Christmas on the Sidewalk
By San Antonio Rose
On the Internet, anything can happen and usually does. Especially around Christmas; legend has it that anything can happen at Christmastime anyway.
On Christmas Eve of 2000, this is what was happening….
"Ja… Nee, nee, ich verstehe… Na, klar! No, you go ahead. Y’all have a good time, and tell George I said hey." Rose laughed. "Okay, Fuzzy. Wiederhör’n."
"Who was that?" Murdock asked, coming into the hall from living room.
"Fuzzy," Rose answered as she hung up the cordless phone. "The Chickies are having their Christmas party tonight, too, so she can’t make it."
"Oh. Sorry to hear that."
"So the 2017 crew’s gonna be there?"
"That’s what she said."
"That’ll be interesting." He looked at his watch. "Man, BA’s supposed to have been here by now! Wonder what’s keepin’ him."
A sudden splash made them both jump and run to the back door. A snowflake landed on Rose’s nose as she dashed out into the backyard—without her coat, she realized too late. Still, she and her crazy pilot friend ran through the unfenced area behind Rosenjean Detective Agency and into Jean’s backyard. There they saw the reason BA was late: Moe had gotten out the paint, and Jean, BA, Micky, and Davy were fighting to keep him from painting the Yellow Submarine, Jean’s prized acquisition from the Beatles’ garage sale, plaid. Moe was at this point yelling his head off while clambering out of the icy waters of Riu Chiu.
"It stays YELLOW!" the others hollered.
"But you knuckleheads didn’t have to throw me in the water!" Moe screeched.
"We didn’t throw you! You fell in ‘cause you were fighting too close to the edge!" Jean retorted.
"Listen, foo’…" BA began.
"I think there are some towels in the box," Davy whispered to the newcomers, walking away from the altercation. "Normally I’d stay an’ ’elp put Moe in ’is place, but Jean’s rather fond o’ arguin’ with the lad for all the trouble ’e causes, so I don’t want ’im to catch cold."
Murdock shook his head. "Y’all ever thought about tryin’ to get him some psychiatric help? Looks to me like this plaid thing is some kind of fixation."
Rose chuckled. "Just help us get the towels, will ya, H.M.? Moe’s about to turn into a popsicle."
The threesome walked over to the black box. Rose punched in her access code, and they entered.
"Ha! I knew it!" Davy crowed, opening a storage compartment in one corner. "’Ere they are, piping hot an’ everything."
"That’s one of the great things about the ‘Net," Rose grinned, taking a stack. "All you have to do is wish for something and it’ll be there."
"At least on the Sidewalk, that’s a good thing," Murdock agreed, picking up a blanket. "Elsewhere it’s not such a good idea."
"True… C’mon. Let’s get these out to Moe before he freezes for real."
Poor Moe was indeed turning blue by the time the Chalkie and her friends got out of the box and over to the sub dock. Micky finished off the lecture while Rose and Davy got Moe bundled into the sub.
"BA, would you mind tying Moe to his chair?" Jean asked. "Just make sure he’s close enough to the heater. Davy and I have to get over to HQ."
"Yeah, and I have to go help Nancy close up," Micky added.
"Sure thing, I’ll take care of ’im," BA nodded. "Still need my help, Rose?"
Race poked his head around the corner of Jean’s house. "’Ey! Did I hear yellin’ over here?"
"Yeah, you missed all the excitement, Race," Rose called as she came out of the sub. "I think Murdock and I can handle it," she answered BA. "If nothing else, we’ll draft Race to help us out. Then you can just head over and help Hannibal and Face with the Nativity scene."
"Right," BA nodded. "See you guys there, then." And with that, he headed into the sub.
"What happened?" Race asked, walking over to the group.
Jean dialed a code into her remote, and the paint disappeared into the recesses of the box. "Moe tried to paint the sub plaid."
"Again?" Race shook his head in disbelief. "When is dat guy gonna learn?"
"Good question," Murdock sighed.
"All set," Davy nodded, coming back outside. "Ready, luv?"
"Didja give him some of my spaghetti?" Jean asked.
Davy looked horrified. "’E’s been through enough for one day, Jean! I gave ’im a spot o’ tea."
"That’s bad enough," Micky cracked. Davy threw a snowball at him.
"Okay, gang, break it up," Rose laughed. "Y’all better get goin’. C’mon, Race. You can give Murdock and me a hand with the stuff from the store."
Micky waved and headed off across the street to Nancy’s TCBY, Soda Shoppe, and Coffee House, which stood next to her house. Jean and Davy went in the back door of Jean’s house to collect what they were taking, and the other three went around to the street. There they saw four familiar characters looking lost.
"Oh, no…" Rose moaned.
"What?" Murdock and Race both asked at once.
"It’s the Monkees from the Daydream Believers movie. Desy’d kill ’em if she saw ’em…."
Just then, Aaron-Micky walked up to her. "Hey! Um… we’re kinda lost. We were invited to some Christmas party, but we’re not exactly sure where it is."
"That guy looks like Mush!" Race whispered to Murdock.
"Shh…" Murdock whispered back.
"What… what group was the invitation from?" Rose asked warily.
"The… uh… Dreaded German Chickie Corps," L.B.-Peter replied.
"Oh!" Rose grinned, relieved. "You’re headed the right way, then. Just keep going across the bridge, and you’re right there. Third building on the right, I think. Can’t miss it."
"Thanks!" the "Monkees" chorused and trooped off.
"That was close," Rose sighed.
"Why’d that one guy look like Mush?" Race demanded.
"Same actor played both characters."
"Oh."
"Why would Desy kill those four—I mean, aside from the fact that they’re not really the Monkees?" Murdock asked as they checked the door of the detective agency. It was really Jean’s business, since Rose was busy with college, but Rose was kind of a junior partner and, even when she couldn’t do much detecting on her own, served as the agency’s crime lab technician and general consultant.
"That movie got REALLY mixed reviews," Rose answered. "Some people, like the Chickies, loved it. Alex did, and so did some of my other friends, including RL ones. Other people, like Desy, absolutely hated it, hence the popcorn thing. Tippy and Jean weren’t overly impressed. I’ve only seen clips, but I can see why. C’mon in; I need to get the stuffing out of the oven and grab my coat."
The trio stopped across the alley from the Alamo General Store (and Desy’s Dummies) at Rose’s house, the only fachwerk Victorian-style home on the Sidewalk and the only one known to have tie-dyed stained glass in the window of the front door. Murdock ran back to the kitchen to get the stuffing and green bean casserole out of the oven, and Rose grabbed her coat off the back of the couch.
"Ready?" Race asked, taking the casserole.
"You bet!" Rose grinned, pulling on her gloves.
They trooped out the door and down the Sidewalk to pick up lights, water, and firewood from the store. There they inadvertently interrupted Desy and Mush’s weekly game of checkers.
"That’s okay," Desy sighed with a twinkle when they apologized. "Mush was cheating anyway."
"Was not!" Mush objected over everyone’s laughter.
The store was sort of community property, although Metty and Desy were technically the owners. Rose ran the pharmacy, Murdock the lunch counter, and Jean the bookstore, where everyone brought their stories for their first readings. Tiff and Alex, the younger members, and the Newsies also took turns helping out in the various parts of the store when they had some time to kill. So did Tippy, but her time was often spent taking care of things at Chalkie Headquarters: overseeing construction, stocking the library shelves, looking over new applications, and so on. She and Metty shared a two-story house attached to HQ.
"Got a whole load of mesquite that I can’t use," Desy informed the newcomers. "It’s pretty knotted, and I can’t seem to get it to carve right. Here, I’ve sacked it up for you."
"Thanks, Des," Rose smiled. "Race, you wanna get the lights?"
"Sure thing," Race nodded.
"I got the water," Murdock called from the grocery section.
"Why do we need water?" David asked, coming down from the stockroom upstairs with Les following close behind, both carrying boxes of ornaments. "I thought Nancy was supposed to bring sodas for everyone."
"The plumbing’s been kinda erratic," Desy replied. "The cold may have burst a pipe somewhere. That’s what Mike thinks."
"And you can’t exactly wash your hands in Dr. Pepper," Rose added.
"Here, I’ll get that, Les," Mush volunteered. "You get the garland."
"Will youse guys come on already?" Jack called, poking his head in the door.
"Go get Sarah, we’re ready!" Rose laughed, slinging the firewood bag over her shoulder.
"C’mon, Rose," Murdock grinned. "Let the slowpokes catch up."
They walked outside just as snow began to lightly fall.
"A law was made a distant moon ago here…" Rose sang lightly.
"July and August cannot be too hot," Murdock joined in.
"And there’s a legal limit to the
snow here
In Camelot…"
Their song was cut off by the arrival of a large blue-and-white spaceship. A door on the side opened, and a penguin poked its head out.
"Am I seein’ things again?" Murdock frowned.
"Nah. I know that face. It’s Midgel!" Rose chuckled.
"’Ow’d you know that?" Midgel asked, somewhat taken aback.
"Never mind. Y’all lost or somethin’?"
"Uh, yeah. We understand the Veggies are having a Christmas party tonight, an’ Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki wanted us to come."
"Ooh, wrong website, babe. This is eGroups.com. Try Bigidea.com. I have NO idea how to get there from here. But if you can’t find it, y’all are welcome to come back and join us!"
"Right. Thanks… um…"
"Rose."
"Thanks, Rose!"
"No prob," Rose grinned. The ship took off, and the two Texans continued on past BA’s garage, Hannibal and Face’s movie studio, and Amy’s paper, the main employment of the handful of Newsies residing on the Sidewalk. As they crossed Chalkie Avenue, Tiff and Alex came across Beechwood from locking up the Pad, and Harley locked up her motorcycle shop and boarding house (where she, the younger Chalkies, Sarah Jacobs, and Amy Allen lived) and dashed across the street wearing a sweatshirt and shorts.
"Crazy Austinite… I mean, Australian," Rose remarked before she could stop herself. Murdock laughed.
"Here they come," Metty called into the meeting room where the other Chalkies, the Monkees, and most of the Newsies and the A-Team were hard at work decorating for the party.
"Walkin’ down the street," Micky sang without thinking. Everyone cracked up.
"We seek the soul of all that is good," Rose and Murdock sang as they came in. "We come bringing corn, water and wood…"
"Corn? That’s stuffing," Amy frowned.
"Cornbread dressing, luv," Rose corrected her with a wink. "It counts."
"What song was dat?" Spot asked, climbing down from hanging a wreath from the rafters. "I ain’t never heard it before."
"It’s called ‘Corn, Water, and Wood,’" Murdock explained. "It’s kind of a traditional Southwestern Christmas song."
"Wood?" Mike wondered, taking the bag from Rose.
"Mesquite!" Rose grinned.
"Ooh, wow!"
"I wouldn’t have minded pine meself, but since most of this crew doesn’t have much exposure to mesquite…"
"Yeah, man! A taste of home! Hey, Boots, could you give me a hand stackin’ this?"
"Take the water in the kitchen, will ya, Murdock?" Tippy called over her shoulder. She and Peter were busy hanging garland on the mantelpiece.
"Sure thing. C’mon, Rosie girl." They went into the kitchen just as BA and Hannibal brought in the stable for the Nativity scene. Face followed with a 3’ wise man under each arm; Jean and Davy struggled together with the third wise man and camel. These figurines joined the shepherds at the other end of the hall from the Christmas tree.
"Thanks, you guys," Nancy sighed, taking the food from Rose and Murdock. "I think everything’s almost ready, but it’ll still be a bit before the turkey’s done."
"Aren’t you glad you didn’t have to fix everything yourself?!" Rose asked.
Nancy nodded. "It’s bad enough having everyone working on it together!"
"You know, I kinda like this whole idea of having everybody participate in the party preparations," Murdock mused, setting the jugs of water on the counter. "Makes everyone feel involved, and it makes everyone appreciate the party even more ‘cause they know what went into it!"
"Shoot, decoratin’s half the fun!" Rose laughed. "C’mon, let’s go help Micky and Crutchy with the tree."
A pleasant hour of merry mayhem followed as Newsies, Monkees, Chalkies, and Green Berets prepared for their Christmas party. By the time the turkey was ready, everyone had worked up quite an appetite, so no food went to waste. After another hour of food and fellowship, everyone gathered around the piano and sang Christmas carols. Then Jack turned down the lights and, as was their wont, the Monkees sang "Riu Chiu" by candlelight under the Christmas tree. Everyone listened intently and lost themselves in the music.
A beat after Micky blew out the candle, a baby squeaked behind them.
Everyone froze. "Who brought a baby?" Alex asked in a low voice.
"Alex, nobody here has a baby," Tiff reminded her.
Peter stood up, and his eyes widened. "Look!" he cried, pointing over the crowd.
As one, the group turned and saw the amazing thing that had happened. The crèche had grown until it filled the end of the room. The shepherds and wise men were gone; instead, Joseph stood behind Mary and the manger, where Baby Jesus gurgled and cooed. The young couple looked at the group of strangers and blinked, not sure of what to think.
One at a time, the partygoers left the tree and moved to the manger. The Catholics among them crossed themselves. The boys, including Mike, took off their hats. They all stood staring for a moment until Rose, as if in a dream, walked softly over to the feed trough and knelt beside it, staring into the face of her Savior.
"May I?" she finally asked Mary.
Mary nodded.
Rose reached a hand over to stroke the Baby’s cheek. As she gazed adoringly into His eyes, He grabbed hold of her finger… and squealed in delight.
"Oh, mein Jesus…" Rose gasped and burst into tears. "Mein Jesus…"
Mary put a hand on her shoulder. Jean came up behind her and gave her a supporting hug.
"Awoo," said Baby Jesus.
"I love You, too," Rose whispered. "I love You, too, Lord."
Jean touched His foot. "So tiny…"
"But He’s the King of Kings," Tippy nodded, kneeling on the other side.
"Wow," breathed Harley, coming up behind the twins.
All Rose could do was nod.
Davy knelt at the foot of the manger. Peter stood beside Tippy. Crutchy hobbled forward and wound up between Harley and Davy. Micky and Nancy edged closer to look. Desy followed, then Mike, then most of the others. The A-Team, however, worked its way around near Jesus’ head.
"Company," Hannibal commanded softly.
Face, BA, and Murdock snapped to attention.
"Salute."
They obeyed.
Hannibal could hardly keep from choking on the tears as he quietly recited, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world."
"Amen," Desy breathed.
"This is the Reason we live," Hannibal continued. "The Reason America exists today. The Reason we can be free, and the Reason men like us have fought and died for freedom."
"The Reason we can have eternal life," Davy added.
"The Reason for the season," Metty concurred.
Jack was the first Newsie to find his voice. He sang softly, "Why lies He in such mean estate, / Where ox and ass are feeding?"
Rose and Jean responded, "Good Christian, fear; for sinners here / The silent Word is pleading."
Davy joined in with the chorus:
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Hannibal ended the salute, and the group stood for a moment in silent awe. Rose thought she heard a few people whisper prayers, and the lamplight showed tears on not a few faces. She could tell none of them would ever be the same, and the changes she saw in the eyes of some indicated that they’d given their hearts to Christ. For a moment she couldn’t help wondering what Mary and Joseph must have thought when they saw a bunch of strangely-clad people show up in the stable, but her mind couldn’t wander for long. Her eyes kept coming back to the face of Jesus, Whose loving eyes danced from face to face; her heart overflowed every time His eyes met hers, and she cherished the touch of His tiny hand wrapped around her finger.
A sudden noise made everyone jump and turn around. Jesus released Rose’s finger.
"Hallo?" a female voice with an accent called from the hall. "Anyone here?"
"In here," Boots replied.
Fuzzy walked in, brushing the snow from her hair. "Hallo! I’m Fuzzy. We got done early, so I decided to come over and see how your party was going." She stopped, puzzled. "Why is everyone around the manger scene?"
The inhabitants of the Sidewalk looked around. Everything was back to "normal." The crèche was only three feet high, and there was no sign of life about it… aside from a few wisps of hay on the floor that hadn’t been there before.
"Why has everyone been crying?" Fuzzy pressed.
Crutchy took a deep breath. "Fuzzy, you ain’t never gonna believe what just happened…."
The End
