{"id":1223,"date":"2013-12-06T08:06:16","date_gmt":"2013-12-06T13:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vg-ford.com\/?p=1223"},"modified":"2013-12-05T23:12:09","modified_gmt":"2013-12-06T04:12:09","slug":"advent-friday-december-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/?p=1223","title":{"rendered":"(advent) Friday, December 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hurry, hurry!<\/em> Schrodinger urged, looking over his shoulder at Zoey and Lily. Hurry!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are we hurrying?\u201d Zoey asked breathlessly as they ran after him. Jack was even further ahead, galloping for all he was worth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be something important!\u201d Lily told her, taking her hand so they could run together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is! Molly made candy canes!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lily\u2019s eyes widened and she increased her speed. \u201cReal candy canes? Not the cookies?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Real ones!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never had homemade candy canes!\u201d Zoey said, and they ran the rest of the way to the bookstore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The entire air was scented with peppermint when they burst into the kitchen, and Molly turned around, a startled look on her face. \u201cThat was fast!\u201d she said, then looked at their red faces and heaving chests. \u201cDid you run all the way?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They nodded, too winded to speak.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause\u2026 Schrodinger said\u2026candy canes!\u201d Lily said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren\u2019t going anywhere,\u201d Molly said, laughing. \u201cThey would have waited for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou made candy canes?\u201d Zoey\u2019s eyes were wide. \u201cHow did you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Molly can make anything,<\/em> Schrodinger said. She\u2019s a kitchen witch.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zoey\u2019s eyes got even wider. \u201cA witch? REALLY?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cA kitchen witch, yes,\u201d Molly said. \u201cIt\u2019s not really that big a deal.\u201d She took the box from the island and held it out to them. \u201cYou each can have one.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They weren\u2019t the candy canes that Zoey was expecting, Schrodinger saw. Instead of the familiar red and white striped shepherd\u2019s crook shapes, the sticks were plain white, thick and short. Lily and Zoey each took one, and Molly broke one in half for Jack and Schrodinger. After they enjoyed them (they were much lighter than Schrodinger had expected, almost meringue-like in texture), they went over to the wall that the advent calendar hung on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your turn today,\u201d Zoey told Lily. \u201cI wonder what we\u2019ll do today?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lily found the number 6 curling off the end of a ribbon in one of the corners. When she touched it, the painting crumbled and the snowflake came out. It shimmered and dropped a note into her hand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAre you up for a walk today?\u201d she read out loud. \u201cOoh, I wonder where?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In answer, the snowflake zipped out into the bookstore. They followed it up to the second floor, where it burst into a fall of sparkles over an older gentleman who was dozing in one of the easy chairs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Father Christopher?<\/em> Schrodinger went up to him and touched him gently. Are you awake?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI am now,\u201d the Catholic priest said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. \u201cOh, good, you\u2019re all here!\u201d He smiled at them, and then held out his hand to Zoey. \u201cWelcome to the Cove, Zoey. I\u2019ve heard a lot about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHi,\u201d she said shyly, shaking his hand. \u201cYou were waiting for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed! I have a very special task that I\u2019m hoping the four of you can help me with.\u201d He looked over them. \u201cDo you have time to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They all nodded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, bless you!\u201d Father Christopher stood up, and led them downstairs. Molly met them at the bottom of the stairs with a tin that she pressed into the priest\u2019s hands. \u201cAnd bless you too, Molly. What would I do without you ordering tea for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be drinking that horrible stuff you buy from the grocery store,\u201d she said wryly. \u201cThe way you do when you forget to tell me that you\u2019ve run out.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He looked guilty, but his blue eyes twinkled. \u201cThank you, Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d Molly looked at the four of them. \u201cDrew will pick you guys up later at the church, so don\u2019t worry about coming back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Schrodinger looked over at her, and she smiled. He knew that look. Molly had known exactly what they were going to do today.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then again, does it really matter if she knows what\u2019s going to happen each day? Isn\u2019t part of the fun in the surprise?<\/em> Jack said quietly to his friend. Just enjoy it, and stop worrying.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u2019re a wise dog,<\/em> Schrodinger said, as they went out the front door, following the priest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of course I am. I\u2019m your friend,<\/em> Jack said. Comes with the territory.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They walked over to the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, which was decorated simply, with holly and ivy wreaths on the doors, tied with red ribbons, and a single candle lit in the center of each one. The stained glass windows glowed with the lights from inside, and painted the snow with brilliant color.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to the church I serve,\u201d Father Christopher said, patting one of the doors fondly as he led them into the rectory where he lived. This was a small cottage off to the side of the main church, decorated in the same way. He opened the kitchen door and waved them inside to a large room, bigger than Schrodinger had expected. Molly would love this kitchen,<\/em> he thought. The place was spotless: the cabinets gleamed, as did the appliances, and there was not one dish cluttering the large sink, although there was a tea mug in the drainboard. The kitchen was dominated by a huge table that looked as though it might have sliced from a single tree, and this table was covered with all sorts of bags, boxes and various wrapping implements.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what December sixth is?\u201d Father Christopher asked them. When they shook their heads, he continued, \u201cIt\u2019s the feast of St. Nicholas. He\u2019s said to be one of the precursors of Santa Claus.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You mean like an ancestor?<\/em> Schrodinger asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly.\u201d Father Christopher motioned them over to the table and indicated they should take their coats off. Once they were all seated around the large table, he said, \u201cSt. Nicholas was a bishop in a town called Myra, in what is now Turkey. He was a very kindly man, and he always made sure to take care of the poor, which is what Jesus told us to do, after all. One of the most famous stories about him involved a poor nobleman who lived in his parish with his three beautiful daughters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow, in those days, you needed to have a dowry to get married. This nobleman was so poor that although his daughters were very beautiful, they couldn\u2019t get married, because they had nothing to bring to the marriages.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, how sad,\u201d Zoey said, and Lily nodded. \u201cWhat did St. Nicholas do?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was walking through the woods near their home, and he saw them hanging up their stockings by the fire to dry one night,\u201d Father Christopher told them. \u201cSo after the entire family had gone to sleep, he climbed up to the top of their roof and dropped three small bags of gold coins down. One in each stocking.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo they could get married!\u201d Lily said. \u201cWhat a good man!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed.\u201d Father Christopher smiled. \u201cNow, in honor of his good deeds, we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, and in many of the Scandinavian countries, this is when children look for gifts from St. Nicholas. It\u2019s said he goes around with his help, Black Peet, who carries a sack. St. Nicholas rides a white horse in some countries, and arrives in a boat in others.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I would like to see that,<\/em> Schrodinger said. Arriving on a boat! Like the Daughter of Stars!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that would be something to see, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cMaybe next year, we can get one of the captains to help us, and have St. Nicholas arrive in the harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You should ask Pavel! He would do it!<\/em> Schrodinger said, bouncing a little in his seat. Captain Pavel Chekhov sailed a ship through the Roads called the Heart\u2019s Desire, and he was as dashing a pirate as Schrodinger could have imagined.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet he would.\u201d Father Christopher laughed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is all this, Father?\u201d Lily asked, waving her hand at the piles on the table. \u201cIs this what you want us to help with?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Father Christopher looked at all of them. \u201cToday is the Feast of St. Nicholas, after all, and I\u2019m hoping you\u2019ll help St. Nicholas and I with his deliveries. This,\u201d and he indicated the full table, \u201call needs to be wrapped and put into baskets, which will be delivered tonight to the poor in the parish.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oh, how wonderful,<\/em> Jack said, wagging his tail. Thank you for letting us help!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cI would have been up all night doing this\u00a0myself, and that would put St. Nicholas behind in his deliveries.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zoey looked skeptical. \u201cSt. Nicholas? You can\u2019t really mean that the saint himself is coming to deliver these.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Father Christopher\u2019s blue eyes sparkled. \u201cAre you sure, Zoey?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut isn\u2019t his feast day the day of his death?\u201d she persisted. \u201cSo if he\u2019s dead, how can he come back here and deliver gifts?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s part of the magic,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cDon\u2019t you believe in magic?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMagic shouldn\u2019t work like that,\u201d she said stubbornly. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But it does,<\/em> Schrodinger told her. Magic is powered by belief, or so the Librarian taught me. The more you believe, the more powerful the magic you can produce. If you have hundreds of millions of believers\u2026you could do anything. Even bring the dead back to life.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOr raise a saint,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cHe\u2019s right, Zoey. If you believe, there\u2019s no limit to what you can do. Magically, or otherwise.\u201d He chuckled softly. \u201cTrust me, I know how hard it can be to accept that, especially if you aren\u2019t born into it.\u201d He nodded at Lily, Schrodinger and Jack. \u201cThey\u2019ve grown up with magic – it\u2019s a part of their life, and always has been. But you and I, coming from places that don\u2019t have as much magic, have a bit of a harder time – they\u2019ve seen things we can\u2019t explain, and man is a creature who needs explanations. Sometimes, that explanation is magic. It gets easier the longer you live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou weren\u2019t born in a CrossRoads town, Father Christopher?\u201d Lily asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, child, I was born in a little town in the California mountains.\u201d As he talked, Father Christopher started them sorting the piles on the table into groups. Schrodinger realized that the baskets would have something for everyone: toys, food, clothing, even a small bag of money. It wasn\u2019t a lot, but it would make someone\u2019s Christmas a lot brighter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wait. Then how come you can hear me?<\/em> Jack asked him, confused. I thought only people who grew up in the Cove could hear me!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe longer you live in a CrossRoads town, the more the magic changes you,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cEventually, Zoey will be able to hear you too. The more you believe, the faster it comes.\u201d He chuckled again. \u201cIt also helps to be young. The young always adapt faster than us old folks.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Schrodinger watched Zoey out of the corner of his eye as they worked with the priest. She was thinking, he could tell: there was a faint frown wrinkle on her forehead, and every so often, she would look up at Father Christopher, as if sizing him up or looking for changes. He wondered what bothered her more: that the priest accepted the magic, or that she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The table had looked piled high, but in a surprisingly short amount of time, they had packaged everything up and placed them in the large baskets that Father Christopher had supplied. Where did all this come from? Schrodinger asked him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDonations,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cThis town is wonderful when it comes to making sure that their fellows are taken care of. I couldn\u2019t ask for a more charitable parish.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the way it should be,\u201d Lily said firmly. \u201cMom and Dad say that the responsibility of those who have more is to help those that don\u2019t have enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYour parents are very smart,\u201d Father Christopher said. \u201cAnd right.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zoey nodded. \u201cI thought that this town would be cold and unfriendly when we first moved here,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut everyone\u2019s been so nice. I\u2026didn\u2019t expect that.\u201d She looked at the priest. \u201cIs that part of the magic too?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He smiled down at her. \u201cNot the kind of magic you\u2019re thinking of,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just happened to choose a very good town to move into.\u201d Then Father Christopher clapped his hands together. \u201cNow, the important part! Who wants pizza?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After dinner (which Schrodinger was surprised to find Father Christopher cooked for them, and the pizza dough was even better than Molly\u2019s), Drew showed up to collect them. Before they left, Father Christopher handed each of them a wooden shoe, painted with reindeer and snowflakes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are what the children in the Netherlands put out for the Feast of St. Nicholas,\u201d he told them. \u201cPut a couple of carrots in there for St. Nicholas\u2019 horse, and put it on your hearth. Tomorrow morning, if you believe, perhaps there will be something for you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<><><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDo you think that\u2019s enough carrots?\u201d Zoey asked her parents anxiously later that night. \u201cI don\u2019t want the horse to be hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peter Allard smiled at his young daughter and ruffled her hair. \u201cI think it\u2019s perfect,\u201d he told her. \u201cNow, where did Father Christopher say to put it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe hearth!\u201d Zoey picked the shoe up and went running into the living room. \u201cCome and see, Dad!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Donna watched her husband, wondering what Zoey would do if the carrots were still there when she woke up. Which they will be,<\/em> she thought resignedly. I don\u2019t want to lie to her.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once again, a scene rose in her mind\u2019s eye, a scene that got replayed far too often during the holiday season. She was six, it was Christmas Eve, and something had woken her from a sound sleep. Something had moved downstairs, and she\u2019d known, in the way small children always knew, that it was Santa Claus downstairs. So she\u2019d crept down the staircase as quietly as she could, hoping against hope to catch him in the act.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And then, crouching on the top stair, she heard it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI wish they didn\u2019t grow up so fast,\u201d her mother had said sadly. \u201cIt\u2019s no fun when they don\u2019t believe in Santa anymore, and this is probably the last year Donna will.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With those words, Donna had realized the entire thing was a myth. A lie. And she\u2019d never believed in magic again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Until she\u2019d come to the Cove, that is. And she was still on the fence about how much of the weirdness of the Cove was actually magic. She was betting science could explain most of it away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGood night, Mom!\u201d Zoey came running back in and kissed her cheek. \u201cSleep well!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou too, munchkin,\u201d she said fondly. \u201cYou too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But Donna couldn\u2019t sleep, she found. So she got up from the bed, careful not to wake Peter up, and went into the living room. She turned on the Christmas tree lights, and sat down in one of the armchairs they\u2019d found in a barn sale on the way up from Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the dim colored light, the living room was a mass of shadows and suggestions. However, Zoey\u2019s painted wooden shoe, filled with a handful of baby carrots, was situated in a pool of colored light. Still full of carrots, she noted. Just like she\u2019d thought.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was snowing lightly outside, a quiet shush-shush of flakes against the windows, and the sounds were oddly soothing. Donna put her head back and closed her eyes. Maybe if I just rest here for a few minutes, I can get sleepy enough to go back to bed,<\/em> she thought.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not five minutes later, or so she thought, something moved in the living room, jolting her awake. She opened her eyes, wondering who had gotten in. Her gaze fell on the shoe, still sitting in its pool of colored light. But the carrots were gone: in their place was a long, narrowly wrapped package and a thick red and white swirled peppermint stick. Donna blinked, and then looked around.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A shadow moved across the room, and she looked at the window in the corner. A man looked back at her, his blue eyes kindly and his long white beard blowing gently in the night. A tall red bishop\u2019s miter collected snowflakes atop his head, and he nodded once to her. Then he vanished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Donna sat there for a long time, wondering just what she\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hurry, hurry! Schrodinger urged, looking over his shoulder at Zoey and Lily. Hurry!   \u201cWhy are we hurrying?\u201d Zoey asked breathlessly as they ran after him. Jack was even further ahead, galloping for all he was worth.   \u201cIt must be something important!\u201d Lily told her, taking her hand so they could run together.   …<\/p>\n

>>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[61,15],"class_list":["post-1223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent","tag-advent","tag-christmas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1223"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1224,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1223\/revisions\/1224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}