-Christmas Shoes-
(a possible sidebar to the long-lost "OTHER Christmas Episode" we waited and waited for… also a song-fic)
Disclaimer: The STFBE characters are the property of Pebblehut Productions and Paxson Entertainment. All others are of my own creation and bear no intentional resemblance to any persons real or ficticious. The song "Christmas Shoes" is by NewSong.
Sue Thomas hurried through the crowds of people in the mall, hoping against hope that the earrings Lucy had been pining for since August were still in the jewelry case at Dillard's, at 7 o'clock on Christmas Eve. A tense case had kept them all busy until this morning, and everyone was jetting off to family or scrambling to finish their shopping.
She breathed a prayer of thanks as she saw the onyx-and-pearl earrings right where they'd been the last time she looked, which had been the day after Thanksgiving. The girl at the counter had five other people waiting, so Sue offered to pay for her purchase at a nearby kiosk.
As she worked her way through the rest of the last-minute shoppers, she saw that the nearest service kiosk was crowded with a line of about ten people, which curved around the counter slightly. She knew that every other kiosk in the store would be as well, so she took her place at the end and settled in to wait, selecting a pretty scarf for Helga while she did.
Suddenly, she noticed heads turning toward the front of the line, and she looked to see a small boy at the checkout with a beautiful pair of ladies' red pumps on the counter. The clerk was pointing at the price tag, and then at the small pile of bills and coins the boy had laid out. Panic was setting in on the youngster's face.
I'm sorry, she saw the clerk say. You don't have enough money.
But… I gotta buy these for my mommy tonight. The boy's hands shook; he was dirty and his clothes were terribly worn. Sue judged him to be about eight, but he looked far older than that, his eyes tired and scared. Mommy's been sick for a long time, and these are just what she'd like, and I heard my Daddy say this is her last Christmas, and I… I want her to look pretty, in case she meets Jesus tonight.
Her heart broke, and she was about to step up to the boy to help him out when she noticed a man in a tan overcoat, who was standing right behind the little boy, slip a twenty-dollar bill under the pile the boy had laid out, making sure the clerk could see it.
She blinked; surely that couldn't be who it looked like?
Some of the other customers were grumbling, and a few moved to go pay at another kiosk. She moved up in line, and her suspicions were confirmed. Easing Levi over to her other side, so he was hidden behind the counter, she ducked her head slightly, enough so the man wouldn't be likely to spot her, but not so much that she couldn't still read his lips.
The clerk was looking over the bills again. Oh, I miscounted, she saw him say. You do have just enough.
The boy's face lit up. Oh, thank you! Mommy will smile so big when she sees these. Red is her favorite color! He took the bag the clerk handed him and ran off. The clerk handed the change to the man, and completed his purchase with much more cheerfulness than one might expect an hour before closing on Christmas Eve.
Sue watched closely as the man walked toward the exit, then paused and pulled out his cell phone. He hit a speed-dial number, and brought the phone to his ear, staring at one of the display racks while he talked.
I have a job for you, he said to whoever he was speaking with. Get all the stuff together— yes, all of it. I'll explain later. Just be ready when I call you, please. It's important.
He hung up and headed out of the store in a hurry. Sue, not wanting to lose him, finished her purchase rapidly and then took off after him.
It was a good thing his car was familiar to her; and even more fortunate that she'd parked nearby. Tailing him discreetly in the parking lot was no mean feat, but the heavy last-minute rush helped. He wasn't driving very fast, and soon she figured out why. He was following a small figure running down the sidewalk.The little boy ran up the walk of a small house behind the mall complex; a single string of Christmas lights, with half the bulbs not working, graced the rickety iron railing of the steps. There was no tree in the window, and Sue suspected there was little else in the way of material goods. But there was a look of genuine love on the little boy's face as he opened the door and the light spilled out.
Sue ducked as the man drove back into the parking lot. She watched, though, as he pulled into a spot under a street lamp and pulled his cell phone out again. It was fortunate that his face was illuminated; she was nearly bursting with curiosity as she pulled out her monocular.
I need you to bring the stuff over to the mall, he was saying. Yes, believe me, this is very important. I need to get a few other things, but I'll meet you on the south side of Dillard's. And let's keep it our secret, ok?
Sue watched the man get back out of his car and head back into the mall. About fifteen minutes later, a car pulled up next to his, and a woman emerged, then opened her back door and removed a large box, plus several grocery bags.
What are they up to? Sue thought to herself. She settled in to wait, sensing that something of importance was happening. Soon, the man came back out of the mall, with several shopping bags as well. She watched as they both put their parcels into the box. He was turned sideways, so she couldn't see what he was saying, but after a moment the woman nodded and hugged him tightly.
They both got into his car, with the box, and drove back around to the house the little boy had gone into. The man got out and removed the box from the back seat, then quietly went up the short walk to the doorstep. The woman slid over into the driver's seat.
He left the box on the doorstep, then checked the curtained window for signs of anyone nearby. Seeing no one, he rang the doorbell and sprinted for the car, which drove away before he even closed the door completely. Sue watched as the little boy, and a man who was surely his father, stared in disbelief at the gift.
Daddy! she saw the boy gasp, It's… wow, it's a whole Christmas dinner, still warm! And there's some toys and some clothes and… He held up an envelope. What's this?
His father opened the envelope and actually took a step backward in shock; though Sue couldn't tell exactly, there was obviously several hundred dollars in the bundle the man was thumbing through.
Let's tell Mommy! The boy said, tugging the box inside. This will be the most special Christmas ever, and she's still here to see it.
As the door closed and they went to surprise the rest of the family, Sue sat back, her hands draped on the steering wheel, and thought about what she had just witnessed. Who would have guessed? she thought. I've misjudged people from time to time, but… I'd have never seen that coming.
As she drove out of the parking lot, she glanced at one of the fast-food places nearby and saw the man and woman sitting down to a far less extravagant dinner than they'd obviously planned. But she saw no bitterness in their faces, only quiet joy.
When she got home, Lucy was watching one of the Christmas variety shows, with the captioning on, and Sue saw a band begin to play a song. The words caught her attention, and soon there were tears streaming down her cheeks:
It was almost Christmas time;
There I stood, in another line,
Trying to buy that last gift or two,
Not really in the Christmas mood.
Standing right in front of me
Was a little boy, waiting anxiously,
Pacing around like little boys do,
And in his hands he had a pair of shoes .
And his clothes were worn and old,
He was dirty from head to toe,
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say.
Sir, I want to buy these shoes , for my Momma, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her style.
Could you hurry Sir? Daddy says there's not much time;
You see, she's been sick for quite a while.
I know these shoes will make her smile,
And I want her to look beautiful
If Momma meets Jesus tonight.
They counted pennies for what seemed like years,
And the cashier said, Son there's not enough here
He searched his pockets frantically,
Then he turned and he looked at me.
He said, "Momma made Christmas good at our house,
Though most years she just did without.
Tell me Sir, what am I gonna do?
Somehow I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes."
So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
And I'll never forget the look on his face
When he said, "Momma's gonna look so great."
(Chorus)
I knew I caught a breath of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out;
I knew that God had sent that little boy to remind me
What Christmas is all about.
(Chorus)
I want her to look beautiful
If Momma meets Jesus tonight.
"Oh, hi." Lucy turned around. "Hey, are you okay?"
Sue nodded. "Just that song. It got to me. You know, I just remembered one more gift I have to get. Will dinner stay warm another thirty minutes?"
NO PROBLEM, Lucy signed. "You want some company?"
"No, that's ok," Sue replied. This will only take a few minutes."
She watched carefully from behind her monitor two days later, as one of her teammates sat down at his desk and picked up the small box she'd left there. She'd not put a tag on it, and hoped he didn't dust it for prints. Just open it, she thought at him as loudly as she could.
He reared back in shock at the contents, then glanced around the room, almost guiltily. She knew he was wondering how anyone could possibly know what he'd done.
"Whatcha got there?" Bobby reached over to lift one of the ornaments out of the box before Myles could stop him. The Aussie snickered a little. "Anne decide to re-theme your tree in 'Imelda Marcos'?"
The Harvard grad retrieved his gift. "This isn't from Anne. And if you don't mind…"
Bobby shrugged and went to fill his coffee, still chuckling. Sue watched as Myles returned to his chair and opened the small card she'd enclosed with the two ornaments: blown-glass, red, ladies' pumps, adorned with gold accents. One for you, one for Anne. Just a reminder that Christmas is about love. And you have shown that more deeply than I would have ever imagined. Merry Christmas.
He glanced around again, and caught her watching him. She felt her cheeks flush, and watched his eyes narrow slightly. Then, he simply gave her a warm glance and a slight nod, and put the box into the pocket of his overcoat, trusting her to keep his secret.
FINIS