Happy Holidays VI
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
By Mark
The ringing of the phone interrupted Dan’s reading and made him look at the clock: 4 P.M. He’d been studying solidly for three hours. Definitely time for a break.
“Hello?”
“Danny boy! How’s it going in California?”
Dan grinned at the sound of his uncle’s voice. He couldn’t remember when Uncle Bill had started calling him that, but the greeting was now an established part of their regular phone calls.
“Things are crazy this week. With finals next week, I feel like I’m studying non-stop. I greatly appreciate this study break, too. How are things going back in New York?”
“Cold,” was Regan’s first word. “We’ve had a real cold spell. It snowed last night. Looks pretty. Certainly gets me in the mood for Christmas.”
Dan laughed. “Try telling that to my roommate. I’m still running around in T-shirts, and he’s bundled up. It’s only 50 degrees out here! I’m just loving the weather.”
“Still not coming back for Christmas?”
“No, Uncle Bill. It just doesn’t seem like a good use of money to fly home for two weeks. I’m sure I’ll have fun at Brad’s. Beside, he’s promised to teach me how to surf.”
“Your roommate certainly is a California native, isn’t he?” Regan laughed. “Hey, did I tell you what Stevie did last week?”
As Regan launched into the exploits of his two-year-old son, Dan let his mind wander a little. True, money was very tight, but there was another reason he wasn’t planning to head home for Christmas. Mart and Diana had started dating over the summer. And while he was thrilled for his best friend, this made him the only Bob-White not currently dating. He just wasn’t sure he could handle being the odd man out. Or the seventh wheel for two weeks.
Beside, where would he stay? Uncle Bill’s was crowed with he, Aunt Joan, and Stevie trying to cram into the bachelor quarters over the garage. Mr. Maypenny wasn’t going to be around. No, it was better off to stay close to UCLA for his two-week break.
After hanging up with Regan, Dan turned the radio back on and resumed his reading. His friends in the dorms thought him odd for listening to oldies, but he just couldn’t help it. Mr. Maypenny had rubbed off on him during those years in the cabin. He smiled as he thought of his former boss and friend. Living with such an older man had been hard at first, but they really had ended up getting along very well.
Suddenly, a song on the radio caught his ear. Barbra Streisand was just starting to sing.
The sun is shining;
The grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There’s never been such a day
In Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the 24th,
And I am longing to be up north.
As she launched into the familiar “White Christmas,” Dan stopped pretending to read. He would certainly miss the snow this year. It may be cold, but it’s beautiful and really makes Christmas. Maybe he could talk Brad into a trip to the mountains. This rain they’d had for a week just wasn’t Christmas to him.
Suddenly, he started feeling homesick for the first time all semester. Transferring across the country for his junior year of college had been such an adventure. And he’d made some good friends out here already in just his first semester.
Barbra stopped singing and was replaced by Johnny Mathis. Now that’s just not fair, Dan thought to himself as the opening words of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” came out of the speaker. He got off his bed to turn off the radio but stopped when he saw the one decoration he had up in the room. It was an ornament Honey had made for all of the Bob-Whites three years before. She’d taken a group picture and pasted it on a ball. Dan had put it out in recognition of the season, but hadn’t paid any attention to it since. Now, there it was staring at him from the dial on his radio.
Dan could feel himself choking up. He missed his friends and family back in New York. And Stevie would be a joy to be around for such a fun holiday as Christmas. Suddenly, the fact that he would probably have to spend the holiday sharing a room with a two-year-old didn’t seem to bother him. Leaving Johnny singing, he headed out of the room and down the hall.
Trent was sitting at his computer, working on a paper. Dan cleared his throat before speaking. “Still looking for company on that drive back to New York?”
“Yeah. Change your mind about spending the holiday with your family?”
Dan grinned. “Ya. I want to go home like I never thought I would before.”
“Sounds great. See you Wednesday for sure.”
Dan went back to him room feeling happier than he’d felt in weeks.
* * *
Trent pulled the car up to the foot of the Wheelers’ driveway. “You sure you don’t want me to go all the way up?”
“Trust me. This driveway is rather tricky.” Dan opened the door. “I’ll see you in a week.”
He headed up the driveway, stopped at the garage long enough to drop off his bag, and then headed toward Manor House.
He couldn’t have timed his surprise better if he’d tried. All his friends and family would be at the Wheelers’ annual Christmas Eve party. It had become something of a tradition, one he looked forward to. Each year, the Wheelers hired a huge catering staff, gave their servants the night off, and threw a party for their staff and friends. This year, he had a feeling it would be memorable for everyone.
Dan whistled “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” as he climbed the steps. He hadn’t told anyone he had changed his mind. He couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reaction.
He slipped the front door and walked to the ballroom where he could hear music playing. Sure enough, everyone was involved in a Christmas waltz. As he approached, the music stopped, and the few couples on the floor headed off to the side. He could see the other Bob-Whites around the buffet. Mart was helping himself to some of the giant turkey in the middle of the table, and Jim and Trixie were drinking some eggnog. Making sure there was no mistletoe over the door, he leaned against the doorframe to see who would notice him first.
Naturally, it was Trixie who spotted him from across the room. She stopped talking to Jim in mid-sentence and stared for a second. Then out came a “Dan!” that was half between a shriek and a squeal of delight. She came rushing across the room and gave him a huge hug.
The room that a minute before had been loud with conversation fell deadly quiet. Then, there was a sudden rush to the door. First, he found himself in the middle of a Bob-White hug, which was quickly followed by a hug from Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Belden, Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill and hearty hand shakes from the men.
Stevie had been asleep on a couch, but he came running as soon as he realized what the commotion was all about. “Danny, Danny, you came to watch for Santa with me?”
Dan knelt down to be on his cousin’s eye level. “You bet I did. I’m looking forward to it.” He scooped the boy into his arms and stood up.
“This is a great surprise,” Jim said. “What changed? That e-mail you sent me last week made it pretty clear you weren’t coming.”
“I suddenly realized just how much I missed all of you. I couldn’t be away for Christmas.”
Honey gave him an extra hug. “This is the best gift I can imagine.”
Di’s smile faded slightly. “But we sent your presents to your dorm room.”
“I’m sure they’ll be waiting for me when I get back. That’s a minor part of the holiday. Now, can I get all the way in the door? That buffet table is calling loud and clear. I’m starved.”
The crowd began to part so Dan could enter. Looking at everyone as he entered the room, he gave thanks silently for each one of them. While he might enjoy meeting new people and going new places, he couldn’t image anyone replacing these special people in his life ever.
The End
Thanks, as always, to Susansuth for her fabulous editing. It’s amazing the stuff I miss.
The songs and characters are the copyright of their creators/writers and are being used without permission. They are also being used to make no money. Thanks for letting me borrow them without penalty.
Elements required include a gift (Dan’s presence, mention of presents sent to his dorm room), a holiday song (“White Christmas” and “I’ll be Home for Christmas”), a food associated with the holiday (eggnog), a decoration (ornament in Dan’s dorm room), a family tradition (Wheelers’ party), and an animal associated with the holiday (real or imagined, dead or alive - the turkey on the buffet table).