if they were garbage – especially at Christmas. If we’re a town that really cares about Christmas, I’d think that we’d all want to reach out in the spirit of charity and help them out.”
The mayor didn’t respond to this.
“We’ll do whatever we can to get their vehicle up and running,” said Edith in a firm voice. “I just can’t make any promises as to how soon that will be.”
“But what about your church’s pageant tomorrow night?”
“A bus on the street will hardly stop a Christmas pageant.”
“But it won’t look good, Edith.”
Edith was looking out the window now, staring at the brightly painted bus, which suddenly reminded her of a giant Christmas ornament. “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” she said simply enough.
“ What? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that we are a town that loves to celebrate Christmas, and this year it seems that we are also the lucky recipients of a Christmas bus , and I happen to think it’s rather beautiful.”
“Oh.”
After telling the mayor “Good day,” Edith put on her coat and boots and hurried outside to check on Amy and Collin. She was surprised to see that about four more inches of snow had fallen during the night, bringing the accumulation to the top of her boots. Edith trudged through the snow and then knocked on the bus’s door. This time Amy answered, but it looked as if they were already awake and dressed. Collin was sitting in the driver’s seat, hunched over as he studied a worn map with a rather dismal expression.
“Sorry to bother you,” Edith began.
“No bother.” Amy held the door open. “Want to come in?”
Edith hesitated, then quickly said, “Yes, that’d be nice.”
The interior of the bus was crowded with all manner of boxes and bags and, Edith’s nose suspected, a fair amount of dirty laundry too. But Amy cleared a spot on a wooden crate and pointed for Edith to sit down. “It’s not much,” Amy apologized. “But, hey, it’s better than nothing.”
Edith nodded, glancing to the back of the bus where a mattress, heaped with quilts and blankets, was wedged. “It is cozy.”
“You can say that again,” said Amy. “And the bigger I get with this baby, the cozier it seems to get. I can’t wait to get out of here. Collin’s going to get work when we get settled, and then we’ll rent something. Even a one-bedroom apartment will feel like a mansion compared to this.”
“Speaking of the baby,” began Edith, “I, uh, we were wondering if you have everything you need for it.”
Amy shrugged. “I have a few things. Like some sleepers and blankets that I got at Salvation Army back home. And Collin got some newborn-sized disposable diapers that are in here . . .” She looked around. “Somewhere.”
Edith nodded. “Yes, and that’s a good start. But some of the women at church got this idea last night . . . they thought it would be fun to have a baby shower – ”
“ A baby shower !” Amy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, man, I’ve been wishing for a baby shower. But we didn’t really have anyone who wanted to do it. I mean, my family is, well, you know, a little dysfunctional. And Collin’s family, well, they live all over the country.”
Edith could feel Collin watching her now, and she wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she turned to him. “And that’s not all, Collin. Our church would like to help you with your engine troubles, and even with some new tires . . .”
“Really?” He seemed a bit skeptical.
“Really,” she said with a smile. “We had a special meeting last night. And everyone is behind this.”
“Wow.” He looked at Amy now. “I guess you were right after all.”
“Right?” Edith wasn’t sure what he meant.
“Oh, Amy kept telling me that you guys were good people. But after church last night, well, I just wasn’t so sure.”
Edith frowned slightly. “Well, some of our congregation can be a bit old-fashioned and hard to convince at times, but they
The mayor didn’t respond to this.
“We’ll do whatever we can to get their vehicle up and running,” said Edith in a firm voice. “I just can’t make any promises as to how soon that will be.”
“But what about your church’s pageant tomorrow night?”
“A bus on the street will hardly stop a Christmas pageant.”
“But it won’t look good, Edith.”
Edith was looking out the window now, staring at the brightly painted bus, which suddenly reminded her of a giant Christmas ornament. “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” she said simply enough.
“ What? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that we are a town that loves to celebrate Christmas, and this year it seems that we are also the lucky recipients of a Christmas bus , and I happen to think it’s rather beautiful.”
“Oh.”
After telling the mayor “Good day,” Edith put on her coat and boots and hurried outside to check on Amy and Collin. She was surprised to see that about four more inches of snow had fallen during the night, bringing the accumulation to the top of her boots. Edith trudged through the snow and then knocked on the bus’s door. This time Amy answered, but it looked as if they were already awake and dressed. Collin was sitting in the driver’s seat, hunched over as he studied a worn map with a rather dismal expression.
“Sorry to bother you,” Edith began.
“No bother.” Amy held the door open. “Want to come in?”
Edith hesitated, then quickly said, “Yes, that’d be nice.”
The interior of the bus was crowded with all manner of boxes and bags and, Edith’s nose suspected, a fair amount of dirty laundry too. But Amy cleared a spot on a wooden crate and pointed for Edith to sit down. “It’s not much,” Amy apologized. “But, hey, it’s better than nothing.”
Edith nodded, glancing to the back of the bus where a mattress, heaped with quilts and blankets, was wedged. “It is cozy.”
“You can say that again,” said Amy. “And the bigger I get with this baby, the cozier it seems to get. I can’t wait to get out of here. Collin’s going to get work when we get settled, and then we’ll rent something. Even a one-bedroom apartment will feel like a mansion compared to this.”
“Speaking of the baby,” began Edith, “I, uh, we were wondering if you have everything you need for it.”
Amy shrugged. “I have a few things. Like some sleepers and blankets that I got at Salvation Army back home. And Collin got some newborn-sized disposable diapers that are in here . . .” She looked around. “Somewhere.”
Edith nodded. “Yes, and that’s a good start. But some of the women at church got this idea last night . . . they thought it would be fun to have a baby shower – ”
“ A baby shower !” Amy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, man, I’ve been wishing for a baby shower. But we didn’t really have anyone who wanted to do it. I mean, my family is, well, you know, a little dysfunctional. And Collin’s family, well, they live all over the country.”
Edith could feel Collin watching her now, and she wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she turned to him. “And that’s not all, Collin. Our church would like to help you with your engine troubles, and even with some new tires . . .”
“Really?” He seemed a bit skeptical.
“Really,” she said with a smile. “We had a special meeting last night. And everyone is behind this.”
“Wow.” He looked at Amy now. “I guess you were right after all.”
“Right?” Edith wasn’t sure what he meant.
“Oh, Amy kept telling me that you guys were good people. But after church last night, well, I just wasn’t so sure.”
Edith frowned slightly. “Well, some of our congregation can be a bit old-fashioned and hard to convince at times, but they
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