Summary:  Plans aren’t going exactly as Ben expected, and with family and friends not as close as he wanted, life doesn’t look quite so happy.
Rating:  G  2,490 words

Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar

Finding Solace Series:

Between the Twelfth of Never and Forever
Between Forever and Where No One Stands Alone
So, This is Christmas
Not as Originally Designed

Bonanza
~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
DAY 19

So, This is Christmas….

So, this is Christmas, mused a somber Ben Cartwright.  The tray with his dirty dinner dishes had long before been placed out in the hallway while he prepared to settle in for the night.  He wanted to sleep in his own bed and sit in his own chair and… He wanted to be home.  But it wasn’t to be.  Not tonight and probably for days, if not weeks yet to come.

The remodeling of the ranch house of the Ponderosa had hit a snag, a major snag, it appeared.  At the beginning of the month, it had been announced that a hotel room had been reserved in Virginia City for the duration of the renovation.  A move that had been insisted by Mr. Landers’ boss, who had personally come, not to just sign off on the project, but to see it through to completion.

It had been three weeks previous that he’d been introduced to a Nikola Tesla and listened as the man went on and on about incandescent lighting and its benefits over the gas lighting being installed in the Ponderosa; as well as a new form of power generation he had designed.  Ben didn’t understand half of what he was explaining nor why if these new gadgets were so superior why they weren’t being installed.  Actually, he was beginning not to care and wanted the young man gone.  And now, one week until Christmas he still wasn’t sure about all the crates he’d witnessed freighted through; destination The Ponderosa, and whether there would even be a family Christmas this year.

Rains had hit the lower elevations, while piling the upper ranges deep in snow.  The mud-filled streets turned everything dreary and depressing.  Doctor Paul Martin was too busy with numerous patients due to slips and falls, in addition to colds from being drenched in the winter chill, that by the time he fixed and ate his own meals, he was too tired to visit with his good friend.  Sheriff Roy Coffee was out of town, having retired years before, and taken to visiting his sister in San Francisco for the holidays.  Ben Cartwright didn’t even have the Widow Hawkins to fend off; she had quietly passed away in her sleep a few months before Hoss died.  Oh, how he was missing his home and family.

Wearing his pajamas, slippers, and robe, he settled in a chair in front of the woodburning stove and began perusing a list he had created as a way to keep track of everything, including the days.  He’d wired Hop Sing extending his vacation to visit his cousins in San Francisco until the weekend after Christmas and thought of how now, it might extend into the New Year.  Ben pulled the wires received from Joseph, stating that he and Jamie had delivered the cattle to the army and received a more than fair price, and that they gratefully accepted Ben’s offer to spend a couple more days recovering from the drive, since the rains that now soaked Virginia City had struck them first, drenching everything they’d taken.  Not to mention the fact that after delivering the cattle, Jamie’s horse had stepped on him, breaking his ankle.  So instead of riding home, they would need to take the train and their return was dependent on the railroad for making it through the mountains.  Ben knew Joe would take care of Jamie, but still….a father had the right to worry.

*****

December 21^st dawned bright, with the sun daring any gray clouds to dampen the mood.  By lunchtime, Virginia City’s main thoroughfare was drying out enough that more people returned to the streets and the shops.  Laughter and excited voices happily proclaimed the citizens were eagerly finalizing their Christmas shopping.

Opening the hotel room door to head downstairs for lunch, Ben encountered Mr. Landers, arm raised with fisted hand, just beginning to move towards the door to knock.

“Mr. Cartwright?!” he exclaimed in surprise.

With a businesslike voice, “Mr. Landers.”

“I hope you don’t have any plans for lunch, I thought you might like to see the progress we’ve made at your home.”

Ben heard the embarrassment and apologetic undertones in the man’s words.

“I know we’re a week later than promised, but I swear, you and your entire family will approve of the additions that were made.”

“Additions?”  Unknowing if to be flustered or indignant; he had previously managed every change to the Ponderosa since the first trees were felled, and after essentially feeling like he had been kicked out of his home and someone else taking charge of the work… “I didn’t authorize any additions, and since I didn’t sign the contract, you can’t hold me accountable for any cost overruns.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I assure you, you need not worry about any expenses.”

Fastening his gun belt around his hips and retrieving his hat; Ben followed the contractor down the stairs and into the lobby.

Extending his arm forward, motioning Ben ahead of him through the entrance, “I’ve taken the liberty of hiring a rig and driver to see us to the Ponderosa.”

Climbing aboard, Ben took his seat and tried to envision the additional changes that were or had been made to his home, but his nerves had him on edge.  For the first time in a long time Ben felt his life was out of his control.

*****

The driver skillfully maneuvered the team of horses around the barn and into the main yard where Ben saw many of his ranch hands milling about, eagerly talking, and shouting “Welcome Back Boss!” or welcoming Mr. Cartwright.

Stepping from the carriage, Ben greeted his hands, answering “Soon” to their questions on when he’d be back.  As the hands stepped away, there stood Ben’s two oldest friends: Paul Martin and Roy Coffee.

The men shook hands and briefly spoke; asking and leaving unanswered the question of ‘what was going on?’

Paul Martin did answer, “We just wanted to stop by to wish you a Merry Christmas, and say that we’ll see you on Christmas Eve.”

“Just like always,” Roy answered.  The two took their leave knowing what was about to happen and wanting to give the family their privacy.

Behind him, Ben heard the front door open and footsteps on the planks under the new light shining above the porch.

“Merry Christmas Pa!” shouted Jamie as he shrugged off the hand placed on his shoulder to run to the man who had opened his heart and his home to an orphan, and given him his name, so many years before.

Oblivious to the elder Cartwright, Landers and the driver helped Paul and Roy into the carriage before quietly driving from the yard to return to town.

Turning, everyone present knew to expect the shocked expression on the Patriarch’s face, taking his son into a hug, “What happened to your broken ankle?”

“Sorry for lying to you, but we needed a little more time,” Joe spoke as he stepped towards his family, enveloping both into a hug.

Wiping tears of happiness from his eyes, Ben teased, “Joseph, I trust you have a better answer than that.”

Nodding, “A better answer waits for you inside.”

Trepidation had a strong hold around his heart, unknowing if the ranch would truly feel like home with all the ‘so-called improvements’ being installed, even with his sons returned unexpectedly early.  And Roy’s reappearance and Paul not looking all that worn out.  It was all so confounding and confusing.

As he stepped through the entry, Ben took comfort and marveled at how the great room still felt warm and inviting.  The only real difference he could see were the sconces on the walls and the flickering flames.  The mess that the room had been when he left remained only a figment of his memory.  Joe began showing Ben the various switches on the walls and how to operate the new fireplace.  “There’s another switch for the… your office area.”

Catching his son’s correction, “Joe, it’s been a few years since it was my office area.”

Knowing the other changes made, Jamie tugged on Ben’s sleeve, “Pa, ya gotta come see what they did in the kitchen.”

“I’m coming,” Ben answered while removing his coat, the warm feeling of home continued to surround him.

Ben halted after entering the hallway between the dining room and the kitchen, “That’s Hop Sing’s voice…” Turning to look at his two sons, “Have all of you been in on the remodeling?  I told him not to return until after Christmas.”

“Well, there’s no way he would go along with the changes to the kitchen otherwise…” Joe cackled, prodding Ben forward once more.

Hearing a deeper voice presumedly answering in Cantonese, Ben wondered if Hop Sing had brought along one of his many cousins to help.  Though there wasn’t a tremendous amount of work to be done throughout the house; Ben rued, they both were getting older, and slowing down.  Admitting he’d turned over most of the running of the Ponderosa to his sons a few years back, he couldn’t fault his faithful employee wanting to do the same.

Entering the kitchen, Ben saw Hop Sing admiring the newest addition, placing bowls onto the various shelves before closing the door.

Turning and bowing to the as yet unseen, fifth person in the room, “wǒ qiānbēi de jiēshòu nínde lǐwù.” (I humbly accept this gift.)

Bowing in return, “Búkèqì ，wǒdepéngyǒu.” (You are most welcome, my friend.)

Ben’s eyes widened in return at the man who now stood before him; the beard and mustache were peppered with gray, immaculately trimmed, and fit the face perfectly.  The dark hair was gray at the temples, and the face a little more weathered.  But none of that could hide the shine in the eyes that he would know anywhere.

“Adam…” Ben breathed, almost collapsing into the arms of his oldest.

Joe hurriedly pulled a chair out as Adam aided their father to sit at the small butcher block table that had seen so many years-worth of work. It was one thing he was in agreement with Hop Sing in that they would not be replacing.

“How…” taking the glass of water Jamie now offered.

“I’m home Pa.”

Looking from one son to the next, and to Hop Sing.

“You all knew?”

“Yes Pa, they all knew.”  Kneeling in front of his father, taking his hands in his own, “I wrote to Joe and informed him what I wanted to do.”

After drinking half the glass, “You were all in on this…. Conspiracy?”

One after another, they all nodded.

“We needed to keep you ‘off kilter’ so to speak, so we solicited help from Roy and Paul to ‘keep away’,” Jamie answered.

“You know how well both of them can’t keep a secret,” Joe added.

“I’m sorry, I know how you feel about the Ponderosa, but I wanted to make these improvements for you, my family.  So, I kind of fibbed in the beginning about the extent of what I had designed,” explained Adam.

Knowing his employer needed a few moments to take it all in, Hop Sing gave him that time by asking Adam to tell Ben all about his new kitchen.

“With the installation of the gas lighting, we were able to run pipes to the kitchen and installed a stove that runs off of gas, not wood.  This will provide a regulated temperature while Hop Sing is preparing our meals.

“I remember Hoss burning our food in the old oven a few times,” Joe stated.

“As opposed to your totally turning our food to ash when it was your turn to cook?” Adam rejoined.

“Yeah, well, I was the youngest, and I learned…” Joe bantered back good-naturedly.

“Eventually,” Hop Sing grinned.  “But tell of this,” he’d moved to the cabinet where he’d placed the bowls earlier.

“This is a refrigerator.”  Adam explained, opening the door and closing it.  “There is a coal oil generator in the new shed out back, and a little bit away so you don’t hear it in the house.  This appliance works to pull the heat from the food and cools it, allowing the cooked food to be stored to prevent it from spoiling.  This technique was developed by Carl von Linde and the process involves liquifying gas…”  Realizing his excitement over the technological aspect was not shared by his family members, “Also, milk can be stored in this without the need for a block of ice, like you see at the smaller hotels in San Francisco.  Most of the larger hotels in the bigger cities have or are retrofitting their kitchens to include refrigerators.”

*****

The family, Roy, and Paul, had long been to bed after enjoying a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, using all the new gadgets that Adam had provided to his family.

Waking from a pleasant dream Ben felt the urge to return to the great room.  Grabbing his robe and slipping it on, he left his room and headed downstairs.  Ignoring the switches to the new lighting, Ben stopped after turning on the landing, unbelievingly, to the figure standing in front of the hours-dormant fireplace, yet a glow surrounded him and the young boy standing before him.

“Yeah Pa, it’s me.”

“Hoss…”

“Uncle Adam done good, didn’t he?” the boy at Hoss’ side giggled.

Patting the child’s shoulders, “Pa, this is Joey.  Alice is his ma.”

Grabbing the railing, “Did I die?”

“No, not fore a number of years to come.”

Finally making it to his chair and sitting down, Ben motioned for the child to come sit on his lap.  “He looks so much like Joseph at this age.”

“Yeah, and will probably get into just as much trouble as Shortshanks.”

Small hands took one of his, “Merry Christmas Grandpa.”

Hugging the grandchild he’d never met, “Merry Christmas Joey.”

Looking to the son he still grieved, “How long can you stay?” inquired Ben.

“In this form, not long.  But Pa, you know we’ll always be here.  Watchin’ over you, and Adam, Joe, and Jamie.”

Just the two of you? Ben’s eyes asked.

“No Pa, we’re all watchin’ over our family. They wanted to come too, but St. Peter thought it might be best if it were just the two of us, what with Adam comin’ home too.”

“But how?”

Taking a seat on the low table in front of where Ben sat, Hoss softly whispered, “This IS Christmas, Pa.”

To those near and far, and the absent ones who have already earned their angel wings.  ~ Merry Christmas! ~

Invention: Refrigerator
Character: Ben

Author’s note:  I know during my renovation of the Ponderosa, I’ve included more ‘inventions’ than the one I was assigned. I’ll blame Adam on his eagerness to provide for his family.   I did try to minimize their inclusion, in case someone else had one of them as their prompt.  I didn’t start out to include them, but my muse kept submitting change requests.

The title of this story was taken from the John Lennon song of the same name.

Hopefully, Google Translation did an acceptable job with my few phrases of Chinese.

Link to Day 20 of the Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar – Heartaches by the Dozen by Sklamb