The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 5

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 5 Lily Valley

I held Jacob’s last letter to my chest and looked out into the snow cover garden. I had received his letter three months ago. He had written it nine months ago, and he had cautioned me to the fact that he might not get another chance to write before he and his family left Mikapo to come back. I wanted him back so desperately, I could taste it. He had left close to two years ago and it would be over two years by the time his family made it back across the ocean.

He had hated it. He had never come right out and said it but I could tell from his letters that he was always uncomfortable there. He had described their customs and how he could only see his mother and sisters during two hours of the day. He said that his mother had adjusted back to her old traditions rather well, but his sisters never got use to it. So that after a few months they had to move into a different house, away from his mother’s family so that they could live in a way they were used to.

I sighed. I just wanted him home. He just wanted to be home, but it was a pointless endeavor to stand wishing here all day, just like trying to stay death’s hand is pointless. I turned and put the creased, worn and in some places torn letter back inside my drawer where I had his other letters. Some were from before he had even sailed away. They were nothing as boring as love letters, but they had been sufficient in keeping us connected. I closed the drawer and walked into my family’s common room where both my father and mother sat. My father was reading a new book that mother had given him and mother was trying out her new set of calligraphy quills that I had given her. In between them, they held hands, their fingers linked and held tight.

“Lily, where are you off to?” My mother asked me as I took my coat, glove and hat from their hanging place.

“To Lark’s. We are going to build a snowman with John and Graham.”

My mother blinked at me and I thought that perhaps they might be tears. “But darling, it is Christmas. I thought we could spend it together.”

I looked around at the dead room. True, the fire was crackling warmly and the room was cozy, but this was not me. I would stay restless until I had a suite of my own and someone to hold hands with.

“Patricia, perhaps we could allow this one outing.” My father lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. She smiled gently at him and nodded to me.

“But, once the snowman is made, you are to come right back and we will have Christmas dinner.”

“Yes mother.” I donned my winter cloths and headed out into the snow. There had been snow on the ground for a few weeks now, and it had dulled and dirtied, but a new snow turned the older snow pure white. It had fallen last night and this was perfect for making our snowman. We always made it after the third snow fall.

“Lily!” Lark called from far off. She waved and both of her brothers turned and waved to me as well. I happily waved back and hurried my steps.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Lark said, handing me an old hat that held a scarf, two pieces of coal, a large button and a broken string that still held a few red beads.

“Why? So I can hold the stuff?”

“No,” she laughed, “so that we don’t freeze. We were expecting you fifteen minutes ago.”

“Sorry, I got distracted and my mother didn’t want me to come at first.”

She nodded and we watched as the two boys rolled the bottom snowball. “Come on John,” I called once it was up to his knees, “you can surely do better than that.”

“Then you do it Lily.” He said it in a serious voice, but I knew he was joking.

“Um, the boys always do the bottom two snowballs and the girls always do the top and decorate.”

“Yeah but this was easier when Jacob and Michael were here,” Graham complained.

Lark snorted. “Jacob perhaps, but Michael? Don’t hold your breath.”

“I agree with Graham,” John said through gritted teeth. He and Graham finally stopped rolling when the snowball was up to his mid-thigh.

“I suppose that’s good enough. Now start the second one, chop chop.” Graham and John shot me evil looks, but bent over to start their next job anyway.

Lark sighed heavily next to me. “Aww, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“The silence. It is so nice, something that would never have been achieved if Michael were here.”

“Why isn’t he here? He has never missed a third snowfall snowman building before.”

“The entire royal family went to spend the week before Christmas at one of their many estates. He should be getting back soon, but I’m not sure if it will be today or tomorrow.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” We continued to watch the boys as they went to work and finally they were done. That was when Lark and I went to work. We packed the snow into a nice snowball and then rolled it and rolled it until it was the perfect size for the head.

We then had the boys help us to place it atop the middle snowball. Once it was set and would not move unless knocked directly, we started making the face. We put the hat on his head, then Lark put the two coal pieces as eyes, while I put the button as a nose and then the string of beads as a neat red mouth.

“How does it look?” We said together, stepping back.

“Good as always.” John said, “I think maybe we should …”

“I’m here! I’m here!” We turned to see Michael running like wild around the corner. When he saw us and the finished snowman he stopped and frowned.  I felt bad for our handsome friend, especially since he seemed so crestfallen that we had done all this without him.

“What are you doing here?” Lark asked.

“I came here to help with the snowman, but apparently I was not needed.”

“Oh trust me my friend, your help would have been much appreciated. Why don’t we have some tea and you can tell us all about what you got for Christmas.” Michael brightened up and walked away with John, with Graham following close behind. Lark followed as well, none too happily, but stopped when she realized I wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” The others stopped too and looked back at me.

“I promised I’d go home as soon as the snowman was finished.”

“Oh, well will I see you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Why don’t you come by and we’ll have tea.”

“Alright, good-bye Lily.”

“Good bye Lark and to you too John, Graham, Michael.”

“Good bye Lily,” John and Graham called, but Michael of course had to be Michael.

“Good bye loveliest flower of the court. Merry Christmas.”

“And a Merry Christmas to you too!” I turned and walked off. The garden was always lovely after new snow, but of course the stark whiteness reminded me of Jacob. His face and voice was usually always blank as snow and that made me miss him all the more. When I finally got home, my mother and father were still in the common room and were happy to see me. We had dinner a few hours later and I sat there mainly listening to their conversation, but I got to be a part of it from time to time.

“By the way Lily,” my mother said, as I rose to go to bed, “the servants brought in a letter for you today.” I looked over to where she nodded and I saw a letter with my name on it. This is not what made me stop though, it was the handwriting. It was from Jacob and I practically ran to my room.

Lily,

I hope this gets to you in time. I have already left by the time this reaches you, but I just wanted to say, Merry Christmas. Have a Happy New Year.

Jacob Noblehouse

It wasn’t long. It wasn’t romantic in anyway, but it was Jacob and that meant that it was perfect.