Christmas Confidential - 9. Ladislaus and Annabella

Ladislaus and Annabella

Charlie skipped along the aisles of the small grocery shop, pushing a rattling cart with diapers and baby food, until she reached ‘the shelf’. Like every year, it was filled to the brim with toys. It was officially Christmas season now.

She loved all the colorful boxes and glittery foil, but what she really wanted to look at was the books. So many books, although not as many as in the book store near the mall. There was even one in the shape of a bear with a furry cover. When she squeezed it, it growled. She giggled. This would definitely go on the list for Santa. Next year. Olli would love it, although he would be almost two then. The book with the princess riding a huge brown horse and brandishing a spear looked interesting. For a long minute she went off into another world after imagining herself on the horse, hair waving in the wind. Next year. Mommy would get a new car from Santa this year. He didn’t have room on his sleigh for more gifts this Christmas.

She was about to turn away when she saw the doll sitting beside a brown teddy bear on the top shelf. Charlie didn’t play with dolls often, but Ollie would love the bear—next year.

The two reminded her of a poem by a guy with a funny name, James Krüss. Her teacher had read it to the class that day. Cocking her head to the side, she said, “I know who you are. You’re Annabella the doll and the bear Ladislaus.”

Two weeks later, Charlie was back. At first, she took another look at all the books. Then, because she needed a reason to come to the grocery store again and the bear and the doll looked so sad, she told them the story from the poem.

In the corner of a window of an out-of-the-way department store, sat Annabella the doll and a bear named Ladislaus. Annabella cried and Ladislaus growled sadly. Christmas Eve had come, and no one had bought them to make children happy.

“Poor bear!” sighed Annabella.

“Poor doll!” sobbed the bear.

Then the light was turned off in the empty, cold store, and only one light still shone in their little corner of the window. The security guard had left it on, out of pity. By now, the streets were deserted, and it had begun to snow. Ten o'clock stroked from the nearby clock tower, and both were almost asleep, when Annabella’s telephone rang loudly in the doll house.

“Hello!” the bear answered sleepily. “Who is calling?"

“It is Santa! I need a doll and a bear really quick!"

“Both are still available!” Ladislaus exclaimed immediately. “Come to the store behind the new mall! Hurry up, please!"

After Santa picked them up, it finally became dark in the window in the lower right corner of an out-of-the-way store behind the mall.

Thanks to the new winter tires, Gabe had no problem driving the sturdy, light blue car in the thickly falling snow. When he reached the small house with the colorful lights around the windows, he parked near the front door, right under the street lamp. He pocketed the key fob, pushed the door open, and unfolded his long form from the car and shuddered. After quickly buttoning his black pea coat, he pulled out his long silver-white pony tail from the collar and put on a bright red Santa hat. Next, he opened the trunk and grabbed the box sitting beside a brand-new nurse bag with a lot of storage space and all the bells and whistles.

Charlie’s mother worked as an ambulatory care nurse. She visited all the patients who couldn’t come to the clinic for after care, administering prescription medication and bloodwork. A few weeks ago, her old car had broken down, and all of a sudden, she was out of a job and her patients were without their nurse. Money was tight, since her husband Pietro had come down with leukemia a year ago, just two months after the birth of their second child. He was in a rehabilitation clinic at the moment, but with the ongoing pandemic, his family wasn’t allowed to visit him.

Gabe was looking forward to bringing joy and hope to the small family. He made his way to the bright blue door and rang the bell. After a moment, a tall blond woman wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater he’d ever seen greeted him. “Hi.” Her eyes looked tired, but she smiled when she noticed Gabe’s Santa hat. Putting the toddler she was holding on her other hip, she turned and said, “Look Ollie, Santa.”

“Santa?” came from somewhere in the house, and running feet could be heard. A girl with black pigtails came around the corner, her dark brown eyes wide open.

Gabe smiled. “My name is Gabe Murray. I come from the local news station.” When he saw their disappointment, he hurried to continue, “Are you Oksana Bianchi?” When she nodded he said, “I’m here on behalf of an anonymous benefactor. He became aware of your situation and decided to ease your burden.” With that he stepped aside so Oksana could see the car. He pulled the keys from his coat pocket and held them out. “It’s yours, together with this.” He handed over a white envelope. “In this you’ll find a card to pay for gas and maintenance at Joe’s auto shop for a year.”

“Oh my god! Is this real?” Oksana took the keys with a trembling hand.

“It is.” Gabe smiled, juggling the box in his hand. “Could we go inside so I can deliver the rest?”

“There’s more?” Oksana led him into their small kitchen.

“Just a little.” Gabe put the box on the table and opened it. He pulled out a familiar brown bear, who held a furry book in his paws, and immediately gave it to Ollie, who after brief hesitation, grabbed it with both hands and giggled happily.

Next, Gabe reached for a book with a fierce princess riding a horse on the cover and gave it to Charlie. When she opened it, out fell a card saying she could buy all the books she could read in the local bookstore for the next five years. Charlie sat down right on the kitchen floor and began reading and went off into a world where princesses fought mighty dragons.

When Oksana accompanied Gabe outside to check out the new car, her phone chirped with Pietro’s sound. She excused herself to look at the screen.

“Tesoro! The clinic has been chosen! Starting Monday, everyone who wants to and is healthy enough will be vaccinated against Covid 19. With luck we will kiss again in six weeks.”

Oksana looked up to tell Gabe the wonderful news, but the man was gone. She couldn’t even detect any footprints in the new snow. Only her car gleamed in the light of the street lamp. Cloud. She would name it Cloud.