A Fantastic Holiday Season: The Gift of Stories by Kevin J. Anderson
Authors: Kevin J. Anderson
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gentle.
“James,” he said, “I’ve given a lot of boys and girls their wishes over the years. Not every wish is always meant to work out the way you think it should work out. Now, I’ll ask you one more time—yes or no—do you want to stay here on Ceres?”
Jimmy held his arms across his chest, not looking at anything. His eyes were shut tight, and the liquid that spilled from them was hot.
“I want it to be like it was,” he sobbed, his nose stuffed up. “I want my old life back!”
“I know,” Astronaut Nick said, maintaining his firm grip on Jimmy’s shoulder, “but one of the things you’re going to learn quickly as you get older, is that things are always changing. You will always remember how wonderful the past was—and these memories will be like treasure in your heart. But there isn’t any way to go back. Not really. Because you will change too. The you that used to live here, he’s already gone. There’s a new you waiting to come to life, at Olympus Mons. If you’ll stop being stubborn, and let it happen.”
“Nobody likes me there,” Jimmy sniffed. “They all think I’m a stupid, clumsy klutz.”
“Nobody?” Astronaut Nick said, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Don’t be too sure about that. Let me read you something I got in my e-mail not long before I came to visit you.”
Jimmy vaguely sensed Astronaut Nick rummaging for something in a pouch strapped to his thick, red-colored leg. He brought out a small touch pad and used his thickly-gloved fingers to deftly slide and tap along the pad’s surface, until a white screen with text on it glowed up into Nick’s old face.
“Let’s see, this comes from someone named Contessa Canfield—a classmate of yours if I am not mistaken. I’d been expecting her to ask for a set of super blocks building modules, which she’s been dying for since her birthday, but you know what she asked for instead? Let me read this. She said: Dear Nick, please help Jimmy Carrico to be happy. He’s my new friend at school and no matter what I do I can’t cheer him up. Not even telling him about you makes him smile. I’ll give up anything you were going to bring me this year if you can find a way to help Jimmy be happy. Thanks, Tessa. ”
Jimmy sat in stunned silence, his tears momentarily forgotten.
“Tessa wrote that?” he mumbled.
“She did,” Astronaut Nick said, turning off the pad and sliding it back into the pouch on his leg; then zipping the pouch closed.
Jimmy raised his head and stared up at Nick.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to Mars, James? Seems there’s more than two people who’ll miss you an awful lot if you’re not there to see them tomorrow. Any girl who’d give up presents in the hope that she could bring joy to a new friend, is someone I’d say is worth keeping by your side. Not many children grasp the true meaning of Christmas. I think Tessa is one of them.”
Jimmy felt a new lump form in his throat. He debated his choices, staring around him at the barren walls of his former house.
“But it’s still going to be so hard,” he said forlornly.
“Yes,” Astronaut Nick said, “but that’s also something you’re going to have to get used to. Just as your Mom and Dad got used to it. Just as every adult gets used to it. But just because something is hard, doesn’t mean you won’t ever be happy. In fact, you just might find that the harder something is, once you get through it, the happier you can be on the other side. Because happiness isn’t a time or a place, James. Happiness is in here.”
Astronaut Nick’s stubby, gloved index finger tapped Jimmy’s chest.
“It’s also in the other souls with whom you share this universe. You’re not old enough yet to really understand, but someday very soon, I think you will. You just have to trust an old man to know what’s he’s talking about. Can you do that?”
Jimmy’s eyes leaked new tears, but he nodded his head stiffly.
“Yeah,” Jimmy
“James,” he said, “I’ve given a lot of boys and girls their wishes over the years. Not every wish is always meant to work out the way you think it should work out. Now, I’ll ask you one more time—yes or no—do you want to stay here on Ceres?”
Jimmy held his arms across his chest, not looking at anything. His eyes were shut tight, and the liquid that spilled from them was hot.
“I want it to be like it was,” he sobbed, his nose stuffed up. “I want my old life back!”
“I know,” Astronaut Nick said, maintaining his firm grip on Jimmy’s shoulder, “but one of the things you’re going to learn quickly as you get older, is that things are always changing. You will always remember how wonderful the past was—and these memories will be like treasure in your heart. But there isn’t any way to go back. Not really. Because you will change too. The you that used to live here, he’s already gone. There’s a new you waiting to come to life, at Olympus Mons. If you’ll stop being stubborn, and let it happen.”
“Nobody likes me there,” Jimmy sniffed. “They all think I’m a stupid, clumsy klutz.”
“Nobody?” Astronaut Nick said, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Don’t be too sure about that. Let me read you something I got in my e-mail not long before I came to visit you.”
Jimmy vaguely sensed Astronaut Nick rummaging for something in a pouch strapped to his thick, red-colored leg. He brought out a small touch pad and used his thickly-gloved fingers to deftly slide and tap along the pad’s surface, until a white screen with text on it glowed up into Nick’s old face.
“Let’s see, this comes from someone named Contessa Canfield—a classmate of yours if I am not mistaken. I’d been expecting her to ask for a set of super blocks building modules, which she’s been dying for since her birthday, but you know what she asked for instead? Let me read this. She said: Dear Nick, please help Jimmy Carrico to be happy. He’s my new friend at school and no matter what I do I can’t cheer him up. Not even telling him about you makes him smile. I’ll give up anything you were going to bring me this year if you can find a way to help Jimmy be happy. Thanks, Tessa. ”
Jimmy sat in stunned silence, his tears momentarily forgotten.
“Tessa wrote that?” he mumbled.
“She did,” Astronaut Nick said, turning off the pad and sliding it back into the pouch on his leg; then zipping the pouch closed.
Jimmy raised his head and stared up at Nick.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to Mars, James? Seems there’s more than two people who’ll miss you an awful lot if you’re not there to see them tomorrow. Any girl who’d give up presents in the hope that she could bring joy to a new friend, is someone I’d say is worth keeping by your side. Not many children grasp the true meaning of Christmas. I think Tessa is one of them.”
Jimmy felt a new lump form in his throat. He debated his choices, staring around him at the barren walls of his former house.
“But it’s still going to be so hard,” he said forlornly.
“Yes,” Astronaut Nick said, “but that’s also something you’re going to have to get used to. Just as your Mom and Dad got used to it. Just as every adult gets used to it. But just because something is hard, doesn’t mean you won’t ever be happy. In fact, you just might find that the harder something is, once you get through it, the happier you can be on the other side. Because happiness isn’t a time or a place, James. Happiness is in here.”
Astronaut Nick’s stubby, gloved index finger tapped Jimmy’s chest.
“It’s also in the other souls with whom you share this universe. You’re not old enough yet to really understand, but someday very soon, I think you will. You just have to trust an old man to know what’s he’s talking about. Can you do that?”
Jimmy’s eyes leaked new tears, but he nodded his head stiffly.
“Yeah,” Jimmy
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