The Christmas House (25 page)

Chapter Fifteen- Another Year Passes

148 Festive Lane

Christmas Eve- One Year Later

6:00 p.m.

     “Chime, chime, chime, chime, chime, chime.” The grandfather clock announced that it was once again 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, exactly one year later.

     David ran to the front door and swung it open.

     “Merry Christmas David!” yelled a group of 8 people.

    
“Merry Christmas!”
David shouted back the people as they entered the house.

     The first to arrive this second year of Christmas were Michael’s parents, his brother Billy, Arianna’s parents, Uncle Wally and his wife who now joined him, and Dennis Kowalski from down the block.

     “Mom, Dad, Billy!” Michael said as he came to the door from the kitchen.

    
“Merry Christmas!
And welcome back. God, it’s great to see you!”

     Uncle Wally being the proverbial wise guy said, “God? Yes I am mistaken for him frequently, but no, it’s just me Michael, just old Uncle Wally and my lovely wife, Louise.”

     “Au
nt Louise! Sorry to hear of y
our passing, but we’re glad you are here with us! Come on in,” Michael replied.

     As Wally took off his coat and handed it to Michael, Michael asked in a hushed voice.

    
“So, how’s Aunt Lucy taking the arrival of your wife Uncle Wally?”

     “Michael, she was really upset at first. I thought she was going to kill me but then I
realized,
Too
late! I’m al
ready dead! Ha! Ha!” Wally said.

    
Michael just laughed.

    
“You
will never change Uncle Wally.”

As Arianna entered the foyer, she greeted her parents.

    
“Mom, Daddy.
Merry Christmas!”

     “Merry Christmas darlin
g
!” responded Art and Marie.

     They hugged their daughter and as she looked over her father’s shoulder, she saw Denny Kowalski.

     Her eyes opened wide.

    
“Who is that
guy!
Why is he here? We have seen him numerous times during the year, so he must be human. How can he be here when you are all here? I thought that was against the rules?”

     Before anyone could answer, Martha stepped up and said, “Merry Christmas children!”

     “Martha! Merry Christmas to you!” answered back Arianna.

     “Maybe I can answer your questions Arianna,” Martha said.

     Martha gave David her coat as well as a pat on the head. As she walked into the dining room grabbing hold of Michael’s arm, she motioned for the rest of the group to follow her. The doorbell continued to ring, but David was stationed at the door greeting people as they arrived.

     Martha sat at the dining room table and asked that the others be seated as well.

    
“You too Dennis.
Please have a seat,” she requested.

     Dennis seemed as confused as the rest of the people, but took a seat at the table nonetheless.

    
“Arianna asked some very direct questions and I am the only one that can answer them properly and directly. What I am about to say may come as a shock to some of you here, but trust me, it is a good shock.

     Last year was the first year of this glorious family reunion. Cousins, Uncles, Aunts, Parents, Brothers,
Sisters
all united under one roof... this roof for a 24 hour
Christmas celebration. Among the guests was Mr. Kowalski. I was surprised that no one noticed him sooner, but that is neither here nor there,” Martha said.

    
“I remember talking with you a good part of the evening last year. You were a delightful young man,” said Arianna’s mother, Marie.

     Martha said, “Yes, you and Art talked to Dennis for several hours. You got along very well from what I recall. Well, there is a reason for that. It is the same reason why Dennis is here in the first place. Dennis is not a ghost. He is a living and breathing human being 365 days a year. Ironically, he lives right down the block from Michael and Arianna. As I stated last year, no one unless they are family or friends of Michael and Arianna’s are allowed in this house during these 24 hours. Friends must be deceased, but family can attend regardless of their state of being. This is why the Stevens are not allowed to join us. They are friends of Michael and Arianna’s but they are very much alive.”

     “But Dennis is not a family or a friend, no offense Dennis. How is it that he is here?” Michael asked.

     “Ah, but Dennis is family Michael. As a matter of fact he is immediate family,” Martha said.

     At the other end of the dining room table, Arianna’s mother started to cry.

     “Marie, why are you crying?” asked her husband Arthur.

     Marie didn’t answer and looked down at the table with a blank stare. Arianna looked at her mother and then at Martha.

    
“What is going on here? Who is Dennis?” she asked.

    
“He is your brother Arianna,” Martha answered.

    
“My brother?
I don’t have a brother. I was an only child,” Arianna stated irrefutably.

     Dennis was as surprised by Martha’s statement as Arianna. He spoke up as well.

    
“No, I can’t be her brother. My parents live in California. I too am an only child.”

    
“The parents you call father and mother do live in California Dennis, however they are your adoptive parents. Marie gave birth to you 44 years ago. She and Arthur we’re not married at the time. Arthur joined the armed services never knowing that he left behind a pregnant girlfriend. Marie only received one letter from Arthur in 6 months and concluded that their romance was over. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was expecting their child. Arthur in fact had written numerous times, but the mail delivery system back then was greatly lacking especially with overseas correspondence. Marie put the baby boy up for adoption. He was taken from her at birth and she never saw him again until last year,” Martha said.

     The dining room went silent. Only the faint greetings of guests arriving at the front door could be heard.

     “Dennis, these are your biological parents, Arthur and Marie Campbell. Art and Marie this is your son Dennis. Arianna this is your brother,” Martha said.

     “I can’t believe this. I had a son and you never told me?” said Arthur as he stood and looked down at his wife.

     “I didn’t think you loved me then. I didn’t want you to feel trapped. I wanted you to love me for me, not because of the baby,” she replied while weeping.

     “But I do love you for you,” he snapped back.

     “But I didn’t know that then! You were thousands of miles away. I never got your letters. I thought we were finished,” she cried.

    
Arianna stood and walked over to Dennis. She placed the palm of her hand along his face and caressed it softly.

  “Welcome to the family Dennis,” she said.

     Dennis was beside himself with confusion and disbelief. He placed his hand on top of Arianna’s.

    
“Thank you Arianna.”

     Then Dennis looked toward Arthur and Marie.

    
“I understand why you did what you did. I don’t blame you for that. Two wonderful people who cared for me and love me with all their hearts raised me. They gave me everything a son could have ever asked for and more. But why is it I am finding out about this now?
44 years later and in this situation?
I don’t even
know how I got here this evening. All of a sudden, BOOM! I’m standing at your front door.”

     “I can answer that question as well Dennis,” said Martha.

    
“Do you remember being here last year?” she asked.

    
“Yes, of course I do,” he answered.

     “Do you remember me giving a little 20 minute speech in the family room while standing on a table?” she asked.

     “No, I don’t remember that,” he replied.

     “That’s because you were fast asleep. Every time something pertinent would happen that would make the situation here obvious to you, you would conveniently fall asleep,” she said.

     “What do you mean by “pertinent”? What situation?” Dennis asked.

     “Dennis, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that after 44 years you are finally reunited with your natural parents. The bad news is, they both passed away 15 years ago. Like all of us here with the exception of Michael, Arianna, David, Nicole and
yourself
, they are dead,” she stated.

     Dennis stood up and took several steps back. He looked at the table of people with a strange puzzled look on his face. He stammered and finally said, “What are you talking about?”

     Michael stood up and approached Dennis.

    
“It’s okay Dennis. It has to do with this house. You see, it’s a magical place and...”

     Dennis jumped back quickly and made a cross with his fingers.

    
“Stay away from me you zombie!” Dennis shouted at Michael.

    
“No, no. I’m not a zombie.
They are. No, that’s not true either. They are not zombies. They are spirits that have been allowed to visit their still living loved ones for 24 hours each Christmas. It’s really quite simple. You see-,” Michael stopped in mid sentence as he glanced out the dining room window and saw Jack and Wanda
walking over to the house.

     “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back,” Michael said.

     The doorbell rang.

     “David! Don’t answer the door!” Michael shouted as he ran to the door.

     David asked, “But why Dad? Look
it’s
Uncle Jack and Aunt Wanda.”

     It was too late. Jack and Wanda had already entered the house. Wanda was carrying a pot of steaming soup for the Carters.

   
“Hey Mikey.
We thought we’d bring you some chicken soup to help cure that nasty flu you said the whole family came down with. I mean, it is Christmas Eve. It’s the least we could do. Hey, who’s that?” Jack asked as he looked toward the dining room.

     “Who’s what?” asked Michael, as he tried to get in the way of Jack’s field of vision. Unfortunately, Jack was several inches taller than Michael and could see just fine.

     “Will you stop jumping up and down in front of my face like a yo-
yo!
Who is that over there at the dining room table with Arianna?
Is that... why yes it’s Kowalski from down the street.
Hey Denny, Merry Christmas!”
Jack said.

     “Jack? Hey how you doing? Merry Christmas to you too,” Dennis replied as he looked at the table and still saw everyone else who was sitting there originally.

     Michael was panicked. There were people all over the house laughing and running around. Jack walked around Michael and toward the dining room. In his path was a small group of four guests.

Michael yelled, “Look Out!” as Jack’s massive body passed right through the people as if they were thin air.

     Michael was in shock. As he walked, following in the same path, he waved his hand in front of him and at the four people. He smacked one of them in the head.

    
“Hey, Michael!
That hurt!” the man he hit exclaimed.

     “Sorry about that Uncle Roy,” replied Michael as he walked around the group.

    
“They can’t see or hear us Michael. Remember, we vanish when any non-family human enters the house,” Martha said.

     “I thought that meant you would leave, not turn invisible!” Michael said.

     “Leave? We just got here!” Wanda said as she placed the pot of soup on the dining room table.

     “I made it myself. Home made chicken soup. With a real chicken!” she said as she lifted off the cover.

     At that moment, Uncle Wally came over to the table and put his face directly over the steaming pot. The steam from the pot poured moisture onto Wally’s face and it was now in plain view to Wanda.

     “Oh my God!” she screamed as she dropped the pot cover onto the table and backed away.

     Martha pushed Wally away from the flow of the steam. The outline of his face faded as Wanda pointed to it.

    
“There is a face looking into the pot of soup Jack!”

     Jack looked at the pot, but saw nothing but rising steam.

    
“Sure honey. Have some more eggnog. She thought she saw people appearing at your front door all night long too. I told you no one was here honey.” he said.