\n<\/span>~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~ *
\nDay 4<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Rethinking San Francisco<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They\u2019d said San Francisco wasn\u2019t cold in the winter, and it was true it wasn\u2019t too bad during the day. The night, though \u2026 Even though it wasn\u2019t cold here the same way as the army fort was cold, sleeping outside all night still wasn\u2019t that nice. The damp settled in while the sun was down \u2013 into his clothes and his hair and his shoes \u2013 and his nose and toes and fingers especially were all pretty numb come morning. Most nights he tried to hang out by a fire barrel as long as he could after dark, but usually someone would shoo him away long before the fire burned down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGet outta here, kid. Ain\u2019t enough room for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or somebody would come looking for free labor on an outbound ship. He wasn\u2019t too worried about being actually caught \u2013 he was faster than any sailor or crimp, and small enough to hide in spots they didn\u2019t even notice \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t smart to stick around long enough to let them get a good jump on you, either. The Barbary Coast was like everything he ever expected \u2026 but it did get tiring after a while. Made him kind of wish for the fort sometimes, even if it was boring and his pa was always gone and they made him take classes like he was at school.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well, his ma had always made him do those classes. Now that she was gone \u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But he didn\u2019t like to think about that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He\u2019d struck out from his usual haunts today and made his way down to the Opera House on Washington Street, figuring to hang around outside and watch the crowds. Maybe he\u2019d get a glimpse of that actress lady who was all anybody seemed to talk about these days. Young and pretty, he\u2019d heard, and some people were sayin\u2019 she rode a horse across the stage naked! Other men scoffed at that, said she was obviously wearin\u2019 clothes of some sort that just made her\u00a0look<\/em>\u00a0naked. For himself, he didn\u2019t know what to think except it would probably be pretty uncomfortable to ride a horse without any clothes on. And pretty cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or maybe\u00a0he<\/em>\u00a0was just cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The place was all done up for Christmas. It made him think of his ma, and he almost wished he hadn\u2019t come. She\u2019d of loved all the garland and pine boughs and red velvet bows draped along the balcony. Red and gold and silver and glass ornaments hung over the entrance and the upper story windows. A quick glance inside showed a tree, even. He\u2019d heard about those \u2013 a real live tree brought inside and decorated for Christmas \u2013 but had never seen one himself. His ma had always said that puttin\u2019 candles in a tree was just askin\u2019 for trouble \u2026 but bein\u2019 careful like that hadn\u2019t kept her alive any longer, had it?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He wondered what his pa was gonna do for Christmas this year, with him and his ma both gone, then shook the thought away. He wasn\u2019t gonna think about that either. Anyway, his pa was never home \u2013 he was always off on some patrol or hunt or delivery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His pa probably still hadn\u2019t even noticed he was gone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You know that isn\u2019t true,<\/em>\u00a0a little voice scolded, sounding an awful lot like his ma. He ignored her, tucking in against the brick and blowing on his fingers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maybe he\u2019d stick around, see if he could sneak inside tomorrow night before the show. The crowd had been pretty thick both goin\u2019 in and comin\u2019 out, and maybe nobody would notice if he stuck close behind and pretended to be someone\u2019s kid. He wanted to see that Christmas tree. And he wanted to see the lady.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And it was probably warmer inside. Nobody had mentioned that when a person woke up wet and chilled, it wasn\u2019t all that easy to warm up even in San Francisco.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He must have dozed off, because the voices woke him. A man and a woman, arguin\u2019 as they came out the entrance and turned toward him. He didn\u2019t mean to listen, but they didn\u2019t see him in his corner and didn\u2019t seem to care anyway who heard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c… told you I would be late tonight. Dorothy wanted to do some work on the waistline and darts – she said they were bunching during the final scene.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you said late, I didn\u2019t know it would be\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI told you that you didn\u2019t need to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd I told you that I didn\u2019t want you walking home alone in the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not worried about\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe entire city is busy talking about the Naked Lady, dear. If you don\u2019t think\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you jealous?\u201d Her laugh didn\u2019t sound like his ma\u2019s laugh. It was sharp. Angry, almost. \u201cWell, I didn\u2019t think you\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She was pulling on her gloves as they swept past, and one dropped at his feet. He snatched it and leaped up, starting after them. They were both already turning, and the man stepped quickly in front of her. He skittered back, and the lady shouldered impatiently around her companion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t be silly.\u201d The man\u00a0harrumphed<\/em>, but did not move to pull her away. The lady approached and he tucked his hands shyly behind him, kicking at the ground. She stopped, and he could just see her smile in the moonlight. \u201cI thank you.\u201d She did? He remembered that he was holding her glove\u2013actually a mitten, thick-knitted and warm\u2013and unclasped his hands, thrusting it toward her. She took it, and he felt the blush spring up as her fingers brushed his, and her laughter was warmer than it had been. \u201cWhat is your name?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It took him a minute to remember. \u201cCandy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCandy?\u201d Her smile widened, and he braced himself for the joke or comment. There was always some joke or comment. She didn\u2019t, though. Instead, she pursed her lips closed, tilted her head, and considered him in the silvery San Francisco moonlight. \u201cWhat are you doing out here alone, Candy?\u201d He shrugged, not sure what to say. She didn\u2019t really care\u2013she couldn\u2019t\u2013she was just bein\u2019 nice because he\u2019d picked up her mitten. The lady sighed, then tugged off her other mitten and held them both out to him. \u201cYour fingers are freezing. Why don\u2019t you take these?\u201d He shook his head, but she tucked them into his hands. \u201cYou take these, and you get warm, then go home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were a little small\u2014even at fourteen, his hands were bigger than hers\u2014and would probably be some girly color in the daylight, but he didn\u2019t even care. He tugged them quickly on, still almost warm from being inside until a few minutes ago, and curled his fingers waiting for the cold to pass. She watched him for a moment, looking like she would say more, but the man took her arm and tugged her away. She went with him, but as they crossed the street she looked back over her shoulder, and her voice seemed a little sad.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGo on home, Candy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He flexed his fingers as the feeling returned, then tucked his hands beneath his arms to hasten the warming. When his pa was actually home, he would always have all their gloves by the stove in the morning so they were toasty before you even pulled them on. And around Christmas, his pa always somehow found chocolate for them to drink and a peppermint stick to go with it\u2014even if he wasn\u2019t there himself to drink it with them.\u00a0Go on home, Candy boy.<\/em>\u00a0It was his ma\u2019s voice this time, and he didn\u2019t push her away.\u00a0You know your pa does his best. He\u2019ll be missing you somethin’ bad.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yeah. He stamped his feet, and rubbed his hands together, and watched the lady and man disappear around a corner. The Christmas ornaments hanging above him glittered weirdly in the pale San Francisco moonlight\u2014not like Christmas should look at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yeah, maybe he would.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Merry Christmas!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Character: Candy Canaday<\/p>\n Item: Knitted mittens<\/p>\n Secondary character: Adah Menken<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Summary: A young runaway rethinks his choices at Christmas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So … the timing of when Candy would (probably-ish) be 14 and when Adah Menken would have been in San Francisco doesn’t work out quite right — however, as the show itself didn’t always care about these things, and didn’t get Adah’s timing exactly right either, I figured a little literary license doesn’t hurt anything. \ud83d\ude09 Also, she was technically with a different husband (number 3) when she was in San Francisco than the one upon which John Regan was based (number 2). I intentionally left it vague – feel free to imagine her with either John (from the show) or Robert (her real husband of the moment).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Link to the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar – Day 5 – Bringing Peace (by AC1830)<\/a><\/p>\n![\":christmas5:\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bonanzabrand.info\/forums\/uploads\/emoticons\/xmas6.gif?ssl=1\" "\\":christmas5:\\"")
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