A Gay Christmas Carol (Revised) - 2. Chapter 2 – The First Spirit

Franklin wasn’t able to slumber for very long, however, because a bright light filled the entire room and awakened him. He attempted to shield his eyes from the blinding glare, but he was unable to keep his eyes open for very long, and then he heard a child-like voice speak.

“I will cover the light of truth so you might behold me,” it uttered, and Franklin was soon able to see the form of a woman dressed in a long, flowing robe and wearing some sort of a helmet.

Phelps believed the overwhelming brilliance that had filled the room only seconds before was still trying to escape, although it was now contained beneath the helmet. This allowed him to make out more of the apparitions features, yet he was unable to determine if the spirit was old or young. She had long, snow white hair, but she also had delicate features and a smooth, unwrinkled complexion.

“Who are you?” Phelps demanded.

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

“Long past?”

“No, your past. Rise and walk with me for your own welfare.”

Fearful and not courageous enough to disobey the spirit, Franklin got up from the sofa and followed the woman as she made her way across the room. Without hesitation, and without physically touching anything, she opened the window, held out her arm, and summoned Franklin.

“Take hold of my hand and come with me,” she stated soothingly.

Still uncertain as to why he was being so obedient, Phelps took her hand and together they passed through the window and emerged in a place that was vaguely familiar to him.

“Do you know where we are?” the spirit asked.

“It looks different somehow, but isn’t this the house I lived in as a child?”

“Indeed it is. Come and take a closer look.”

As he moved forward, Phelps walked up to a large window at the front of the structure and peered inside. He was somewhat taken aback by what he saw.

“That’s me when I was a boy! I remember this, because it was my favorite Christmas of all. It was the last Christmas before my father died, and I shall always cherish the time that I got to spend with him. Look, he’s helping me set up the model train he gave me that year. It’s in our basement now. I gave it to my son when he was about the same age as I was when I received it as a gift. I was ten-years-old that Christmas.”

“Yes, and you love your son the same way that your father loved you. Don’t you, Franklin?”

She appeared to be studying him closely as he continued to watch this Christmas extraordinaire and noticed the delight that registered on his much younger face.

“Oh, yes. In fact I love him even more and hope to always be here for him.”

After saying this, he wiped a tear from his eye as he thought about how much he missed his father. He also turned slightly away from the Ghost of Christmas Past to prevent her from seeing him weep. However, when he turned back to look inside the window again, the boy was now a year older.

“What happened, spirit? Can’t we go back to the other Christmas, because I don’t want to be reminded of this one?” The older Franklin not only appeared sad, but he was also upset that the euphoria he’d felt had now been replaced by great sorrow.

“You must learn to accept the good with the bad, since this is part of your life as well.”

Franklin merely nodded, seeing he was unable to speak. A lump had formed in his throat due to the emotional impact of the moment. Why did she have to remind him of the loneliness he’d felt during that first Christmas without his father? Why couldn’t she have allowed him to enjoy the happiness he’d felt the Christmas before? He was still pondering this thought when he suddenly found himself transported to another time and place. They were now standing outside of an unfamiliar building and looking in on people he didn’t immediately recognize. Since he wasn’t able to understand why they were here, he decided to ask.

“Spirit, why did you bring me here?”

“You know these people, although you may not be aware of it, and you are here because I want you to see and experience the love and joy that other families share at this wonderful time of the year.”

Reluctantly accepting her answer, Franklin silently gazed through the window and observed a blond-haired boy about thirteen-years-old being doted on and spoiled by his parents.

“Wait!” he stated after seeing the parents. “I do know this family. They’re the Connors and they attend my church,” Phelps stated as he continued to observe the scene inside.

He watched as their son, Riley, was handed his gifts and eagerly unwrapped them with all of the gusto and excitement he could muster. “Mom, Dad, I can’t believe you bought this for me!”

“Well, if you don’t want it then I guess we could always take it back and exchange it for something else,” his father responded while trying to keep a straight face. Besides winking at his wife, it was obvious that a smile was beginning to break through the façade.

“No way!” his son shrieked. “You know I’ve wanted this for months and there’s no way you’re going to take it away from me now!”

Riley then lunged toward his parents and wrapped an arm around each of their necks. After giving them a mighty squeeze, he kissed each of them on the cheek. “Thank you and I love both of you so much,” he added.

“And we love you too, son,” his mother replied, and then his parents hugged him back, appreciative of his thoughtful display of affection.

Phelps turned to look at the spirit to see if she had been observing him or the images before them, and when he saw that she’d been peering through the window he breathed a sigh of relief. The moment ended when the spirit spoke without looking at him.

“Isn’t it wonderful to witness moments like this and see the love that other parents and children have for one another?”

Franklin didn’t respond, and when he turned back to look through the window again he discovered they were now at another location.

This time he spotted an ebony haired young man walking next to a younger girl, who was most likely his sister. He was dressed as a shepherd boy, while the girl was dressed as an angel.

“It appears they will be performing in some sort of a pageant,” the spirit observed.

“Yes, every year our Sunday school classes put on a play about the first Christmas. Since I’ve seen it performed so many times before, I’m afraid I don’t remember when these two were in it, because I recognize their parents now as well. I don’t immediately recall their names, but they used to attend my church and moved away a couple of years ago.”

“Yes, the father got a new job in another state, but they haven’t forgotten you.”

When Phelps turned back to examine the scene again, he discovered they were now at this family’s home and the parents were handing their son and daughter a large number of gifts. He watched as the excited pair enthusiastically ripped off the wrapping paper so they could see what was inside each package. They would smile in satisfaction when they discovered what was hidden inside, and then they would thank their parents for giving them one more item from their Christmas list. As soon as all of the presents had been unwrapped, they both gave their mom and dad a hug.

“Are grandma and grandpa coming for Christmas dinner?” the girl asked.

“Yes, Emily, your grandparents will be here, along with your aunts, uncles, and cousins,” their mother answered.

“Great! I love it when everyone’s here to celebrate Christmas with us,” the boy added.

“Yes, Chase, it’s always nice to celebrate these special days with our family,” their dad responded.

The children then thanked their parents again and told them how much they appreciated everything they did for them. This caused Franklin’s eyes to fill up with tears as he witnessed this touching scene, and he lowered his head so he could wipe away the moisture with his sleeve. When he looked up again, he was standing in front of the parsonage and looking through the window at a Christmas that had taken place four years earlier.

“Dad,” his son squealed, “I can’t believe you’re giving me your model train.” His ten-year-old son, Timmy, was joyfully dancing around and totally overwhelmed by the significance of this present. “I know how much you love this, and I can’t believe you’re giving it to me.”

“It was a special gift from my father on the last Christmas before he died. I have always cherished it, but now I am passing it along to you. I hope you will love it as much as I have.”

“Oh I will, Dad,” Timmy promised just before he leapt into his father’s arms and squeezed his neck. “Thank you soooo much, Dad. I will always remember today and enjoy the train as much as you have, and some day I hope I can pass it on to my son.”

Franklin stood motionless as he watched this spectacle unfold in front of his eyes again, while at the same time remembering how special he felt at that particular moment. It was almost as wonderful as the Christmas when he’d received the same gift from his father. Wishing to enjoy the feeling for as long as he could, he returned his attention to scene before him, and when he did he heard his slightly younger self speak.

“You’re not done yet,” he stated as he handed his son three more packages. Eagerly, Timmy accepted the gifts and opened them, and he was immediately delighted with what he found inside. “These are new pieces to add to the train set so it will be even better than before. I hope we can add something new every year and that way we’ll both enjoy watching it grow.”

“Thanks, Dad. This is the best Christmas ever!”

The vision slowly began to fade and then everything went dim. Franklin soon discovered they were back where they’d started and standing in the study again. As soon as he let go of the spirit’s hand, she disappeared.

Momentarily confused, he looked around for her and that’s when he spotted the clock. Although it seemed as if they had spent several hours together, only a few minutes had passed since she’d first arrived. Feeling weary from the emotional journey down memory lane, Phelps laid down on the sofa again and soon fell asleep.