Date Posted:15:02:29 12/20/09 Sun Author:Page Subject: Super story, Debi! I love Molly's generous heart, and the story is a good reminder of what the spirit of Christmas is all about. In reply to:
Debi
's message, "The spirit of giving" on 12:10:12 12/20/09 Sun
>The Christmas tree stood on the stage, bare except for
>colored lights. Molly had a box of clear plastic, snap
>together ornaments behind the bar and a bunch of
>hooks.
>
>The back door opened, letting in a brief stab of
>light, then it closed and the interior went back to
>its normal dimness. Jimmy stopped, watched her
>accordion pleating a pair of twenty dollar bills and
>turned to the tree and read the sign posted on the
>wall beside it. I knew who you meant when you said "watched her" but I'd change it to Molly because it made me pause a moment.
>“ ‘Help make Elijah Bristol’s Christmas a great one.
>Buy an ornament and help us decorate his tree.’” Jimmy
>dug in his wallet and dropped a twenty on the bar.
>Molly grinned and handed him a hook and an ornament.
>Jimmy stuffed the bill inside and hung it on the tree,
>coming back to watch what she was doing. Another
>couple of bills became a body and a skirt, with twist
>ties and paper clips holding the angel together. Molly
>stood the little figure up on the bartop.
again, I got a little confused on the transition from Jimmy to Molly- "Another couple of bills..." It all made sense on a reread but at first, I thought huh? I didn't understand what she was doing. Maybe say- Molly formed a bill into a small body. Another became a skirt.
After that everything went smooth. I saw it all very clearly, so maybe it was me having trouble getting into the scene, but i thought I'd let you know.
>“How much money is in that little thing?” Jimmy turned
>the angel, estimating her worth by identifying the
>bills that she was constructed from. His eyes widened.
>“Molly, you can’t afford that.”
>
>She shrugged. “Claudia and Thad can’t afford Elijah’s
>chemo either. Besides, this place is paid for so I can
>spare some.” What she didn’t tell him was that, with
>Gil not around, she hadn’t spent much money at all,
>aside from the usual expenses of inventory, payroll
>and upkeep. Indulging herself had ceased, due mostly
>to a lack of interest. Molly wasn’t much of a shopper
>anyway. Without dinners out and birthday and Christmas
>gifts to pay for, the little indulgences that went
>with being in a relationship, she needed an outlet,
>someone or something to care about. Declan was great
>company, but his conversational talents were a bit
>lacking.
>
>Again, she gave a fleeting thought to what she had
>with Gil. She’d pretty much decided that fuck buddy
>was the term that came closest to describing their
>relationship, though Molly was reasonably sure that
>fuck buddies didn’t feel a physical ache when their
>partner was absent. Making an effort to rip her
>thoughts from that well worn path, she returned to the
>matter at hand.
>
>“By the time Christmas rolls around, I want that
>bastard to be groaning with money. And gifts too. They
>all need stuff and don’t have any money for any of it.”
>
>Jimmy ducked behind the bar, kicking the kegs under
>the taps to gauge how full they were. “Got some of
>that taken care of. My buddies at the bike shop are
>doing a toy drive.”
>
>“Jimmy, that’s so cool! Thanks!” Molly gave him an
>impromptu hug and he blushed to the roots of his grey
>hair.
>
>“Nah, it’s nothin’ they weren’t already planning to
>do. I just told ‘em about Elijah. Poor little critter,
>sick like that.”
>
>“Jimmy, you’d have been one cool dad, you know that?”
>
>He cast her a sideways glance, a crooked little smile
>lighting his craggy features. “Thank you, Miss Molly.
>I appreciate that.”
>
>Declan paused by the Christmas tree, sniffing around
>the base of it. Molly turned her attention to him,
>raising her voice to be heard over the Christmas music
>playing.
>
>“Don’t you dare, you piece of shit! Lift your leg on
>the tree and die!”
>
>
>By early that night, the tree bore quite a few new
>ornaments and a couple of wrapped packages. Ana had
>left coupons for meals from the diner, as well as an
>ornament of her own. Other business owners came by,
>stopping for a drink, even if they didn’t usually
>patronize her bar, all of them with a gift, some
>money, a card. Molly’s campaign was well on its way.
>It didn’t hurt that a majority of the city had been
>plastered with flyers. She had even gotten a call from
>a local television station, wanting to do a story
>about Elijah and his family. Molly had given them
>Will’s number, leaving it to him to decide. It wasn’t
>her place to make that choice for them. It would
>probably get them a lot of attention and maybe a lot
>of support. The citizens of the city were generous
>with their help, especially for children and military.
>
>Tom Roark came in, his friend Catherine accompanying
>him as always. He stopped in front of the tree, read
>the notice and turned to Molly.
>
>“Gimme a couple of those ornaments.”
>
>She handed them over and he and Catherine both stuffed
>bills inside. Then he got out his cell phone and made
>a call. Catherine listened in, a smile growing on her
>face. Closing the phone, he asked Molly, “You got any
>Christmas music performances planned?”
>
>Molly shook her head in reply.
>
>“You do now. You tell me the day and I can make
>arrangements for some good live music.”
>
>Now she was intrigued. “Who would that be?”
>
>He grinned. “My kids. They put themselves through
>college performing and I know they’d love to help out
>with this.”
>“I hate to ask like this Tom, but are they any good?”
>
>He produced his phone again. Poking at the keys for a
>moment, he finally nodded. “Here you go.”
>
>Pouring from the little speaker was a warm honeyed
>harmony, how many voices Molly wasn’t sure, but even
>the Eagles would have been jealous of how Seven
>Bridges Road sounded coming from them. She stuck her
>hand across the bar and Tom shook it.
>
>“You got yourself a deal. Tell you what. We were
>planning a Christmas party for the family next
>weekend. That enough notice for them to be here?”
>
>“I don’t see why not. My daughters shouldn’t be a
>problem, my son is a doctor, but I think he’s free
>then. I’ll let you know for sure here in just a bit.”
>He retired to a table and pulled out his phone again.
>Molly shook her head in wonder.
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