Brand New Journey

Chapter 9

Lee stood angrily staring down at Amanda in her family room, not believing how his day was turning out!

All he wanted to do was go to work, drop off Kelly's present and spend some time with her, and then Christmas Day would be his time alone!

Guacamole and chips and football were his steadfast Christmas ritual every year and no woman or child was going to dictate any changes to this bachelor's life!

He recalled finding the dollhouse he thought of getting her in one of Amanda's catalogues that he found in her kitchen the month before. They had discussed it but Amanda had misgivings, of course.

As they sat at the kitchen table that night Amanda saw the price and shook her head stating, "It's beautiful, but she doesn't need anything that expensive at her age-"

Lee sighed and responded, "C'mon! Didn't you want this kind of thing when you were younger?"

Amanda shrugged and replied, "Sure, but Mother and Daddy didn't go crazy with their money. I got a special doll and clothes but dolls like Barbies and such came later. I was fine."

Lee then asked, "Okay. So where are your toys today? Maybe Kelly can have those-"

Amanda remarked thinking aloud, "Well, I can't remember where that doll I had is at the moment, but I know my Barbies and Easy Bake Oven are long gone."

Lee was surprised and replied, "Why? I mean, don't most girls save them?"

Amanda stated incredulously, "Lee, I had two boys. And considering the way my marriage went after Jamie was born, I-"

She soon realized she was divulging too much and suddenly responded, "Okay. Let's get the dollhouse."

Lee saw a glimpse of pain in her eyes but knew she wouldn't talk about it. He asked gently, "Hey.. You all right?"

Amanda sighed and half smiled commenting, "Sure."

Lee nodded and tried teasing her out of her evident sadness by stating, "Yeah, you're right. I'm probably going overboard here. I mean, what could she possibly want with a dollhouse anyway? If push came to shove, I could try making one for her. You know, to save money-"

Amanda rolled her eyes at him and passed him the phone and responded tersely, "Oh, would you just order the damn thing already? She can give it to her kids when she's older. It's a keepsake, all right?"

Lee chuckled as he dialed the number replying, "Just the point I was trying to make here."

He then was brought back to the present moment as he heard Amanda ask, "Mother? Boys? Could you all please go upstairs? Lee and I need to talk."

She stood her ground to Lee as well, her arms tight across her chest with determination! She knew full well how he felt about the holiday, but this had to be about Kelly who had no one else except this family to share this special time with and she wasn't about to let Lee ruin it!

The boys smirked and guffawed at Lee as they went up commenting, "You're gonna get it now!"

Dotty followed the boys but not before giving Lee a warning look that stated, "You shouldn't have said that."

Lee sighed as the downstairs was clear and then resignedly sat back down on the couch asking, "Okay. What are you going to tell me that I haven't heard at least a thousand times before in my life, hmm?"

Amanda perplexed, slowly sat down next to him wondering how to get this stubborn man to see reason!

She couldn't believe he didn't fathom what this holiday was going to be like for Kelly without her grandmother!

She commented finally, "All right. You told me one time about your uncle and Christmas which by the way, was very little. What exactly happened that first year you spent together? You were what, seven years old at the time? Please tell me about it because I wanna try to understand how or why you don't appreciate this time of year. I just can't believe that he would've let you pick out your own presents."

Lee cleared his throat and answered, "Okay. But this is the one and only time I will discuss it with you, all right?"

Amanda swallowed hard and nodded allowing him to continue.

Lee remarked slowly, "Being a military man, the Colonel didn't believe in sentiment the way other people did. I suppose it might have been different had my parents still been alive, but I'll never know. Rather than dwell on the past, he wanted to steer me toward his mode of living. I remember our first Christmas that year..."

Lee began to tell his story and in his mind it was though it were 1957 all over again:

Young Lee Stetson ran excitedly into the office of his uncle, Colonel Robert Clayton that Christmas Eve morning with news!

He stated,"Sir, can we get a tree? My friend Steve from school says there's a tree lot near the base and they still have some good ones there! We could go and bring one back here and decorate it. Steve asked his folks if we could join them at church and have dinner with them, too! I have my Christmas list ready also, Sir. Please can we go?"

Colonel Clayton's voice suddenly boomed with authority, "TEN HUT!"

Lee immediately stood at attention realizing that he went too far! He swallowed hard fearing what his uncle might do!

The Colonel sighed and calming down remarked, "At ease, Son. Front and center by me, please."

Lee walked slowly around the Colonel's desk until he was at the Colonel's side and the Colonel turned his chair towards Lee to face him.

The Colonel took Lee's small hands in his own and swallowing hard commented, "Skip, I know this is the first Christmas without your folks and I miss them as well. But Son, I'm just not the festive type. I do my work and then later, I have Christmas dinner with the men in the mess hall. This is a new experience for both of us, so I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll have one of my officers take you to a store. You pick out anything you'd like and have it wrapped and then tomorrow morning, we'll have a sit-down in our quarters and you can show me what you picked out and later we'll have dinner in the mess hall with the men. Do we have a deal, Son?"

Lee stood there nodding and slowly realizing that this was how it would be from now on and he'd just have to accept it! He stoically replied, "Yes, Sir. That's fine. May I be excused? I want to put my room to rights before I go to the store."

The Colonel nodded and smiled gently clapping Lee's small shoulders responding,"That's fine, Son. Good man. You're dismissed."

Lee answered nodding, "Thank you, Sir."

But as he left to return to their quarters, the pain etched across his face was never more evident to the officers who witnessed young Lee walking slowly by them!

The officers shook their heads at the sight all thinking the same thing. No Christmas spirit from his own uncle? The Colonel and Lee had both suffered a great loss. How could the man ignore the obvious pain the poor lad was in?

They felt for him and wanted to help but unfortunately, rules were rules here at the base.

As Lee went into his room the pity he felt from the men at the base plus the pain of losing the two most important people in the world to him all became too much as he laid down on his bed sobbing that morning!

But later on he did what his uncle wanted and went to a store with an officer not only picking out his own gifts, but picked out a scarf for the Colonel to show his respect.

Christmas morning came and Lee had shown all his gifts and then gave the Colonel the gift from him. The Colonel was deeply moved by the young boy's gesture but commented, "Thank you, Skip. I appreciate the thought but from now on, I'll get for myself, okay?"

As he finished telling Amanda the story he remarked sighing, "And that was Christmas in a nutshell for me until I moved out and away from the military life."

Amanda was shocked and shaking her head sadly replying quietly, "Oh, how awful that must have been for you! I'm so sorry. No wonder you can't enjoy this at all."

Lee squeezed her hand gently and responded, "Hey. I survived, okay? Anyway, you understand now why I don't celebrate it at all."

Amanda sighed and stated, "Guacamole and chips and football, right?"

Lee nodded and commented, "Yeah. But don't let what I told you keep you from giving Kelly a nice Christmas, okay? And I will apologize to her but I just can't do the mall thing. It-It's too much. I hope you understand. I do care about her but this is where I have to draw the line, all right?"

Amanda remarked slowly, "But Lee, she specifically asked if you could go with her. I really won't ask anything else of you on this. Please?"

Lee shook his head thinking, Damn, she's not budging at all here.

He then realized that Kelly was just as alone now as he was then with his uncle!

Slowly getting up Lee sighed and stated begrudgingly, "Okay. Santa it is."

Amanda got up smiling faintly and kissed his cheek commenting, "Really? Oh thank you, Lee. I know it'll mean a lot to her. Let me see if your clothes are ready."

She called up at the landing, "Mother, could you help me, please?"

Dotty came downstairs and stated, "Yes, Dear."

A few minutes later she came out of the laundry room with Lee's suit giving it to him and responded, "Good as new. I take it you are going to the mall with Kelly?"

Lee groaned and nodding commented, "Yes, God help me I am. Thank you for the clean up job. Excuse me while I go change and then talk to Kelly."

As Lee went upstairs Dotty pulled Amanda aside and whispered, "How on earth did you change his mind, Darling?"

Amanda shook her head and replied sadly, "Please don't ask. It took some doing and I feel just awful about it. Let's drop it, all right?"

Dotty shrugged and answered, "All right, Dear."

They both resumed filling the food baskets but as Dotty worked she thought, I wonder just how hard Christmas was for him? She then shrugged thinking, Oh, well. A good dose of this family's holiday spirit would help him feel better. I just know it!

Upstairs after changing Lee went to Kelly's room and tapped on the door seeing her on the floor playing with her stuffed animals. He asked, "Can I come in, Kelly?"

Kelly brightened seeing Lee and queried, "Are we gonna see Santa now?"

Lee chuckled and came in to sit on her bed and stated, "Well I wanna talk to you for a minute first, okay?"

Kelly got up from the floor and joined him on the bed and Lee responded, "I want to apologize for getting upset earlier, Honey. It's just that I'm not all that used to kids much and messes aren't my thing either. So when I saw the flour on my clothes, I-"

Kelly with a sad expression asked, "You don't want my pancake?"

Lee gently pulled her to his lap and asked, "Well, how can I not want something that I haven't tried yet? Tell you what. We'll both go downstairs and have one pancake each and then we'll clean up and go to see Santa, okay?"

Kelly jumped off Lee's lap and excitedly stated, "Oh, boy! I get to see Santa! Let's go!"

When the two reached the kitchen Kelly asked Dotty, "Can we have our pancakes now?"

Amanda was floored as she looked at Lee and remarked, "But you don't-"

Lee shrugged and answered, "Hey, Kelly made them with help. Anyway I'll have coffee with mine, please."

So as Lee and Kelly had their pancakes Amanda watched Lee with amusement and responded teasingly, "Your insides must be revolting against that breakfast going down your throat."

Lee growled in a low voice, "Save it, will ya?! Besides, I couldn't disappoint her, could I?"

Kelly meanwhile, had finished her pancake and raced to the door suddenly!

Amanda smirked at her querying, "And just where are you going, Miss?"

Kelly sighed shaking her head responding, "I'm seein' Santa, Silly!"

Lee joked answering, "Try saying that three times fast! Uh Kelly? We have to wash up first, Honey. C'mon."

Kelly stamped her foot and remarked whining, "Santa's waiting!"

Amanda giggled and commented, "Oh don't worry, Sweetie. I told Santa to stay where he was until you got to talk to him, okay?"

With that Kelly pulled a kitchen chair over and climbed up to the sink and turned on the water!

Dotty came over to her shaking her head and replied, "You know anyone here could've helped you, right?"

Kelly sighed stating, "But I gotta go now!"

Lee went over and helped her get clean and then dried her hands with a towel and put her back down to the floor commenting, "Okay, my turn."

Kelly asked, "Do you need help too, Lee?"

Lee was done in a flash and dried his hands showing them to Kelly stating, "Nope. All done. Let's get your coat on."

He helped her with her coat and they got out to Lee's car where he got her settled in the car seat and then remarked to her, "I've gotta help Manda and Grandma Dotty for a minute and then we'll go, okay?"

Kelly sighed and replied, "Hurry up!"

Lee kissed her forehead and winked at her commenting, "You bet I will."

He went back into the house and helped load the food baskets into Amanda's car stating to her, "Are you sure you can't come today?"

Dotty responded to Amanda as they got the last basket in and closed the back, "Maybe I should go with them-"

Amanda shook her head and answered, "No, Mother. She wanted Lee with her. Let's go."

So as Lee was getting ready to pull out after Amanda and Dotty left the boys ran out to him remarking quickly, "Wait, Lee! We got something for Kelly.."

Lee groaned and stated, "What is it, Fellas?"

Phillip stuck a piece of paper in Kelly's coat pocket and responded, "It's for after Santa-"

Lee remarked, "After? Like what?"

Jamie commented, "Kelly wanted us to have stuff from her, okay? We helped her with the list."

Lee looked at them suspiciously and replied, "And I'm guessing that your mom and grandma don't know?"

Phillip answered, "Heck, no! Some stuff is for them for a surprise, get it?"

Lee nodded and stated, "All right. Kelly, you ready?"

Kelly nodded and remarked loudly, "Go!"

Phillip and Jamie laughed and Jamie responded, "You heard her. See you later."

Lee pulled out finally and was instantly regretting what lay ahead of him that day!

Meanwhile as Amanda got near the first stop at the nursing home and pulled into the parking area Dotty asked, "A bachelor and a three year old? He doesn't have a clue, does he?"

Amanda smiled and stated, "Nope."

Dotty shook her head and responded, "And of course, you didn't warn him?"

Amanda laughed stating, "Oh, no! And ruin his fun?"

Dotty smirked thinking, Hmm. Why do I think there will be two exhausted people coming back from the mall later?

TBC