Let It Snow

by Barbara barb876@aol.com (Yellow N Blue)



Ororo paused at the steps to look out over beautifully decorated living room,where the large Christmas tree stood.

Under the tree was a rainbow of colorfully wrapped gifts.

It was Christmas Eve in the mansion and as far as Ororo knew the rest of the mansion was asleep.

Without warning a glass ornament slid from one of the higher branches of the tree and fell to the polished wood floor, but instead of crashing soundly, it softly thudded onto a large package than rolled onto a smaller one. Ororo went to pick it up, but the spherical ornament was caught in the gift's silver ribbon. Not wanting to loosen the wrappings, she picked up the gift and the glass ball. She unhooked the ornament and hung it back in it's place.

The present was heavier than it looked. From a distance the small package

looked like it was wrapped in white paper, but with a closer look she could

see snowflakes delicately outlined in silver, and when caught just right by

the Christmas lights, glistened like the real things.

I wonder ... she thought, turning over the gift to find what she was looking

for. She found the nametag.

To: Ororo

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and wondered who the giver was. She

couldn't tell who's handwriting it was.

"Open it."

'Who'

"Professor?" She turned around.

He chuckled, "I could almost see the good Goddess on one shoulder and the bad

Goddess on the other telling you whether to peek or not."

She smirked, "I did not know you were awake."

The Professor, in his wheelchair, rolled closer to her. He took the box from

her hands and turned it over a few times in his own.

"Open it, Ororo." He said giving it back to her. "It's from me."

"I can wait, Charles."

"I can't, Ororo. Please just open it."

"If you insist." She looked around for a place to sit, spied the couch and

sat on it.

She carefully unwrapped the gift, folding the paper and placing it next to

her. She opened the white box, and removed the object from the tissue paper.

It was a snow globe.

The glass sphere sat on a gold base.

She smiled at the beaming Professor. He made a gesture with his hands telling

her to go on.

Ororo gazed into it, and realized that the scene inside was of Uptown Harlem,

the one from her father's magical tales. She shook it, watching the "snow"

fall and settle back in it's place.

Uptown Harlem, twenty-seven years ago:

David Monroe looked at his new wife, skin like hot chocolate, eyes the color

the sky was earlier that Christmas Eve, and hair the color of their breath

against the cold.

They stood on the roof of their apartment building. The neighborhood kids

hung out on the front stoop, conversing loudly about the

things they thought they would find under the tree the next day.

The sound of a saxophone playing the traditional Christmas songs floated on

the wind from a brownstone down the street.

David sang along, serenading a laughing N'Dare. This would be her first

Christmas in America, and she was taking it all in. All of the cheer, the

people, the Christmas trees, the songs, the decor.

She listened to the words of the song for the first time.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the tree tops glisten

And children listen

To hear

Sleigh bells in the snow...

"What is meant by, 'white Christmas'?"

"Snow."

"What is the significance of a ... white Christmas?"

"..." David had never considered the fact that N'Dare had never seen snow

before. It made sense, her being from Africa and all, but the thought had

never even crossed his mind. "It brings a certain feel to it."

She just looked at him.

Of course he knew that his answer was not a good one, but how could he

explain it?

"It's a tradition." He sighed and grinned crookedly at her. "It's hard to

explain, my love. You would have to see it."

"I see." She said, not seeing at all, but taking his word for it.

"What is it like?" She asked, "This snow."

"It's like magic." He said pulling her close, "It comes down in flakes, and

slowly covers everything giving the world an innocent presence.

"There is nothing like a fresh blanket of snow, and when there is a lot of

it, children slide down hills in it on sleds, and make beautiful snow

creations from it."

"I would like to see this snow."

'Whatever higher being there is please let it snow. I BEG YOU. It would make

this night perfect,' David prayed.

He looked to the sky and waited.

There

and THERE

AND NOW THERE!

'Thank you!'

"N'Dare?"

"Yes, David?"

"Close your eyes."

She did so.

He opened her hand and held it out for the next flake.

It fell into her palm.

A smile crept onto her face.

Another and now she opened her eyes.

"They turn to water?" She said, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes."

She caught another on her index finger, and examined it closely.

"It is beautiful, David." She hugged him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

She didn't answer.

The Present

Ororo looked to the Professor with tears in her eyes, "I don't know-"

He held up his hands. "Don't say anything."

end

Merry Christmas Everyone! (And the biggest piece of coal to all you folks who think Jean Grey or Rogue is better than 'Ro!)