November Part One
"Vivs, tell us a story." begged Tim, one of Vivaine's six-year-old twin brothers.
"I'm too tired." Viviane complained, rubbing her eyes.
"Oh, come on." he said, climbing into her lap.
"All right, all right." she said, letting David, the other twin crawl up next to her on the couch.
They were all in the living room next to the fake Christmas tree that still didn't have any decorations on it.
"Tell us the one about the elf!" exclaimed Tim. Vivaine smiled.
"Ok. Once upon a time there was one Christmas where everything was going late. There was only one month until Christmas and the elves still had a lot of work to do. There was a clumsy elf named-" Vivaine stopped, because there was suddenly a horrendous crash out on the porch.
"What was that?" aked David, who started to tremble.
"Stay- just stay right here. I'll go see what happened."
The sixteen year-old girl bravely rose from the couch and headed through the kitchen to the porch door. As she opened the door the wild wind that suddenly blew their way caused her shoulder length blonde hair to whip wildly around her. She shielding her face with her hand from the cold wind and stepped outside. She heard someone move to her left.
It was dark that night, and she couldn't see. She reached back inside to turn on the porch light. She didn't see Bernard against the chimney wall behind her. He stood there and watched her curiously. Slowly the wind started to calm down and he could see her clearly.
She had bluish green eyes behind glasses that rested on an interesting nose that stuck to a pretty face that was shielding by her hair, which was straight, but also not straight. It made you look at it and not be able to make up your mind if it was curly or not. Her shivering hands rose from her sides to brash her hair away from her face. She started looking behind chairs and under tables that were on the porch, then she sighed and turned to go back inside.
As she turned around Bernard quickly disappeared. She did see him, but she thought it was only a reflection in her glasses.
She rubbed her hands as she shut the door, then she turned around to go back to her brothers. She jumped from a stage of shock as she saw the elf standing there, right in her kitchen. His hands were behind his back, and his face had a curious look upon it. His hair was black and curly, his clothes were awfully strange but brilliant at the same time, yet that wasn't the strange thing. His pointy ears were. He was looking her up and down, and didn't seem to notice her shocked expression until he was finished with his observation.
"Why are you staring at me that way?" said the strange boy.
Vivaine couldn't seem to get the words out. "I.......I........What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you supposed to start with a 'Who are you?'" he said.
Vivaine eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Well, guess that didn't work." said the elf, taking off his hat and shaking it, causing snow to fall off of it. But there hadn't been any snow outside. Then he put the hat back on his head, and stuck out his hand. "Hello. I'm Bernard. Don't be alarmed by my surprising visit. I have business to attend with you."
Vivaine didn't shake his hand, and finally he slowly brought his hand back to his side. Viviane was still eyeing him, then she said, "You're not one of those mall elves who are looking for a guy to play Santa, are you?"
The Bernard looked completely shocked. "Me, one of those posers? I think not! I'm the number one Elf of the North Pole."
Viviane gave him an even crazier look. "Uh huh....." she said slowly, then she started to back away from the door. "I must be dreaming." she muttered, looking thoughtful.
"Uh, no ma'am. You're not dreaming. Trust me, I'm an elf."
"Look, I'm sixteen, I don't believe in elves anymore." she said, leaning on a chair.
"Well, I'm 1002 and I still believe in them." said Bernard, then he looked puzzled. "Wait, change that. I'm 1002 and I AM an Elf, so you better start believing."
The girl still didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you're looking for money just take this." said Vivaine, handing him a tin can. Bernard just looked at it, then back at her, but didn't take it. "Take it. It's my mom's money. She doesn't live here anymore. Besides, dad's going to give it to the fund- raiser elves at the mall anyway." Bernard still didn't take it. She sighed impatiently, then put the can back on the table.
"Look, I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but you've got to believe me. Santa sent me to help your family."
"There's nothing wrong with my family." she snapped.
"Oh no, yes there is." said Bernard, taking a step closer to her. "And I know you want help." He leaned toward her giving her a look, like he was expecting an answer. She just scowled at him and turned away and started to walk into another room. Bernard straightened back up, and did not looked very happy.
"Look here missy!" he said, following her into the hallway. "If you want real proof, I'll give it to you!" the elf used a lot of hand gestures as he talked and he raised his voice a little, and he seemed to get annoyed very easily.
"Oh yeah, how?"
"How do you explain this?" His angry face and beautifully dressed body suddenly disapeared, and left little snowflakes falling gracefully to the floor. He reappeared behind her, though she didn't notice. She was gaping at the snowflakes, then she bent down to look at them.
"They're real!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice. Bernard rolled his eyes.
"Of course they're real." Viviane jumped again and spun around.
"That....That still doesn't prove you're an elf." she stuttered.
"Come on Vivs! I know you can believe! You believed much longer than the other kids at your school. I know for a fact that you believed in us until you were fourteen. I'll just let you in on a little secret. Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."
Bernard stood there, waiting for her response. She stood there for a while, thinking. Finally she said, "How did you know my name and how long I've believed in Christmas?"
That time Bernard exploded. "I AM AN ELF!" he said loudly, then he put his hands on his hips and turned away from her, trying to think. She was still staring at him, with a surprised look at his yelling.
"Look, what do I need to tell you to make you believe in me?" he asked, his voice sounded tired and even a little whiny.
Viviane looked at his with a new interest. "What list am I on?"
"The Nice List."
"Yes! I knew it!"
"That's great NOW do you believe in me?"
"No anyone dressed as an elf can answer that question!" she said, then she giggled a little when he stamped his foot.
"Why are you laughing?" he demanded loudly.
"You look so funny when you're mad."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Vivaine didn't answer his question. "Ok, fine. Say I do believe you're an elf. Why would Santa send an elf-"
"His number one elf." cut in Bernard.
"Right. Why would he send his number one elf here to help my family when there's nothing wrong with us?"
"Look, Vivs, I know about your family troubles. I know about the letters you used to send us when you were younger. I know how you want your wonderful Christmas back. all those years Santa as tried to find out a way to help you, and this year he found a way. It's me. I'm going to help you get your wish."
Viviane stared at him with a new kind of look.
"What?" asked Bernard, looking himself over to see what she was staring at.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's just, when you say 'Vivs' it doesn't sound like any way anyone else says my nickname. Not even the way my dad says it." she was looking at him with intense interest. Bernard smiled a bit.
"Well, I guess that's just the way elves talk." he said. Suddenly Viviane looked away.
"Right. Right....." she was saying her herself as she headed back into the kitchen.
"Anyway," said Bernard, trying to get back on track. "If you just believe in me, Vivs, I can help you."
The look on the girl's face seemed to become strained. She paced the room for several minutes, then she finally said, "Oh all right. Just let me go introduce you to the boys. They'll love you."
"No no no no! I.....uh......don't think I'll be seeing the twins."
"Well, why not?" she said, letting go of his arm, for she had grabbed it to steer him to the other room.
"Well, Santa doesn't want me dealing with them. He only wants me to talk to you."
Viviane hesitated, then looked up at him. "Oh. Ok. Well, let me just put the boys to bed, and maybe we could talk a little more."
"Ok." he said, then as she turned away he disappeared, and wasn't there when she looked back.
*
Viviane had no idea where the elf had gone. He was no longer in the kitchen, not in the living room, basement, family room, no where. Tired, she headed upstairs to her room.
"Maybe I imagined it all." she said to herself as she entered her room.
"There you are!" said a voice and she jumped again.
"You're still not used to me popping up are you?" said the elf, getting up from sitting cross legged in her bed.
"Not really." she said, moving to her bed awkwardly.
"You'll learn eventually." he said.
"I guess." she said, climbing into her own bed quickly, as if she was afraid he'd climb in.
"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of stealing your bed. I'm heading back to the North Pole tonight."
"You mean, you're going to do all of this in one night?"
"No! Not even the number one elf can do that. I know I'm sort of late but we must get this done by Christmas. If we miss the deadline, then I'll have to come back for another year........and Curtis will get my job." he added in a mutter.
"What?"
"Oh, it's just an elf problem of mine." he said, shrugging.
"Right." she said in a disbelieving tone. "So mister elf-"
"Bernard." he said in an annoyed voice.
"Ok, fine. So Bernard, care to tell me how you're going to help my Christmas?"
"Well, actually I don't know."
Vivaine's face fell. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Well, I'm supposed to be helping you get your parents back together, but I'm not a real romantic person." he confessed.
"Really?"
"I've lived a thousand years and I haven't got that much romance, to tell you the truth. The job kind of gets in the way."
"Oh."
"You still don't believe me, do you."
Viviane looked guiltily up at him. "I want to, I really do! It's just so hard for me, now a days. I don't know why."
Bernard sat down on a chair nearby and watched her and she played with a loose string on her blanket. "Maybe if you tell me a story about the North Pole I'd be able to believe you more."
"I'll try." said Bernard, then he looked like he suddenly remembered something. "Where is your dad?"
"Asleep." she said, then she scooted forward in her bed. "Come on. Tell me a story!"
"All right! Now lets see. What story to tell..........."
"Tell me about the other elves. Are they as good looking at you?" she said.
"What?"
"Well, Bernard, you aren't exactly what I pictured an elf to look like. But you are so much better! I love that hat of yours and, oh your clothes, I wish I had some, and your shoes, they're wonderful and-" she suddenly stopped, looking at him, then she looked down at her blanket again. "Do all the elves look like you?"
"Sort of......We all look different. Except for the pointy ears." he said, a little puzzled at why she suddenly stopped talking. For the rest of the night Bernard told her about the North Pole and the elves and how Scot Calvin became Santa, and she listened to all his stories until she fell asleep. He was almost falling asleep as well, and as he looked around at her room he drifted off to sleep in his chair without going to the North Pole first.
"Vivs, tell us a story." begged Tim, one of Vivaine's six-year-old twin brothers.
"I'm too tired." Viviane complained, rubbing her eyes.
"Oh, come on." he said, climbing into her lap.
"All right, all right." she said, letting David, the other twin crawl up next to her on the couch.
They were all in the living room next to the fake Christmas tree that still didn't have any decorations on it.
"Tell us the one about the elf!" exclaimed Tim. Vivaine smiled.
"Ok. Once upon a time there was one Christmas where everything was going late. There was only one month until Christmas and the elves still had a lot of work to do. There was a clumsy elf named-" Vivaine stopped, because there was suddenly a horrendous crash out on the porch.
"What was that?" aked David, who started to tremble.
"Stay- just stay right here. I'll go see what happened."
The sixteen year-old girl bravely rose from the couch and headed through the kitchen to the porch door. As she opened the door the wild wind that suddenly blew their way caused her shoulder length blonde hair to whip wildly around her. She shielding her face with her hand from the cold wind and stepped outside. She heard someone move to her left.
It was dark that night, and she couldn't see. She reached back inside to turn on the porch light. She didn't see Bernard against the chimney wall behind her. He stood there and watched her curiously. Slowly the wind started to calm down and he could see her clearly.
She had bluish green eyes behind glasses that rested on an interesting nose that stuck to a pretty face that was shielding by her hair, which was straight, but also not straight. It made you look at it and not be able to make up your mind if it was curly or not. Her shivering hands rose from her sides to brash her hair away from her face. She started looking behind chairs and under tables that were on the porch, then she sighed and turned to go back inside.
As she turned around Bernard quickly disappeared. She did see him, but she thought it was only a reflection in her glasses.
She rubbed her hands as she shut the door, then she turned around to go back to her brothers. She jumped from a stage of shock as she saw the elf standing there, right in her kitchen. His hands were behind his back, and his face had a curious look upon it. His hair was black and curly, his clothes were awfully strange but brilliant at the same time, yet that wasn't the strange thing. His pointy ears were. He was looking her up and down, and didn't seem to notice her shocked expression until he was finished with his observation.
"Why are you staring at me that way?" said the strange boy.
Vivaine couldn't seem to get the words out. "I.......I........What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you supposed to start with a 'Who are you?'" he said.
Vivaine eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Well, guess that didn't work." said the elf, taking off his hat and shaking it, causing snow to fall off of it. But there hadn't been any snow outside. Then he put the hat back on his head, and stuck out his hand. "Hello. I'm Bernard. Don't be alarmed by my surprising visit. I have business to attend with you."
Vivaine didn't shake his hand, and finally he slowly brought his hand back to his side. Viviane was still eyeing him, then she said, "You're not one of those mall elves who are looking for a guy to play Santa, are you?"
The Bernard looked completely shocked. "Me, one of those posers? I think not! I'm the number one Elf of the North Pole."
Viviane gave him an even crazier look. "Uh huh....." she said slowly, then she started to back away from the door. "I must be dreaming." she muttered, looking thoughtful.
"Uh, no ma'am. You're not dreaming. Trust me, I'm an elf."
"Look, I'm sixteen, I don't believe in elves anymore." she said, leaning on a chair.
"Well, I'm 1002 and I still believe in them." said Bernard, then he looked puzzled. "Wait, change that. I'm 1002 and I AM an Elf, so you better start believing."
The girl still didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you're looking for money just take this." said Vivaine, handing him a tin can. Bernard just looked at it, then back at her, but didn't take it. "Take it. It's my mom's money. She doesn't live here anymore. Besides, dad's going to give it to the fund- raiser elves at the mall anyway." Bernard still didn't take it. She sighed impatiently, then put the can back on the table.
"Look, I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but you've got to believe me. Santa sent me to help your family."
"There's nothing wrong with my family." she snapped.
"Oh no, yes there is." said Bernard, taking a step closer to her. "And I know you want help." He leaned toward her giving her a look, like he was expecting an answer. She just scowled at him and turned away and started to walk into another room. Bernard straightened back up, and did not looked very happy.
"Look here missy!" he said, following her into the hallway. "If you want real proof, I'll give it to you!" the elf used a lot of hand gestures as he talked and he raised his voice a little, and he seemed to get annoyed very easily.
"Oh yeah, how?"
"How do you explain this?" His angry face and beautifully dressed body suddenly disapeared, and left little snowflakes falling gracefully to the floor. He reappeared behind her, though she didn't notice. She was gaping at the snowflakes, then she bent down to look at them.
"They're real!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice. Bernard rolled his eyes.
"Of course they're real." Viviane jumped again and spun around.
"That....That still doesn't prove you're an elf." she stuttered.
"Come on Vivs! I know you can believe! You believed much longer than the other kids at your school. I know for a fact that you believed in us until you were fourteen. I'll just let you in on a little secret. Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."
Bernard stood there, waiting for her response. She stood there for a while, thinking. Finally she said, "How did you know my name and how long I've believed in Christmas?"
That time Bernard exploded. "I AM AN ELF!" he said loudly, then he put his hands on his hips and turned away from her, trying to think. She was still staring at him, with a surprised look at his yelling.
"Look, what do I need to tell you to make you believe in me?" he asked, his voice sounded tired and even a little whiny.
Viviane looked at his with a new interest. "What list am I on?"
"The Nice List."
"Yes! I knew it!"
"That's great NOW do you believe in me?"
"No anyone dressed as an elf can answer that question!" she said, then she giggled a little when he stamped his foot.
"Why are you laughing?" he demanded loudly.
"You look so funny when you're mad."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Vivaine didn't answer his question. "Ok, fine. Say I do believe you're an elf. Why would Santa send an elf-"
"His number one elf." cut in Bernard.
"Right. Why would he send his number one elf here to help my family when there's nothing wrong with us?"
"Look, Vivs, I know about your family troubles. I know about the letters you used to send us when you were younger. I know how you want your wonderful Christmas back. all those years Santa as tried to find out a way to help you, and this year he found a way. It's me. I'm going to help you get your wish."
Viviane stared at him with a new kind of look.
"What?" asked Bernard, looking himself over to see what she was staring at.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's just, when you say 'Vivs' it doesn't sound like any way anyone else says my nickname. Not even the way my dad says it." she was looking at him with intense interest. Bernard smiled a bit.
"Well, I guess that's just the way elves talk." he said. Suddenly Viviane looked away.
"Right. Right....." she was saying her herself as she headed back into the kitchen.
"Anyway," said Bernard, trying to get back on track. "If you just believe in me, Vivs, I can help you."
The look on the girl's face seemed to become strained. She paced the room for several minutes, then she finally said, "Oh all right. Just let me go introduce you to the boys. They'll love you."
"No no no no! I.....uh......don't think I'll be seeing the twins."
"Well, why not?" she said, letting go of his arm, for she had grabbed it to steer him to the other room.
"Well, Santa doesn't want me dealing with them. He only wants me to talk to you."
Viviane hesitated, then looked up at him. "Oh. Ok. Well, let me just put the boys to bed, and maybe we could talk a little more."
"Ok." he said, then as she turned away he disappeared, and wasn't there when she looked back.
*
Viviane had no idea where the elf had gone. He was no longer in the kitchen, not in the living room, basement, family room, no where. Tired, she headed upstairs to her room.
"Maybe I imagined it all." she said to herself as she entered her room.
"There you are!" said a voice and she jumped again.
"You're still not used to me popping up are you?" said the elf, getting up from sitting cross legged in her bed.
"Not really." she said, moving to her bed awkwardly.
"You'll learn eventually." he said.
"I guess." she said, climbing into her own bed quickly, as if she was afraid he'd climb in.
"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of stealing your bed. I'm heading back to the North Pole tonight."
"You mean, you're going to do all of this in one night?"
"No! Not even the number one elf can do that. I know I'm sort of late but we must get this done by Christmas. If we miss the deadline, then I'll have to come back for another year........and Curtis will get my job." he added in a mutter.
"What?"
"Oh, it's just an elf problem of mine." he said, shrugging.
"Right." she said in a disbelieving tone. "So mister elf-"
"Bernard." he said in an annoyed voice.
"Ok, fine. So Bernard, care to tell me how you're going to help my Christmas?"
"Well, actually I don't know."
Vivaine's face fell. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Well, I'm supposed to be helping you get your parents back together, but I'm not a real romantic person." he confessed.
"Really?"
"I've lived a thousand years and I haven't got that much romance, to tell you the truth. The job kind of gets in the way."
"Oh."
"You still don't believe me, do you."
Viviane looked guiltily up at him. "I want to, I really do! It's just so hard for me, now a days. I don't know why."
Bernard sat down on a chair nearby and watched her and she played with a loose string on her blanket. "Maybe if you tell me a story about the North Pole I'd be able to believe you more."
"I'll try." said Bernard, then he looked like he suddenly remembered something. "Where is your dad?"
"Asleep." she said, then she scooted forward in her bed. "Come on. Tell me a story!"
"All right! Now lets see. What story to tell..........."
"Tell me about the other elves. Are they as good looking at you?" she said.
"What?"
"Well, Bernard, you aren't exactly what I pictured an elf to look like. But you are so much better! I love that hat of yours and, oh your clothes, I wish I had some, and your shoes, they're wonderful and-" she suddenly stopped, looking at him, then she looked down at her blanket again. "Do all the elves look like you?"
"Sort of......We all look different. Except for the pointy ears." he said, a little puzzled at why she suddenly stopped talking. For the rest of the night Bernard told her about the North Pole and the elves and how Scot Calvin became Santa, and she listened to all his stories until she fell asleep. He was almost falling asleep as well, and as he looked around at her room he drifted off to sleep in his chair without going to the North Pole first.