Christmas Carols? part 6
The day was done, the sun had set several hours ago. By mutual agreement, everyone headed for their cars at the same time.
"Daryl, would you please stop singing that song?" Simon's aggrieved voice echoed in the nearly empty parking lot.
"Sorry, dad. It's just, it was cool. I'd never head anything like it before."
"Coming over for the poker game tonight, Simon?" Jim asked, trying to defuse the situation.
"Well, I had planned to. But I don't know if _someone_ will be able to behave."
Daryl immediately stopped singing, "I'll be good, dad. Promise."
The others hid smiles as their Captain examined his son, pretending to mull over the pros and cons. Daryl's breath came out in a rush of relief when his dad nodded. "Okay. But I don't want you singing that song anymore. Got it?"
"Got it."
"So you heard a strange Christmas carol, too?" Blair asked.
"Too? Yeah, we heard an alternate version of Silver Bells." Simon's face twisted in disgust. "What about you?"
"Jingle Bells. Only, it was definitely not a children's song."
"I'll never be able to listen to Winter Wonderland with a straight face, again." Joel said. He chuckled as Megan smacked his arm. "Bad pun, mate."
"How about you, Jim?" Blair asked.
"Deck the Halls."
Henri pointed at himself and Rafe. "We heard Joy to the World. Hope she doesn't really do what she sings about."
Rafe shook his head. "Well, remember? When she noticed us, she stopped singing. I don't think she meant for her song to be heard."
Blair agreed. "I had my window open, and when another professor showed up, she quickly changed the words."
The others thought about their own incidents, and concluded that none of the songs they had heard had been sung with the intention of anyone else hearing.
"I wonder what she would have sung if she'd known she had an audience." Jim speculated.
A familiar figure appeared along the edge of the parking lot, where the trees bordered the pavement. The young woman walked hand in hand with a young man, the backpack slung over his shoulder now.
Her high, sweet voice rose and floated through the air. Expecting sarcastic lyrics once more, they stood in respectful silence at the words they heard.
~ Oh, holy night
The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear savior's birth.
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining
'Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.~
She sang to her friend, the light from the streetlights illuminating her face. Her voice rose with emotion, the notes pure and achingly beautiful.
~Fall on your knees
And hear the angels' voices!
Oh, night divine!
Oh, night, when Christ was born.
Oh, night, oh, night,
oh, night, oh, night divine. ~
She brought the song to its end, a smile lighting her face as the young man murmured something and kissed her cheek. Noticing the eight people at their cars, she straightened, and gave a wave, her happiness apparent in her
voice. "Goodnight! Merry Christmas!"
The end.
Now, that wasn't so bad, was it? :)