The second installment of A Christmas Tale

12/4/12                    Return to Scribbleworks Publications


Here we go! Enjoy the book. Remember to tell your friends to come and check it out. If you can't wait to read the whole story and you want to get it today, you can click on the link above and go to the A Christmas Tale page where you find the links that will allow you to purchase this title. There are several options for downloads depending on the device the story will be read on.

The second installment of A Christmas Tale

Frank started to have a very bad feeling about his friend suddenly. Maybe following Harris around wasn't such a good idea after all.

“Hey, I'll catch up to you later.” Frank cut him off. He pointed to the farthest group away from him. “I see someone I need to talk to. “Start without me.”

“Okay if you say so.” Harris said before he sauntered away.

Frank walked up to the outside the circle of women and waited.  Ellie noticed him and excused herself. A well dressed woman spoke up before she left.

“Well… have fun you two.” She said it with gleam in her eye as they walked away. Ellie rolled her eyes.

“These people are so crass.”

“I know what you mean.” Frank returned. “So, what do you think of my new job?” He waved around the room.

“All this time I thought you were an architect.” Ellie said as she looked around at the guests. “Not a party organizer.”

Frank nudged her and smiled.

“Not the party silly, the stone accents around the room.”

She looked at one of the stone columns up close then followed the lines with her eyes to their top, then over to the balcony.

“Did you make them too?”  She asked as she continued to study his work. “Now I've told you before.” He tried to be patient as he had mentioned this countless times before. “I only design. Someone else does the building.”

She brought her gaze to him again. “Then why do I hear you always talking about going to this site or that?”

“Because…” He took her arm and put it through his, directing them towards the food. “I have to always check to make sure the workers are doing a good job.” They disappeared into the crowd picking at the wonderful food displayed by the waiters hustling around.

Mr. Stevens finished a joke before taking the last gulp from his glass as everyone gathered around him laughed out loud. He pulled out his pocket watch and popped it open. He put up his hand.

“Everyone...” He waited for the laughing to stop. “I have to excuse myself. It's getting late and many gifts need to be passed.”

He turned to leave the crowd. His butler, who stood behind him waiting patiently, handed him a green and red elf hat. Stevens put it on and they both made for the large tree. Several people nearby who watched this unusual spectacle started speaking among themselves.

“I've never seen him this happy before.”

Another interjected. “Remember last year's party.  It was so dull and boring and…”

Someone else finished his sentence.

“It's been a pleasure to go to the office now. I look forward to going to work.”

“Yeah” Another jumped in. “And what did you use the pen set we all received at last year’s party for?”

They all paused looking at each other before speaking as one. “Work!”  They all laughed together.

“Maybe this year we’ll get pencils.” Another man said before he took another sip of his Champaign which prompted even more laughter. They laughed again because those were the basic tools for their trade.

The music died mid song and started playing a tune used to announce someone into a king's court. This grabbed everyone's attention. Mr. Stevens stood on the first landing that led to the balconies. It was very large and on each side a curved staircase led to the higher parts of the room. The landing itself was oval shaped and the three steps had the same curve all the way down to the main floor. Next to Stevens the tree stood proud and beautifully decorated with a mountain of gifts flowing from under the bottom branches.

Stevens’ voice boomed as though he were on stage at Carnegie Hall.

“This year's festivities are truly special. This marks an important anniversary in my life as well as our annual Christmas party. One year ago today I was a very unhappy man. My beautiful wife had passed six months previous. And although the business was doing well, I found no happiness in my days. With apprehension I admit that my wife died knowing that I was very unhappy and she felt sorry for me.” He paused reflectively before the glimmer returned to his eyes. “But that's behind me now. A year ago I met a man that showed me the way and I've been better for it. His presence was truly a great gift. Because of him I plan to spread the wealth this year!”

Everyone cheered. His Butler handed him a present from under the tree and he shouted the name written on it.

“Joseph Patrick!”

A middle-aged man, with a belly that shook when he laughed, walked up and accepted his gift.  He smiled all the way up and back to his wife. Mr. Stevens, with his funny looking elf hat, stood watching Mr. Patrick open his gift from a distance. After the Ooh's and Ahh’s from bystanders he proceeded to the next name.

Each employee received a gift that reflected its location from the travels Mr. Stevens took for his business. Some were paintings from France, clocks from Germany and crystal from Austria. As people became aware of the nice gifts they moved closer for a better look. Eventually most everyone stood close enough together to form a ring around the tree and its jolly elf to see all the wealth. Mr. Stevens’ company had many people who worked for him and it took a little while to hand out all the gifts. For every gift he handed out he would pause to see their expression as they opened their gift, then he would move on to the next. Mr. Stevens smiled openly as though he were being filled with more happiness every time someone else was made happy by his gift to them.

“Frank McDonald!” The elf shouted for the next gift.

Frank smiled and went up to accept his present. Frank was already ripping the paper when he returned. As usual Mr. Stevens waited. Ellie took the paper as fast as her husband gave it to her. It was a plain wooden box with brass corners with no handle. There was no finish to it, just old boards fastened together to make a box. The size lent itself to a briefcase but it was squarer and had some weight to it. When Frank realized that it was a plain wooden box he seemed confused. Everyone was silent. Stevens’ voice boomed out.

“That is no ordinary box my boy… it's enchanted! Open it up.”

Frank did as he was told.  You could practically hear all the eyes in the room straining.

“What's inside?”  Stevens boomed again.

Frank picked up a handful of sand and poured it back in the box. Frank looked up bewildered.

“Sand?”

The elf pointed to him.  “Enchanted sand my boy. Now turn the box over and pour it on the floor.”