One step at a time Paris helped
escort her mother down the stairs. Not that her mother couldn't handle the
travels. Lately the older woman seemed more dependant for someone to be near-by
just incase. Conditions could be improved maybe by contracting a carpenter
to build an extra railing to grasp? Reaching the bottom step Paris came down
first and pivot to be before her mother in order for that one last descend.
Bella was already standing at the bottom sucking on a candy cane viewing grandma
Richards.
"
..Bella go fetch your grandmother's
shawl..."
Standing completely still Paris gave
a motherly tone to instruct her child to fetch the shawl upstairs. Bella enjoyed
running past the two older adults as if she could be far impressive in speed.
How she adored the most beautiful creation in the world. Calmly Paris returned
her attention upon her mother. Escorting her into the living room area
were she could sit in a large comfy chair surrounded by knitting belongings.
Although it was quit true grandma Richards could sit without problems in her
usual comfy chair. Today held a chill in the air making the poor woman's
arthritis act up and her attempt to sit caused the old woman to moan due t the
conditions
"It's
very nice to see the house decorated Bella"
Grandma Richards spoke to Bella who
appeared right on cue when her grandmother was situated. The little girl
bashfully handed over the favorite violet knitted shawl that Grandma Richards
knitted when her fingers were not so pained. Grandma Richard's hands
beckoned he child closer and rewarded her with that tender kiss to the forehead.
Bella's giggled and exclaimed. "
You smell like candy grandma "
Grandma Richards laughed
knowing that the youngster must have smelt the peppermint lotions used to help
alleviate the rheumatoid arthritis's. Paris stepped near her young child
and squeezed that little hand in the passing to go towards the kitchen to make
her mother some warm tea. Bella watched her mom leave the room and began
to give her grandmother a tour.
"Dis
is the Christmas tree " A
crayon depiction of a Christmas Tree that Bella really wanted this year.
It pleased the young child she drew such a lovely image of what a tree for
holiday should look like. Yet, she didn't feel satisfied a tree wasn't in their
home this year. Grandma Richards noticed the child sad face while staring at the
drawing to long, and loose interest in the other drawings strung up with tape.
"What's
the matter precious?" Grandma
asked.
"Santa
isn't going to find me."
Bella pouted.
Abandoning the images she
strolled depressingly over to the window to look across the street. There in the
window she could see the magnificent splendor the Geller household tree was.
Then Bella got an idea, as young kids do, she darted to the closet trying to
open it up. Grandma Richards instantly knew the trouble and tried to ease the
Childs woe's "Santa know
exactly were you are Bella. He's a jolly elf that their ever was. An he knows
everything about you" Grandma
started to get into the old tale about how he knows when you are good or bad.
Then realized Bella had already slipped her jacket on and was on the floor
scribbling on a piece of paper. Paris entered the living room at this time
looking down at Bella curiously but didn't not stop since she needed to put the
tray down. Easing the tray filled with jam toast bread (which was easy for
grandma's teeth to chew), warm mint tea, and afternoon vitamins her mother
needed to take. Bella jumped up and dashed for the door.
"Stop
young lady. You are not going outside this time of night. You need to get ready
for bed." Paris had
appeared in the nick of time to cease her daughters escape. "Where
on earth do you think you're going?"
Curiosity was killing her.
"I "
Bella lower lip stuck out as she neared crying. "
I need to put this note on Mr.
Geller's tree so Santa can find me."
Holding up the piece of paper
to show off how talented her scribbles were getting for her age.
Paris stood there in silence
heart broke at how life at the moment was difficult. There was barely any
funds to survive if it wasn't for her mothers generosity to accept them in her
home. Marc had a gambling problem that wasn't discovered until after his timely
death leaving his family in great debt. Paris started to loose faith at
that moment to let the child hold on anymore to the theories of Santa Clause.
However, Geller their neighbor, changed the course of Paris actions. Cell phone
went off and it was from Geller. At first Paris was in disbelief what she read.
Had he really purchased a generous gift for a child he met only for an hour?
"Bella.
I think I heard something. I ...thought I heard sleigh bells?"
Easing the cell phone back into her
pocket she put on a fake show for the benefit for her daughter. Bella suddenly
became more inquisitive about her surroundings and dashing to the big window
that offered a gateway to the neighborhood holiday lit up light decorations.
Desperately she smeared her cheeks and nose across the window looking in every
angle possible in the nearing dark sky to see Santa's sleigh. "..Is
it Santa Mommy? Is it..do you see him?"
Little girl was jumping up and
down pleading to be the man of every Childs dreams --Santa. Paris opened the
door and gasped as if she won the lotto. "
Look Bella he left you a gift
here...." Bella dashed to the
door identifying the card that said this package was all hers and no one else's.
The dainty strength wobbled with the package in her arms across the living room
to place it under her drawing tree. It wasn't a real tree but it had a real
present underneath it. " He
found me grandma. He found me. "
Paris looked across the street
seeing the back of Geller walking back towards his house. It was the most
gracious thing a man could do when it wasn't even his family to care about.
Paris looked down in thought thinking how she could show how appreciative she
was for this act of goodness to her child. If he turned around she would
wave to show gratitude. If he did not turn around Paris closed the door
returning to the holiday cheer that had now making Bella believe Santa did care
and know were she was. It was a real Christmas miracle.
+The idea had come to his that day at B&B. It just seemed logical that a single woman taking care of her mother and daughter on a fixed income wouldn't have much money for Christmas presents. Not that Paris's finances were any of his business, but every kid should have something special from Santa under the tree. How a Jewish boy from New York had come to love Christmas so much was a mystery; it certainly wasn't religiously driven. Or maybe it was some kind of latent rebellion that drove him to deck the halls each year and gather the family together under the Christmas tree instead of the menorah.+
+While he took care of the line he sent the kitchen bitch, otherwise known as Frank, out to buy the perfect present. He had Frank pick up the Charlie Brown Christmas movies and a Blue Ray player to watch them on, as well as a plush stuffed animal. With any luck Frank could stand in line at the store for gift wrapping because Geller thought he might slit hi own wrists if he had to wrap another present. Work was a hustle all night and he never tired of that feeling when a full crowd in the dining room meant organized chaos for his culinary pirates crew. The time went by fast and by the time he was taking his closing smoke break Frank was back with a wrapped gift perfect for the occasion.+
"I owe you one, now get your ass inside before Steven shits himself."
+Later that evening when he finally returned home he wrote a quick card to stick beneath the large green ribbon and bow on the package. The card simply read: To Bella, From Santa. With the package under one arm he held his cell phone in the other as he went towards the front door to make his way across the quiet street. All down the avenue Christmas lights twinkled and there was a stillness in the chill air that he found pleasent. Punching in Paris's cell phone number he sent her a text to explain what he was doing so that she could pick up the present from her front stoop.+
[TEXT] Paris, I wanted to give Bella a surprise for Christmas. Check your front doorstep in a minute.[TEXT]
+He set the brightly colored red and green package down on the welcome mat of his neighbors house and then turned around to make his way back across the street before Bella could see him. Once he had made it back to his front walkway he heard the sound of the neighbors door behind him opening. At his own front door he looked back for a moment and caught that silent wave from Paris. Raising a hand he gave a smile and a wave in return before going back in to join his family in the living room.+
"Now
you don't want Santa to take back your gift for not going to bed on time?"
Paris told her daughter
who was sitting in front of her drawn tree picture and fiddling with the
gigantic bow on Geller's gift. Well for now thought to be from Santa. Bella
looked up from admiring the package wanting to open it right now. Even before
the young girl could even suggest such an idea it was opted a "NO" with a head
gesture pointing to the stairs. Bella flopped herself on the floor dramatically
pretending it would be impossible to make it up those stairs. A keen way to
break her mothers heart to let her stay up longer? Eeeh, no. Playfully she
swooped her figure down like a hawk and snatched her laughing daughter off the
ground. Her lips started to attack the young child mercilessly. Often
finding slight exposures to the stomach to rasp Bella. "Mommy...hahah
mommy stop...hhahah hahah no mommy aaaaah....aaaaah"
Carrying the child ceased when
she reached the top of the stairs. Letting loose the munchkin who ran
directly into the bathroom knowing exactly the routine. Her small figure worked
hard to move a stool to the sink. Climbing upon it like a pre-Madonna princess
singing into her tooth brush like it was a microphone. Paris leaned against the
doorway frame staring at the crazy cute Bella who always continued to do
inventive things. Bella suddenly realizing her mother was watching. The
impersonation to be a singer stopped so that she could properly hold toothpaste
at an angle to spread it across the bristles of her toothbrush. "..don't
forget to brush in the way back. Need to meet a new dental doctor. I'd
like to hear no cavities. " Bella
looked up from brushing her tooth towards her mother. The suds from the paste
made the child look like she was a rabid animal foaming. Paris turned to look
away with her eyes closed just laughing to hard. "..alright
stop clowning around cutie." A
fair forewarning that really didn't have a backing to it at all. Bella
never gave her a reason to actually follow through and do any type of
punishments.
Cleansing of the mouth had
finished so Bella plucked her Princess Ariel, from little mermaid, off the
porcelain sink and handed it up to her mother. Sweetly the child pivot around
waiting for momma to put her hair up in a pony tail. "
why do I need to have my hair up
again momma?" Brush bristles
touched the front part of Bella's forehead and began to drag back towards Paris
stomach gracefully and polite strokes so it wouldn't hurt the child. The
question gave Paris a moment to look downwards in a patient parent doing all
humanly possible to entertain the child's need to hear a reason over and over
again. " Because with long
hair love. It could get nasty little knots underneath and we know how those felt
to be brushed out mmmm?"
"Oh
yeah?" Bella blinked in
disbelief she forgot about that. After her hair styled up into a pony tail she
dashed into her new bedroom not yet cleaned out with Grandma Richards belongings
yet. Paris adjusted the blankets to get the child cozy under the covers. An she
could now see the clear transition to hyper now being invaded by tiredness. That
was a good sign, Paris thought. Kissing Bella's forehead she snuggled near her
ear and whispered. " I love
you Bella. Sleep well my princess. "
Bella giggled with a blush and
rolling over in the process to escape the tickles in her ear. Bella settled into
the comfy pillow with a groggy whisper. "
Night momma."
Arising up, Paris looked down
surveying over the greatest creation she ever had, and lingered there thinking
how sad it would be for Marc not to see his own child in moments like this.
Paris wrapped her arms about her torso to have a peace of mind memory what it
was like before he went off to war. He was a good husband, wonderful father, but
his addiction to gamble got the better of him. He thought entering into the army
would help learn self-control. Bella could be heard breathing hard through her
nostrils and that explicitly told Paris she was in a deep sleep. Moving out of
the room she began to proceed with her Christmas plans.
"Paris
darling who was the present really from?"
Paris mother called from her lazy
boy chair eager to find out the tid-bits. Quit frankly, it was the only thing
that kept the old woman entertained --gossip. Pulling open the closet she
reached for her jacket. Adjusting it to be wrapped around her Paris winked at
her mother by also mentioning who bought it. "Your
granddaughter charmed the neighbor."
Grandma Richards rocked back
and forth on the chair chuckling like an old woman would. That of course
was silenced when Paris walked outside into the cold weather.
She stuck her hands into the deep
recesses of her pockets. Warmth was not a requirement but it certainly wasn't
avoided. Strolling to her fathers tool shed, whistling a Christmas tune, she
plucked a dusty saw from the rack. Into back yard she found a suitable oak tree.
It wasn't going to be an original Christmas Tree version but the point was Bella
longed for a tree. Coming to a branch filled with leaves. That was the one
she started to saw off from the main tree. It fell to the ground thankfully
absent from noise. Putting the tool away and picking up the branch. Paris
brought it inside to be greeted by Grandma Richards with a questionable gaze. "
Mom, its a tree for Bella. I
want her to wake up with a tree and her present from San..I mean Geller's gift
beneath it. " Grandma
Richards simply laughed. "Mother
really. Could you stop being loony and tell me were to find decorations"
Leaning back in the chair she shook
her head regrettably about the decorations "
I retired all the decorations to a yard sale Paris love. You're visits here were
less and less after your marriage. Your father and I couldn't manage this big
house each holiday."
Paris took a vase from cabinet
and put the tree inside it. Using tissue paper to help balance it inside the
larger opening of the vase. There was a green table cloth used to waddle
it up like a Christmas Tree skirt. So no decorations? Fine. Fine.
Improvise that's what a domesticated single mother would do --right?
Opening up the cabinets she found popcorn and popped it. She found over butter
scotch candies her mother loves to suckle upon. These things were soon put into
surgical alterations by stringing it along the thread making a food garland.
When it was finished Paris wrapped it around the branch giving it at least a
traditional holiday tree look. It wilted a bit by the weight but it still was
cute in a way. Both mother and grandmother had a pose with their heads
lopsided inspecting it.
"Needs
a star Paris" Grandma said
playfully.
"Oui-vie
Mother..." Paris said putting
her hands on those birthing hips. Sticking one out further to emphasis how
intolerably right her mother was sometimes. Pulling the bright opal pendant off
her neckline Paris lassoed it around the very tip of the tree to have a make
like star. It really helped highlight the popcorn and candy used to lay the
trimmings.
"
Paris the present the present"
Grandma Richardson pointed
out what was missing. The package was preciously uplifted and placed underneath
the tree. There it was in all the humble glory this year. A simple family tree
for the poorest folk on the block.
"Come
on Mom. Lets get you to bed."
Hour was late and soon Bella would
be awake to see Santa delivered one more time. A delivery at least a mother
could give to her child without being a disappointment. Lights were
starting to be turned off and Paris began to move her mother to bed.
