Johnson, that mean son of a bitch who hated us so much, electrocuted himself on Christmas day when he tried to tear down my silver Christmas tree. Between his bare feet, the slushy snow and the shoddy lights, his putrid soul didn't stand a chance. The paramedics didn’t show up in time to save his sorry ass and no one grieved his loss,” Jamie said when his mother asked him if he remembered anything about that year.
His mom chuckled and said, “Well normally I wouldn’t condone you speaking ill of the dead, but he was a mean bastard wasn’t he?”
“Mom, why are you in my bar on the first day of December asking me questions about Christmas from almost twenty years ago?” Jamie stopped wiping the counter down and looked up at his mother. She was being awfully cagey about something.
She met his gaze and said, “Well, I was pulling out the Christmas decorations this morning and found my old apron from the diner that I bought. You came out and gave me a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve and I stuffed it into my apron pocket. When I was walking to work I read it. Of course I was furious when I realized what you had done with my orchids, but I also realized how heartbroken you were at the time. It also saved my life reading that letter. You changing out the cookies and water. Of course you didn’t understand the ramifications then, but you do now. Anyway, remember I came home the next morning and watched you as you ran your hands over every square inch of the bike I got you from the thrift store. I opened the paper as I was sipping coffee and checked my lottery numbers. That day changed our lives forever. Mr. Johnson died two hours later, but I also saw that I had the winning lottery numbers for the thirty-million-dollar jackpot.”
Jamie stared at his mother as she reminisced and said, “Mom. You’re stalling. I know all of this already. We became rich and you bought the diner and fired most of the staff and then bought a few more businesses and this bar which you gave to me when I turned twenty-one. Okay, we've taken a nice stroll down memory lane, but I don’t recall my life being very happy even after we became rich. Chris and his family left that Christmas morning and he didn’t even come by and say goodbye. That’s the day I stopped believing in Santa. If you are here again trying to get me to decorate my bar for Christmas, you can forget it. So, out with it woman, what’s going on?”
His mother opened her mouth to say something but the bar door opened and a customer came in and sat on the bar stool next to his mother. She turned to him and smiled, then hugged him.
Jamie stared and thought to himself, “You have got to be kidding me. My mom found a younger man. He must be after our money.”
Instead of saying anything he said, “What can I get you to drink?” He looked closer at the man as he took his coat off and realized it was the Sheriff. “Oh, you must be the new Sheriff in town. Welcome to Baysville. If you are off duty, drinks are always free to any officer in this town.”
“Well Jamie, that is mighty nice of you, but I am on duty and I think a Coke and a plate of nachos will do me just fine before I have to head back to the station.”
Jamie stared at the man a second and said, “How do you know my name?”
Jamie’s mother stood up and said, “I need to get going son. But here, as I was telling you, I found my old apron and your letter was in it still. It looks like Santa has finally granted you your wish.” She placed an old and battered envelope in his hand.
Jamie watched as his mother walked out of the bar and then stared down at the envelope in his hand before pulling out the letter. He unfolded it and read the smudged green crayon words to himself twice before folding it and putting it back in the envelope. He tossed it on the bar and poured a glass of Coke for the new Sheriff and said, “I’ll get you those nachos. Give me a minute.”
Jamie disappeared into the kitchen and
His mom chuckled and said, “Well normally I wouldn’t condone you speaking ill of the dead, but he was a mean bastard wasn’t he?”
“Mom, why are you in my bar on the first day of December asking me questions about Christmas from almost twenty years ago?” Jamie stopped wiping the counter down and looked up at his mother. She was being awfully cagey about something.
She met his gaze and said, “Well, I was pulling out the Christmas decorations this morning and found my old apron from the diner that I bought. You came out and gave me a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve and I stuffed it into my apron pocket. When I was walking to work I read it. Of course I was furious when I realized what you had done with my orchids, but I also realized how heartbroken you were at the time. It also saved my life reading that letter. You changing out the cookies and water. Of course you didn’t understand the ramifications then, but you do now. Anyway, remember I came home the next morning and watched you as you ran your hands over every square inch of the bike I got you from the thrift store. I opened the paper as I was sipping coffee and checked my lottery numbers. That day changed our lives forever. Mr. Johnson died two hours later, but I also saw that I had the winning lottery numbers for the thirty-million-dollar jackpot.”
Jamie stared at his mother as she reminisced and said, “Mom. You’re stalling. I know all of this already. We became rich and you bought the diner and fired most of the staff and then bought a few more businesses and this bar which you gave to me when I turned twenty-one. Okay, we've taken a nice stroll down memory lane, but I don’t recall my life being very happy even after we became rich. Chris and his family left that Christmas morning and he didn’t even come by and say goodbye. That’s the day I stopped believing in Santa. If you are here again trying to get me to decorate my bar for Christmas, you can forget it. So, out with it woman, what’s going on?”
His mother opened her mouth to say something but the bar door opened and a customer came in and sat on the bar stool next to his mother. She turned to him and smiled, then hugged him.
Jamie stared and thought to himself, “You have got to be kidding me. My mom found a younger man. He must be after our money.”
Instead of saying anything he said, “What can I get you to drink?” He looked closer at the man as he took his coat off and realized it was the Sheriff. “Oh, you must be the new Sheriff in town. Welcome to Baysville. If you are off duty, drinks are always free to any officer in this town.”
“Well Jamie, that is mighty nice of you, but I am on duty and I think a Coke and a plate of nachos will do me just fine before I have to head back to the station.”
Jamie stared at the man a second and said, “How do you know my name?”
Jamie’s mother stood up and said, “I need to get going son. But here, as I was telling you, I found my old apron and your letter was in it still. It looks like Santa has finally granted you your wish.” She placed an old and battered envelope in his hand.
Jamie watched as his mother walked out of the bar and then stared down at the envelope in his hand before pulling out the letter. He unfolded it and read the smudged green crayon words to himself twice before folding it and putting it back in the envelope. He tossed it on the bar and poured a glass of Coke for the new Sheriff and said, “I’ll get you those nachos. Give me a minute.”
Jamie disappeared into the kitchen and
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