Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and I make no money from this work of fiction!
Has Anybody Seen Christmas?
Shortly after Thanksgiving, when the stores in the area began putting out Christmas decorations, Nanny began throwing out hints to the Professor and the children about holiday activities. To her complete surprise and consternation, they seemed oblivious to the season. Nothing varied from the routine she had established almost a year ago. Nary a poinsettia nor holly was to be found in the Everett residence. In fact, it appeared that the entire street had decided to ignore Christmas. No coloured bulbs were strung along the eaves, no jolly Santas or even candles were displayed.
Remembering the joys of past Christmas celebrations, Nanny wanted to make this first Christmas here in California special for herself as well as for the Everetts, but she was finding that it was an uphill task bringing back the Christmas spirit singlehandedly! She left out a paper with an advertisement for a Christmas tree farm not far from their town, but the Professor rolled it up and used it to light a fire one night without even glancing at the words. She dreamt of sleigh rides and smiling faces reddened with cold rather than sunburn, but it was business as usual for the Professor and the children. Even Prudence seemed disinterested in all the talk of toys on the commercials on the television, although Nanny did realize that none of the children watched as much television during this period. When she questioned Hal as to the reason, he merely shrugged and said that there was a lot to do outside, and she was always telling them to DO things rather than watch television, wasn't she? Nanny could say nothing to that, but she wondered.
After compounding shortbread and even some fruitcake, Nanny was informed that the children hated fruitcake and thought the shortbread was too crumbly. The Professor merely said he preferred the other kind of cookies, as Nanny knew, and besides, he was beginning to put on a bit of weight. It was most disconcerting for Nanny, and finally, as the holiday drew very close with still no reaction from anyone in the household, she forced herself to do something she rarely did ... confront the Professor and question him outright. It just was not right to deprive the children of the holiday!
"Professor?" she tapped on his office door, then was at his desk with a tray of tea and fruitcake in her hands. "I've brought you some tea and Christmas cake."
"Hmm," he barely looked up from his papers. Then a strange expression crossed his face, and he put his pen down, staring at the drawing of an evergreen tree he had just executed on his report. "Now what made me do THAT?" he asked aloud. At that point, he seemed to remember Nanny's presence. "Oh, Nanny! I'm sorry, I was just ..." He looked down at the picture again, and frowned.
"Professor, you ARE aware that it is Christmas in two days, are you not?"
"Hmm?" His attention had now shifted, and he was turning the pen over in his fingers, studying it intently as if expecting to see where the drawing had come from.
"Christmas, Professor?" Nanny prompted him
"Oh, we don't celebrate Christmas." he said vaguely. "Nanny, where did this pen come?"
Nanny was aghast. They didn't celebrate Christmas? "You bought it yesterday, I believe. Professor, what do you mean, you don't celebrate Christmas?"
Sighing the Professor put down his pen and looked fully at her. "I assume you DO celebrate Christmas by that horror I see on your face. Well, Nanny, tell me. How can we make this Christmas more special for you? I realize it's a little late to make arrangements, but I'll see what I can do if you would like some time off to return home for the holidays. Is that what you want?"
"Oh no! No, Professor, the children need to experience a real Christmas again, don't you think? It has been quite a while, it appears. They don't seem to notice a thing different!"
"No. We've ignored the holiday since my wife died. Christmas meant a lot to her. After she was gone ... well, I lost interest, I'm afraid." His attention strayed to the drawing, and again a frown of puzzlement creased his brow.
"I see," Nanny pondered the information for a moment. "Professor, I AM sorry she died on Christmas Eve, but, well, forgive me, but that was a number of years ago. Prudence was only a baby, so she doesn't remember a 'real' Christmas. Hal is too practical and Butch is not willing to rock the boat and demand one. Christmas should be a time to heal, don't you think?"
The Professor crumpled the page of the report he had ruined and tossed it in the garbage. "Nanny, if you don't mind, I think this year we should just leave things as they are. We're just getting into a pleasant routine now, and ..."
"Oh, Professor, even starting small is a START!" Nanny insisted. "As someone once said, 'People say, what is the sense of our small effort? They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There's too much work to do.'"
"A Figalilly someone said that?" the Professor asked as he began writing his page over again.
"No, Professor, not this time. I believe Aunt Phoebe was quoting Dorothy Day. You know, the founder of the ... Professor," Nanny interrupted herself. "May I give the children a Christmas this year?"
"I'd rather you didn't," he said, mildly, still writing and not looking at her.
Nanny stared at him, then her lips tightened. Very well. If he would not allow her to celebrate Christmas with the children as she knew it SHOULD be celebrated, she would gift them all with Christmas as it should be and very well COULD be... and she MIGHT not cast the Professor as the Scrooge he seemed in danger of becoming! EVERYONE should celebrate this time of year! Nanny turned and marched out of the room, determination stiffening her spine. This very night they would ALL have a dream, or her name wasn't Phoebe Figalilly!
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"Time to go get our tree, Dad!" Hal announced at the breakfast table. "We can make a day of it!"
The Professor raised his eyebrows. "A day of it? At the tree lot downtown?"
"No, Daddy!" Prudence giggled. "Not THERE! In the mountains on a farm!"
"Nanny is making us a picnic lunch, and we're all going out to the Christmas tree farm!" Butch waved the advertisement he had carefully cut out of the newspaper.
"I thought we had all agreed to skip Christmas," The Professor wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. Instead, his gaze returned to his paper.
"Please, Daddy?" Prudence sounded very wistful, and when he looked up, the Professor found not only HER pleading eyes trained on him, but also Hal's and Butch's. He could feel Nanny's gaze burning a hole in the back of his head, and sighed.
"Oh, very well! What's one day?" he caved in as graciously as possible.
"HURRAY!" the three children jumped up and hugged him and Waldo barked excitedly.
Nanny hurried over, too, her hands clasped together and her eyes shining as she said, "Oh, Professor, you won't be sorry!"
"That's a promise?" he asked.
Her smile widened. "And I even have your favourite lunch packed for our picnic!"
"My favourite picnic lunch is eaten indoors at the kitchen table, Nanny, as you well know!" he grumbled good-naturedly.
"Oh, Daddy!" Prudence pushed away from him, then said excitedly, "I'm going to get my sweater! Nanny said it might be a bit chilly up there!"
"Up there?" the Professor looked at Nanny.
"In the mountains, Professor," she explained. "That's where it's best for the reindeer."
"I thought we were going for a Christmas tree!"
"This tree farm has everything, Dad!" Butch enthused. "Reindeer, hay rides ..."
"Even a sort of museum place where you can learn about Lapland!" Hal added. "It'll be kinda neat, for a kid's place!" He was trying to sound grown-up, but his excitement was leaking through in his smile, the sparkle in his eyes, and his voice. "And the paper says that pets can come, too! Waldo will love it!"
Once they had all piled into the station wagon and were on their way, Prudence asked Nanny if she had ever been to a real Christmas tree farm before.
"Well, not here in California," Nanny smiled back at the little girl.
"Have you seen reindeer?" Butch asked.
"Oh, my, yes!" Nanny nodded. "I spent a bit of time in Finland and was there over one Christmas. It's beautiful there. They have Christmas tree farms there, too, of course."
"I bet it's cold!" Hal said. "That's up in the Arctic Circle, isn't it?"
"That's right." She turned her attention to a brochure she had unearthed before leaving the house. "Listen to this. It's talking about Lapland, the northern part of Finland. 'Imagine a beautiful land of silent snow fall and polar twilight. An unspoilt vista of snow-clad pine trees, grazing reindeer and cosy log cabins where flickering log fires ensure the warmest of welcomes. Imagine spending a short break beyond the Arctic Circle, in a region of such beauty that the scenery, the magical atmosphere and, of course, the cold, cold air combine to take your breath away. This is Lapland, the spellbound, unspoiled region in the north of Finland, so beautiful that Father Christmas chose it for his home. And if you visit Lapland in the magical weeks leading up to Christmas, there is the added anticipation that at any moment you may bump into the grand old man himself. This is a land of sleigh rides and husky dogs, snowball fights and toboganning. A land of contented smiles beside a blazing fire. A land of glowing faces and warm hearts. A land that is discovered anew on those mornings when you step out onto a fresh fall of snow. Above all, it is a land where you can watch the sparkle in children's wide-open eyes as they set out in search of the real Father Christmas. It's magic — and you'll come to believe it.'"
The Professor managed to contain his snort of disapproval, but he heard Hal's. The boy said, "Magic? That's crazy!"
"Who's Father Christmas?" asked Prudence.
"That's another name for Santa Claus," Nanny explained. "You know, Hal, SOME magic is necessary in every life. Science isn't everything. Nor is Mathematics, as your father has learned."
The Professor glanced over at her, but she was looking down at the brochure again. He met Hal's eyes in the rear-view mirror, and they both shrugged.
"Nanny, did you see reindeer all the time when you were little?" Butch asked.
"Oh, no, of course not!" Nanny laughed. "I didn't live up north, then."
"What did you do for Christmas?" Prudence asked.
"Well, we decorated with lots of greenery and candles, and so many varieties of sweets that often children were sick! One tradition I've never forgotten is going to see the Nutcracker Ballet every year when I was little. It's based on a book, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and in 1891, Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write the music. The first dance performance was in Russia in 1892."
"Wow! In Russia? Did you see it there?" Butch asked.
Nanny laughed again. "No, Butch, not there. I just told you when it started so you would know it has a long history! I saw it MUCH later. The music is wonderful."
"Tell me the story!" Prudence begged, and Nanny obliged, keeping the children all entertained for most of the long car ride as she re-told the now-famous story. When she finished, Prudence sighed. "I wish I had a Nutcracker doll! What a great gift!"
"I liked the gift of the dream better ... all those battles with the Mouse King!" Butch grinned. "AND all the candy!"
"Hey, Dad, there's the sign for the Christmas tree farm!" Hal pointed out.
The three children cheered as the Professor turned down the lane and parked next to the other cars in the parking lot. Waldo was the first out of the car, and he raced around and around before being sharply recalled by Hal.
"What a lovely place!" Nanny looked around when she was out of the car.
"Will we get our tree first, or what?" Butch asked.
"I think that if you want to see anything else, we'd better do the tree thing LAST!" the Professor suggested.
"I think we should do the gift shop last!" Hal said, eying the sign promising free pine cones and evergreen boughs to anyone who bought a tree.
Lifting the lunch basket out of the back of the station wagon, the Professor said, "Lunch first! Fall in, troops!"
Nanny chuckled. "You just can't wait to eat, Professor!"
"I confess it's a weakness of mine, Nanny ... I just wish it could be inside!"
"On such a glorious day in such a spot? Professor, how COULD you?" she asked.
"AND with such company!" he reminded her, taking Prudence's hand in his free one and swinging it gently, making the little girl giggle.
Hal, Butch and Waldo ran ahead to the picnic area and claimed a table near one of the fountains. The Professor eyed the water cascading out of the reindeer's antlers, and said, "Well, they certainly keep everything in theme here, don't they? I'm surprised they haven't come up with some fake snow so we can have a snowball fight."
"I wish WE could see snow sometime, Daddy," Prudence said.
"Someday, Prudence, you WILL see it, and you'll be wishing yourself back here in the warmth, believe ME!" the Professor spoke emphatically.
After a delicious meal, Nanny packed up the basket again and Hal took it back to the car. Then they went to look at the reindeer, seeing the sign by the fence which told them: "For centuries, Laplanders (Sami) have lived with and herded reindeer across the tundra of Northern Scandinavia. The name reindeer originates from the Micmac Indians who live in the eastern part of Canada. The word 'rein' means 'digger' and reflects the manner in which the reindeer digs its hoofs into the snow to find food."
"But can reindeer fly?" asked Prudence, jumping back a bit when one curious animal came up close to the fence.
Nanny reached over the fence and stroked it. "You can't fly without Santa's magic, can you, Minna?"
"His name is Minna?" Butch asked
"HER name is Minna!" Nanny replied.
"But it has antlers! HUGE antlers! And see, those ones over there don't. So this one has to be male!" Hal said.
"You haven't studied reindeer much, have you, Hal?" Nanny said, still stroking Minna's back. "Both male and female have antlers, they grow them every year, but by December, most males have lost theirs. The females don't generally lose them until January or February, I think. Oh, Minna, you ARE hot! Run along and get under your cold shower!"
As the reindeer trotted off, Butch looked up at Nanny, his face twisted in puzzlement. "A cold shower?"
"Reindeer need to be kept cool, they don't do well in heat." explained Nanny.
The Professor decided that a change in topic was timely. "Shall we find out when the hayrides are?"
"The next one won't leave for twenty minutes, Professor," Nanny said, taking a last, lingering look at the reindeer now standing under a cascade of water.
"And how do you know that, Miss Figalilly? Did one of the reindeer tell you? Or perhaps one of Santa's elves?" the Professor inquired.
Nanny smiled. "I read the sign over there," and she pointed to a huge clock with the hands pointing towards the time the next horse-drawn wagon would leave on a tree-scouting expedition.
While they waited, they wandered around the gift shop, and were assured that they would receive their free boughs after they had chosen their tree and had it brought to the parking lot. Prudence squealed when she chanced to see a Nutcracker doll amongst the Christmas decorations, and Nanny's eyes met the Professor's. Both knew immediately what Prudence's present from Santa would be that year. Butch found a stack of old Christmas records and was going through them, and again Nanny and the Professor shared their unspoken communication. Hal was hanging over a microscope in the corner, looking at different specimens under the powerful lens, and the final gift for the children was noted by the adults.
When the wagon pulled by two enormous horses drew up near the gift shop, the children eagerly piled on with other children who had been waiting impatiently. Nanny and the Professor, along with the rest of the adults, sat along the sides, dangling their feet over the edge. Waldo ran alongside. When Prudence asked why he couldn't be with them on the wagon, Nanny informed her that he was happier running. Hal rolled his eyes, and Butch screwed up his face as he tried to figure out how Nanny knew that.
"I haven't been on a hayride for such a long time!" Nanny confided to the Professor with a bright smile.
The Professor laughed. "Nor I! In my high school years, I believe it was!"
"I DO want to thank you, Professor, for bringing us here today. The children deserve a Christmas. It's a perfect time set aside grief and remember that light and love cannot be overcome."
"Well, I want to thank YOU for making me see that, Miss Figalilly!" the Professor said, gallantly.
"Butch, if you push me off, I will never make your favourite cookies again." Nanny stated, and the Professor turned around in surprise to see his youngest son slump back with a disappointed look on his face.
"I didn't think she could see me." Butch muttered to Hal. "And all the other kids are pushing the adults off!"
Sure enough, the air was soon filled with shrieks of laughter as children and adults began scuffling on the slow-moving, hay-laden flatbed. Those who fell off had to run a bit to catch up, then pull themselves back onto the wagon. Waldo barked joyfully and pranced around, tripping some of the stragglers and making them laugh even more. Nanny crawled to the front and centre of the deck, putting her back against the driver's seat, and putting her arm around Prudence. The other three were on and off the wagon constantly until at last the driver called, "Coming to the tree plantation now!"
The entire group came to order, and everyone sat on the wagon, eagerly checking out the trees nearby as potential Christmas trees. The wagon stopped whenever someone wanted to look at a tree, or chose one. The driver would then produce an axe and help the buyer chop down the tree at the right place so as to leave the stump alive and growing for use in another eight years as a Christmas tree. Then the tree was carefully tied with twine and placed on the wagon for transport, and the journey was resumed once more.
The trees all ranged from three to eight feet in height, with a choice of Sierra Redwood, Monterey Pine and Douglas Fir. The tree the Everett children finally chose was a Sierra Redwood about six and a half feet tall. The five of them jumped off the wagon and the Professor eyed it uneasily.
"You're sure this will fit in the living room?" he asked.
"Dad!" all three children said.
"Here you go, Professor, you may do the honours!" and Nanny waved the wagon-driver and his axe over to the Professor.
Sighing, the Professor swung the axe where directed. It took a few swings before the tree finally toppled to the cheers of the children and Waldo's barks. "I feel like a caveman or something," the Professor grumbled, but he helped the driver tie up the branches and label the tree, then they piled back onto the wagon.
When they finally arrived back at the gift shop, the Professor said, "I suppose we need a tree stand, too. And decorations."
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with the stand in the basement, Professor," Nanny assured him. "And there are plenty of decorations as well. The children can make some more if necessary. I expect you can chose some decorations here if you wish, but it's not really necessary."
"Just the evergreen branches Nanny wants to put all over, Dad." Hal said.
By the time the tree was put in a protective bag and tied on top of the station wagon, Nanny and Prudence had picked out an assortment of pine cones and evergreen boughs which were also boxed and put in the back of the car. Unbeknownst to the children, three other packages had been hidden in the lunch basket by Nanny and the Professor.
Although the sun was setting by the time they arrived home, they were energized and ready to put the tree up. After a quick supper, Hal brought up the tree stand and the decorations, and the Professor put the tree up. Prudence and Nanny untangled the strings of lights and Butch tested them, replacing burnt out bulbs.
"We haven't done this FOREVER!" he said.
The Professor winced a little, and Nanny shot him a compassionate look. While the children were busy decorating the tree, the Professor went out to the kitchen for a drink, and Nanny followed him.
"Professor? I'm sorry ... I just want to say thank you again for giving the children Christmas this year."
"You were right, as usual." he said, gulping down cold water and not looking at her. "They DO deserve it."
"Thank you." and she left him alone as Prudence called for her help.
"What is THIS?" Hal asked at one point, holding up a cluster of green leaves with some white berries attached.
"Mistletoe," the Professor said rather shortly.
"Huh?" Butch looked up from his decorating.
"I didn't know it looked like this!" Hal turned it over, examining it closely. Then he explained, "Mistletoe is a partial parasite, more technically a hemiparasite. As a parasitic plant, it grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients. But mistletoe is also capable of growing on its own; like other plants it can produce its own food by photosynthesis. It's native to the United States along the Eastern coast from New Jersey to Florida as a parasite. It's very poisonous if you eat the leaves or the berries, so we should hang it up somewhere where Waldo can't get it."
"How about over the doorway?" Prudence suggested.
"Sure. There's no chairs or tables there, so Waldo wouldn't get up that high." Hal went over to the doorway between the living room and the hall and fastened the greenery securely with a couple of pins right in the middle.
Nanny and the Professor looked at each other, faint smiles on their faces, then, as Hal stood underneath looking up and assessing his decorating efforts, Nanny crossed over and quickly kissed the boy on the cheek. He looked at her in confusion. Unable to resist, Nanny grinned. "Tradition, Hal."
"What?" Butch crossed over to stare at her, then at Hal. "What do you mean, tradition? What kind of tradition?" He pushed Hal out of the way and stood staring up at the mistletoe himself. "I don't see any tradition!"
Nanny laughed, and bent down and kissed Butch's cheek. An expression of almost horror spread over his face, and he backed away. "What'd you do THAT for?"
"Tradition," the Professor chuckled. "If you stand under the mistletoe, you're apt to be kissed! I think I should get in line there."
Nanny had turned away and was busying herself with adjusting some of the decorations on the tree. The Professor walked over and planted himself under the mistletoe, and Prudence gleefully ran up to him and held up her arms to be picked up. When he obliged, she kissed him enthusiastically on the cheek.
"Now you can kiss ME, Daddy, cause I'm under the mistletoe too!" she giggled.
The boys backed away hurriedly, going over to join Nanny at the tree. She smiled at Hal. "It's part of the magic of Christmas, Hal. It's also a tradition that is worthy of remembrance, every bit as much as the scientific facts you glean. Mistletoe has been a symbol of love, peace and goodwill since ancient times, which is one of the reasons it has become part of our Christmas traditions. If you don't want to be kissed, stay away from the mistletoe!"
"I will! Especially if Francine comes around!" Hal assured her.
"I will, too. Yuck!" Butch made a face. "I thought you were making it up."
"No, Nanny definitely wasn't making up THIS tradition!" the Professor joined them, still carrying Prudence. "We always had a lot of fun in college with it. Just wait until you're older, boys. You'll suddenly see all the benefits."
"Any OTHER traditions you have, Nanny?" Hal asked.
"Actually, yes. We always went as a family to the midnight Christmas Eve service at the local church. I have so many fond memories of that service."
"We could go to one here, couldn't we, Dad?" Hal turned to his father.
"Yeah, a midnight service would be neat!" Butch said.
The Professor looked at his daughter who nodded energetically. "I can stay awake, Daddy! Please?"
"Seems that we've now started a new tradition in the Everett family!" the Professor said wryly. He looked at his watch. "We've just got time to change before going!"
"Oh, thank you, Professor!" Nanny beamed at him, and hurried out the door after the children.
Late though it was, the beautiful candlelight service kept even Prudence alert. As they walked out of the church, all three children asked if it would be possible to come every year to it. "I never put all the stories together before this," Hal said thoughtfully. "Now I understand why Nanny says Christmas is love and family."
"Me, too, I guess," said Butch quickly.
Nanny smiled gently at the two boys, but said nothing. Although the children were almost too excited to sleep when they got home, they finally went to bed when the Professor turned out all the lights and shooed everyone upstairs. "Santa comes only AFTER everyone's asleep, remember!" he said.
The next morning, Nanny awoke to the children's shrill cries of "Merry Christmas!" Laughing, she pulled on her housecoat and went downstairs to start the coffee while the Professor was routed out of his bed by the children. Seeing the children sitting by the brilliantly-lit tree, overcome by the presents they had found there, Nanny knew all their efforts the day before had been worth it.
She started out to the kitchen to get the coffee, and the Professor followed her, stopping her in the doorway. "Nanny?"
She turned. "Yes, Professor?"
"Nanny, I just wanted to say thank you for giving Christmas back to this household." He looked up, and her eyes followed his to the clump of mistletoe fastened to the top of the doorway. He smiled again. "Thank you, Miss Figalilly," and he bent closer.
The kiss was meant to be a light-hearted thank you ... but both were astonished when heated desire sparked between them. Her lips parted under the pressure of his and he took the kiss deeper. Horrified at the completely unexpected happening between them, Nanny jerked away from him ...
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... and woke herself up. Her breathing was quick and shallow, her heart was thumping madly. She stared into the darkness, trying to calm her racing pulse and quiet her chaotic thoughts. She knew everyone else had also been awakened, but soon sensed that the children, at least, had fallen asleep again. Had the Professor? Or was he, too, lying awake in the night, pondering the significance of his dream? Praying inwardly that he would drift off to sleep in no time, and not remember the very end of the dream, Nanny turned over in bed and sighed. Still a few hours until dawn, and now she was wide awake! She simply could not imagine how she could have lost control so completely at the end. Where on earth had that kiss come from? Certainly it was not from HER subconscious! Or was it a carryover from the letter she had received almost two months ago -- a warning that she should leave the Everetts because she was already becoming too emotionally attached to all of them?
The next morning, Nanny was just putting the coffee pot on when Hal came into the kitchen, a big smile on his face. "Good morning, Nanny!" he said, sliding into his chair.
Nanny had already set the table for breakfast, and the juice was poured for everyone. "Good morning, Hal," she replied, catching the toast deftly as they popped up and putting the two hot pieces on the plate in front of him. "There you are."
"Thanks! I'm in a bit of a hurry this morning, because I'm trying to make my microscope work better, and I just thought of something in the night that might work as a different lens for it." Then he picked up his father's paper and started leafing through it, obviously looking for something in particular.
Butch arrived in the kitchen next, and after saying good morning, he asked, "Nanny, can I get different records for that Victrola?"
"I imagine they sell them at some antique stores," Nanny answered. Neither boy mentioned Christmas or the dream, but she knew it was in the back of their minds. Maybe the Professor or Prudence would ... oh dear, she thought suddenly. He DOES remember the dream! ALL of it!
When Prudence and the Professor came into the kitchen, Prudence was saying, "Please, Daddy? It would be so nice, and it IS Nanny's tradition!"
"What is my tradition?" Nanny asked lightly, putting the Professor's plate in front of him and pouring his coffee while looking at Prudence.
"Going to church tonight. It's Christmas Eve. We can go, can't we?" the little girl begged.
The boys looked at each other, then at the others. "I wouldn't mind." Hal said, slowly.
"Me, neither." Butch said stoutly.
At last the word Christmas was out in the open, and it was about time, Nanny thought. "I would like that very much, myself." she said softly.
The Professor threw up his hands in defeat. "All right! All right!"
"Dad?" Hal asked, still leafing through the paper. "Isn't the Nutcracker Ballet showing here in town this week?"
"It's on page E42, Hal," Nanny said.
"I want to see that!" Prudence burst out. "Oh, Daddy, please, please, please!"
"Sweetheart, they'll be sold out," the Professor said. "We can't possibly get tickets at this late date!"
"Oh, I don't know about that, Professor!" Nanny said, smiling mysteriously. Just then the phone rang. "You see?"
The Professor looked at her for a moment, then got up and answered the phone. "Yes, this is Professor Everett. What? Five people just cancelled and we're first on the standby list? How did we get on ...? Never mind. The tickets are for the night after Christmas? Yes, the twenty-sixth. That's wonderful! Who ...? No, never mind. Yes, please, I'll take them, wherever they are! Do you want my credit card number? What do you mean, they're already paid for? Well, can you tell me the name? That's MY name! I meant the name of the person who paid ... that's impossi ... ! Never mind," his gaze went to Nanny and she returned it with an innocent expression on her face. "Thank you very much." He hung up, and came back to the table. "Well, we're going to see the Nutcracker after all. We have excellent seats, I was assured, thanks, I've no doubt, to Miss Figalilly!"
"How could I have anything to do with it, Professor?" she protested.
"Oh, you have your ways ..." he retorted, and she looked away from his intent scrutiny.
"I assure you, I didn't cause the Smith family to get the flu!" she murmured.
"The Smith family?" Hal echoed.
Nanny briskly changed the subject. "Hal, weren't you going to do some experimenting?"
"Oh, yeah. It was neat, I had a dream about how I could do this ... and it was all tied in with Christmas."
"Mine, too!" Butch said. "And I went on a hayride!"
"I saw a reindeer, and heard ALL about the Nutcracker!" Prudence chimed in.
"You can't have had the same dream I did," Hal exclaimed.
"Maybe it wasn't the same! Maybe you dreamt yours and I dreamt mine, and Prudence dreamt hers, and we ALL got to go to the Christmas tree farm with Dad and Nanny and decorate a tree and go to church for the Christmas Eve service and get some cool presents the next morning!" Butch spoke excitedly.
"I wish it was real," Prudence sighed. She trailed after the boys as they continued arguing on their way back upstairs. Waldo barked, and scrambled upstairs with the children.
The Professor sat at the table, his hand on his coffee cup, and his gaze on Nanny. She jumped up, still not meeting his eyes, and picked up the coffee pot.
"More coffee, Professor?"
"I'd rather have more answers, Nanny. Do you know, I believe that I had the same dream as the children did?"
Nanny busied herself at the sink. "Did you, Professor?" Her voice sounded a little muffled.
"Well, I suppose it's a little late THIS year for Christmas, but ANOTHER year we'll know what to expect, and we just may surprise you, Nanny!"
"I hope so, Prof. Christmas is a time for children, for families and most of all, for love."
"Yes, I believe you said something about setting aside grief at this time."
"For the children, Professor. They NEED Christmas. Everyone needs Christmas to carry on, my uncle Ebenezer always said."
The Professor eyed her again. "The only Ebenezer I remember hearing about used to say 'Bah, humbug!' when Christmas was mentioned! Anyway, it's thanks to you, Miss Figalilly, that our family is getting along swimmingly right now, I'd say, even without Christmas!"
At that moment, the cuckoo clock went, then the children started up the Victrola playing the cuckoo song, and the Professor winced. "It has only been a WEEK! I have GOT to find more records for that thing!"
Nanny smiled. "Maybe Santa will find some," she suggested.
"Hmmm. Santa Figalilly ..." he mused. "Has a certain ... ring to it."
Now Nanny laughed. "Oh, Professor, really!"
Although the Professor still didn't put up any decorations or suggest a Christmas tree, Nanny felt the softening in the house that day, and felt no compunction about humming Christmas carols as she went about her work. The Professor had given no indication that the kiss had meant anything other than the thank-you for which it had been meant, so she relaxed and concentrated on making these two days special in whatever way she could without the external wrappings she was used to seeing.
That night, the entire family went to the church service, and Nanny thrilled to the familiar words of both scripture and song. It was so nice to share them with the family! Prudence was blinking sleepily by the time they came out of the church, so the Professor scooped her up in his arms and carried her. The short walk home was lovely, with the boys walking beside them, talking about various parts of the Christmas story and what things must have been like two thousand years ago in Judea.
When Hal unlocked the door and they walked into the house, Butch cried out, "Hey, look in there!"
Prudence rubbed her eyes, and struggled to get out of the Professor's arms. He stood frozen in shock as he looked into the living room to see a beautifully decorated and lit Christmas tree, three bulging stockings hanging on the mantle with a cheery fire in the fireplace, and assorted packages under the tree.
"What on earth ...?" he breathed.
Then he swung around to Nanny, who was staring in astonishment as well. She put up her hands in self-defense. "It wasn't me!" she declared quickly. "I was with you, remember?"
"Maybe it was Ben ..." the Professor said slowly and hesitantly. "Although it's not really like him to be anonymous."
"It's from Santa Claus!" Hal said, picking up a gift card which had been lying on the coffee table, and showing it to his father.
"Can we look now? It's Christmas! It's after midnight!" Butch cried.
The Professor looked helplessly at Nanny who shrugged and said, "They won't sleep anyway, Professor."
In a moment, the children were tearing into the stockings and the presents, squealing over the candies, toys and generally having a wonderful time. Hal exclaimed over the new lens for the microscope he had been wanting forever, Prudence hugged a handsome Nutcracker Prince doll, and Butch excitedly waved some 'new' old records for his Victrola.
The Professor said in an undertone to Nanny, "There IS a God!" and she chuckled.
"Just in case you're feeling left out, Professor, I DID find something for you," she said, "it's in my room. I'll go get it."
"I have a gift for you, too," and he followed her up the stairs. In a moment they were both down again, and she handed him his present first.
It was an indoor golf game. "I thought it would let you practice your putting right here in the house on rainy days, so that you will still be able to golf yet will be available to the children."
"Excellent choice!" he grinned.
Then he waited expectantly for her to open the small box he handed her. "It's just a small something ..." he said.
Nanny peeked into the box, and saw the green leaves and the white berries of the mistletoe ... he HADN'T forgotten! Her face flushed.
"It's a hair clip," the Professor said, grinning wickedly at her. "and I expect you to wear it to the theatre when we go to see the Nutcracker, Miss Figalilly! Merry Christmas! I DO hope your first Christmas in California was happier than you were afraid it was going to be just a few days ago!"
Nanny was speechless. She gently touched the silk hair decoration, unable to look at him. Oh yes, her first Christmas here was more than she had dreamt about!