Some musings on "The Ghost of Christmas Past" without the third child.
Carolyn Muir parked her station wagon and turned off the radio, but her very excited children kept on singing "Jingle Bells" as she herded them into Claymore's Christmas Tree lot. Their joy was precisely what a mother wanted to see. The family's second Christmas season in Schooner Bay was proving to be even better than the first. Gull Cottage was now their home instead of the house they had moved into a few months previously. Candy knew of the Captain's existence; this gave the Captain a second woman to dote on, which he would deny to his dying…well, he would never confess to being wrapped around her little finger the way every father is. Martha was baking up every wonderful delicacy of the season, filling the house with warmth and a blend of aromas to tantalize the senses. All of this combined to make this year a very Merry Christmas for everyone.
The family encountered Claymore and tried to find a tree that wasn't ridiculously overpriced. After silently agreeing with Jonathan that $35 was highway robbery for a Christmas tree, Carolyn decided to head over to the Boy Scout lot for a better deal. Claymore rushed after her with one final selection, she looked at it and laughed, thinking it looked like it belonged in that Peanuts Christmas special that had been on TV the past couple of years; all it needed was Linus' blanket and a bunch of kids around it singing.
The children piled into the back seat; they had stopped arguing over the front seat once the Captain starting joining them on their various jaunts. Jonathan and Candy had managed to agree that shotgun was the Captain's place. Carolyn was quietly pleased by this; it was comforting to have the Captain nearby. They were singing along with "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on the radio when she felt a familiar presence materialize in the front seat beside her.
"Good afternoon, Captain," was chorused from all directions.
"Please don't stop singing on my account, I was quite enjoying it."
Carolyn was self conscious enough about her singing to demur. She had to concentrate on the driving and she couldn't do that with the Captain sitting next to her with a 'you can do no wrong in my eyes' look on his face; that alone was making her blush. The kids continued with gusto, finishing the song to the Captain's applause.
"Why don't you sing along with us on the next one, Captain?" asked Candy.
"I'm afraid I am not familiar with current Christmas music. There has been a remarkable amount written in the past one hundred years." This fact was confirmed as the next song on the radio was Bing Crosby singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas". The Captain listened intently to the heartfelt longing in the lyric. Being home for Christmas was a new concept to him.
His thoughts were interrupted by Jonathan asking, "what was Christmas like for you Captain?"
"Most Christmases were spent at sea; sometimes in parts of the world where the holiday wasn't even celebrated. It would be warm and sunny." He smiled at the memory. "We would try to put together a special feast no matter where we were."
"You had Christmas without any snow? Or a Christmas tree? Or presents?" Jonathan was astounded, "how is that possible?"
Carolyn smiled at her son's youth, reveling in the cozy conversation in the car.
The Captain chuckled, "I promise you I suffered no deprivation in celebrating the day. We always had plenty of brandy on board."
"Captain!" Carolyn threw in for mock admonishment. The Captain gave her a look that could only be classified as 'faux contrite'. She laughed and shook her head.
When Candy listened to the Captain's description of Christmas past she became sad. "Captain, you never came home for Christmas?"
"There was no reason to come home. I had no family."
This made Candy even sadder; everyone should have a family to come home to for Christmas.
"But you had Gull Cottage, it was alone and empty on Christmas. I bet it would have been beautiful at Christmas," Candy dreamed.
"It's beautiful at Christmas now, Candy," her mother pointed out.
"I know, but it would have been nice to see it then."
Carolyn rolled her eyes, her daughter's tendency to over-romanticism worried her sometimes; she hoped Candy would outgrow her belief in fairy tale endings soon.
Candy's words sparked an idea with the Captain. He may not have had a family a hundred years ago; but he had one now, and if he could give them a Victorian Christmas it would be a gift he hoped they would treasure forever.
They arrived at the lot and picked out a tree without too much fuss. The Scouts even insisted on tying it to the top of the station wagon for them; that would never have happened at Claymore's lot; not without another $20 extra that is.
At home the kids distracted Martha in the kitchen by forcing themselves to eat Christmas cookies while the Captain brought in the tree and set it up near the fireplace. Carolyn was in the parlor as well, holding the tree steady and lost in a moment of perfection. The kids were laughing in the kitchen, regaling Martha with tales of tree shopping. Martha harrumphed about Claymore's Scrooge-like tendencies. Christmas albums played on the hi-fi and the Captain was taking care that the tree graced the parlor with its strength throughout the holiday.
Gull Cottage was beautiful indeed at Christmas. The Captain finished his task and looked at Carolyn, noting the soft focus of her eyes, as she picked up a bow from the coffee table and started unconsciously fiddling with it. He thought this was appropriate as she was the best gift he had ever been given.
"Penny for your thoughts, my dear."
Carolyn was actually a little startled, she was that lost in thought, "I was just thinking that it was nice to be home." She refrained from telling him she was wondering if the doorway to the parlor would be a good place for mistletoe.
"It is," he agreed. It took her a moment to remember he wasn't concurring with her idea for mistletoe placement. Wouldn't do them any good anyway, she decided. They continued to look at each other until Scruffy started barking, breaking the moment.
"Mrs. Muir, should we call Mr. Peevey to come help put the tree up?" Martha called as she walked from the kitchen to the parlor with a plate of cookies. The Captain disappeared. Martha was shocked to see the tree ready for decorating, "how did that happen?"
Carolyn played innocent, "I guess you can do anything when you put your mind to it." Time to change the subject, "Jonathan! Candy! Let's get some ornaments on this tree!" The kids came running in faster than Santa could slide down a chimney. Martha just shook her head in disbelief.
The family enjoyed the delightful pandemonium of decorating. Finally satisfied with their efforts, Carolyn declared the tree ready for Santa. "You know what I think we need now?"
"What?" both kids asked in unison.
"Hot chocolate!"
The excitement on their faces wiped away any tiredness, "with whipped cream?" Candy hoped.
"Of course!" Carolyn answered. Was it even possible to have hot chocolate without whipped cream?
The kids ran off to the kitchen to help Martha with the hot chocolate. The Captain reappeared, "you're spoiling them."
"Nonsense, it's Christmas. They are supposed to be spoiled," she glanced toward the kitchen with motherly affection. She turned back to the Captain, "everyone should be spoiled on Christmas."
"I could think of a few ways you could spoil me that have nothing to do with hot
chocolate."
She blushed, giggled and turned away, "Captain!"
"I merely meant that your presence in this house has spoiled me forever."
She gave him a look that said, "I know darn well that's not what you meant, but I am letting you get away with it anyway because that second sentence is enough to excuse any risqué comment."
He just smiled at her, his eyes twinkling in a way that would make Santa envious.
Carolyn was interested in the earlier conversation from the car in which the Captain talked about his Christmas experiences, the bits and pieces he told them in the car only piqued her curiosity; she wanted to hear more, "Captain, you've known so many Christmases, which one was the best?"
"Madam, the best would be the one I never could have."
She was confused, "why?"
"Because it's a dream. It can never come true."
"What's the dream?" Why couldn't he have a dream come true? She wanted to know because if it were in her power she would perform any Christmas miracle she could to make it come true.
"You'll know soon enough." Commotion coming from the foyer interrupted their conversation, Martha and the kids were returning with hot chocolate and cookies for all. The Captain popped out leaving Carolyn wondering what dream he could possibly have that couldn't come true.
Everyone enjoyed their hot chocolate and the kids rushed off to bed to await a visit from Santa Claus. Martha and Carolyn cleaned up the leftovers and put the house to rights before making sure the kids were fast asleep. Playing their own version of Santa they arranged all the beautifully wrapped packages under the tree and finally went to sleep themselves.
Carolyn called for the Captain a couple of times once she reached her room, but for reasons known only to himself, he wasn't responding. Giving up she changed for bed and went to sleep still wondering what his dream was.