Chapter 8: May heads north/I'll Be Home For Christmas

Sam the Snowman: (Voiceover) So it took the May family most of the day to have Bob packed and ready for his mission. (We see the May family with Bob in his Army uniform with the Captain bars on his helmet as they climb in and out of their car at their house and Chicago's Dearborn Station)

Dearborn Station Announcer: (Over P.A. system) Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? All passengers for the Santa Fe Chief, all pullman streamliner, bound for Joliet, Galesburg, Fort Madison, Kansas City, Dodge City, Raton, Albuquerque, Gallup, Flagstaff, Kingman, Pasadena and Los Angeles, California, and everywhere in between on Track 12. On behalf of all of us at Dearborn Station, have a safe journey and a Merry Christmas. All Aboard!

Bob: Well, there's my train. (The Mays walk over to the entrance of track 12, Bob shows the Conductor his ticket)

Train Conductor: Drawing Room "A," car 1505, that's 5 more that way, Captain.

Bob: Thank you.

Train Conductor: You're welcome. (The Mays watch as Bob walks over to his sleeper car and shows his ticket to a porter)

Barbara: Daddy! (Runs over carrying her "Night Before Christmas" book)

Mrs. May: Barbara!

Conductor: Come back here, young lady! (They both chase after her as Bob's about to step onboard and sees her)

Barbara: Wait, Daddy!

Bob: Sweetheart, I have to go. This train'll pull out any minute.

Barbara: But I want you to take this with you. (Hands her book to her father)

Bob: "The Night Before Christmas?" But this is yours.

Barbara: I thought it might be something to look at while you're away.

Train Porter: Excuse me, sir, but we've got a schedule to keep.

Bob: Oh, sorry, I'm coming. (Hugs Barbara) Love you, sweetie.

Barbara: I love you, too.

Mrs. May: (Hugs her husband) Please be careful.

Bob: (Releases his wife from their hug) I will. (Climbs aboard the train) Barbara, be sure to take care of your mother now!

Train Conductor: All aboard! (Bob enters his bedroom, sees his wife and daughter below the window and waves goodbye, Frank Sinatra's "I'll be home for Christmas" begins to play as the train pulls out of Dearborn Station)

Frank Sinatra: (Singing) I'll be home for Christmas

You can plan on me (Then we see an animated map with the Santa Fe Chief in the background covering its route to Los Angeles, the Southern Pacific Daylight on its route to San Francisco, and 2 animated planes flying to Anchorage and Nome)

Chorus: Won't you please have snow and mistletoe and presents under the tree for me, for me?

Frank Sinatra: Christmas Eve will find me, where the love light gleams.

I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams. (Song ends as May arrives in Nome, Alaska and rents a snowmobile)

Bob: Here you are, my good man. Keep the change.

Snowmobile salesman: Thank you, Captain. Now, the soldiers you mentioned are camped just west of town. (Points to the mountain in the back) Should be about 12, 14 miles in the direction of that mountain there.

Bob: Thanks again. (Starts up the snowmobile and drives off in the direction towards the distant mountain) Merry Christmas!

Snowmobile salesman: Merry Christmas! (We now see Bob as he drives on through the snowy wilderness)

Bob: (Splutters some snow that blew into his face) Man, it's cold! (Suddenly, the snowmobile starts backfiring) Oh, now what? (Looks at gauge) Out of gas? How did that happen? (Snowmobile grounds to a halt) At least that salesman in Nome gave me this gas tank. (Pulls out the gas tank and refills his snowmobile) That's better. (Tries to restart it as something is looking through the nearby trees) Come on, come on. (Snowmobile starts up) That's it, baby. (Bob continues on his way until he reaches an open spot where several tents with a flagpole in the middle comes into view) That must be it. (Pulls up and parks his snowmobile, notices some soldiers playing cards) Excuse me, but aren't you men supposed to on duty? Who's guarding these rifles?

Corporal Smith: What about it? We're just taking a break. Right, boys? (Other soldiers agree)

Bob: You do realize you might be risking a court-martial, right, Corporal Whatever-Your-Name-Is?

Corporal Smith: What's it to you, Private Whatever-Your-Name-Is? (Other soldiers laugh)

Bob: Well, as it just so happens, I'm actually your commanding officer, Captain May.

Corporal Smith: Oh, so what if you're-(Stammers) Captain?! Ten-hut! (The other men stand at attention)

Bob: Now, then, would anyone care to introduce me to who's in charge here? (Sharply) On the double!

Corporal Smith: Y-yes, sir! (Runs over to a tent where a fat soldier with Sergeant Stripes is eating a sandwich) Sarge! Sarge!

Sergeant Grant: What is it now, Corporal Smith?

Corporal Smith: Our new commanding officer's here.

Sergeant Grant: Oh, well, if that's-(Splutters out sandwich) Our new what?!

Corporal Smith: Our new commanding officer. He happens to be a Captain.

Sergeant Grant: (Quickly stands up, throws napkin off his collar and puts on his helmet) I'll-I'll be right out.

Corporal Smith: (Quickly runs out and salutes Bob) The Sergeant's on his way, sir.

Bob: Thank you, Corporal. At ease, men. (The other soldiers go back to their duties)

Sergeant Grant: (Runs up and salutes) Sergeant Grant reporting, sir.

Captain May: (Salutes back and wipes the snow off his coat) All right, Sergeant, as you were.

Sergeant Grant: (Notices Bob's face) Bob?

Bob: (Looks back up) Joe. Joe Grant! (Both start laughing and hugging each other, Corporal Smith looks in bewilderment at 2 privates)

Corporal Smith: They know each other? (The privates both shrug)

Sergeant Grant: How many years has it been?

Bob: Good lord, you're a sight for sore eyes.

Sergeant Grant: And to think you'd be in command. Come in here, we gotta talk. I've got some hot chocolate brewing on the stove.

Bob: Good, good. It might keep us both warm. (Both climb into the tent as Grant grabs the kettle off the stove and pours hot chocolate into cups and hands Bob his cup first) Have you received word about when the Russians would pick up the rifles? (Sips on his hot chocolate)

Sergeant Grant: Yeah, they radioed us last night and said they'll be here the day after tomorrow. That hot chocolate any good?

Bob: Oh, it's some of the best I've tasted. (Notices an old Army bugle) What's with the bugle?

Sergeant Grant: Sort of a family heirloom. My grandfather was a Union bugler during the Civil War. When he passed, he left it to me. Especially because of how he and I used to play around with it when I was a kid. Speaking of kids, I've got a fine son and daughter back home in Buffalo. I hear you're a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward Department Store in Chicago.

Bob: Yep. Sarah and I have been living in Chicago for a couple years.

Sergeant Grant: How is Sarah, anyway?

Bob: Fine. Hard to believe a guy like me would marry his childhood sweetheart and have a family. From how you mentioned kids, Sarah and I happen to have a little girl named Barbara.

Sergeant Grant: And how old is she?

Bob: 5. Her 6th Birthday's next spring. I promised her and her mother that I'll hopefully be home by Christmas, even though I warned Barbara not to get her hopes up.

Sergeant Grant: (Refills his cup) You're not alone. Most of the men, including yours truly, hope to be with our families for the holidays as well. Kinda wish those people in Washington would have sent us some other time. But you know what they say, orders are orders. Besides, I don't know how 10 soldiers could fit in Santa's sleigh.

Bob: (Chuckles) I told Barbara the same thing before I left home. I'm sure Washington will send someone to pick us up, according to the orders I got. By the way, who's been giving you and the men your supplies?

Sergeant Grant: A prospector of some sorts. Calls himself Yukon Cornelius. He's been out here for some time looking for silver and gold.

Bob: Both?

Sergeant Grant: Whatever he strikes first. In fact, he should be back from Nome soon. I might warn you he's a bit eccentric, but he's all right. He can even crack a few jokes with the boys.

Bob: What does this Yukon Cornelius character look like?

Sergeant Grant: Well, he's dressed in blue, has a red beard and mustache, wears yellow ear muffs, and has a dog sled for transportation. In fact, when he went back to Nome for some more supplies the other day, his pooches gave him a bit of a hard time. They'd hardly move an inch and he had to pull the sled himself with them as passengers. (Laughs with Bob)

Bob: He sounds like a real funny guy. I just came from Nome. I've heard of how the town's well-known for the Iditarod dog races. I don't think I've seen any prospectors fitting your description in a general store or something.

Sergeant Grant: Yeah, well, he probably didn't get in yet.

A/N: Seems May has run into an old friend when he reaches Alaska, and it just so happens, he's not too far from Christmas Town. By the way, Sergeant Grant's reaction was inspired from the Rankin-Bass special, "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," when Burgermeister Meisterburger found out about Baby Claus being on his doorstep. In the next chapter, we'll see Rudolph as he participates in the Reindeer Games until he gets disqualified and kicked out over his nose. About the 1998 film, I wasn't much into Kathleen Barr playing Rudolph when he's older since she made him sound stuffed up most of the time, so we'll imagine him sounding more normal and mature.