After yet another foreign carol, and during a boisterous1 round of applause for the Enrique and Marty duet, Luther slipped unnoticed from the kitchen and eased through the darkness of his garage. Dressed in snow attire-overcoat, wool cap, muffler, boots, gloves-he shuffled3 along, aided by the plastic cane4 he'd vowed5 not to use, trying not to wince6 with each step, though both ankles were swollen7 and raw.
The cane was in his right hand, a large envelope in his left. The snow was still light, but the ground was covered.
At the sidewalk, he turned and gazed upon the gathering8 in his living room. A packed house. A tree that improved with the distance. Above them a borrowed Frosty.
Hemlock9 was quiet. The fire truck and ambulance and police cars were gone, thankfully. Luther looked east and west and saw not a single person moving about. Most of them were in his house, singing along now, rescuing him from an episode that would undoubtedly10 be remembered as one of his more curious.
The Scheel house was well lit on the outside, but almost completely dark within. Luther crept up their driveway, his boots rubbing his wounds, the cane making the entire venture possible. On their porch he rang the doorbell and looked again at his house directly across the street. Ralph Brixley and Judd Bellington came around the corner, hurriedly stringing lights on Luther's boxwoods.
He closed his eyes for a second, shook his head, looked at his feet.
Walt Scheel answered the door with a pleasant "Well, Merry Christmas, Luther."
"And Merry Christmas to you," Luther said with a genuine smile.
"You're missing your party."
"Just have a second, Walt. Could I step in?"
"Of course."
Luther limped into the foyer, where he parked himself on a matt. His boots had accumulated snow and he didn't want to leave tracks.
"Can I take your coat?" Walt asked. Something was baking in the kitchen, and Luther took that as a good sign.
"No, thanks. How's Bev?"
"She's having a good day, thanks. We started to come over and see Blair, but the snow started. So how's the fiancé?"
"A very nice young man," Luther said.
Bev Scheel entered from the dining room and said hello and Merry Christmas. She was wearing a red holiday sweater and looked the same, as far as Luther could tell. Rumor11 was that her doctor had given her six months.
"A pretty nasty fall," Walt said with a smile.
"Could've been worse," Luther said, grinning, trying to enjoy himself as the butt12 of the joke. We won't dwell on that subject, he declared to himself.
He cleared his throat and said, "Look, Blair's here for ten days, so we won't be taking the cruise. Nora and I would like for you guys to have it." He lifted the envelope slightly, sort of waved it at them.
Their reaction was delayed as glances were exchanged, thoughts were attempted. They were stunned13, and for quite a spell couldn't speak. So Luther plowed14 ahead. "The flight leaves at noon tomorrow. You'll need to get there early to get the names changed and such, a slight hassle, but it'll be worth it. I've already called my travel agency this afternoon. Ten days in the Caribbean, beaches, islands, the works. It'll be a dream vacation."
Walt shook his head no, but just slightly. Bev's eyes were moist. Neither could speak until Walt managed to say, with little conviction, "We can't take it, Luther. It's not right."
"Don't be silly. I didn't purchase the travel insurance, so if you don't go then the entire package is wasted."
Bev looked at Walt, who was already looking at her, and when their eyes locked Luther caught it. It was crazy, but why not?
"I'm not sure my doctor will allow it," she said feebly.
"I've got that Lexxon deal on the front burner," Walt mumbled15 to himself as he scratched his head.
"And we promised the Shorts we'd be there New Year's Eve," Bev added, sort of musing16.
"Benny said he might drop in." Benny was their oldest son, who hadn't been home in years.
"And what about the cat?" Bev asked.
Luther let them shuffle2 and strain, and when they ran out of their flimsy excuses he said, "It's a gift from us to you, a sincere, heart-felt, no-strings-attached Christmas offering to two people who are, at this very moment, having a difficult time finding an excuse. Just go for it, okay?"
"I'm not sure I have the right clothes," Bev said predictably.
To which Walt replied, "Don't be ridiculous."
With their resistance crumbling17, Luther moved in for the kill. He shoved the envelope at Walt. "It's all here-airline tickets, cruise passes, brochures, everything, including the phone number of the travel agency."
"What's the cost, Luther? If we go, then well reimburse18 you."
"It's a simple gift, Walt. No cost, no payback. Don't make it complicated."
Walt understood, but his pride got in his way. "We'll just have to discuss it when we get back."
There, they were already gone and back. "We can talk about everything then."
"What about the cat?" Bev asked.
Walt pinched his chin in serious thought and said, "Yes, that's a real problem. Too late to call the kennel19."
With uncanny timing20, a large black furry21 cat sneaked22 into the foyer, rubbed itself on Walt's right leg, then gave a long look up at Luther.
"We can't just leave him," Bev was saying.
"No, we can't," Walt said.
Luther hated cats.
"We could ask Jude Becker," Bev said.
"No problem. I'll take care of him," Luther said, swallowing hard, knowing perfectly23 well that Nora would get the chore.
"Are you sure?" Walt asked, a little too quickly.
"No problem."
The cat took another look at Luther and slunk away. The feeling was mutual24.
The good-byes took much longer than the hellos, and when Luther hugged Bev he thought she would break. Under the bulky sweater was a frail25 and ailing26 woman. The tears were halfway27 down her cheeks. "I'll call Nora," she whispered. "Thanks."
Old tough-as-nails Walt had moist eyes too. On the front steps, during their last handshake, he said, "This means so much, Luther. Thank you."
When the Scheels were once again locked away inside, Luther started home. Unburdened by the thick envelope now, shed of its pricey tickets and thick brochures, freed of all the self-indulgence contained therein, his steps were a little quicker. And, filled with the satisfaction of making the perfect gift, Luther walked straight and proud with hardly a limp.
At the street he stopped and looked over his shoulder. The Scheels' home, dark as a cave just moments earlier, was now alive with lights being flipped28 on both upstairs and down. They'll pack all night, Luther thought to himself.
A door opened across the street, and the Galdy family made a noisy exit from the Kranks' living room. Laughter and music escaped with them and echoed above Hemlock. The party showed little signs of breaking up.
Standing29 there at the edge of the street, light snow gathering on his wool cap and collar, gazing at his freshly decorated house with almost the entire neighborhood packed into it, Luther paused to count his blessings30. Blair was home, and she'd brought with her a very nice, handsome, polite young man, who was quite obviously crazy about her. And who, at that moment, was very much in charge of the party along with Marty Whatshisname.
Luther himself was lucky to be standing, as opposed to lying peacefully on a slab31 at Franklin's Funeral Home, or pinned to a bed in ICU at Mercy Hospital, tubes running everywhere. Thoughts of snowballing down his roof, headfirst, still horrified32 him. Very lucky indeed.
Blessed with friends and neighbors who would sacrifice their plans for Christmas Eve to rescue him.
He looked up to his chimney where the Brixleys' Frosty was watching him. Round smiling face, top hat, corncob pipe. Through the flurries Luther thought he caught a wink33 from the snowman.
Starving, as usual, Luther suddenly craved34 smoked trout35. He began trekking36 through the snow. "I'll eat a fruitcake too," he vowed to himself.
Skipping Christmas. What a ridiculous idea.
Maybe next year.
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1
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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7
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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17
crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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reimburse
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| v.补偿，付还 | |
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kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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timing
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| n.时间安排，时间选择 | |
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furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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28
flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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29
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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33
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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34
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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35
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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36
trekking
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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