – “Both.Listen, contrary to popular belief, opportunity rarely
knocks. You usually have to beat down the door. If you want to cause
a different outcome, play your own game, then you have to be willing
to play the game in the first place.”
Grace – “Now you sound like my father. He won’t let up on me about
going to college.”
Joan – “I think you should go. You want to change the world, right?
So who’s listening to your ideas now? Me, Adam, and Luke. Why be just
one more person trying to change the world when you can write things
to cause thousands of people to try? Do it! Shoot for the moon. Even
if you miss, you’ll land in the stars.”
Grace will not admit it, but she finds what Joan has just proposed to
be an intriguing idea. She decides to change the subject, “Let’s do
yoga.”
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The doorbell rings, so Helen answers the door, “Well hello Adam,
Joan’s at work.”
Adam – “I know. I wanted to talk to you.”
Helen – “Has your father told you about my proposal?”
Adam – “Yes, but there’s something else. I have a problem, and I
don’t know what to do. Can we talk?” Helen invites him in and they
sit in the living room, “My dad has a girlfriend.”
Helen – “What has he told you about her?”
Adam – “He’s been seeing her for several months, always on the nights
that I had dance lessons or work. She wants to fix us Christmas
dinner. That’s why he told me about her.”
Helen – “You should be happy for him.”
Adam – “She’ll never be my mom! I had a mom. No one can replace her.”
Helen – “Joan told me once that you think of me like a mom. Why
couldn’t she be one, too?”
Adam – “Because I picked you. I don’t even know her.”
Helen – “Adam, you’re agonizing over something that may never happen.
Your mother will always have a place in your father’s heart, but it
has been five years. If this woman makes your father happy, you
should respect his feelings for her. Who knows, if you give her a
chance, maybe you two can become friends.”
Adam sits silently for a few moments before he responds, “But it
hurts.”
Helen gives him a hug, “I know, but life must go on.”
Again, Adam sits quietly for a few moments before he responds, “Okay,
I’ll be nice to her, but that’s it.”
Adam gets up to leave and Helen walks him to the door, “Thanks Mrs.
G.”
Helen – “Well, I’m sorry that you won’t be able to come with us, but
I understand. I’m sure this dinner is important to your father.”
Adam – “No, I’ll be going. He postponed the dinner until after we get
back.”
Helen – “Well, that should tell you something about your father.”
Adam – “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Oh, don’t say anything to Joan. I
haven’t told her yet.”
Helen – “This is something that you should share with her.”
Adam – “I will, just not yet. I’ll tell her after the trip.”
At School
Grace – “So, did you guys study for the tests?”
All say that they had, and then Joan asks, “Why, didn’t you?”
Grace – “If you haven’t noticed, studying always ends with dying. I
can handle these corn tests, pizza tests, tater tests… betcha can’t
eat just one!”
Joan – “Tater tests, what are you talking about?”
Grace – “It’s an allusion, Girardi, keep up. Would tater salad have
been better?”
Glynis– “Is an allusion still an allusion if no one understands it?”
Grace – “The tree still makes a sound, Chateletness.”
Joan – “What tree?”
Friedman – “The one that fell in the hundred-acre wood.”
Joan – “When did that happen?”
Luke – “Yesterday, which is when the dog who traveled into the future
and bit his own tail felt it.”
Joan says to Adam, “The only dog I know is yours. Maybe he’s really
Mister Paxbody.”
Adam – “Could be. He was chasing a squirrel in the back yard when I
left this morning.”
Grace is not sure if Joan and Adam are actually believing this or
just playing along, “It’s a joke, frellwits. Anyway, the point is
that these tests are nothing but a pointless trivial pursuit. There’s
no way a multiple-choice question can show what someone can do with
what they know.”
Adam – “Trivial Pursuit, like in Jeopardy?”
Joan responds to the suggestion, “Ooh, ooh, I’ll take Laverne &
Shirley for $800.”
Luke – “I’ll take String Theory for $1200.”
Glynis– “I’ll try Fractal Geometry for $900. They’re so pretty.”
Adam – “Do they have a Dungeons & Dragons category?”
Grace – “No, fire spear, try Abstract Art for $500. I’ll take
Political Corruption for $1100.”
Adam – “Sculpture.”
Friedman – “Bzzt, you didn’t say for how much. I’ll take Human
Reproduction for $1000.”
Grace – “And Friedman sucks us into the black hole of reality.”
Adam – “Can I still take a turn?”
Joan smiles and gives Adam a kiss, “I’ll call your name later.” They
each enter their classrooms to begin their first midterm exam.
At The Police Station
Will – “Are you ready?”
Mimi – “I think you should do this.”
Will – “I’ll make the opening and closing remarks, but it’s your
testimony they want to hear.”
Will steps up to the podium, “Good morning. We have completed our
investigation into the shooting that took place at The Liquor
Emporium last Wednesday evening. Lieutenant Rogers of Internal
Affairs will give the briefing.”
Will steps aside and Mimi begins to speak, “After reviewing the
testimony and other evidence, we have determined that Sergeant
Williams’ discharge of her weapon was justified. It is clear that Mr.
Washington pointed his weapon at Sergeant Williams before the
exchange of gunfire. Her action probably saved her life and the lives
of others.”
Reporter # 1 – “Was it determined who shot first?”
Mimi – “It appears that they fired simultaneously.”
Reporter # 2 – “Mrs. Washington is demanding an independent
investigation in this shooting. Do you have a comment?”
Mimi – “Internal Affairs is the independent investigation.”
Will steps up to the microphone, “If the DA decides to conduct their
own investigation, we will offer our full cooperation. However, we
have not received such a request.”
Reporter # 3 – “Chief Girardi, the ACLU has a filed suit in regard to
your association with Brother Jimi’s committee. Do you have a
comment?”
Will ignores him, giving him his answer, “Sergeant Williams will be
returning to active duty as of today. That is all. Thank you.”
After they have returned inside, Mimi asks, “Why didn’t you answer
his question?”
Will – “I have dealt with him before. I would just be giving him
something to take out of context. My concern is with federal court.
I’m sure the press and talk radio will give full vent to the court of
public opinion.”
At the Herald
Kevin – “Good morning, how is Dan doing?”
Rebecca – “Pretty good. His sister is staying to care for him. I’ll
help in the evening.”
Kevin – “I’m glad to hear that. Would it be all right if I stopped by
after work?”
Rebecca – “I’m sure he’d like that.” She pauses briefly, “Um, could
you do me a favor?”
Kevin – “Sure, what is it?”
Rebecca – “I would like to have a bottle of Woodhall Party Garnet,
but I can’t bring myself to go back to get it. Would you pick one up
for me?”
Kevin writes down the name, “I’ll pick it up before I visit tonight.”
Rebecca gives him a twenty-dollar bill, “That’s not necessary.”
Rebecca – “I just want you to get it for me. I’ll pay for it. It’s
for when Sergeant Williams comes over for dinner. Do you know her
first name?”
Kevin – “Toni.”
Rebecca – “Thanks, now, about your editorial.”
Kevin interrupts, “There’s something that I was going to put in that
I didn’t mention on Friday. Did you know that 90% of black victims of
murder and non-negligent manslaughter were killed by black
offenders?”
Rebecca – “I get your point. I don’t want you to publish it.”
Kevin – “But, why? I have already shown you that everything in it is
true.”
Rebecca – “I just feel that it would do too much harm to the
newspaper and to me personally, but I’m willing to make a
compromise.” Kevin doesn’t respond verbally, but instead gives her an
‘okay, what?’ expression. Rebecca continues, “I’m going to add
checking stories for racial bias to your duties. That will have the
same effect, won’t it?”
Kevin has worked hard on his editorial and really would like to see
it published, but he also can see her point of view. He counters,
“How about political bias, too?”
Rebecca – “Okay, but only outside of the editorial page.”
Kevin – “No problem, that’s where opinions belong.”
At School
Joan – “My calculus teacher gave us a vote of confidence before the
test. She said, ‘The Day of Judgment is upon us, and you will be
judged. Those who fail to pass this test will be doomed forever to
burn in an explicit differential ball of flame!’ She was joking, but
I could sense a distinct burning smell when I left the room after the
test.”
Grace – “I’m sure you didn’t do that bad. You seemed to know it when
we were in study hall. I should pass if the teacher uses the mean
value theorem for grading.”
Adam – “I’m not sure how I did. I could see the formulas, but I
couldn’t figure out what to do with them.”
Friedman – “Well, I’m sure that I aced it.”
Glynis– “I am the calculus queen! Nature laughs at the difficulties
of integration.”
Luke – “As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are
not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to
reality.”
Joan – “So who’s ready for Government?”
Grace – “Nobody, that’s the problem. It’s just a self-licking ice
cream cone.”
Joan – “Eeeuw, that’s a disturbing image. I mean the test.”
Grace – “Oh yeah, the cheese test. Hypocrisy is our current form of
government. It is a representative republic where your neighbors
elect someone to decide how much of your money will be given to
them.”
Luke prods Grace on, “Define the judiciary?”
Grace – “The judiciary is a panel of unelected officials who impose
laws on society that would never pass through the Congress.”
Luke – “And the Congress?”
Grace – “When explaining anything in Congress, always choose
stupidity over conspiracy, incompetence over cunning. Anything else
gives them too much credit. Congress is like looking at that Escher
picture of the wild geese flying together. It makes absolutely no
sense, but even they can occasionally manage to hit you with a load
of crap.”
Glynis– “Cute, Grace, but I don’t think those answers will fly on the
test.”
Grace – “And Counselor Troi once again states something that is
blindingly obvious.”
Friedman – “Grace does have a point. Whenever a politician wants to
pass a useless piece of legislation, they always claim that it is for
the children. It works every time. Nobody is against children.”
Joan – “‘For the children’, that’s good. Isn’t it?”
Grace – “Yeah, that’s good. You really are an elegant moron. We’ll
talk later.”
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With the completion of the last class on Friday, a week of tater
tests is finally over. Winter break begins for 20% of the students,
while the remainder plans to enjoy their Christmas break. All leave
the school in high spirits.
At Home
When Joan comes downstairs with her suitcase, she is expecting
everyone to be there to bid her farewell. Instead, she walks through
an empty house. She finally looks out a front window and notices
everyone gathered around a large van. When she walks out to
investigate, Adam peeks out from behind an open door, “Good, let me
have your suitcase.”
Joan – “What are you doing here?”
Grace looks out from behind him, “A piss poor job of packing. We
should start with the Van-Gogh carrier on top.”
Luke – “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the
Starship…”
Grace interrupts, “Minimize. Your mission, should you decide to
accept it, is to figure out how to get all this stuff into the van
without us becoming bubble wrap.”
Joan – “Will somebody please tell me what’s going on?”
Adam – “We’re all going to Baltimore, I think.”
Joan – “When did this happen?”
Grace – “It hasn’t, yet.”
Will – “We decided that since Richard came to visit us for
Thanksgiving, we’ll go there for Christmas. Surprise!”
Joan – “Grace and Adam, too?”
Helen – “You said that you liked to spend Christmas with family and
friends.”
Joan – “This is going to be fun! Where’d you get the van?”
Will closes the side door of the van to reveal a decal, “Dunuelos
Rentals, I got a great holiday rate.” When he actually turns to look
at the van, he asks, “Hey, who added the extra artwork?”
Grace – “I thought the van needed some sprucing.”
Joan – “I love the wreath and holly, but what does Turk 182 mean?”
Grace – “It’s a populist parable about a graffiti artist in New York.
I thought the work needed a signature.”
Adam – “Uh, wasn’t that Taki 183?”
Helen – “Adam’s right. When Taki ruled magik kingdom…”
Grace interrupts, “Whatever. The point is that he was a messenger for
the oppressed who took up arms against the status quo.”
Will – “Well, I think your father will see a different message when I
send him the bill to have your liberation graphic removed.”
Luke – “Don’t worry, Dad, I applied a coat of wax first. It’ll wipe
off with a sponge.”
Adam, Luke, and Grace return to packing the van, having their own
conversation in the background.
Kevin – “Lilly got us a great discount on the hotel.”
Grace sings a motivational tune for Luke.
*You put the big box in,
You take the small box out,
You put the big case in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey
And you change the stuff around
That’s what it’s all about*
Lilly walks up, having only heard her name, “I didn’t do it. What did
I do?”
Adam grins and exclaims, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Kevin – “I was just telling Joan about the discount you got us on the
hotel.”
Grace – “Never interrupt someone doing what you say can’t be done.”
Lilly – “Oh, that. Well, God works in mysterious ways.”
Kevin gives Lilly a ‘tell them’ look, “Okay, Father Mallory knew
someone in Baltimore who owed him a favor.”
Grace – “…Stay on target… Almost there… Stay… on… target…”
Joan – “Ooh, I have to go get my other presents.”
Grace begins to fling her arms up and down, “Danger, danger, Will
Robinson. Critical mass will be reached in five minutes. Abort
program, input data, recompute.”
Luke – “Don’t have a short circuit. If all else fails, I’ll use the
force.”
At the Girardi Residence
It begins to snow as they leave Arcadia. It’s a short-lived flurry,
but still a nice gesture from Mother Nature as they embark on their
Christmas journey. All are seated reasonably comfortable. Luke was
instrumental in using the space available to accommodate both the
luggage and passengers. Kevin is the only sardined passenger, but
since he can’t feel his legs, it does not affect his comfort level.
All engage in small talk for some time, and then Grace asks Joan,
“So, where is it?”
Joan – “Where’s what?”
Grace – “The CD. You said that you were looking forward to listening
to it during your drive to Baltimore.”
Joan – “That was when I thought that I would be driving alone. It’s
different now that we’re all here.”
Grace – “You mean me? What, you think I’ll go postal if I have to
listen to Christmas music? Put it in.”
Joan – “Are you sure?”
Grace – “Hey, you wanna know the truth? I actually like some of the
songs. Let’s hear it.”
Helen – “What did you bring?”
Joan smiles, obviously pleased at receiving Grace’s permission, “It’s
actually a two-CD set entitled, ‘WOW Christmas’. I really like it,
because I’ve heard a lot of the singers doing regular songs.” She
hands the first CD to Helen to put in the player. They sing along
with some of the songs, but mostly they just listen. After listening
to both CD’s, Lilly offers her Mannheim Steamroller CD for their
enjoyment. The remainder of the drive is a Fresh Aire Christmas
journey.
Joan was able to avoid driving from Arcadia, but Helen made her drive
from the hotel to Uncle Richard’s and Aunt
Trenna’s\ `home <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/TheRichardGirardiHouse.jpg>`__\ in
Overlea, a neighborhood in northeast Baltimore. When they arrive,
Emily is in the front yard bouncing on her mother’s mini-trampoline.
Trenna, being the shrewd mother that she is, placed it there this
morning. She knew that Emily would not be able to resist using it.
Trenna is hopeful that Joan will at least get a little sleep tonight.
When Joan pulls in the driveway, Emily bounces off and runs toward
the van. She continues to jump up and down, calling out excitedly,
“You’re here, you’re here!” She bounces along side of the van as Joan
pulls up the driveway, “Come on; let me show you my room. I want you
to meet Pooka.”
Joan puts the van in park, turns off the ignition, and opens the
door, “Can I take my seatbelt off first?”
In response to Joan’s wisecrack, Emily stops jumping. She puts her
hand on her hip and gives Joan a tart smile. She then steps up on the
running board, wraps her arms around her, and squeezes a hug, “I’ve
missed you so much.”
Joan melts into her and hugs her in return, “I’ve missed you, too.”
They hug briefly, and then Joan asks, “Who is Pooka?”
Emily – “You’ll see.” Emily takes Joan’s hand, “Come on, I’ve got my
room all cleaned and ready for you.”
Everyone in the van is amused and touched while observing the
exchange. When Joan gets out, she smiles back at her mother. Helen
comments, “Go ahead. We’ll bring in your things.”
After Joan and Emily leave, Grace quips, “Tonight, Joan Girardi
continues her lead on American Idol.”
Helen – “We all knew this would happen. I think it’s wonderful.”
Will – “Pop-Tart extraordinaire.”
Adam – “Well, we won’t see Joan for a while.”
Trenna, Richard, and Trevor come out as Emily leads Joan inside.
Emily allows her mother to give Joan a quick hug before they go in.
“I’m glad you’re here. We’ll talk later.”
Joan – “It’s good to see you again too, Aunt Trenna.”
They unloaded most of the luggage at the hotel. What remains are the
presents, and Luke and Joan’s belongings. The Christmas tree seemed
barren underneath, but now rests on a mountain of packages. Trevor’s
eyes become aglow as he comments to his mother, “And Santa hasn’t
even come, yet!”
A poster of LeAnn Rimes adorns the outside of Emily’s bedroom door.
The caption reads, “Crazy Blue.” Emily leads Joan in, but Joan has to
stop, look, and smile for a moment. Emily’s room is larger than
Joan’s, but just as cluttered. The first thing that catches her eye
is a large net suspended from the ceiling. In it is a collection of
stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. Joan takes a few moments to
scan the array. She smiles and comments sarcastically to Emily,
“Looks like E.T. did go home.”
Emily plops herself on the bed and begins to hug a rabbit nearly half
her size, “But Pooka is still here. He’s been with me for as long as
I can remember. I put everyone else in the net, but I really would
like Pooka to stay. Is that okay?”
Joan – “Sure, your bed looks big enough for the three of us. Can I
see him?” Emily hands Pooka to Joan. Joan hugs him and strokes his
worn fur, “He looks well loved.” She does a quick waltz with him
before returning him to Emily.
Emily – “I dance with him too, sometimes.”
Will – “Knock, knock.” He enters through the open door, “I have
Joan’s suitcase. Where would you like me to put it?”
Emily – “In front of the chifforobe. I’ve cleared out my stuff, so
there’s plenty of room.” Will delivers the suitcase, hugs his niece,
and leaves.
Joan looks at the mirrored cabinet where her father has placed her
suitcase. She opens the door and inspects the inside, “This is nice,
a clothes bar and 3 drawers down below.” She thinks to herself, ‘So
this is a chifforobe.’
Emily gets up from the bed and seats Pooka on the pillows, “After you
put your clothes away, can you teach me how to rumble?”
Joan is bewildered by Emily’s request. She doesn’t recall telling
Emily about her street fighting lessons. Then she realizes what Emily
is asking, “Oh, it’s called the rumba. It’s similar to a waltz, but
with a fast beat.”
After she puts away her clothes, Joan takes Emily’s hands and begins
a slow demonstration, “Okay, you need to do the opposite of me. Put
your right foot back --- one, two, then your left foot to the side
--- three, your…” After they practice for a while, Joan speeds it up.
When she feels that Emily is ready, she asks, “I’ll bet you have
every song ever recorded by LeAnn Rimes.”
Emily – “Almost. The only one that I don’t have is her ‘God Bless
America’ CD. I’ve asked Santa to get it for me.”
Joan – “Have you heard her Latino version of Can’t Fight The
Moonlight?”
Emily – “Yeah, Kizzie sent it to me. I like the original better, but
it’s awesome that way, too.”
Joan – “And it will be awesome for us to rumble to.”
Emily smiles at Joan’s purposeful mistake. She finds the song on her
computer, and cranks up the volume as it starts playing.
Downstairs, Luke is outside playing catch with Trevor, the adults are
sitting at the dining room table talking, and Grace and Adam are
talking in the living room.
Grace – “When I told my dad that I wanted to come on this trip, he
gave me the whole rabbinical speil about the differences between our
beliefs and those of Christians. Duh, like I didn’t know. Then, just
as I was leaving, he gave me a Christmas present. Can you believe
it?”
Adam – “Maybe your dad just didn’t want you to feel left out while
you were here.”
Grace – “We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s
run by a big eastern syndicate. Christmas is just the time of year
when Christians indulge in material excess.”
Adam – “It does seem that way, but there are those who do practice
the true meaning of Christmas.”
Grace – “And you know what that is?”
Adam – “It’s a celebration of the birth of Jesus. For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life.”
Grace – “When did you start reading the Bible?”
Adam – “I haven’t. Mom read it to me sometimes, and I remember
everything that she told me.”
Grace – “Did she explain the trinity to you?”
Adam – “The Holy Trinity is a mystery. We’re not supposed to
understand it.”
Grace – “A mystery? An oxymoron is more like it. I believe in one
God, not a committee.”
Adam smiles, “Don’t you mean an elegant moron?”
Grace – “Yeah, I hear you. Had Whiney known Joan, she would have been
the riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. So, what do you
believe?”
Adam – “I believe that I don’t really know.”
Grace – “Good answer.” She walks over to the Christmas tree and
shakes her package again, “I still don’t have any idea of what’s in
there.”
Adam – “Well, then it’ll be a nice surprise on Christmas morning.”
In the dining room, the adults have been catching up on what has
happened since Thanksgiving. Richard turns the discussion to their
plan for tomorrow, “We have the whole morning and afternoon free.
There are lots of things to do and see, but I have picked two that I
think everyone will enjoy. I thought that in the morning we could go
to Fort McHenry. The tour doesn’t take long and there is a nice video
presentation about its history. Then I thought we could visit Edgar
Allan Poe’s grave at the Westminster Cemetery. Baltimore’s football
team is named after his famous poem, ‘The Raven’.”
Will – “That sounds like a fun morning. Is your ancestor’s name
mention on a marker at the fort?”
Trenna– “No, few names are actually mentioned. My fourth
great-grandfather was Patrick Muldoon. He was only called up for
active duty twice during the war. Both times he served at Fort
McHenry. His brother served under General Stricker. He was killed at
the battle of North Point. It’s long gone now, but Patrick owned a
pub and restaurant called The Buck Stops Here. They served venison
and the seafood catch of the day. Stout was on tap. It was down in
Fells Point. I’ll be happy to show you where it was when we go into
town tomorrow.”
Will – “That’s an interesting story.” He continues asking
sarcastically, “The Buck Stops Here? That sounds original.”
Trennacounters, “It may have been in 1812.”
Will smiles and uses hand gestures as if speaking to an audience,
“Bambi: You’ve seen the movie. Now, eat the star!”
Trennasmirks, “Very funny.”
Will – “Seriously, I do enjoy history, especially when it involves
family.”
Helen – “I have mixed feelings about visiting Poe’s grave. I’ll bet
it’s a popular Halloween attraction.”
Richard – “The lines to get in wrap around the block on Halloween and
on January 19th, Poe’s birthday. We’ll probably be the only ones
there tomorrow.”
Luke and Trevor come in from playing catch. Trenna says to Trevor,
“Go tell your sister and Joan to come down. I need to talk to them.”
When they come down, Trenna addresses Emily, “It’s time to take your
shower.”
Emily – “But Mom, we’re having fun. Joan was just…”
Trenna– “No buts, shower, now. Besides, Joan needs some time to say
goodnight to her friends.”
Emily frowns, but obeys her mother. She runs upstairs to the
bathroom. Joan then walks out to the living room to see Grace and
Adam.
Adam – “Hello stranger.”
Joan – “I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t get away. She’s been having so
much fun.”
Grace – “No problem. We knew that she would be the center of your
attention.”
Joan – “Whatcha been doing?”
Adam – “Just talking and listening to the discussion in the dining
room. It sounds like we’ll all be spending time together tomorrow.”
Joan smiles and sings, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow,
you’re only a day away.”
Soon the conversation in the house turns to the sound of yawns, and
everyone separates to find their own places to sleep. They have a big
day ahead of them.
At Fort McHenry
Emily straddles a cannon, “Joan, take my picture!”
Joan takes out her camera and snaps a picture, “That’ll look nice
with the harbor in the background.”
Emily – “Now let me take your picture.” Joan trades places so that
Emily can get her picture, “You have to send me a copy.”
Joan – “I will.”
Joan had noticed it earlier, but the giggling and laughing has become
more pronounced now that she is closer to the edge. She peers over
the rampart to the park below. There, she sees children playing with
bubbles, dancing like fairies in pursuit of the shining orbs. She
watches for some time, and then comments, “They really are having a
blast!”
Woman – “Oh, children go crazy over bubbles.”
Joan is a little surprised, having expected Emily to answer. She
hadn’t noticed the woman standing there. She is an attractive woman,
similar in appearance and demeanor to Laura Roslin. She is wearing a
full-length red coat, with matching low heel shoes. Her bonnet is a
crocheted masterpiece of red and yellow yarns. Joan smiles without
comment, then returns to watching the children.
The children continue their play, giggling and frolicking as they
pursue the empty planets on the run. Their glee is infectious and
Joan can’t help but smile as she watches them, “Watching them puts a
smile in my heart.”
Woman – “Children are fascinating creatures. I mean, what’s so great
about bubbles?”
Emily – “They’re pretty, they float, you can chase them, catch them,
pop them, I mean, they’re just totally awesome! They even have
rainbows!”
Woman – “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone had something they
loved as much as children love bubbles? I can remember a child who
had a similar fascination with balloons.”
Joan – “Oh, but I hated it when they popped! That really scared me.”
She begins to wonder, “Are you…?”
Emily interrupts, tugging on Joan’s hand, “Come on, let’s go see what
they’re doing over there.”
The woman looks at Emily, and then back to Joan, “Children are the
laughter of God, don’t you think? Cherish their innocence.”
Emily objects, “Hey, who are you calling innocent? Even my mom knows
that I’m usually guilty. You don’t know anything.”
The woman looks lovingly at Emily, “Yes, you are guilty of pushing
the envelope. It’s in your nature. You are becoming who you will be.”
She looks back at Joan, “Remember what I told you before.” She smiles
and walks away.
Joan – “Wait! What did you tell me? When?” The woman continues
walking away, waving over her shoulder as she leaves.
Emily – “Come on, let’s go!”
With Joan in tow, Emily catches up with the rest of the family. The
others are looking down at the\ `Inner
Harbor <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/InnerHarborfromFederalHill.jpg>`__\ from
their vantage point on Federal Hill.
Will – “What’s the name of the tall ship?”
Richard – “It’s the\ `USS
Constellation <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/USSConstellation.jpg>`__\ .
It was the last all-sail ship built by the United States Navy. You’ll
get a closer look this evening. Emily will be singing at the sidewalk
theater beside the ship.”
Grace – “Do these cannons still work?”
Adam – “Why, do you want to shoot one?”
Grace – “Yeah! You see those small boats going everywhere?”
Trenna– “Those are water taxis.”
Grace – “Well, imagine them scurrying to get out of the way of a
cannon ball. It would be like watching water spiders scatter on a
pond. Round shot ripples, now that would be a hoot!”
Lilly – “I think a tour of the harbor would be fun, minus the cannon
fodder.”
Kevin – “I could go for that.”
Trevor – “I would rather go see the fishes.”
Luke – “Fishes?”
Trenna– “See that building over there? That’s the National Aquarium.
I haven’t been there in a few years, but it’s really pretty neat.”
Helen – “I would rather do that than go see a tombstone. What do you
think, Will?”
Will knows that Helen’s comment is not really a question, but a
statement permitting only one acceptable response. He asks Richard,
“Do we have time?”
Richard – “We have time to go to the aquarium or tour the harbor, but
not both. So, Poe’s grave is out?”
Will – “We’ll have to visit his tell tale heart some other day.”
Helen – “Anyone else have an opinion?”
Grace – “Yes, no, maybe, sorta, kinda; Hey, look over there!”
Adam - “What kind of answer is that?”
Grace – “The midterm elections are coming up next year, my first turn
at bat. It’s never too early to start preparing for their politically
definitive answers.”
Luke squeezes a hug from Trevor, “Well, I think phishing can be fun.
I like catching big phat fish.”
Helen – “Then it’s settled. I’m glad we had this discussion.”
After they finished their tour of the National Aquarium, the
Girardi’s find a street vendor and enjoy a late lunch of Philly
Cheese Steaks. It was a nice finish to a morning and afternoon of
fun.
On the drive home, Trenna detours to Fells Point. They stop at a
charming gift shop called Zoe’s Garden.
Trenna– “This is where ‘\ The Buck Stops Here\ ’ used to be.”
All browse for a while. Although it wasn’t in her shopping plans,
Joan couldn’t help but purchase a knickknack for someone special.
At the Girardi Residence
Trenna– “Emily and Trevor, time to take a nap.”
Emily – “But Mom, I’m not tired.”
Trenna– “Em-i-ly, we already talked about this. Go to bed.”
Emily asks Joan, “Will you lay down with me?”
Joan – “Okay, but just for a little while.”
It isn’t long before Emily falls asleep. Joan had planned to slip out
quietly, but she falls asleep as well. In fact, everyone decides to
take a nap. When they meet up again later, all are refreshed and
ready for the evening.
Trenna– “…so you can park here or there’s another garage a block
north. You do remember how to get there?”
Will – “Yeah, I just take
Belair Road south
to
Lombard Street
and turn right.”
Luke – “Not quite, Dad. Don’t worry; I made notes for you this
morning.”
Helen – “And I bought a map at the gift shop.”
Grace – “A map! What a novel idea.”
Adam – “If we can find that Bromo-Seltzer clock tower, it’s just a
few blocks south of there.”
Joan – “What is Bromo-Seltzer, anyway?”
Richard – “It used to be a popular antacid. I’m not sure if they make
it anymore.”
Emily comes down stairs, twirls, and then strikes a pose, “Ta-dah!”
She is beautifully dressed for the evening as one of
Santa’s\ `elves <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/ElfCostume.jpg>`__\ .
Helen – “This is wonderful! Where did you get it?”
Trenna– “Lauren’s mother made it. She’s quite a seamstress.”
Lilly shakes the jingle bell several times, “I love the hat!”
Joan – “You look perfect for tonight.”
Emily is already beaming, but with Joan’s comment, she begins to glow
even brighter, “I have another surprise, but I’ll show it to you
later.”
Trenna– “Did you put your long johns on?”
Emily – “Snug as a doodle bug in a rug.”
Trenna– “Okay, then it’s time to leave. Everybody know the plan?”
All agree. With that, they depart for their destinations of Middle
River and the Inner Harbor.
At Long Beach Marina
The marina is a patchwork of docks offering over 300 slips for
mooring boats. Richard keeps his boat in storage during the winter,
except for the week of Christmas. He launched it and the family
decorated it last weekend.
The 36-foot cabin cruiser is something the family loves to take out
during the summer. Richard bought it used several years ago. They
have toyed with giving the boat a new name, but it still bears the
name of Wind Mistress. It sleeps six, and they often take it out on
the Chesapeake Bay for overnight excursions. Emily is always her
daddy’s first mate.
Luke – “I’ve never been on a boat this big. This is really cool.”
Joan, running her hand along the trim, “This woodwork is beautiful.”
Trenna– “It’s cherry. I love it, too. Let me give you a quick tour.”
At the Inner Harbor
Helen’s map, Adam’s clock tower landmark, and Luke’s notes from
earlier make the four-mile journey from Richard’s house a success.
Grace’s ‘Turn right here left’ call from the back seat causes its
intended confusion, amusing all, except for Will. The detour makes
the total travel time just slightly longer than planned.
They find a parking garage across the street from Harborplace. Helen
and Lilly persuade all to browse through the various shops. And
browse is what they do; however, Will purchases a variety of treats
from the Fudgery, both for themselves and for the Barnacle Bills.
For dinner, they choose the *Tir* Na Nog, an Irish restaurant with a
tavern atmosphere. Each chooses a different sandwich from the menu:
Will, a crab cake; Helen, a club; Lilly, a vegetable pita; Kevin, a
smoked turkey; Adam, a buffalo chicken; and Grace, a roast beef.
After the meal, all give a satisfied sigh of relief.
Grace wipes her hands with her napkin, “Well, I’ve done my part for
global warming. This cow will never pass greenhouse gases again.”
Lilly, smirking at Grace’s remark, “Well, I enjoyed my sandwich,
too.” She looks at Kevin, “Did I ever mention that I was once a
vegetarian?”
Grace sarcastically asks, “Did you become a vegetarian because you
love animals or because you hate plants?”
In the Outer Harbor
The boats gather near the base of the Key Bridge. While Richard finds
their place in line, Luke, Emily, and Trevor tend to the Christmas
decorations. They inspect all the trim and turn on the twinkling
array of lights. Trenna and Joan finish preparing dinner, a beef stew
that Trenna had begun at home. This isn’t just any beef stew, its
Trenna’s family recipe. Beef, bacon, carrots, onions, potatoes,
tomatoes, black olives, porcini mushrooms, and peppercorns are just a
few of the ingredients, but it’s the brandy that gives the stew its
unique flavor.
The Girardi’s enjoy the warmth of the stew and the accompanying cup
of steaming hot chocolate. Each begins to gaze into the night sky,
dreaming through the noise of the waves gently lapping against the
boat. The flotilla provides an additional collage of Christmas music
to sooth the end of the day. As the last remains of twilight fade,
the evening star sets, signaling the beginning of the parade of
lights.
At the Inner Harbor
The sidewalk is bustling with people. Some are walking to and fro,
while others are standing, listening to the music. The band is
composed of three men and a woman. All are medical professionals by
day, but at night, they entertain patrons of Baltimore’s nightspots.
The band plays a wide range of music, but tonight, the theme is
Christmas. They have prepared to perform enough traditional favorites
so that none will need to be repeated. However, they do honor two
requests to repeat songs.
Kevin backs his wheelchair against a pylon and seats Lilly on his
lap. The others gather on either side. As they listen, two young
girls approach. One asks, “Hi, are you Kevin?”
Kevin – “Yeah, that’s me, are you Kizzie?”
Lauren – “No, I’m Lauren.” She points to her friend, “This is Kizzie.
We’re here to sing with Emily.”
Helen – “Joan has mentioned both of you. Come join us.”
Lilly – “Your outfits are darling, similar to Emily’s, but slightly
different.”
Kizzie– “That’s how we wanted it. Emily is singing lead and we will
be singing harmony.”
Grace observes Kizzie’s unique accessory, “Those are pretty earrings,
a sparkling star that embraces all the possible opposites.”
Kizziesays thank you, but then she realizes that Grace has learned
her secret, “Okay, so I’m a Jewish elf. Emily is my best friend. She
asked me to be here.”
Grace – “Hey, no problem, that’s why I’m here. It’s just kind of
funny, don’t ya think?”
Kizziesmiles, “Yeah, kinda.”
A commotion begins as people call out, “I can see them! They’re
coming!” The band ends their song and the crowd begins to drift south
on the sidewalk to get a better view. Cheers erupt, and then all
becomes quiet as the first boats come into view. The people aren’t
sure how to respond. It’s the Lady D, followed by the Coast Guard
LCM-8 involved in
her\ `rescue <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200408/ai_n16062106>`__\ last
year. The crowd decides to give them a round of applause, recognizing
the theme of tragedy and hope.
Following comes a random mixture of sail and power boats, some large
and some small. Among the boats are the Der Pelikan, Get The Net,
Three Belles, and the *Seaheather*. The Wind Mistress has a position
near the middle.
Emily has been jumping up and down, waving at the people, and calling
out “Merry Christmas” the whole way. The others have as well, but
Emily is certainly the most exuberant. As they approach the wharf,
she calls out, “I can see them! I can see them!”
Joan scans the crowd, “Where are they? I can’t see them. There are
too many people.”
Luke points, “See the two guys in wheelchairs? Kevin is the one on
the right.”
Joan – “Oh yeah, the one with Lilly on his lap.” All of them return
to waving and calling out, “Merry Christmas!”
On the shore, the Girardi’s spot their seafaring counterparts. They
wave and call out “Merry Christmas.” To the masses, this is just
another decorated boat passing by.
After they circle past the cheering crowd, Richard steers the Wind
Mistress into the marina at Locust Point. There, he moors beside the
USS Sanctuary. All climb the ladder to the dock, and begin the walk
back to the theater where Emily will sing.
When the last of the boats pass the crowd, the band begins to play
once again. Emily sees Lauren and Kizzie and runs up to greet them.
The band is playing Jingle Bell Rock so Emily, Lauren, and Kizzie
hold hands and begin to circle dance. Joan, Grace, Adam, Luke, and
Trevor also join in the horah. After a few more songs, the band sings
Silent Night. This is Emily’s cue that her song is next.
The female singer steps up to the microphone, “We hope that you have
enjoyed the music this evening. For our last song, we would like to
introduce a talented young singer.” She gives Emily a nod. After
Emily, Lauren, and Kizzie come on stage, she continues, “Please give
a warm welcome to nine-year-old Miss Emily Girardi.”
The crowd applauds. Emily takes the microphone off the stand, “Hey,
I’m almost ten.” After the crowd finishes laughing, Emily continues,
“These are my friends Lauren and Kizzie.” Lauren and Kizzie take a
bow, and then lower their microphone on its stand. Emily looks back
to the band, nods, and returns to face the crowd. She begins to sing.
*So this is Christmas
*And* what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun...*
After she finishes the song, the crowd gives her a long round of
applause. She waits for them to quiet and then speaks, “Thank you,
thank you.” She pauses briefly, “I’ve been looking forward to this
for a long, long time. I love to sing, and I have been aching to have
people to sing to. Being able to sing for you tonight is a dream come
true.” She pauses once again, gives a sly smile, and then asks,
“What’s my name?” The crowd roars, “Emily!” Emily responds, “Great,
now I have one last thing to say.” She lowers the microphone to her
belt buckle and presses
the\ `button <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzD_A1TK-sRLZEppemZXT0FIYUk/edit?usp=sharing>`__\ .
As the crowd laughs, Emily and her friends wave and leave the stage.
Trennahugs Emily, and then she hugs Lauren and Kizzie, “You were
wonderful!”
Emily – “They did seem to like me, didn’t they.”
Joan – “You were fantastic. You get better every time I hear you
sing.”
The woman from the band calls over, “Lauren and Kizzie, stay where I
can see you.”
Lauren – “Mo-om, we’re right here.” The woman stops packing her
instruments and walks over, “Mom, these are Emily’s cousins from
Arcadia.”
Trennamakes the introductions, “Sheila Morris, this is Richard’s
brother Will, his wife Helen, their sons Kevin and Luke, and their
daughter Joan. And this is Lilly Watters, Kevin’s fiancé.”
Sheila – “It’s nice to meet all of you, but especially you, Joan. I
feel like I know you. Emily talks about you all the time.”
Joan – “Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Morris. Emily has told
me how kind you are to her when she comes to play with Lauren. Thank
you for making the costumes for tonight.”
Lilly – “Yes, they were marvelous!”
Sheila – “I know how special this is for Emily, so I was happy to do
it.” She gives Lauren and Kizzie a little hug, “Well girls, we need
to get Kizzie home. Come help me finish packing.” She looks back to
the Girardi’s, “Again, it was nice meeting you. Perhaps I’ll see some
of you tomorrow morning. Have a very Merry Christmas!”
They part ways, each to begin their journey home.
At the Girardi Residence
The Girardi’s are happy to be home, as they wind down from a pleasant
evening. That is, except for Emily. She is so high she may never come
down, but exhaustion is beginning to take its toll. She allows Joan
to cuddle with both her and Adam. She even allows them to smooch a
little without protest.
All are gathered in the living room, enjoying a dessert of whipped
cream covered pumpkin pie. When they finish, Richard explains, “We
have a tradition of letting the children open one present on
Christmas Eve. Would you like to join us?”
The older kids look at each other, unsure how to respond. Helen makes
the decision, “I think we would rather just watch Trevor and Emily
open a present. We can do ours tomorrow.”
Richard continues, “Okay, which of you would like to go first?”
Trevor – “I will, I will!”
Trennadirects him to a couple packages under the tree, “Which one
would you like to open?”
Trevor looks back and forth between the large and small packages,
trying to make a choice. Richard decides to assist, “Sometimes good
things come in small packages.”
Trevor retrieves the smaller package and looks at the tag. It reads,
“From Luke.” He unwraps it, “Wow,\ `The Adventures of Sharkboy and
Lavagirl <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0424774/>`__\ ! Thanks Luke,
let’s go watch this.”
Before Luke can respond, Trenna interrupts, “Not tonight, it’s
already past bedtime. You can watch it tomorrow after church.”
Emily – “My turn, my turn!”
Joan – “I got you something. It’s in the blue paper with snowflakes.”
Emily looks and finds it. She sits beside Joan while she opens it,
“\ \ `Ice Princess <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0396652/>`__\ ? What’s
it about?”
Grace – “They should have called it Skating in the City or maybe
Buffy’s Frigid Sister.”
Joan gives Grace a smirk, “It’s actually a delightful story about a
young girl chasing her dreams. She reminds me of you. We can watch it
together tomorrow.”
Emily gives Joan a hug, “Thanks, Joan.”
This appears to be it, but then Trenna comments, “Grace, we made you
a gift. It’s the small square package in purple paper. We would like
you to open it now.”
Grace is surprised, not expecting to be a part of this ritual of
greed, at least not tonight. She retrieves
the\ `package <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/blue-star-of-david-ornament.jpg>`__\ from
under the tree and opens it. When she sees what they have made her,
she is deeply touched and initially is not sure what to say.
Emily boasts, “I helped to glue on the sequins!”
Trennacomments, “Happy Hanukkah, Grace. We would be honored if you
would hang it on the tree while you are here.”
Grace walks over and hangs the ornament prominently on the front of
the tree. She admires it as she backs away, and then turns to face
the others. A hint of a tear is in her eye, “Thank you. This really
means a lot to me.”
Christmas Morning
Trevor whispers to his father at a distance of about two inches,
“Dad, wake up! Santa came. Can I go downstairs?”
Emily is on the other side of the bed whispering to her mother, “Mom,
time to wake up. Santa’s been here!”
Richard opens one eye and looks at the clock. It reads 4:53 a.m. He
repeats Trevor’s news to Trenna, “Santa came last night.”
Trennamoans, “Go back to bed. We’re not opening presents until after
church.”
Trevor responds, now at full volume, “But there’s a new bike down
there! I think it’s mine!”
Emily also excitedly informs her mother, “And there’s a scooter that
I think Santa left for me!”
Trennamoans once again, realizing that there will be no return to the
Land of Nod. She throws back the covers, “Okay, but nothing happens
until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.”
Emily and Trevor run back to their bedrooms. There, Joan and Luke sit
groggily on the bed. Each had previously gone through a similar
scenario. Their response was, “Go ask your parents.”
After starting the coffee, Trenna steps out onto the porch. An
overnight shower has coated everything with a thin sheet of ice. She
observes, Well, I know why no one has ever written a song called,
“I’m Dreaming of a Translucent Christmas.” It’s pretty, but you can’t
do anything with it. There will be no bike riding outside this
morning. She returns inside to watch the coffee maker fill ever so
slowly.
The older Girardi’s sit on the living room couch, each nursing a
fresh cup of coffee. As in Joan and Luke’s house, a loop can be made
through the downstairs. However, here there are no steps to
negotiate. The young folks circle through the downstairs testing
their new modes of transportation. When Emily passes, she smiles and
continues to sing her latest tune. When Trevor passes, he rings his
bicycle bell, an accessory Richard is beginning to regret having
purchased. The wall clock chimes six times to remind them that they
should all still be in bed.
Trennaretrieves the phone and calls the hotel. When Helen picks up,
Trenna just begins speaking, “You remember that eight o’clock Mass we
were going to? It’s been postponed until twelve-thirty. Come on over
anyway. I’ll make breakfast.”
Helen is about to respond when she hears ‘brringg-brringg’ through
the receiver, “What was that?”
Trenna– “It’s something whose warranty is about to expire. Come on
over.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a doughnut shop across from the hotel, so Will stopped and
picked up breakfast.
Trenna– “I’m glad that Fred had time to make the doughnuts. Thank you
for getting them.”
Will – “No problem. Like a good neighbor, Dunkin’ Donuts was there.”
Richard - “Doughnuts bring good things to life.”
Kevin moans, “If any of you decides on a second career, donut
consider a job in advertising.”
Despite Kevin’s sarcasm, or perhaps due to it, the others decide to
join in the fun.
Adam – “I donut, they are the breakfast of champions.”
Grace – “Better things for better living through chemistry.”
Will – “Hey, everyone knows that Arcadia’s finest runs on Dunkin’.”
Joan – “I donut believe I ate the whole thing.”
Helen – “King Dunkin’ donut fair to well in Macbeth.”
Lilly – “Maybe he should have taken a flying leap through a Dunkin’
Donut.”
Luke – “Marge dear, would you kindly pass me a donut?”
Grace - “Donut? What’s a donut?”
As Emily scoots by, she snatches another doughnut, “That’s what
donuts are-are, mmm-mmm good.” All laugh, not because her comment is
so funny, but because she has not been privy to their conversation.
When she comes around again, she asks, “Can we open presents now?”
A ‘yes’ from Trenna begins the unwrapping fest for Trevor and Emily.
It’s a long process, because Trevor and Emily play with their new
toys before opening the next gift. Trevor received a Hasbro ChatNow,
so he and Luke talk and text each other from different rooms in the
house. Emily received the Crayola Girlfitti, and she, Joan, and Grace
colored and talked. Adam even joins them for a while, offering Emily
some artistic advice. Before they know it, the morning is gone, and
it’s time to get ready for church.
Although Emily is old enough to attend Mass, Trenna prefers that both
she and Trevor attend Bible study. The teacher has a talent for
explaining the message of the Bible in a way that children can
understand. It is a forum where questions can be asked, and Emily is
always full of questions.
Being Christmas, today’s lesson is the story of the birth of Jesus,
as told in the books of Matthew and Luke of the New Testament. Those
familiar with the story know about the wise men from the east who
visited Jesus as a child. They presented gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. Emily has, what in her mind is a perfectly valid question,
“Why would a wise man want Jesus to smell like a monster?” The
teacher always counts on an interesting Bible study class when Emily
attends.
Will, Adam, Grace, Joan, and Luke stay at home. Emily wants Joan to
attend Bible study with her, but Joan persuades Emily that she should
spend time with her friends. They consider opening their gifts to
each other, but Will asks that they wait until everyone is present.
What to do? Joan and Luke are about to fall asleep, so Adam suggests
that they take a walk. It has warmed enough outside to melt the ice,
but it is still cold enough to awaken anything warm blooded. Joan and
Luke agree.
They stroll down the sidewalk and talk about last evening. Joan and
Luke share their experience on the boat, and Adam and Grace share the
excitement of the Inner Harbor. Grace pulls out samples of the fudge
that Will purchased, and all enjoy the treat. The sugar rush helps
for Joan and Luke’s fatigue.
Luke – “Mmm, this is sooo good! You know, chocolate has been shown to
improve blood vessel function in healthy people.”
Joan – “So, there’s no problem with renting space at the top of the
food pyramid?”
Adam – “Hey, at least it’s a balanced diet.” He rocks back and forth
with a piece of fudge in each hand.
Grace quips, “Save the Earth… it’s the only planet with chocolate.”
Joan notices what’s across the street, “Hey, Saint Michael’s! Isn’t
that their church?”
Adam – “Yeah, I think that’s what your aunt said as they were
leaving.”
Joan – “Let’s go see.”
Grace – “They’re busy doing their Christmas thing. We should leave
them alone.”
Adam – “We’re not dressed for church. I don’t think we should go in,
either.”
Joan – “They won’t mind. Come on, we can go in quietly and stand in
the back.”
Grace – “Can we dispense with the rumble afterwards?”
Joan gives Grace a smirk, “You know that had nothing to do with the
mosque. It could have happened anywhere. Let’s go in.”
Joan walks up the steps, pulls the huge mahogany door open, and slips
through. The others follow her inside.
They congregate in the back of the church as planned. No one notices
their entry, except for the priest and some members of the choir. To
their delight, they do not give notice to the congregation.
The priest steps up to the lectern and begins to speak, “Today, we
celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. His birth should not
have been a surprise, for it was prophesied in the Old Testament.
Some of the passages are:
*Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their
brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.*\ God would raise
up a prophet like Moses.
*Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel.*\ One would be born of a virgin as a special sign or
miracle from God.
*Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.*\ This One, who was yet to be born, would have a
special place in the hearts of all the people. This One, born of a
virgin, would have Authority to reign over the world.
*Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall
the gathering of the people be.*\ This One, who was yet to be born,
would have a special place in the hearts of all the people.
*Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me
that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of
old, from everlasting.*\ This Son was to be born in Bethlehem.
*Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my
son out of Egypt.*\ This Son was also to come out of Egypt.
In the New Testament, Mathew 2:14 & 15 states…”
Joan motions for them to leave, and they escape as quietly as they
entered. Once outside, Joan asks, “Is that true?”
Adam – “Is what true?”
Joan – “That part about the passages in the Old Testament.”
Luke – “I don’t think that a priest would make it up.”
Grace – “A few words can be disputed, but they are factually
accurate.”
Joan – “Wow, so maybe my mom and Lilly are right.”
Grace – “Hey, I said that it was an accurate translation. I didn’t
say that I agree with his conclusion.”
Joan – “But don’t these passages support what Christians believe
about Jesus?”
Grace – “There are just as many other passages that tend to disprove
that Jesus was the Messiah. I… Jews believe that Jesus was a great
teacher, nothing more.”
Luke – “This type of pseudo-science is a common occurrence. Take
nine-eleven. As soon as it happened, people started quoting
Nostradamus saying, ‘See, he predicted this.’ When Dan Brown
published The Da Vinci Code, people started searching The Nag Hammadi
library for proof, in support of a work of fiction! Even man-made
global warming has all the characteristics of a religion. A consensus
is not proof. A consensus is an agreement, an opinion, a belief.
There was once a consensus that the world was flat, too. These
scientists should be required to state the opinions upon which their
facts are based.”
Joan – “So, you don’t believe what the priest said, either?”
Luke – “No, I didn’t say that. A true scientist must acknowledge how
much he doesn’t know, leaving room for mystery, miracles, and the
wisdom of nature. In these matters, everyone has to decide for
themselves what they believe to be true.”
Joan – “So it always comes down to faith. I know what I believe, but
what if what I believe turns out not to be true?”
Adam – “Jane, I don’t think we can ever know. The answer will always
be bigger than the question. The best we can do is to try to ask the
right questions.”
Joan is taken aback, because she remembers being told this before.
After a short pause, she answers, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Let’s
go home.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard walks in carrying Trevor and Kevin rolls in with Emily on his
lap. The munchkins were too tired to walk home and are now sound
asleep. This is another Girardi Christmas tradition, although it is
seldom a planned event. Richard and Will carry the sleeping beauties
upstairs and tuck them into their beds. As they return downstairs,
each takes comfort in knowing that the most precious thing worth
stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.
Trennaand Helen are in the kitchen making lunch when Will and Richard
join the others in the living room. Will notices that Joan and Luke
are once again falling asleep. He suggests, “Why don’t you two go lie
down and get up with Trevor and Emily.”
Both Joan and Luke feel bad, because they would rather spend the time
with Adam and Grace, but they accept their father’s suggestion. It’s
just too much of a struggle to stay awake. After Joan and Luke walk
upstairs, Helen and Trenna bring out lunch trays prepared so everyone
can assemble sandwiches.
Trennaturns on the TV and selects a channel. Within a few
minutes,\ `A Season for
Miracles <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0226418/>`__\ begins to play.
All enjoy the movie while they eat.
Toward the end of the movie, the four nodding hams stroll downstairs.
Trenna retrieves the lunch trays from the refrigerator, and they
enjoy a late lunch while watching the conclusion of the movie.
Magical voices have been calling Trevor and Emily since they awoke
from their nap. Both have been watching the packages attempt to
jostle their way to the front, each calling out “Open me!” or “No,
open me first!” or “No, I’m the prettier one, open me!” As soon as
Alanna narrates the ending to the movie, Trevor asks, “Can we…?”
Richard anticipates his question, “Yes, but let’s let your cousins
begin.”
Grace – “I have something for Luke.” She retrieves the package from
beneath the tree and gives it to him.
Luke – “Are you sure?”
Grace – “No one has ever become poor by giving. Merry Christmas.”
Luke accepts the gift and unwraps it, “Wow, thank you!” He holds up
the book,\ `God at the Speed of Light: The Melding of Science and
Spirituality <http://www.writers.net/writers/books/17653>`__\ .”
Grace – “The first half is a bit heavy with physics, but the second
half is an easier read. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Luke – “You’ve read it?”
Grace – “Well yeah, I do come with a brain.”
Luke – “No, I didn’t mean that. This just doesn’t sound like
something you would be interested in reading.”
Grace – “I read it to find out if you would like it. I didn’t say
that I agree with it.”
Joan – “Can I see?” Luke hands her the book. She looks at the cover,
leafs through the pages, and then she gives it back, “I don’t think I
would be able to understand this. Will you explain it to me when
you’re done?”
Luke smiles, “Still having personal issues with the electromagnetic
spectrum? Okay, my fish tank can use cleaning when we get home.” Joan
sticks her tongue out at him.
Grace – “Every major religious text in the world metaphorically
describes God using terms of light. Baumann theorizes that God and
light are inseparably linked, being manifestations of the same thing.
Now you know.”
Trennadecides that it’s time to move on with the gift giving. She
asks, “Joan, do you have a gift you would like to give someone?”
Joan walks over to the tree and retrieves a package. She sits back
down next to Adam and gives it to him, “Merry Christmas.”
Adam opens the small box to find
a\ `pendant <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/JMensPendant.jpg>`__\ ,
“Wow, thanks… and the letter ‘J’.”
Grace quips, “It’s a heart monitor, dude.”
Joan smiles at Grace’s comment and further explains, “No bells or
whistles, just a reminder of where my heart resides.”
Adam understands the dual meaning of her comment. She is once again
offering him a gift of her heart, but also reminding him of his
responsibility by accepting it, “Thank you. I will wear this always.”
He slips the chain over his head, puts the medallion in place, and
thanks Joan with a kiss.
Emily puts two fingers in her mouth and pretends to gag. This gives
everyone a smile, except for Joan and Adam who are too busy to
notice. She begins to fidget in her seat, looking excitedly at her
mother. Trenna relents, “Emily, do you have a present that you would
like to give?”
Emily flies off the couch and retrieves a package from under the
tree. She sits back down next to Joan and gives it to her, “Merry
Christmas! I hope you like it. The man said it was their best movie.”
Joan opens the package to find a DVD of the movie\ `Top
Hat <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0027125/>`__\ , staring Fred Astaire
and Ginger Rogers, “Wow, thanks. My friend Cee-Cee thinks that Ginger
Rogers is the best dancer ever.” She continues, still excitedly for
Emily’s benefit, “And it’s noir!”
Adam offers a correction, “It’s filmed in black and white, but it’s
not noir.”
Joan – “Oh, okay, well I like it anyway, thank you.” She gives Emily
a hug, which Emily cherishes.
Richard – “Lilly, do you have a gift that you would like to give?”
Lilly goes to the tree and returns with a two-foot long cylindrical
package. She gives it to Kevin, “Merry Christmas.”
Kevin – “Hmm, let me guess, a swimsuit poster of Natalie Glebova?”
Lilly – “Not a chance. Guess again.”
Kevin – “Well, I guess we’ll have to see.” He opens the present,
“Cool! Up to twenty feet! Go stand over by the wall.”
Lilly – “Why, you’re not going to grab me with that thing.”
Kevin – “I need to test it somehow. Oh, and face the wall.”
Lilly gives him the evil eye.
Kevin – “Okay, put your back to the wall. I can test it that way,
too.”
Lilly gives him a smirk, knowing full well what he intends to do. She
crumples some wrapping paper and presses it into a ball, “You can
grab this.”
Kevin – “I like my idea better.” Lilly once again eyes him
dangerously.
Kevin relents. He inserts the batteries and presses the button. It
telescopes out to its maximum length. He then releases the mechanism,
pulls the lever, and grabs the ball of paper.
Kevin – “Got it!” He gives her a mischievous smile, “Do you think
Tippy would like to play when we get home?”
Lilly takes the grabber tool and places it back into its box. She
says with a slight smile, “They should have put a rating on this
thing, not suitable for children under twelve.”
Trenna– “Okay Trevor, you’re under twelve. Do you have a present that
you would like to give?”
Trevor scurries over to the tree and retrieves an oblong box. He
gives it to Luke, “Merry Christmas.”
Luke unwraps the present, “\ Where IS Moldova? I don’t know, Eastern
Europe maybe? I’ve never heard of this game!”
Trevor – “I don’t know where it is either, but my dad says this looks
like a fun game.”
Richard – “We went shopping to get you a video game, but we found
this at the store and decided to get it instead. We hope you enjoy
it.”
Luke – “Yeah, this looks cool. I haven’t played a board game in a
long time. Thanks.”
Richard – “Do you have a gift that you would like to give?”
Luke walks over and retrieves a small package from under the tree. He
returns and gives it to Grace, “Merry Christmas, Grace. I’ve always
known that you were special. This proves it.”
Grace unwraps the package to find a homemade DVD. In black marker,
Luke has written Grace – March 3, 1988, “You better not tell me that
you’ve transferred a bunch of my baby pictures to DVD!”
Luke – “No, although you could do that for me.” Grace gives him a
‘not in your lifetime’ look, so Luke continues, “I discovered that
something marvelous happened on the day you were born. I would like
to show you.”
Grace – “Now, with everyone here? No way, Dude!”
Luke – “Trust me, it’s not embarrassing. You’ll love it!”
Richard – “The DVD player is in the cabinet to the left of the TV.”
Grace is reluctant, but she walks over and inserts the disk into the
DVD player. Richard turns on the television and selects the video
input. He then gives the remote to Grace.
Luke – “Push play, and then replay. I’ll explain what you’re
watching.”
Grace complies. While
the\ `video <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzD_A1TK-sRLVExlTDFqSWN1UWM/edit?usp=sharing>`__\ plays,
Luke narrates, “There was a lunar eclipse on the day you were born.
It was unique, because it was the shortest partial lunar eclipse of
the 20th century. It lasted only 13 minutes, 25 seconds. This video
is time compressed to 18 seconds. Only three thousands of a percent
of the Moon’s surface was covered by the Earth’s umbra.”
Grace – “Great! I share a birthday with the most unimpressive eclipse
of the century.”
Luke – “No, not at all! This eclipse is actually quite extraordinary!
Watch the video again.” After Grace plays it several more times, Luke
asks, “Can you see it?”
No one does. Everyone gives him a look of bewilderment. He takes the
remote and plays the video again, “Okay, let me explain. The Earth’s
shadow has two parts: the umbra, the darker inner part caused by the
Earth totally blocking the light from the sun; and the penumbra, a
lighter outer shadow caused by light from the sun only being
partially blocked. The penumbra does cover the Moon, but watch the
umbra.”
After several more plays, Joan exclaims, “Oh, I see it!”
Luke – “What?”
Joan becomes a little self conscious, “Never mind, I’m probably
wrong. I’m sure you’re looking for some scientific explanation.”
Luke – “Not everything is about science.”
Helen – “Joan, tell us.”
With her mother’s urging, Joan continues. “Well, it’s sorta like a
cosmic Fred and Ginger.”
Luke – “Excellent!” Luke gives Grace an embrace while looking over
her shoulder toward the TV. He clicks play once again, “On the day
that you were born, the Earth’s shadow danced with the Moon.”
Everyone is astounded as they realize what Luke has been trying to
show them. Joan smiles, looks up, and then back to the group, “Grace,
it’s a touch of truth that lets you see the world in a whole new
way.”
Kevin – “How did you figure this out?”
Luke – “Well, I used this program called Starry Night and…”
Grace interrupts him, “Don’t spoil it, space boy. You did good.” When
Luke moves in for a kiss, Grace permits it.
Helen – “Luke, I’m impressed. This is so sweet. You really can be a
romantic!” She pauses for a moment, thinking about who has and hasn’t
given a gift, “Adam, do you have a gift that you would like to give?”
Adam walks over to the tree and retrieves a package. He sits back
down and gives it to Joan, “Merry Christmas, Joan.”
Joan gives him a smile and carefully removes the wrapping paper.
Inside, she finds an envelope and a smaller wrapped package. Adam
says, “Open the envelope.”
Joan opens the envelope to find a letter,
a\ `photograph <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/SnowflakeJoan.jpg>`__\ ,
and a small vial. She reads
the\ `letter <http://dc14.4shared.com/download/59268857/66be85d8/THE_OFFICIAL_CANADIAN_SNOWFLAKE_REGISTRY.doc>`__\ .
Joan sits silently for a few moments, looking at the photograph. She
then tilts the vial back and forth, watching the drop of water move
from end to end.
Emily – “That’s so cool, your very own snowflake!”
Adam – “I wanted to get you something unique. What do you think?”
Joan is torn, not sure what to say, “Adam, this is really sweet. How
much did you pay for this?”
Adam – “Just three easy payments of $19.95.”
Joan explodes, “You paid sixty bucks for this? A letter, a picture,
and a drop of water! What were you thinking! We could have had dinner
at La Cachette or Don’s Steakhouse…”
Grace inserts a comment while Joan is on her rant, “Or Adam could
play a joke on you.”
Joan – “… or you could have gotten me a…” Joan realizes what Grace
has just said, “It’s… it’s a joke?”
Adam smiles, “Jane, there’s another package there. Open it.”
Joan removes the paper to find a jewelry box. She lifts the lid and
views
the\ `contents <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/SnowflakeEarRingNecklace.jpg>`__\ ,
“Wow, these are beautiful!”
She removes the earrings and puts them on. She then gives the
necklace to Adam, “Will you put this on me?”
Adam clasps the necklace around her neck. She then gets up and walks
over to a mirror. She admires her gift for a few moments and returns.
After giving Adam a kiss, she says, “These are wonderful! I’m sorry
about before.”
Adam – “It’s okay. We all had bets on how you would react.”
Joan – “We?”
Kevin – “It was risky. I mean, with Joan, you never know which home
phone number you’re going to get.”
Grace – “She is quasi-Sybilesque. I still can’t believe what she did
to that guy at the mosque.”
Luke – “That expression on your face was priceless, ‘Adam, this is
really sweet.’ I thought you were going to kill him then!”
Adam smiles, “I wasn’t worried.” He puts his hand on his chest and
caresses the pendent that she gave him, “I know what’s in here.”
Emily – “Can I have the picture of the snowflake?”
Joan gives her the photo, the letter, and snowflake urn. Emily grins
and whispers to herself, “Wow, Snowflake Joan.” Joan smiles and
squeezes a hug.
Will – “Kevin, do you have a gift that you would like to give?”
Kevin uses his grabber tool to retrieve a package from under the
tree. He gives it to Lilly, “Merry Christmas.”
It’s a small package and Lilly is not surprised when she sees that it
is jewelry. She is pleased with
Kevin’s\ `choice <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/LilyCrossNecklaceEarrings.jpg>`__\ .
It’s a sterling silver cross, entwined by a single vine which has
captured a calla lily. There are also matching calla lily earrings.
She puts on the earrings and then sits on Kevin’s lap so he can adorn
her with the necklace.
Kevin – “I thought these were a perfect way to demonstrate how you
and your faith are intertwined. It’s you.”
Lilly – “I love it.” She looks down at her necklace, and then gives
him a kiss.
Will – “Well, I have a gift that I would like to give.” He retrieves
a package from under the tree and gives it to Helen, “Merry
Christmas.”
Helen opens the package to find a beautiful\ `red
dress <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/RedDressShaw1.jpg>`__\ and
matching shawl, “Will, this is beautiful!” She leans over and gives
him a kiss.
Will – “There’s more.”
Helen looks under the paper and finds an envelope. When she opens it,
she finds two tickets for the play Hairspray. She looks closer at the
tickets and exclaims, “Tomorrow!”
Will – “The last time we went to a play, it didn’t turn out well. I
thought we’d try it again.”
Helen – “I’ve heard of this play. I’ve been hoping it would come to
Arcadia.”
Will – “I purposely avoided reading the details. All I know is that
it’s a bright, colorful, tuneful musical comedy. At least the story
will be a surprise.”
Richard – “The play is at the Hippodrome downtown. It’s a beautiful
theater. They just finished renovating the building last year. It was
originally built in 1907.”
Helen – “Maybe we can get some more tickets. Trenna, Lilly, I’m sure
you would enjoy this play, too.”
Will – “Perhaps another time. I would like this to be our night out.”
Helen – “Okay, it’s my turn. She retrieves a package from under the
tree and gives it to Will, “Merry Christmas.”
Will opens the package to find a signed copy of William F. Buckley’s
book, The Unmaking of a Mayor. Will caresses the slightly worn cover,
leafs through a few pages, and smiles, “Thank you. I’ll enjoy reading
this.”
Helen looks at him for a moment, expecting him to say more, but he
doesn’t. She then asks, “Richard, do you have a gift to give?”
Richard retrieves a package from under the tree and gives it to
Trenna, “Merry Christmas, Hon.”
Trennaopens the package to find an assortment of nightwear. There are
2 matching nightgown pajamas sets, and 2 robes. One nightgown and
pajama set is royal blue and the other is white with a pink butterfly
print. The robes are made of terrycloth, one pink and one blue, each
matching a nightgown pajama set.
Trennacomments, “Well, there is nothing sexy about these.” She
pretends to read the garment tag, “Hmm, Melissa Gilbert Collection.”
Richard smiles at her joke, “No it doesn’t. Besides, anything is sexy
when you wear it.”
Trennasmiles, “I love them. Sexy is the antithesis of comfortable.
What do you think for tonight, gown or pajamas, pink or blue?”
Richard – “How about the blue nightgown?”
Trenna– “Ooh la la, royal blue dreams tonight.” She puts her
nightwear aside and retrieves a package for Richard, “Merry
Christmas.”
Richard opens the package to find a copy of\ `The Limbaugh
Letter <http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/pages/static/limbaugh-letter>`__\ ,
“Great! Talent on loan from God. Now all I need is Rush 24/7.”
Trenna– “The letter is a concession. You don’t have time for Rush
24/7.”
Richard notices there is also a bottle of British Sterling aftershave
in the box. He opens it and puts a few dabs on. Trenna takes a sniff
and begins to snuggle his neck, “I love that smell on you.”
Richard smiles, “Ooh and I love it when you smell me.”
Emily exclaims, “Eeeuw, da-ad, mo-om, cooties maximus!”
Joan squeezes another hug from Emily, “Yeah, too much bedroom.” Joan
whispers, “You may have cooties and not even know it. Would you like
me to give you the cootie shot?”
Emily – “Uh, I don’t know, does it hurt?”
Joan – “No, let me show you.” She traces the motions with her hand as
she sings the little song, “Circle, circle, dot, dot. Now you have
your cootie shot.”
Emily – “Show me that again!” Joan shows her again, after which Emily
begins to practice on her own.
The gift giving continues. However, the remaining gifts bear the
label, ‘From Santa’, or ‘From Rudolph’, or from some other
traditional holiday character. This was so Trevor and Emily would not
believe that Santa had forgotten about their cousins.
When all the gifts were unwrapped, there was still one package under
the tree. This was Grace’s present from her father. Trenna asks,
“Grace, would you like to open your gift now or do it later?”
Grace answers by retrieving the package from under the tree. Her
curiosity of what gift her father has given her for Christmas is
finally quenched. She is pleased when she removes a Hanukkah Menorah,
an eight candle candelabrum. There are also several boxes of candles.
Trenna– “That’s beautiful! Would you like to light the candles?”
Grace – “Yes, I would.” She glances out the window, “But it’s not
quite time. Hanukkah begins at sundown.”
Helen – “I know that Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, but I really don’t
know any more than that. Would you explain it to us?”
Grace – “Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jerusalem
temple by Judah Maccabee in 165 B.C. It recalls the Talmudic story of
the Temple’s one-day supply of oil miraculously burning for eight
days. As part of the celebration, we light an additional candle for
each day of the festival.
Richard retrieves the newspaper and finds the page that gives the
local weather forecast, “Sundown is at 4:34 pm.” He glances at his
watch, “That’s coming up pretty quick. Is there anything that we can
do to help you prepare?”
Grace is surprised, but pleased by Richard’s offer. She is hesitant,
but asks, “Well, after I light the candles, I would like to place the
Menorah in front of the window. Would that be alright?”
Trenna– “We can move one of the end tables under the window and place
a cookie sheet on top of it.”
Will – “How long do the candles stay lit? I mean, what if they’re
still burning when it’s time for us to go back to the hotel?”
Grace – “I think these candles will probably burn out on their own by
then, but if they are still burning, I’ll blow them out.”
Luke – “Isn’t there some ritual that goes along with the lighting of
the candles?”
Grace – “When I light a candle, I recite a passage about light from
the Torah.”
Joan – “Why don’t you write it down and we’ll say it with you.”
Helen – “Yes, we would like to participate if it’s okay.”
Will and Richard place the end table under the window and Trenna
retrieves a cookie sheet from the kitchen. Grace writes down what she
plans to recite during the ceremony, and Joan, Adam, and Luke help
her to make copies.
Grace strikes a match and lights the central candle. She then uses it
to light the first candle on the right. She turns towards the group
while holding the Menorah. Together they recite, “Creation - And God
said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. (GEN 1:3, JPS) Light
was the first thing God created. All growing things depend on light
for life. God is the source of all life.” With that said, Grace
places the Menorah in front of the window.
Helen – “That was very nice. Thank you for letting us be a part of
your Hanukkah celebration.”
Grace – “And thank you for allowing me to take part in your
celebration of Christmas.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Helen, Trenna, and Lilly place the remaining dinner items on the
table. The menu includes an Italian salad, stuffed mushrooms, roasted
crab cake, lasagna, spiced beef, braised cabbage, yams, mashed
potatoes, pumpkin and apple pies, and dinner rolls. Joan tastes one
and says, “Mmmm, to die for!”
Will and Richard are seated at opposite ends of the table, while the
others are seated along either side. Richard fills everyone’s glass
with a sweet red wine, excluding Emily and Trevor, who are given
black cherry soda. He asks Will, “Would you like to offer a toast?”
Will raises his glass, “To all the special ‘F’ words: Family,
friends, fact, fiction, fate, freedom, faith, forgiveness, and
forever.”
Richard – “Hear, hear!” Everyone clicks their glasses together.
Trenna– “I would like to say a Christmas prayer.” Everyone becomes
silent and bows their heads.
*May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and
superficial relationships - so that you may live deep within our
heart.*
*May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and
exploitation of people so that we may work for justice, freedom and
peace.*
*May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain,
rejection, starvation and war, so that we may reach out our hand to
comfort them, turning their pain into joy.*
*May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make
a difference in this world, doing what others claim cannot be done.*
*And, may the blessing of God, who creates, redeems and sanctifies,
be upon us, and upon all we love and pray for, this day and forever
more. Amen.*
Emily – “Happy birthday, Jesus!”
Trenna– “Grace, would you like to say something?”
Grace – “God bless the cheese makers for they are the curds and the
whey. Luke, pass the lasagna.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After dinner cleanup, all gather back in the living room. Luke
suggests playing his new board game, while Emily and Trevor would
each like to watch their new movies. Helen settles the dilemma,
“Let’s watch Emily’s new movie.”
As Joan stated earlier, it’s a nice, feel-good movie. Everyone enjoys
it, especially Emily. As soon as the movie ends, Emily asks, “Mom,
can you teach me how to ice skate?”
Trenna– “We’ll see.”
Emily – “Pleee-heee-heeez!”
Trenna– “Okay, there’s an ice-skating rink at Patterson Park. I’ll
call them tomorrow.”
Emily – “Yes!”
Joan – “You are so spoiled.”
Emily – “No I’m not!” She strikes a pose, “Besides, what’s wrong with
wanting to feel strong and graceful and beautiful?”
Joan – “Nothing, you already are.”
Trenna– “Time to get ready for bed.”
Emily – “But I’m not tired!”
Trenna– “Bath, pajamas, and then you can come back down for awhile.”
Emily rummages through her Christmas gifts to find her new pair of
pajamas, “Kim Possible is awesome. She’s so wily.”
Joan – “Oh, like you’re not? She’s perfect for you.”
Emily – “Well, I for sure have some of her Kimness.” She glances at
her family and then decides to whisper in Joan’s ear, “I still don’t
understand why it’s usually easier to get forgiveness than it is to
get permission.” She then darts upstairs, not waiting for an answer.
The remainder of the evening is once again spent in the living room,
but now there are several activities being pursued. Kevin, Adam, and
Luke try to find Moldova. Will is reading his book and Richard is
reading his Limbaugh Letter. Trenna entertains Trevor by
reading\ `The
Star <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/40935571/bc4c331f/The_Star.doc>`__\ ,
the first story in a book of short story science fiction that he
received from Santa. Helen and Lilly work on needlepoint projects
that they received from each other (a.k.a. Santa). Grace and Joan
spend their time with Emily adorning Barbie, Ken, Francie, and
Poindexter with outfits both new and old.
At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
The observance of Boxing Day is not a common practice in the United
States. However, it is a custom that Trenna’s family has observed,
and she persuades Richard to continue the tradition. A non-mandatory
gathering has been scheduled at the hospital. Richard had planned to
go alone, but he decides to invite Joan, “The meeting won’t last
long. If you would like to come, I can give you a tour when we’re
finished.”
Joan – “I’d like that.”
Emily – “No, I want you to stay here with me. We can watch The
Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl with Luke and Trevor.”
Richard – “You can watch that anytime. Why don’t you come with us?”
Emily hesitates, perplexed while her mind deciphers the competing
urges. She then takes Joan’s hand, “Okay, I’ll go.”
Grace – “Ahem, may I come too?”
Richard – “Sure.” He gives Trenna a kiss, “We’ll be back in a few
hours.”
JohnsHopkins Medical Centeris composed of a series of buildings
joined by enclosed walkways, tunnels, and skywalks. The Children’s
Center is located near the southeast corner of the main complex. When
they enter the ward, Richard takes them to a reading room where a
doctor is seated viewing patient images. Richard makes the
introduction, “Dr. Simmons, this is my niece Joan and her friend
Grace… and you know Emily.”
Dr. Simmons – “It’s nice to meet you.” He addresses Joan, “Richard
has told me that you want to become a nurse. Feel free to have a look
around.”
Joan – “Thank you, Dr. Simmons.”
Dr. Simmons – “Richard, we received a new patient yesterday. Her name
is…” He pauses to look at the chart, “…Judith Spiegel. She’s ten
years old and has been comatose since a car accident yesterday
morning. She sustained minor head trauma, but the CT and MRI scans do
not show any anomalies. I’m at a loss to explain why she’s in a coma.
After the meeting, I would like you to take a look at these images
with me.”
Richard – “Sure thing. Joan, Grace, we’ll be back in a little while.
Emily, do what Joan tells you. April, our head nurse, is at the
nurses’ station if you need anything.”
After they leave, Joan picks up the chart the doctor left on the
counter.
Grace – “What are you doing? Leave that alone.”
Joan – “I just want to have a peek.”
Grace – “We can get in real trouble, you know, that hippo law.”
Emily – “What’s a hippo law?”
Joan – “It’s actually H-I-P-A-A. It’s a law about keeping medical
information private. It’ll be fine, no one’s going to know. I think
it’s kind of cool that her name is Judith.”
Grace – “Judith is just as common a name as Joan.”
Joan – “Maybe, but I’ve only known one. She’s in room 10B. Let’s go
see.”
Grace – “Are you nuts! We can’t go bothering the patients.”
Joan – “The doctor said that we could look around. Besides, how can
we possibly bother her? She’s in a coma.”
Joan walks down the hallway with Emily at her side, and Grace
reluctantly follows behind. When they reach the room, Joan leaves
Emily with Grace and walks inside. She returns after a moment,
“There’s a woman asleep on the couch. I’ll bet she’s her mother.
We’ll have to be quiet.”
Grace – “And it will remain totally quiet if we just go back to the
reading room.”
Joan – “You have to come see her. You won’t believe it.”
Joan takes her by the arm and leads her into the room. When Grace
sees the girl lying on the bed, she is astounded. She almost forgets
to whisper, “She’s a ten year old Judith!”
Joan toys with her, “Yes, the doctor did say that.”
Grace – “No, I mean she looks like our Judith, only younger.”
Joan – “I know, isn’t she beautiful!”
They all just watch her for a while, not saying anything. Then Joan
brushes Judith’s bangs aside, “The doctor says there’s no reason for
you to be asleep. Time to wake up.” She motions to Emily and Grace,
“Say a prayer with me.”
Joan takes Judith’s and Emily’s hand. Grace walks around the bed and
takes Emily’s and Judith’s other hand. They pray silently. After a
few minutes, they hear the woman stir on the couch. Joan motions for
them to leave and they exit back out to the hallway.
Joan says to Emily, “You were so quiet in there. I’m amazed!”
Emily – “It seemed important to you. I wasn’t sure what prayers to
say, so I said some Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s. Was that okay?”
Joan – “Those were good choices.”
Grace – “Okay, no more Nancy Drew. I can’t deal with being George.”
Joan – “All right, let’s go see who’s awake.”
Grace – “Girardi!”
It was no use. Joan had already started walking down the hallway with
Emily, looking into the rooms. When they disappear through a doorway,
Grace reluctantly follows. They visit with five children before
Richard finds them, “I see you’ve met Nathan. How are you doing
today?”
Nathan – “Okay, I guess. Dr. Simmons said that I’ll be going home
tomorrow.”
Richard – “Yes, I know.” With a smile, he continues, “And I don’t
want to see you again for a long, long time.”
Nathan returns the smile, “Me neither. Thanks, Doctor Girardi.”
Emily – “Did you know that Nathan has a train set like ours? And
Julie likes to play ‘Go Fish’, and Elly likes LeAnn Rimes as much as
I do, and Peter got a scooter from Santa, but his is blue, and…”
Richard interrupts, “Wow, that’s really neat, but I have to consult
with Dr. Simmons now. When we get home, I want you to tell me all
about it.” He addresses Joan, “When we’re finished, I’ll try to
answer any of your questions.”
Joan’s interaction with children has not always been stellar. She has
been observing Emily, and without exception, each child that she has
talked to has become happier from the exchange. Joan is surprised
when she realizes that this is what God meant when she said, “I want
you to pay attention… this time it’s how she can help you.” Emulating
Emily, she should patent the term as a powerful new puerile
communication technique. “Thank you, Uncle Richard, but I think I’ve
already found my answers. I’ll just visit with more of the kids if
that’s okay.”
Richard – “Okay, I won’t be long.”
As he leaves, all hear a woman calling out, “Judith! Oh, my sweet
baby, you’re awake!” Everyone congregates in and outside of her room.
Judith – “Where’s the angel?”
Woman – “You’re my angel, sweetie.”
Judith – “No, the one who said I should wake up.”
Woman – “Oh, you were dreaming, pumpkin, but I’m so happy that you’re
awake.”
Grace leads Joan away from the others, “How’d you do that?”
Joan – “Do what?”
Grace – “Cause her to wake up.”
Joan – “What makes you think I did it?”
Grace – “Because you told her to wake up… and then she did.”
Joan – “When I tell Luke to wake up, he just ignores me.”
Grace – “Well it certainly wasn’t me!”
Joan – “Hey, you’re the one who had the dancing moon shadow at birth.
When I was born, all it did was rain.”
Grace – “Technically, it was an earth shadow, but it doesn’t mean
anything.”
Joan – “Of course it means something. I’m not sure what, but it means
something.”
Grace – “Your balloon never lands, does it Girardi?”
Joan gives her a smirk, “Maybe it was the prayer that we said or
maybe it was just time for her to wake up. The doctor did say that he
didn’t know why she was in a coma. Anyway, I’m just glad that she
woke up, whatever the reason.”
Neither Joan nor Grace had noticed that Emily had quietly joined
them, “Do you think that my prayers helped at all?”
Joan gives her a hug, “Of course, that’s it! Yah know, that explains
the whole thing, the power of three. We are charmed!” Emily glows as
she considers Joan’s revelation.
Grace – “We’re charmed, that’s your explanation?”
Emily reaches a new high, almost as high as she was on Christmas Eve.
She remembers a routine she did while playing Cheetah Girls with her
friends. She sings an answer to Grace’s agnostic question, using hand
motions during each line.
(raises and lowers her arms while wiggling her fingers)\____\_
Sometimes the snow comes down in
June (draws
circles in the
air) Sometimes
the sun goes ‘round the moon
(points her finger at Grace, using a circular motion)\____________\_I
see the passion in your eyes
(stretches out her arms)\________________________________\_Sometimes
it’s all a big surprise
Joan – “Good job!” She takes Emily with her to peer back into
Judith’s room, “I think your dad and Dr. Simmons will be busy with
her for a while. Let’s go visit with some of the other kids, and then
we’ll come back and talk to Judith.”
At the Girardi Residence
Helen – “Did you have a good time?”
Joan – “Yeah, it was great. There was a girl named Judith who was in
a coma, and she woke up while we were there. She looks like our
Judith, too.”
Grace – “Totally different voice, though. She has a deep, throaty,
genuine laugh, like the sound a dog makes just before it throws up.”
Joan – “Okay, she did have an odd laugh, but she’s really a sweet
kid. She and her mother are obviously close, but she really lit up
when her father came in. Her parents own a horse farm. She actually
has her own horse!”
Emily – “Yeah, and she said that I could come visit. Can I?”
Trenna– “I don’t think you’re old enough to ride a horse.”
Emily – “Mo-om! Judith is my age. It would be so cool!”
Richard – “I’ll talk to her father, and then we’ll see.”
Joan – “Grace went to the gift shop and bought her a PEZ dispenser.”
Grace – “Hey, you weren’t supposed to tell anyone.”
Joan – “Oops, there goes my balloon again.”
Luke – “You remembered.”
Helen – “That was really a nice thing to do.”
Grace – “A moment of inspired insanity.”
Kevin – “Insanity or lunacy?”
Grace snips, “Yo, Professor Xavier, don’t imagine that chair gives
you special protection.”
Joan – “Whoa, down Grace, he’s just making a joke.”
Grace – “This Moon stuff is starting to rent space in my brain.
Everyone just needs to knock it off!”
Luke – “I thought you liked it.”
Grace – “I did, but it’s growing on me like a colony of E. Coli. The
eclipse was just a nascent fluke, not some prophetic celestial
marker.”
Helen tries to defuse the situation by changing the subject, “Trenna
and I have made chicken salad. Who’s hungry?”
Grace – “Not!” Grace storms out the door.
Luke – “Maybe I should go after her. I’m the one who started this.”
Joan – “No, let me. I think she’s really mad at me.”
Adam – “No, I’ll go. I don’t think she’ll hit me.” With that, he
heads out the door after Grace.
When Adam catches up to her, she is still walking fast and uttering
expletives under her breath. Adam just quietly walks beside her until
she is ready to talk.
Grace – “Do you remember when we talked about Joan and her secrets?
Has she ever explained any of them to you?”
Adam – “You were there when she told us about her dreams. I think
that explains a lot.”
Grace – “But not all of it. Don’t you think there’s more?”
Adam pauses, thinking about what Joan told him in the hospital,
“Yeah, probably, but she doesn’t want to tell us. That’s just the way
she is.”
Grace – “Wait! What was that?”
Adam – “What was what?”
Grace – “That pause. You know something, don’t you?”
Adam – “I know there are parts of herself that she wishes to keep
secret.”
Grace – “How can you be in love with someone you don’t really know?”
Adam – “I love what I do know. Hey, I’m just happy that she’s giving
me a second chance. Maybe someday she’ll tell me about that part of
herself, but I’m willing to wait until she’s ready.”
Grace mulls over what Adam has said before responding, “I don’t know
if I can wait much longer.”
Adam – “Sure you can. I’m hungry, let’s go have lunch.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The conversation during lunch was primarily about the wonders of
Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Joan and Emily both provided more tales of the
children they met today, but they avoided saying anything more about
Judith. Although quiet, Joan could tell that Grace was still upset.
After lunch, Emily asks Joan to spend time with her listening to her
new LeAnn Rimes CD. Grace interrupts, “Later, Mushroom, Joan and I
need to talk.”
Emily pouts, “Why do I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop?”
Joan kneels down in front of Emily and places her hands on her
shoulders, “You know that’s not true. It’s okay, we’ll listen to your
CD together in a little while.” Joan gives her a hug and heads out
the door with Grace for another walk.
Grace – “Is your entire family in on this conspiracy?”
Joan – “What do you mean?”
Grace – “This whole Moon thing is a deflection.”
Joan – “A deflection? A deflection from what?”
Grace – “You and your secrets?”
Joan – “I told you about my dreams. Don’t you believe me?”
Grace – “I do, but that’s not all of it. When are you going to tell
me the rest?”
Joan – “What rest?”
Grace – “The other half of the red pill.”
Joan is taken aback. She remembers having said that to Grace, but she
believed that it was another one of her dreams. She just walks along
with Grace and doesn’t respond for several minutes.
Joan – “In the ‘Matrix’, do you remember me telling you about
Cypher?”
Grace – “Cypher’s the one who betrayed them.”
Joan – “You’re right, but do you remember why?”
Grace – “Because he regretted having taken the red pill.”
Joan – “And at the beginning, do you remember what Morpheus asked
Neo? Are you sure you want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes?”
Grace – “Lay it on me.”
Joan pauses for a moment, “Grace, the truth doesn’t always set you
free. Knowing the truth can be a lonely place. You already have
enough burdens of your own. You should think about this for a while.”
Grace – “I’ve been thinking about it since last summer.”
Joan – “You’ve waited this long, you can wait a while longer.” Joan
turns around and walks back toward the house.
Grace calls after her, “Girardi!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When they return, Joan goes to spend time with Emily as she has
promised. Grace finds Luke sitting in the living room by himself. He
is totally confused, believing at first that his gift was
appreciated, but now has no clue of what went wrong. Grace decides to
take her lost puppy for a walk.
Grace – “I don’t think I’ve walked this much all year.”
Luke – “I guess you’ve had a lot to think about.”
Grace – “Okay, listen up. I’m not mad at you. I loved your Moon
shadow. It’s just… well… there’s something else and your Moon thing
caused it to reach critical mass.”
Luke – “Okay, I can understand that.”
Grace – “I purposely used geek speak.”
Luke – “So, what is it?”
Grace – “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Luke – “Grace! We have to talk about it.”
Grace – “Not this time, Moon Boy. All you need to know is that this
isn’t about you.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the shadows begin to stretch across the floor, Luke asks, “Would
you like us to make copies of what you plan to say tonight?”
Grace – “No, this time I’m going to recite it by myself and everyone
can just listen.”
When the sun sets, Grace lights the central candle as before. She
then uses it to light the first and second candles on the right. She
turns towards the group while holding the Chanukah. She recites her
passage, however this time, she maintains eye contact with Joan.
“\ O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them
bring me unto Thy holy mountain, and to Thy dwelling-places. (PSA
43:3, JPS) Our minds and hearts will be cleaned by the light of the
Spirit of Truth and others can be cleaned from the overflow.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Grace is asking her to do frightens her. At least her mother had
already figured out most of it on her own. Should she tell Grace
everything or just provide another piece of the puzzle? Will Grace
even believe her? Will it strengthen their friendship or destroy it?
These are the questions that Joan ponders as they rock slowly on the
glider.
Adam shifts slightly, bringing Joan back from her mental torture. She
takes a cleansing breath of cool night air, emitting a sigh with its
release. Pulling the blanket tighter, she snuggles deeper into the
comfort of Adam’s arms. A lone star catches her gaze, prompting her
to make a wish before returning to her dark night of Grace. ‘Oh God
of second chances and new beginnings, here I am again.’
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