The Christmas Portrait (23 page)

We all turned to look down at the altar. My eyes grew about as big as Granny's embroidery hoop. Mama's present was gone, and the candle had burned out.

Pastor looked too. “Don't tell me I left that candle burning all night. I could have burned the church down. You didn't light it, did you, Kate?”

“No, sir. I don't have any matches. Daddy doesn't allow us to strike matches.” Then I remembered Mr. Josh. I jumped up. “Mama's present was right there. I promise it was. Right there.” I touched the place on the table where it had been. “Mr. Josh must have taken it.”

Daddy took my shoulder and turned me around. “Mr. Josh? Who's Mr. Josh?”

“I don't know. He's just Mr. Josh. He's an old man, and he was hiding in the church 'cause he needed a warm place to spend the night. He talked to me about Mama, and he lit the candle, and he sang until I fell asleep.”

Daddy talked in his real serious voice. “Slow, down, Katherine Joy. You mean to tell me there was someone with you here last night?”

“Yes, sir, Daddy. Mr. Josh was here. I met him at the hospital when we went to visit Laramie. He was right here. We sat together right here on this pew 'til I fell asleep.”

Uncle Luke took my hand. “Kate, if he was here, where is he now? He couldn't have gotten out. The doors were locked when we got here. No one was here with you, sweetie. You must have dreamed it.”

I looked at Daddy. “I didn't dream it, Daddy. He was here. I promise he was.”

I saw the way Pastor Simmons looked at Daddy. “Well, Zack Wheeler told me there was a vagabond walking around the church yard last night. But, John, you know the alarm system was on when I unlocked the doors this morning. No one could have left this building without triggering it. But just to be safe, I'll check my office and the back door and the windows back there. John, you check the hallway where the classrooms are. Luke, maybe you should check the restrooms. Maybe he's still here and hiding.”

“I'll help. I know what he looks like. He's got on a long coat, and he has white hair. Come on, Chesler.”

“Katherine Joy, you sit right here on this pew with your brother until we get back. Do you understand me? Neither of you move one muscle.”

“But Daddy, it's okay. Mr. Josh won't hurt a flea. He took care of me last night.”

“You heard me.” Daddy and Uncle Luke and Pastor Simmons left the room.

Chesler squirmed over next to me. “Was Mr. Josh for real, Kate? You're not just making this up?”

“I couldn't make up anything like that. No, Chesler, he was for real. If he wasn't for real, where did the present go?”

“I wish I woulda come with you to see him.”

“I wish you had been here too, little brother. Then they wouldn't think I'm making this up.”

Daddy and Uncle Luke and the pastor walked back in the sanctuary together talking. Pastor Simmons came over and knelt down in front of me. “Kate, whoever you think was here is not to be found in this church, and there doesn't seem to be a way he could have gotten out of the building. But it's okay. Maybe you just had a dream that seemed so real, or maybe it was just your imagination because you were so scared.”

I knew Mr. Josh was real. I didn't have that good of an imagination. “Yes, sir, I was scared all right, so maybe he wasn't for real.” I didn't need to say anything else 'cause my plan had worked. “Daddy, can we just go home?”

“That's a good idea, Kate, then Pastor Simmons can get back to his family.”

Chesler and I walked up the aisle toward the door. I heard Pastor Simmons tell Daddy not to worry. He said that children sometimes invented stories to stay out of trouble, like my daddy didn't already know that. That's when Uncle Luke asked him, “So, I get all that, but what happened to the box?”

Pastor said, “Oh, she just probably dropped it. It'll turn up around here somewhere.”

Daddy didn't say a word about all that, but he did some more fussing on the ride home. “Kate, I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you. You can't pull any more stunts like this, wandering around in the streets at midnight. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir, Daddy, I'm so sorry, and I promise I won't do anything to make you worry ever again in my whole life.” Then we just stopped talking.

Daddy parked the car in the garage, and we went in the back door. He stopped in the kitchen. “Okay, I don't think we should say anything about this to Granny Grace or Aunt Susannah Hope today. Do you understand? Not a word.”

“You got it, Daddy. Not one word.” Chesler zipped his lips.

I nodded but kept my head down. Daddy lifted my chin.

“So tell me, Kate, what did you give your mama?”

“I cut a lock of my hair, and I cut Chesler's too, and put it in a red box. It's just like what Granny Grace has, a lock of Mama's hair. That way, me and Chesler can be with Mama forever.”

I saw tears in Daddy's eyes, and he hugged Chesler and me. He was having a hard time talking. “Remember, we'll just keep this to ourselves. Maybe after Christmas, you can tell Granny Grace and Aunt Susannah, but I don't think it's a good idea to upset them on Christmas Day with such a tale.”

“Thanks, Daddy, for not making me be in trouble, and I won't say a word.”

Uncle Luke shouted, “Anybody ready to see if Santa Claus made a stop by here last night?”

Chesler nearly knocked me over trying to get to the Christmas tree in the living room. He just threw his jacket down on the floor of the front hall and took off.

Daddy picked up Chesler's jacket and hung it on the hall tree and hugged me again. “I'm just so glad you're okay. Let's open some presents.” He walked into the living room.

I took off my mittens and stuck them in my left coat pocket. And as I reached into my right coat pocket to pull out my flashlight, something fell from my pocket onto the floor. I picked it up. A book of matches! I ran my fingers over the green cover. Printed in gold letters, it read Haven of Hope. Mr. Josh's matches.

I just smiled and put the matchbook in my jeans pocket. It was Christmas, the season of miracles, and Mr. Josh had told me everything would turn out good. And it had.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY

S
ANTA
C
LAUS HAD
made a stop at the Harding house, and from the looks of the floor around the tree, he emptied his whole sleigh full of gifts right there in our living room. Chesler was at work, and Christmas paper was flying around the room like Granny pitching hay in her barn.

Chesler opened his presents first, jumping up and down when he saw his new cassette player and skates and rod and reel. “Just what I wanted!” He showed off his new skates and asked Uncle Luke to take him skating out at Granny's. When Uncle Luke and Daddy said the skating would have to wait, Chesler grabbed his new rod and reel. Daddy just nodded and said, “When the snow melts, Chesler.”

So he plugged in the cassette player and started singing Christmas songs at the top of his lungs. I liked watching Chesler be so happy, and I think Daddy did too. As I listened to Chesler sing “Joy to the World,” I rubbed my thumb over the matchbook in my pocket.

“So, Chesler, is there anything under the tree Santa might have left for your sister?”

Chesler looked around and picked up a square box. “This is for you, Kate. It's wrapped real pretty.” He handed it to me.

I untied the large green ribbon and lifted the lid. My camera. My very own camera.

“And here's something else, Kate. No, it's two things.” Chesler lugged over a heavy-looking box and put it on the floor in front of me. Then he put a smaller one on top.

I opened the smaller one first. “A package of watercolor paper.”

Uncle Luke laughed. “Santa Claus must have gotten confused. You can't put watercolor paper in a camera. You need film.”

“Surely Santa wouldn't get confused about something like that. Maybe you should open the big one, Kate.” Daddy pushed the large box toward me.

I opened it. On the front was a picture of a drawing table.

Uncle Luke came over to look. “Wow, Kate. You can open your own art studio now. Watercolor paper and a drawing table and a camera.” Uncle Luke picked up my camera. “Look. It's already got the batteries and film in it. Santa thought of everything. Guess all you have to do now is point and shoot.”

I just smiled at Daddy. “Great! Daddy, you and Uncle Luke and Chesler, go sit in front of the Christmas tree. This will be my very first picture.” Daddy and Uncle Luke sat on the floor shoulder to shoulder, and Chesler sat on their shoulders right between them. “Smile big, you guys.” I snapped the picture.

“Looks like that's all from Santa, but there'll be lots more presents when Granny Grace and Aunt Susannah Hope and Uncle Don get here. What time is it?”

Chesler ran to the front hall to look at the grandfather clock. “It's three after seven.” We knew that meant seven fifteen. That was just Chesler's way of telling time.

“We'd better get going. Granny'll be coming in that door about eight o'clock. Luke, you going to get Lisa?”

“I'll call her and pick her up as soon as she's ready.”

“Well, let's get up those stairs and get ready for the day.”

“Wait, a few more pictures. Uncle Luke, you and Chesler roll around in the Christmas paper.” I knew Chesler would like that and I wouldn't have to tell him to smile. I liked having that camera hanging around my neck and clicking the button on top.

After I finished, Uncle Luke said, “Okay, upstairs, you two.”

I took a shower, dried my hair, and got dressed. I was putting a ribbon around my ponytail when Chesler came running into my room. “Kate, are you sure you're not mad at me for telling Daddy where you were?”

I tightened the bow around my hair. “I already told you no, Chesler. I'm not mad at you. I'd still be in the church all alone if you hadn't told him. So I'm not mad.”

“I'm sorry you got stuck at church, but I know you weren't alone because Mama's present was gone this morning.” That was the smartest thing my little brother ever said.

Daddy was in the kitchen when Granny and my aunt and uncle arrived. The Christmas mugs were already on the counter. I would use Mama's this year, and I'd give mine to Aunt Lisa. Mama made it our family tradition to drink hot chocolate with homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Then we would drink our second cup of hot chocolate around the tree while Grandpa read the real Christmas story. Mama and Grandpa weren't here this year, but Daddy remembered and made a big pot of real hot chocolate like Mama would have made.

Granny Grace was taking the foil off her warm cinnamon rolls when Uncle Luke and Aunt Lisa walked in. “Merry Christmas, you two. Lisa, we couldn't be happier to have you in this family.”

I kept clicking the button on my new camera, taking pictures of happy faces when they weren't looking.

Aunt Susannah Hope handed out Christmas plates with hot cinnamon rolls, and Daddy gave everybody a mug of hot chocolate. When we all had a cup, Granny lifted hers high. “Merry Christmas, everybody. Eat your breakfast. This is it because we're having a lunch the likes of which you haven't seen since last Christmas.”

We sat around the table in the kitchen and ate our cinnamon rolls. Everybody was talking, but nobody said a word about last night and my getting locked in the church. I think Uncle Luke told Aunt Lisa, though, because she just looked like she knew something, but she wouldn't say it.

Granny Grace passed the plate of rolls around again. “Well, for little old ladies like me and for young boys like Chesler and for everybody in between, it's real important to carry on traditions. And that's what we're about to do, so get yourself another cup of hot chocolate and let's go to the living room.” Granny was in charge again, and we followed her orders.

Uncle Don sat in his favorite spot on the sofa, and Aunt Susannah Hope curled up beside him. Uncle Luke pulled up the straight chair and sat next to the Christmas tree. Aunt Lisa and Chesler and I sat at his feet. We knew that Granny and Daddy would be sitting in the chairs on each side of the fireplace. Daddy held his Bible in his lap, and everybody was talking happy talk, and then Aunt Susannah spoke up.

“I need to tell you all something.”

Everybody hushed. I looked at Daddy, and he had that look like he always has when there's trouble.

Aunt Susannah Hope looked back at Uncle Don. Her lips almost smiled, but she looked more like she was about to cry. “I know I've not been the easiest person to get along with lately, and I know you have been a little worried about me. And Luke, I want to thank you for insisting that I go to the doctor and have some tests.”

Nobody in the room wanted to hear what we thought she was gonna say.

“The doctor says there is absolutely nothing wrong with me.”

Granny looked the most relieved. “Thank God for that, Susannah.”

Aunt Susannah kept talking. “But what he did say is there is something absolutely right with me. When we gather here next Christmas, there will be a new family member along with Lisa.” She paused. “We're having a baby.”

There was more noise and more hugging going on in that room than when Chesler was opening his presents.

Granny was so happy. “Well, I'd say that's about the best Christmas present ever. A baby for next Christmas! Fancy that.”

When everybody sat back down, I felt all quiet inside and just looked around the room. Home hadn't looked so good since Mama went to heaven, but it looked good to me this morning. It didn't have anything to do with all the presents under the tree or my new camera. But it felt warm like it had a blanket around it, and it smelled like home. I missed Mama at the tree. I missed her singing. And I'd bet Mama would be so happy about the baby she'd still be hugging Aunt Susannah Hope.