Summary:  The Cartwrights face a near-tragedy and Christmas visitors.

Rating:  G   2,144 words

Aunt Dinah

The Christmas Visitors

Padding down the stairs, Hop Sing paused on the mid landing. Below, his employer sat slumped half asleep, his chin cupped in his left hand, elbow on the over-stuff arm of the chair. Slowly shaking his head at the man, but knowing the only other place the man would be was from where he had just come. He felt fortunate enough to have had his employer finally follow his directions to go rest, so he would be able to care for his son later on.

Hearing a noise, Ben roused to see the Oriental man carrying an armload of tattered clothing and dirty towels. Sitting up further, his face asked an unvoiced question.

“Lit’le Joe will be better.”

Standing, “I know. We almost lost him.”

Nodding, “Almost, but didn’t.” Continuing to his domain, he heard Ben ask, “Why? Do you know why he was out there?”

Before turning the corner from the dining room to the short hallway, “Boy come running through room, waving envelope. Hop Sing not know it words, only he leave, say he go to town.”

Lowering his head, “Thank you Hop Sing.” Allowing the flames to mesmerize and leech away the cold shiver than ran down and back up his spine, Ben held his hands forward.

*****

Entering the kitchen, Hop Sing spied Adam struggling to carry a full wood-sling and shut the door through which he had just entered, “Boy will appreciate warmth of room.”

“Boy? He’s almost twenty, he should have known better.”

“Maybe so. But, he always be boy, just like you,” Adam huffed at the smaller man’s words, “To your father you always be boy, just like Joe.” Adam’s visible breath faded the farther he entered into the room; he paused to wipe the beads of perspiration dotting his forehead. “Sweat good for man, and boy.” He continued to smile as Adam moved across the room.

Unable to stop the corners of his mouth from tweaking up, “Let’s hope he enjoys it under all those blankets Pa piled on him.”

“He does. Body getting warmer. Color come to cheeks.”

“Hop Sing, thank you for all your help.”

“No need thank Hop Sing, it what family do.” The cook, housekeeper, majordomo, defacto man in charge set a kettle on the stove after dropping the laundry in a corner.

****

Making his way through the dining room, Adam hesitated as the front door opened allowing a burst of cold air to enter at the same time as Hoss.

Pushing the door closed, he set a brown-paper wrapped package tied with string on the sideboard before rubbing his hands up and down his arms, “Dagummit, I didn’t think it could get any colder than it were.”

“How’s the kid’s horse?”

“About like Shortshanks, bumps and bruises, and chilled.” Pulling off his heavy coat, “Maybe a strained tendon, but I couldn’t find nothin’ serious wrong with ‘em.” Heavily striding to the fireplace to warm himself. “Joe owes his life ta that horse.”

“It’s not the first time Cochise has rescued him.”

“No Adam, it’s not,” Ben commented.  “But when he came limping into the yard with Joe’s saddle askew and then turned away, I felt I could have died right then and there. I just don’t understand why the boy felt he had to go out. Hop Sing said he went to town. What was so important tonight? This of all nights.”

“How’s he doing? He gonna be alright?”

“According to Hop Sing, he’s going to be fine.” Returning to his seat and settling about, Ben fixed his pipe and drew in a deep breath. Slowly exhaling the smoke drifted to the ceiling; his nerves beginning to calm.

“I better get this wood upstairs.”

“I’ll come with ya, I wanna see him too.”

*****

With his heart in his throat, Ben ran up the stairs at hearing the mixed voices of his sons yelling, “Pa, come quick!”

*****

Breathlessly asking, “What’s wrong?” Ben barely avoided colliding into Adam and Hoss standing down the hallway from his youngest’s bedroom, pointing as a light brightly shone from under the door.

“Pa, when I come in, there weren’t no light on in Joe’s room.”

“Joe couldn’t have lit the lamp. Not with his hands…”

As the three opened the door, the room faded back to the soft tones offered by the logs burning in the fireplace.

“What the…?” Ben’s hand remained on the doorknob, a gentle caress touched his cheek. “Marie?” A long familiar, but never forgotten fragrance of his late wife lingered momentarily before dissipating.

Slowly entering farther into the room, Ben spied sparkling green eyes peaking over the multitude of blankets, “Hi, P-pa.”

The blankets shifted as an arm moved and stiff fingers appeared trying to curl over to pull the blanket down a little.

“Uh, uh, uh. No you don’t.” Hoss was first to his brother’s bed. “You keep all a ya under those blankets.”

“W-want-ted t-to see b-bet-ter.”

“Young man, you’re lucky to see at all.” Finally composing himself, Ben sat on the edge of the bed while Adam placed several pieces of wood in the fireplace before putting the rest in the woodbin. “Son, what was so important that you had to go to town?” Unable to keep anger from his voice at the thought of his youngest dying before they could rescue him, “And tonight at that?”

“Had t-to…”

“You’re lucky Cochise was able to lead us to you,” Adam stated.

“S-s-so-ry.”

“Joe, I just cain’t image, if that pony a yours hadn’t come home when he did. Ya’d a died out there all alone.”

Realizing now was not the time, “Son, well, we’ll talk of this in the morning, when you’re warmer.” Standing to leave, Ben made sure the blankets were tightly tucked under the mattress.

Only Adam heard, “I wasn’t alone,” as Joe snuggled deeper into his warm cocoon.

*****

From the dining room table, three Cartwrights looked up as Hop Sing slowly assisted his youngest charge down the staircase.

“What?” Ben was instantly to his feet.

“I-I can do it Pa,” Joe apologetically answered. Giving a warm smile as Adam offered his chair for Joe to sit. Hoss switched Adam’s half-filled plate with an empty one for his brother. Taking a moment, he filled a coffee cup and set it within close reach.

“How are you feeling, son?” His eyes followed Hop Sing leaving the room, before returning to his son.

“B-better.” Trying to avert his eyes, yet wanting wanting to see his father’s expression, “Never thought I’d get warm again.”

“Well, drink your coffee and you’ll eat everything Hop Sing puts on your plate.”

“Yeah, them biscuits and gravy will sure finish warming ya up.” Hoss proceeded to finish eating his own breakfast.

*****

A half hour later, Hop Sing brought a fresh pot of steaming coffee to the family. A smile slowly spread at the sight, Little Joe fussing as his family cajoled him against sitting on the floor so close to the Christmas tree.

“Take my chair Sport.” Adam once again offered his seat.

“Thanks,” having the grace to blush as Hoss tucked the Indian blanket from the staircase over his lap and around his legs. “I guess you want to know why I went to town.”

“And needlessly risked your life. Joe, I know you heard me warn your brothers and the men about the dangers of an avalanche along that part of the trail.”

“I know, but I forgot about the letter, and I just had to get to town.”

“Letter?” three voices asked.

“I got a letter from a Mrs. Carmichael.”

Hoss look from Joe to Ben to Adam and back to Joe.

“I remember picking up the mail a few weeks back,” Adam spoke, “and there was an envelope with a return address from a Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael… New Orleans.”

Ben’s and Hoss’ eyes widened at the mention of the city, “Who’s Mrs. Carmichael?”

“You wouldn’t remember her as Mrs. Carmichael, none of us would. She wrote that when she left, she’d taken something with her; only it took her a lot longer to finish than she thought it would. After she received your letter, telling her about Momma, she stopped working on it.”

“Stopped working on what, Shortshanks?” Hoss sat forward on the stone hearth.

“I doesn’t matter. I lost it.”

“What was so important that you’d risk your life on the day before Christmas. As I’m sure you’ve heard us say, you could have died out there all alone.”

The depths of his feelings illuminated Joe’s face, “But I wasn’t alone. Momma was there with me. She kept telling me that you were on your way, and….”

“And?” Adam encouraged.

Pulling the blanket higher and draping it across his chest, trying to recreate the feeling, “She wrapped her arms around me to keep me warm. She told me stories of her sewing sessions with Aunt Dinah. How the two of them would giggle when I’d try to help them arrange their swatches.  I guess there was one time I went a little overboard and made a real mess when they’d gone to the kitchen to do some Christmas baking. Ma told how they came out to find me in the middle of the room, swatches everywhere and their sewing baskets emptied all over the floor.  She paddled me for being so naughty and made me clean everything up.” Pleading eyes, “I wasn’t scared, I felt safe in Momma’s arms.” Dropping the blanket, “But it doesn’t matter, I lost it.”

“Son…. Joseph, I don’t understand. What did you lose?”

“Momma,” Joe whispered.

Three confused men looked on towards the disheartened member of their family.

Sitting up straight, “Wait a minute! You went to town to pick something up? You placed it in a carry sack?” Hoss asked.

“Yeah, it’s probably at the bottom of the gorge. We’d be lucky if we found it by summer, and then it would be ruined.”

Jumping up from his place in front of the hearth, Hoss proceeded to the sideboard and picked up the packet he’d brought in the night before after tending to his brother’s horse. “This whatcha talkin’ about?”

Looking up, eyes once again bright, “Where’d you find that?”

“In the carry bag tied to yer saddle.”

Reaching out, Joe took the package before untying the string and removing all the layers of brown paper.

“Oh Heavens,” Ben muttered as the memories flooded back. “Marie was here last night.”

“Momma checked on me last night, right before you three came in; only she didn’t say anything about Hoss finding this.” Joe unfurled the richly colored material.

“I thought this was lost,” Ben rose and then knelt in front of the quilt. “Your mother and Dinah Mathiessen were working on this. Oh, the time I came home to find Marie in a dither, you’d helped them.  Marie was guiding your hands to help return Dinah’s sewing basket back to her.  The last time I saw this, they were about three-quarter of the way to finishing, but then Dinah and her husband moved; he was offered a better paying job. Later, I wrote and told her of Marie’s accident; I never heard back from her.”

“Dinah Mathiessen?” Hoss inquired.

“Aunt Dinah,” Adam nodded.

“I have her letter upstairs Pa. Abram died a number of years after they arrived back in New Orleans. She finally finished this when she found love again, she married a Joseph Carmichael.” Running his hands across the various pieces of fabric stitched together; feeling the love that went into its creation, as well as the completion of the project. “I forgot all about the letter, she said she wanted us to have this, and I really wanted to have Momma here for Christmas.”

Ben understood his son’s sentiments, “She’s always here, as are Elizabeth, and Inger.” He looked to Adam, and then Hoss. “But, this….” Ben’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

“Well, how about we unwrap the rest a our Christmas presents.” Hoss eagerly pulled gifts from under the gaily decorated tree and handed them to his family.

“Hop Sing!”

“I know, you talk, talk, talk, coffee get cold. I get more.”

“Ya know, I’m sure he enjoyed listenin’ to your story.”

Joe cackled, “Yep, he loves us, in his own special way.”

The rest of the morning focused on the festivities shared around the world among those who observed the holiday and all it’s traditions. Blessings abound as the family wished each other a very merry Christmas.

*****

Later that evening, his sons all having turned in earlier, Ben finally made his way upstairs and down the hall. Bright lights from under each of his sons’ doors dimmed moments before he felt one by one a gentle caress of lips pressed against his cheeks and softly heard, “Merry Christmas, My Love” spoken in three different accents.

Merry Christmas

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Natal

Joyeux Noel

Fröhliche Weihnachten

God jul

Mele Kalikimaka

Click here for the 2018 Advent Calendar – Day 22 – Bear Tracks by A-P