It was Christmas eve. Snow fell thickly outside the manor and the winter wind could be heard crying loudly even from indoors. The temperature had dropped and a blizzard had been predicted in the weather forecast. There was a lot on Jamie's mind. The housemaid's words kept replaying themselves in his head. She had believed, and nothing happened. But they were real. Jamie was so sure of that. He had seen them, felt them, he knew they were real. He longed to see them again, and ask them if they had made allowances for any children.
But there were also other things on his mind, one of them being the Guardian of Fun, who hadn't visited him since their last meeting. Another thing was the blizzard. Was Jack responsible for the blizzard? If there was a blizzard, Jamie wouldn't be able to go down to the little town nearby and the housemaid wouldn't get home to her family for Christmas. Jamie didn't want to spend his Christmas shut inside a gloomy manor with absolutely nothing to do. Even if North came he wouldn't be able to have a conversation with the Guardian, given how busy he was.
The adults were in the reading room where they seem to spend most of their time. Apparently the Bennetts found Mrs. Warren rather interesting and humorous, or so Jamie heard, and they just had so much talking and catching up to do. Sophie was not exactly a good companion either, as she was often too busy playing with toys.
Jamie peered around the door of the reading room, which was slightly ajar. Voices could be heard coming from within it. He was about to enter when he remembered what his aunt thought of children (and even adults) who do not knock before entering a particular room. The 14-year old rapped on the old oak door.
"Jamie Bennett? Well, come on in," came Mrs. Warren's voice. Jamie entered and awkwardly stood in the doorway, facing the three adults who were sitting in chaise armchairs by the fireplace (which wasn't lit).
"What do you want, Jamie?" asked Mrs. Bennett, gently.
My Christmas, Jamie was tempted to answer. Instead he said, "Can I please go to the town nearby? Tonight? And I'll probably return by tomorrow? There's not much to do around here. Please? I'm not going alone, if you were wondering. I'm going with Maeve." He didn't say anything about Christmas.
Mrs. Warren raised an eyebrow. "Maeve? Maeve, as in the housemaid?"
Jamie nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Please?"
"No, Jamie, you might lose your way. And there's an upcoming blizzard, or haven't you heard? Something could happen to you there. The town might not be safe," Mrs. Bennett responded.
"But I'm 14!" Jamie protested. "I can take care of myself."
"But there's going to be a blizzard," said Mr. Bennett. "And old or young, you'll lose your way in that. And I doubt Maeve would be going."
"Well, there isn't exactly anything I can do here!"
"Read a book, play with your sister... there's plenty of things you can do, Jamie," said Mrs. Bennett. "Or you can even join us here."
"No thanks," Jamie replied, slightly bitterly before leaving. He hurried back to his bedroom.
"What's with the gloomy look?"
Jamie looked up and was filled with instant delight upon seeing Jack. The Guardian of Fun stood by the window, leaning against the wall. His staff was propped up against the wall as well.
"Jack! How did you get in?" Jamie inquired, although it didn't really matter. What mattered most was that Jack was here.
"Sophie was in here earlier, and she let me in. I would've come in on my own anyway, this place, in a way is partially mine, too, right?" Jack flashed a mischievous grin.
Jamie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Jackson Overland is one of your ancestors, Jamie, and it so happens that he and I are the same person," Jack smiled. Jamie finally got it and beamed back.
"It's so odd," he said. "But cool in a way."
Jack nodded. He picked up his staff and looked around. "So, what's with the place? No Christmas tree, no Christmas lights and I don't see any presents nor any stockings," he said. "It's Christmas Eve. You're late." Jack grinned at Jamie, but the grin instantly faded when he saw the boy's face. "Hey, what happened?" Jack asked, gently.
Jamie flopped down onto his bed and sighed. "My cousin died. And now my aunt has forbidden Christmas, even though we all know no one can do such a thing. Well, she doesn't want to celebrate and we're all forbidden to celebrate, too. Maybe you should warn North beforehand so he doesn't get a shock when he sees this place. That is, if he is coming."
"Of course he'll come!' Jack replied. "You're on the 'Nice' list this year, so congratulations. And as for Christmas, why don't you celebrate it on your own?"
"My aunt will go ballistic," Jamie said. "But there was this housemaid who talked of a town nearby. She said she could bring me there when she returned to her family for Christmas. She lives there, but there's probably going to be a blizzard and my mom says the town might not be safe, blah, blah, blah, and I can't go."
Jack laughed. "A blizzard? You're worried about a blizzard? I was planning a blizzard tonight, but I could change my mind." He gave Jamie an encouraging smile.
"Make all the blizzards you want, Jack, my parents are never letting me go," Jamie said, lying down on his bed. "My Christmas is ruined." He sat up all of a sudden. "Unless you can stay?"
Jack shrugged. "Perhaps," he said.
Jamie beamed. "Or perhaps you could take me to the town. My parents are too busy chatting with Mrs. Warren to actually realise I'm gone," he went on.
"Sure. It'll be fun," Jack grinned. "But we should be back before nightfall because I'm sure your parents would come to check if you're in bed or not."
Jamie's face fell. "I was thinking of staying there till tomorrow morning," he said. "To celebrate Christmas. But it still beats hanging around here." He got up. "Let's go."
...
The town was rather small, almost resembling a village. It was peopled by merry townsfolk who lived in small brick houses lining the cobbled streets. Bicycles were their main mode of transport. As Jamie and Jack approached, they could see bright lights and banners with Christmas greetings printed on them. In the centre of the town a tall, heavily-decorated Christmas tree had been erected. The mellifluous sound of a choir singing Christmas carols floated through the air towards them. Jamie's spirits lifted. Jack smiled as he noticed the change on the boy's face.
"Hm, looks like I can take over Bunny's job, don't you think? Bringing hope to people?" Jack said. Jamie laughed before quickening his pace.
"Come on, Jack! If I have to be back by nightfall, I'd better get down to having fun!" Jamie called over his shoulder. A lady passed him at that moment and gave him a weird look, but she kept on her smile.
"Who are you talking to, young man?" she asked.
"Jack Frost!" Jamie replied, without giving much thought. He was horrified when he realised what he had said. The lady was probably going to think he was mad or something, as she probably couldn't see Jack.
However, the lady merely laughed. "What an imaginative boy! We all have imaginary friends, don't we, young man?"
Jamie raised an eyebrow. "You mean... you approve? I thought all adults thought having imaginary friends was unhealthy." Jamie thought of all the lectures he had received from his mom and dad about talking to himself. Well, he didn't actually talk to himself. He was just talking to his toys.
The lady smiled. Jamie noticed that she looked years older than him, probably in her late forties. She seemed familiar, but the boy could not really place it at that moment. "Without the imagination the world is nothing, my boy," she said. "Aren't you excited for Christmas? I really do hope Santa Claus comes this year! He has never visited us, but we never stop hoping. Where did you come from?"
"The manor," Jamie said, gesturing in the direction of the manor as Jack joined him. "It's quite near here. Have you seen it before?"
The lady nodded. "My daughter works there as a housemaid. Her name's Maeve. Have you met her?"
Jamie broke into a huge smile. "Yes, yes! She's the one who told me about this place!" He was finally able to tell why he found the lady familiar.
"Ah, I see!" responded Maeve's mother. "We're waiting for her. There might be a blizzard tonight, but we're hoping it won't happen so she can come back for Christmas. Now, why don't you come into my house, it isn't far from here, out of this bitter cold?"
As Jamie began following the lady, he felt a chill on the left side of his face as Jack whispered in his ear. "I'm going someplace. It's kind of important. I'll be back very soon, so don't worry." With that, the Guardian of Fun flew off with the wind.
...
"Master Jamie! I can't believe you're here!" exclaimed Maeve, as her mother opened the door, letting her in before instantly shutting it again. Maeve looked simply delighted to see the boy. She took off her coat and sat down on the couch in the living room, across from where Jamie sat, looking perfectly contented. "How did you find your way? Your parents are not here, are they? I thought I saw them earlier in the reading room."
Jamie shook his head. "Someone showed me the way here. My parents are at the manor. They're not looking for me, are they?" he asked.
"No," Maeve replied. "But they will be soon, I think. It is almost dinner time."
Jamie looked disappointed. Maeve noticed the look on his face. She smiled.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll ring them up and tell them exactly where you are and that you're perfectly safe here, with my family and I. Perhaps you might even be permitted to stay the night and have dinner with us!"
Jamie beamed. "That's great! Thanks, Maeve! But... you have telephones here? And reception?"
Mrs. O'Connell, Maeve's mother, happened to be passing through at that moment and overheard part of their conversation. "No need to be so insulting," she said, smirking slightly. "Of course we do. Just because we live in Snow Land doesn't mean we're still living in the 18th century."
And so Jamie's parents were rung up. It was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and they finally consented after he spoke and pleaded with them. He was careful not to mention anything about Christmas.
Jamie spent the rest of the night with the O'Connells, telling jokes, singing Christmas carols, telling Christmas stories and watching a Christmas movie on their small television which Jamie was sure was no bigger than an ice box. When it was time for bed, they gave him a small room with a single bed and an empty cupboard. Apparently, it was the guest room.
As the 14- year old snuggled beneath the blankets, he wondered where Jack had gone and why the Guardian wasn't back yet. Jamie was pretty sure it was almost midnight. He tried to go to sleep, but he was too excited about celebrating Christmas in a place he had never been in. He tossed and turned for a little while, before he saw a figure fly past the window. He sat up in his bed.
"Jack!" he exclaimed softly, keeping his volume down so as not to wake the O'Connells. He got out of bed and hurried to the window. No one was out there, but a moment later, Jack appeared and frost began swirling on the pane.
Jamie hurriedly put on his coat and got out through the window. "Where did you go?" he asked. Jack smirked and pointed upwards. Jamie looked up and saw a sleigh drawn by flying reindeers.
"I heard what the lady said about Santa Claus not visiting them," Jack said. "So I went to see North and demanded he came here."
At that moment, North walked up to the two of them, having parked his sleigh on the roof. "Hello there!" he greeted Jamie.
"Are you going to deliver presents to these people?" Jamie asked.
"Yes. I've never stopped here before, I just realised. Would you like to help?"
Jamie beamed. "With pleasure!" he answered.
...
"So, what do you think happened?"
Jamie had just finished telling Maeve's story to the two Guardians as they placed the presents for the O'Connells beneath their Christmas tree, which was in the living room, where Maeve was sleeping. As the house had insufficient bedrooms, due to the number of siblings Maeve had, she had to sleep in the living room though Jamie had the feeling that the 'guest room' he was using was Maeve's. Their house was the last and North began preparing to travel again.
"If that's the case..." North began, looking down on the lady. She didnt stir, as all of them were weary and the weather was cold. He dug in his coat pockets and produced a few coins which he placed on the end table. "I still have those coins from four years ago," he said, winking at Jack, who grinned. "That's less than what Tooth owes her, but I guess you can help me write a note," he said to Jamie. The boy nodded. "Merry Christmas."
Thanks for reading and please review!