Based on the amazing version of A Christmas Carol from my home city's production, the city at its finest truly! But I must admit I must adlib I do wish to do my own theatrical adaptation one day.
He loved those little ones and the mothers and their fathers were more than happy to unload them on their loving Uncle Fred.
"Uncle Fred! Uncle Fred tell us the story again!" shouted Holly, who was the eldest there.
She was the second eldest's oldest daughter. Her sister's name was Rose. She and her husband Victor had five children. Her eldest sister, Lucy, was still unmarried. Catherine was the baby of the family and had no children; however, her next eldest sister had five children as well.
"Was he really that awful this year poor Uncle Fred," Beth asked him placing a kiss on his clean shaven cheek.
"Uncle Fred are we to sing this year," Victoria and Benjamin chorused.
"Will you and Aunt Catherine sing?" Richard asked eagerly.
"You sound so lovely together Uncle Fred you simply must!" Charity said happily.
"Will we play blind man's bluff Uncle Fred?" James shouted happily jumping into his lap.
"But first tell us Uncle Fred tell us is your uncle coming this year?" Abigail asked.
"Oh yes do tell," Lilly asked, "For I should much like to meet him."
"I don't know if I would,' the youngest of them all George whispered, "He frightens me. I've seen him before walking about he's frightening."
"No," said Fred kindly. He began strutting about like his uncle did. He hunched his shoulders and began repeating the words his uncle had spoken earlier.
Catherine watched and laughed. His youthful face now wiped of the sadness that had been upon it the day before. She'd waited outside for him to ask his uncle to their dinner once more and again he came out smiling to the rest of the world when his eyes held so much sadness. Yet, here he was joking about happily with the young children.
He suddenly chased the young lad George about the room and the children charged him. He toppled back onto his hands.
"Really what does he miss?" She asked her husband. "He misses a good meal and you making a right fool of yourself my dear." She laughed bending down to rub noses with each other.
The boys all made disgusted noises while the young girls chorused small ahs.
She pulled him up and began to sing his favorite carol "The Holly and the Ivy."
"Uncle Fred never breaks his promises," Richard whispered to Charity.
"No and he sings so lovely with Aunt Catherine," Beth whispered.
The children saw a tear roll down their beloved Uncle's cheek. Scrooge had watched his interaction with the small children.
"He bears such a likeness to your sister," the spirit smiled.
"Yes, I was just thinking so as well. His voice," Scrooge whispered, "Sounds much like mine did as his age."
"Yes and he too promised himself to a dowerless girl over love. He held up to his promise though."
"I was thinking of that too," Scrooge whispered. "She looks quite a bit like Belle. She sounds though . . . like Fan."
"She cares for him like she did too. She's a loving young woman. He has been so stricken by grief as of late."
Scrooge raised his eye brows.
"Well after nearly sixteen years of rejection every Christmas 'tis not a wonder." The spirit said to him.
Scrooge looked at his smiling nephew who even when he appeared tired continued on with renewed strength rallied stronger.
"Spirit is there something wrong with my nephew?" Scrooge asked suddenly going quite quiet.
"He is not as weak as your sister was and yet he is not strong. He grows weaker by the years. I fear the time you may have left with him grows short . . . on both ends."
Scrooge looked at his nephew's child-like eyes and face. This young man who had yet a child's face might die. Yet, when Scrooge looked upon his nephew he could see the traces of Fan's weak body in him.
"Spirit, tell me he will not meet Fan's fate. Is there something I can do for him?" He reached out to his nephew who was now playing Blind man's Bluff with the young ones.
"If he be like to die then he had better do it and decrease the surplus population!" The spirit roared once more.
Scrooge once again winced at the harsh words the spirit once more repeated his own words. This time, the words he'd spoken to his nephew himself.
"If I could work my will, any idiot who goes about with a Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
Scrooge wept harshly. He now thought about what he had said and done and once more could see nothing but his own sin.
The spirit sprinkled Christmas cheer upon Fred, now asleep on the sofa next to his loving wife Catherine. The two were too exhausted to make it up the stairs and into bed.
. . . . . . . . .
Scrooge was led once more to Fred's house. Fred had already consoled the grieving Cratchits even in his own visibly weakened state.
"Do you know who it's gone to?" Catherine asked. "We might be able to afford a second opinion if he's left it to us."
"Grieve for him Catherine," he whispered, "Grieve and then think on that."
A little blur came zooming in and Catherine left.
"Fanny," Fred smiled weakly.
"Mother says you are getting stronger Papa are you?" She asked.
"With you here I cannot help but feel renewed in body and spirit my dearest child."
She giggled.
Scrooge looked upon the bouncing child. Fred did indeed seem brighter when she was in his sight. The girl must have been four or five.
Another child, this one only three, came hobbling to his father's lap. Scrooge looked at his nephew. His little nephew wrapped his thin, weak arms about his son and wept. Tears ripped down the man's cheeks.
"You are not in pain Papa are you?" Fan asked Fred.
"No," he shook his head.
"Oh," she then left.
"Papa why cry?" His son asked.
"It's nothing Billy. It's nothing at all."
Billy nodded and once more hobbled away.
In the room now it was Scrooge and his nephew alone. Scrooge knelt on the floor and laid his hand on Fred's back knowing that Fred would not feel him there. It made Scrooge feel worse about himself. He knew he could never relieve his nephew's suffering no matter how much he wanted to. Jacob had been right; his chain was heavy.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Scrooge recalled holding his nephew's hand as he paced back and forth each time Catherine delivered. He recalled the loving way his nephew sat at his bed side as he died.
He recalled looking down from above as Fred overcame the illness that, apart from his uncle's generosity, he would have never survived.
Fred ended up having a large family. He had seven children. Fan was his eldest, then Billy, then John, then Juliet, then Anne, then Daniel, the youngest was Ebby, which was short for Ebenezer.
As the story goes they all lived happily ever after.