December 24, 1993
Early Afternoon
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
Trixie Belden sat back in the seat and sighed as she stared out the window of the commuter train. "Look at how that snow is coming down," she moaned to her companion. "Jim and Brian and Dan will never get home in this mess."
"I seriously doubt Jim will have any trouble in his Jeep," her best friend, Honey Wheeler, tried to reassure her. "And if the roads are too bad, Brian can take the train. I'm more concerned about Mart and Diana."
Trixie and Honey had just finished exams at City College of New York and were headed home for Christmas break in their hometown of Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, New York. They were planning to spend the holidays with their families. Honey's adopted brother, Jim Frayne, was driving down from Boston where he was in graduate school at Harvard; Trixie's older brother, Brian, was traveling from Baltimore, where he attended Johns Hopkins Medical School. Trixie's brother, Mart, had just become officially engaged to Diana Lynch, his childhood sweetheart, and would be spending the holiday with his fiancée's extended family in Arizona.
Along with Dan Mangan, they had all grown up on or near Glen Road, just outside Sleepyside, and had been members of a semi-secret club, the Bob-Whites of the Glen, when they were teenagers. Although they were now scattered at several different universities, they remained close friends and always managed to get together on school breaks. This would be the first Christmas the entire group wasn't together.
"Do you think Mart and Di will have any trouble flying out?" Trixie continued to stare out the window. The snow seemed to get heavier and the wind stronger as they left the city.
"I don't know. The last I heard on the radio this morning was that they were expecting delays, but they didn't say anything about closing airports. Do you know if they have a direct flight?"
Trixie nodded yes as she continued to stare out the window. "They got a direct flight out, but I think they have to change once coming back. Of course, they were lucky to get anything at the last minute."
"I'm so excited for them." Honey couldn't help but glance down at her left hand and the diamond solitaire she wore.
Noticing the lack of enthusiasm in Honey's voice, Trixie turned to look at her. "Now that Mart and Di have set a date, we need to work on you and Brian!"
"Brian doesn't just have medical school. There's his internship and residency and, and...well, never mind. Now you and Jim..."
Mart and Diana both attended Ohio State University where Mart was a senior and where Diana should have been a junior, but had been taking extra classes so that she could finish early. She had planned to graduate that May with Mart, but scheduling problems required her to attend Summer School and graduate in August. They still planned to marry that summer, before Mart started graduate school in September.
Honey and Brian, as well as Trixie and Jim, had dated for almost as long as Diana and Mart, but had been far less specific about their plans for the future. Each of the other couples had discussed making their relationships official but knew it should wait until they were more certain about school and careers. Brian had given Honey a ring the prior summer, but they had not set a date and didn't intend to until Honey got her undergraduate degree and they both had a better grasp on their futures. Trixie and Jim were less certain about their careers and their lack of any formal commitment reflected that.
"When was Dan supposed to get home?" Trixie quickly changed the subject.
"He said something about staying over until this morning to take a friend to the airport. It must be a girl, because he clammed up tight when I asked him about this friend."
"Guess he's over that bimbo. What was her name? Something slutty. Oh, Gee...Bambi. That's what it was. Bambi."
Honey giggled uncontrollably. "It was Barbie. How could you forget that?"
Trixie laughed too. Whether he deserved it or not, Dan had developed a reputation as a ladies' man. "Maybe because she was his umpteenth girlfriend since he transferred to Rutgers?"
"Oh Trixie, he isn't THAT bad," said Honey. "Although I did hear the new one's from California. Dan said she's not a surfer girl. She's serious, studious, loves to write and, as Dan said, 'statuesque'."
Trixie turned and stared out the window, wondering if Dan was going to finally settle down. Like her brother, Mart, Dan was in his senior year of college and giving serious consideration to entering law school after graduation. Before transferring to Rutgers, he'd spent two years at the local Community College. Dan's first year of college and Trixie's senior year of high school, they had grown especially close and Dan had confided many things to her, including his insecurities about women. She knew he did not always welcome the attention his "bedroom eyes" and striking good looks generated.
"I just want him to find the right girl," she mumbled. "I know there's someone special for him too."
"Speaking of special girls, what did Jim tell you when he called last night?" Honey had gone to bed early the prior evening, and missed a call from her brother. In the rush to get to class that morning and then to catch the train home, she'd never asked Trixie about the call.
"He decided not to head out last night. Said he would get an early start this morning and hopefully miss the worst of the storm." Trixie looked out the window at the accumulating snow. "Sure hope he did."
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
Jim gripped the steering wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee with both hands, cursing the driver who had just cut him off. When he moved to Cambridge to attend Harvard, he'd thought that New England drivers might behave sensibly in bad weather. He'd quickly learned that, just like New Yorkers, they tended to ignore hazardous road conditions and thought driving faster was the best way to get off the road sooner.
Jim glanced at the dashboard clock and cursed again. He'd been on the road over an hour and a half and should be at least halfway through Connecticut, but he wasn't even to Worcester yet. While he'd had no problems, he'd passed numerous accidents that caused one back up after another and the heavy holiday traffic crept along even the good stretches of roadway. He cursed himself for not driving home the prior evening like he'd originally planned. But his parents weren't due in from Ottawa until that evening and none of his other family and friends were arriving home from school until that afternoon or later. He'd decided that he could get some sleep, leave early in the morning and still arrive home long before everyone else. Well, every one of his friends except for Mart Belden and Diana Lynch, he corrected himself.
Jim smiled at the idea of Mart and Diana finally making "it" official. They'd talked forever about getting married and everyone speculated about when Mart would finally give Diana a ring, so it was no surprise when the couple had announced their official engagement the prior week. Of course, they had to fly to Arizona to celebrate the good news with Diana's family. For the first time since he was fifteen, Jim and his fellow Bob-Whites of the Glen would not be together on Christmas Eve. The happy couple HAD decorated the tree and left gifts for everyone, but it wouldn't be the same.
Jim was happy for his friends, if not just a bit jealous of their happiness. He and Trixie had been a couple for almost as long, but he'd been unable to convince Trixie to make any official commitment. He knew she had chosen to attend CCNY in part to be near him while he attended graduate school at Columbia, and had never forgiven him for opting to attend Harvard instead. And while he understood her reluctance to commit while still an undergrad herself, he still wanted more than they shared now. He grimaced thinking of their "discussions" on that issue, but resolved anew to make her see things his way after spending the next couple weeks together.
Reaching to turn up the volume on the radio, he smiled at the thought of spending three whole weeks with the vivacious blonde.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
Trixie leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Honey. My all-nighter is catching up with me." She covered a large yawn with her hand.
Honey stared past her friend and out the window. "We're definitely moving more slowly than usual."
"That's not unusual in a storm like this. At least the trains move. That's more than you can say for planes."
"Exactly what time was Mart and Di's flight?"
"Dunno." Trixie yawned again, remembering how bad weather almost interfered with their trip to Arizona years ago. "They'll be fine. I'm sure."
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
Mart squirmed in the hard plastic seat. "You would think a world-class airport like Kennedy would at least try to have seats that are comfortable! Especially given how long they make you sit in them and the number of international travelers they might want to lure back," he complained. "My back's taken about all it can." He stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna check the status of our flight."
Diana looked up from the book she was reading. "It hasn't been fifteen minutes since you last checked."
Just then an announcement came over the speakers asking all passengers on their flight to check in at their departure gate. Diana cocked her head at her fiancé, knowing this couldn't be good news. He helped her up and, together, they walked over to the desk.
"We're on the flight to Tucson." Mart crossed his fingers, hoping for good news.
"I'm sorry, sir. Your plane is grounded in Boston, and Logan is closed until further notice. We are trying to reschedule all passengers on later flights to Tucson, but given the conditions on the entire East Coast, we may not be able to get anything until tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Mart almost choked on the word.
"We're trying to find seats earlier, but the holiday...and the weather."
Mart looked at Diana who had tears welling in her eyes. "Do you want to just go back home?"
Diana first shook her head no, but then nodded. "Why don't we just fly out after Christmas? The 26th or 27th?"
The attendant couldn't pound computer keys quick enough to find a flight after Christmas, relieved that she had two less people to get on a plane that day.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
"Look at that, Honey." Trixie pointed to the parking area around the Tarrytown station. It was blanketed in several inches of snow. "I hope the roads look better than that."
"Days like today are exactly why my dad got the Escalade," Honey referred to the large, luxurious Cadillac SUV her father had purchased recently. "If anything can make it through the snow, Tom will get that big thing."
"What about your parents?"
"If the Lear can make it into Westchester airport, Tom will get them home." Honey's parents were flying from Ottawa in their private jet. Fortunately, they flew in and out of nearby White Plains and not one of the larger commercial airports in the New York area.
"That's exactly why Brian bought a Subaru. He couldn't afford a big SUV, but needed something reliable in bad weather. He loves that car."
"He may not make it, even in a Subaru, in this mess." Honey sighed.
Trixie tried to reassure her friend that Brian would be home for Christmas. She knew how much Honey adored Brian and how difficult it was for the two of them to find time for each other. She was equally concerned about his driving all the way from Baltimore, but she would never let Honey know that. "You just said Tom would make it in the Escalade! And didn't you say Jim would be fine in the Jeep?"
"The Escalade is a lot bigger. And the distance from Baltimore a lot further. And Jim..." Honey shrugged. She knew better than to argue with Trixie.
Trixie hugged her friend. "Neither rain nor snow nor dead of night--"
"That's the Postal Service, silly!" Honey managed to smile.
"Okay, then, How about 'What can brown do for you'?" Trixie offered.
"And what the heck does that have to do with Brian?"
Trixie shrugged and searched her memory. "Is 'operate independently, compete collectively, and manage collaboratively' any better?" She looked over at her friend.
Honey giggled uncontrollably. "Well, that does sound like the Bob-Whites anymore, but it doesn't have much to do with Brian's trying to get home. It may work for Fed-Ex, but I guess 'neither rain nor...whatever' is more appropriate for Brian."
"Yeah, that's VERY applicable to Brian and how determined he will be to get here and see you!"
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
Brian walked out of Child Health Building and pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. Looking back at the hideous aluminum tree with blue lights in the lobby, he pictured the traditional red and green decorations, home-cooked meals, and beautiful honey-haired young woman that awaited him in New York.
"Free at last," he called to out anyone who might be listening. Oblivious to the ice and sleet blowing in his face, he headed down the stairs towards the parking garage where he'd left his car earlier that morning. By the second step, he slipped on the slick sheet of ice and fell flat on his buttocks. Picking himself up, he looked around at the two inch coating of ice and snow that covered the grass, and had made the sidewalks and pavement impassable.
"So, Belden. How exactly do you plan to get to Sleepyside in this mess?" he mumbled to himself as he gripped the handrail and eased cautiously down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he glanced at his watch and made a quick decision.
"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night..." he recited as he headed into the parking garage. "I can't ship myself home, but there's always Amtrak."
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
"Will the airport in White Plains stay open in bad weather?" Trixie wondered.
Honey laughed. "With all the wealthy businessmen trying to get home for Christmas, I bet it'll be open long after all the others close. If they do close." She looked over at her friend. "Oh, gee. You now have me worrying about Mart and Di."
"And Dan's friend. She was flying out of Newark."
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
At the same time Mart and Diana were booking a flight for after Christmas Day, Dan was pulling his Ford Escort up to Departures area of Newark International Airport in nearby New Jersey.
Not seeing any notices of flight status, he looked over at his passenger. "Why don't you check with one of the attendants about your flight? I can wait."
"They won't let you stand for more than a few moments." She also was looking for some display of departure and arrival status.
"Just go ask the baggage clerk to call it up on the computer." Dan pointed to an airline employee outside the terminal. "I'll make like I'm unloading you luggage."
Dan got out and lifted the rear hatch of his car while the young woman ran over to the attendant. After a few moments she looked over at Dan and shook her head. Assuming the news wasn't good, he shut the hatch and joined her.
"Flight cancelled?"
"Worse than that. All flights are cancelled or delayed. I'll just have to wait."
"I can't just leave you here. You could be waiting for hours, maybe days."
"I don't know what else to do. The dorms are closed. I'll be fine."
The two stared at each other for a few moments, before Dan spoke up. "I know exactly what we'll do. I'll take you to Sleepyside. You can't stay in the apartment with me and Uncle Bill, but there's lots of room at Crabapple Farm. Mrs. B always says the walls are stretchy and she...she'll find room for you. I'll bring you back tomorrow, or, to be safe, on the 26th. I've wanted you to meet everyone and this way you can."
"No, Dan. I can't. I...They can't put me up."
"I'm sorry sir, but you have to move your car," the attendant interrupted.
"See. No arguing. We have to move. Get him to change your ticket to the 26th. Your parents will understand." Dan turned and walked over to the car before there could be any argument. He wasn't completely comfortable showing up at the Belden's with a surprise guest, but it wouldn't be the first time they opened their home.
And he was very excited about taking this special woman home.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
Trixie was just dozing off as the train slowed again. Looking out the window, she saw they were pulling into Sleepyside's commuter rail station.
"You awake?" Honey asked and she started to stand.
"Yeah. Sure hope we don't have to wait for Tom."
"Have we ever had to wait for him?" Honey asked as the girls grabbed their bags and headed for the end of the car. Just as she predicted, Tom had pulled the large, black Esplanade into the no parking area to wait for them.
Once settled into the car, they learned that the Wheelers were still in Ottawa waiting to get confirmation that they could land in Westchester, and that he'd heard nothing from Jim.
"Apparently the weather in Ottawa is fine, so that it's entirely up to conditions here as to when they'll arrive," he tried to reassure Honey. "And Jim's a responsible driver. You forget that I taught him."
Honey crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders. "What if no one gets home?"
Trixie recognized that, not only was Honey afraid for her family's safety, but she feared spending a holiday alone. "Why don't we have Tom take us to Crabapple Farm? We can have some of Moms' cookies and hot cider. You can stay until the rest of your family gets in." She glanced at Tom in the rearview mirror. "Is that all right, Tom?"
Knowing that the warm kitchen of Crabapple Farm would be far more welcoming than an empty Manor House, Tom nodded his understanding.
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
Trixie set down her suitcase, inhaled the spicy fragrance of baking pies, and glanced at into the festively decorated family room. "Moms? Moms?" she called as she began to take off her coat.
"No need to yell," her mother responded as she came in from the hallway. "Honey! What are you doing here?"
"There's no one at Manor House and Trixie invited..."
"That's wonderful." Mrs. Belden gave her future daughter-in-law a hug. "Brian was just asking about you and I told him we were planning on you and Jim as well as Dan this evening." She took both girls' coats and hung them on pegs by the back door.
"Brian?" Honey perked up. "Is he here?"
"Sit down girls. I was going to have some hot tea and you look like you both could use some.
"Brian is still in Baltimore, Honey. They got more ice than snow and he said almost every major road is closed. He was calling from the Amtrak station, but trains are packed." Seeing the disappointed looks on both young women's faces, she tried to recover. "He promised he'd find a way to get home."
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
"Final call for Amtrak 184 to Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark and New York City now boarding at Gate...."
Brian didn't wait for the end of the announcement as hurried over to the waiting train. There were no reserved seats left on any trains to New York and he knew he had to be first in line to get any of the seats not filled in Washington. He'd just been bumped from another train five minutes earlier. He caught the eye of the conductor standing on the platform who shook his head no, and stopped running.
"No seats at all?" Brian asked as he got up to the gray-haired gentleman.
"Sorry, sir. The train filled completely in Washington. Unless someone gets off..."
"Will it be like this all day?" Brian wondered what other options he might have if he couldn't take Amtrak home.
"Most likely, given the weather."
"I have to get home to New York before tonight. I'm willing to do anything. My fiancée..."
The older man smiled, remembering what it was like when he was young, and in love. "Just how desperate are you?" he asked Brian.
"Oh, I'm desperate." Brian tried to conjure up a frantic and worried facial expression.
"Mmmm...you might try taking the MARC train to Washington. The Camden Line isn't running today, but the Penn Line is. You can take that to Union Station and try to get on a train there. That's where they originate and, although it might take you a couple tries..."
Before the older man could complete what he was saying Brian was thanking him and running towards the MARC boarding area.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
Jim had just exited from the Massachusetts Turnpike onto I-84 when traffic had come to a complete standstill. Tapping along to the beat of the music blasting from the car's speakers and feeling increasingly frustrated, Jim wondered if the weather was worse in New York or better. When the song ended, he realized he should probably stop listening to recorded music and find a radio station to get the weather and road reports.
Fiddling with the radio, he noticed vehicles behind him pulling to the sides of the road. Pulling over himself, he saw two state police vehicles creeping by, followed by an ambulance, fire truck and then two more state police cars.
"Well, that tells me more than the radio will," he stated aloud, while still trying to find a weather report.
Glancing at the dashboard clock for what had to be the one-thousandth time since leaving Boston, he wished he'd accepted his father's offer to buy him a cellular phone. But to get one strong enough to get a signal when traveling between home and school, it would have to be one of the larger ones and Jim hadn't wanted to carry around what looked like a purse. So he'd declined. So here he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, certain to be several hours late arriving at home, with no way to let anyone know. He wondered when they'd have the technology to make a phone small enough to fit in your pocket that would have a wide service area.
Finding a Hartford station announcing closings, Jim figured the weather report would follow and settled back to hear the bad news.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
Honey sat silently, sipping at a warm mug of herbal tea, oblivious to the animated conversation between Trixie and her mother. One Christmas before moving to Sleepyside, Honey's parents had been stranded due to similar weather and she had spent the holiday with her grandmother and governess. While even at the age of ten, she had understood why her parents weren't there, she had been sick and miserable. Sitting in the warm, welcoming kitchen of Crabapple Farm and knowing that she'd feel loved and welcome there if her own family should be stranded in the weather, she fought long-buried feelings of inadequacy and being unloved.
"Did you girls get any lunch?" Mrs. Belden stood and headed towards the refrigerator. "I was planning to warm some leftovers for myself. Honey, I have chicken potpie. I know it's one of your favorites."
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
"Well, do you think the interstate is better or worse than this?" Diana asked Mart as they waited for a shuttle bus to take them to the long-term parking area where they had left Mart's Ford Taurus. The airport access roads were completely covered in snow and looked treacherous at best.
Mart looked at the roadways and the snow that was falling almost horizontally due to strong winds and wondered the same thing. "The Taurus has front-wheel drive. It's a pretty heavy car, too."
"Honestly, Mart, the only thing that's going to get through this is a plow."
"Then I'll find one," Mart said resolutely, thinking of the delicious foods, warm fire, and festive decorations that awaited them in Sleepyside. "How much to you think it'll cost to rent one?" he asked as he gave his fiancée a hug.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
"Dan, I can't believe you'd even consider asking your friends to put up a total stranger!"
Without taking his eyes off the solid white wall in front of the windshield, Dan laughed. "I told you. The Beldens are the most generous and hospitable people I know. Mrs. B has said a million times that Crabapple Farm has stretchy walls. "
"But on a holiday? And Christmas?"
"Don't worry about the Beldens." Dan took one hand off the steering wheel just long enough to grab his companion's hand and try to reassure her. Recalling how the Beldens and all the Bob-Whites had welcomed him into their hearts and homes, he was certain that they would open their home to his friend without hesitation. He only wished he were as confident that they'd make it to Sleepyside in this storm.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
Recognizing Honey's rising anxiety and being almost as concerned about the safety of her family and friends, Mrs. Belden kept both Honey and Trixie busy all afternoon, cleaning, cooking and preparing for the evening festivities and the day passed quickly. They paid minimal attention to the worsening conditions outside the warm and cozy farmhouse until their joviality was interrupted by Peter Belden coming in from the service porch.
"Hello! The weary warrior is home from the-- Oomp!" He was grabbed in a hug by his only daughter. "Trixie!" He hugged her back. "Good to have you home, sweetheart. Are any of your brothers here?" He looked around the kitchen for signs of his sons and their friends.
"Bobby's upstairs. The last we heard Brian was taking Amtrak. We haven't heard from Mart and Di, so they must be on their way." Trixie paused before continuing. "Oh, Dad, no one has heard anything from Jim or Dan and they were both driving."
Peter Belden pulled his daughter close. "The roads are pretty bad out there, Trixie, but not impassable. Tom Delanoy is the safest driver I know and he taught both those boys to drive. They know how to drive in these conditions and they both have sense enough to get off the roads if they get worse.
"Now, I could use something hot to drink before Bobby and I head out to start clearing walkways and the drive. BOBBY!"
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
The road conditions had improved significantly once Jim had moved out of Massachusetts and the foothills. But here in Connecticut, the visibility had worsened and the snow was falling heavier. Apparently the warmer temperatures had produced a wetter, heavier snow as well as stronger winds. Of course, with worsening driving conditions, the traffic had thinned out considerably and Jim hadn't passed an accident in miles. Thinking about it, he hadn't passed much of anything in miles. Trying to ignore his growling stomach and painfully full bladder, he gave thanks that he'd reached the halfway mark to home, but wondered how much longer he could go without stopping.
A large green sign, barely legible from the snow blown up against it, advertised a truck stop ahead. Jim knew it would be open and the heavy trucks entering and leaving would have kept the roadway clear even if the highway department crews couldn't.
Jim inched slowly through the drifts on the exit ramp and towards the brightly lit facility. Turning off the road, he maneuvered around the plows attempting to keep the areas around the pumps and parking clear. Once inside, he headed straight to the restrooms and then got at the end of the long line for the pay phones. He knew it was time to call home and tell them he might be spending Christmas in Connecticut.
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
Honey and Trixie had taken a break from decorating sugar cookies and stood at the window laughing heartily at Mr. Belden's attempts to show Bobby how to use the snow blower. Apparently the teenager couldn't figure out how to use it without blowing snow onto Mr. Belden and the areas he had already shoveled out by hand. Finally, Mr. Belden, red-faced, handed Bobby a snow shovel, and headed up the long driveway with the snow blower.
"I wish I could have heard what he was saying. It had to be R-rated, if not X!" Honey giggled. She had never seen Mr. Belden get angry with any of his children. At least not until that afternoon.
"It couldn't be any worse than what Brian and Mart will say when they learn he got a snow blower. We had to do it all by hand when we were Bobby's age."
"But there were more of you," Honey offered sympathetically.
Ring....Ring....
Both girls ran for the phone, hoping desperately that it would be one of the travelers.
Trixie grabbed the phone. "Belden residence. I've got it Moms."
Honey squirmed around, anxious to hear who it might be.
"Jim!" Trixie squealed with delight. "Oh, Gee. You're kidding. Do you think?" Seeing the look on Honey's face, she wondered how she'd share his news. "Please, don't take any chances. The presents will all be here tomorrow." Trixie laughed. "And Mart's not here, so there'll be plenty of goodies to eat."
"Brian's on his way. He's taking Amtrak. No, we haven't heard from Dan. Mart and Diana should be somewhere over Colorado by now. Please don't take any risks, Jim. Your parents aren't even here yet. Just stay where you are."
Hanging up the phone, she turned to her friend. "Jim's stranded at a truck stop in Connecticut. He may have to stay the night."
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
Brian stood on the edge of the railroad platform in Washington's Union Station, waiting for them to begin loading the train. He'd had to stand the entire way on the MARC train from Baltimore to Washington, but was able to upgrade his ticket so he could catch the Amtrak train at its origin. Happy just to be this close to getting onto a train that would take him home, he refused to worry how he'd afford the tickets. He'd had to budget closely just to save enough for the gasoline for the trip; forget the cost of leaving that car in the garage for a week, train fare from Baltimore to DC, DC to New York and then the commuter train to Sleepyside.
The train pulled in and the line inched forward, stopping periodically as the conductors allowed those on the train to store their packages and to determine how many more unreserved seats were available. Finally, he was second in line; only a young mother and child were in front of him. Brian offered a silent prayer that his luck would hold.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the conductor apologized to the young woman. But there's only one seat available." He looked to Brian to allow him to go ahead of her.
"But, my husband--my parents! We have to get to Philadelphia before tonight." Brian could feel the desperation in her voice. "We have to. My son can sit on my lap. He's only two."
The conductor looked from her to Brian, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."
Brian smiled feebly at the woman. Just as he stepped past her, she sobbed quietly.
"Go ahead." Brian stepped aside and turned to the conductor. "It's Christmas. Let the boy ride on her lap."
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
"When are you going to get cable, Moms? There's nothing but soap operas on and no weather or travel condition reports. How are we to know if Mart and Di are okay? Or Brian? Are the trains still running? And Dan? He had to drop off a friend at Newark Airport, and who knows what the roads are like in New Jersey. Jim said--"
"Trixie, we don't have cable because your father and I have more important things to pay for, like college tuitions. But there is a radio in the kitchen that picks up the weather channel fine." Mrs. Belden cut her daughter off shortly even though she was used to her histrionics. She was just as worried as Trixie. It was obvious by looking out the windows that airline flights were delayed if not cancelled entirely, and the highway crews were probably fighting a losing battle to keep roadways clear. She hoped that by not hearing otherwise, everyone was still safe and traveling. Surely they'd call if they were stranded.
Wouldn't they?
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
"Are these roads as bad as they look?" the young woman fretted,
noticing the worried look on Dan's face.
"Worse," Dan mumbled. Realizing he'd frightened his companion, he quickly offered a smile. "I know this looks bad to a wimp from California, but it's nothing for New York." He tried to reassure her, as well as himself. "I'd take a little snow storm over earthquakes and mudslides any day. But, at this snail's pace, it is going to take a while to get to Sleepyside. We should try to find a place to pull over and call. I need to call home and you need to let your family know you're staying over."
Just as Dan glanced over to see if she looked less worried, he went into a skid and tried to maintain control of the car. Knowing it was futile to try to brake on the icy roadway, he prayed silently and gripped the steering wheel as he turned into the skid.
"Dammit to hell!" he yelled when they came to a stop in a snowbank on the side of the road. At least they hadn't hit anything. Trying to back out, his tires spun uselessly. "Dammit to hell!"
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
Trixie paced back and forth, listening to the list of closed airports, roadways and Christmas Eve services being read by the radio announcer. and checking on the cookies in the oven.
"You've checked those cookies so often, they'll never finish baking." Honey tried to get her friend to sit down.
"It wouldn't be so bad if someone would just call," Trixie fretted as she leaned against the counter. "Can't they get to a phone?"
Ring...Ring...
Trixie grabbed the phone. "Belden resid--Mart! Where are you?"
Honey jumped up from the table and joined Trixie at the phone. "Are they okay? Did they make it to Arizona?"
"Oh my. What are you...? Did you try to get a room? Yes, I know. Let Mr. Lynch have a fit; this is an emergency."
Honey tried desperately to hear what Mart was saying, but gave up and stepped back.
"Sure. Well, keep trying, but don't do anything stupid. You are my almost-twin." Trixie hung up the phone.
"That was Mart."
"Doh, Trixie. Where are they?"
"They're still at Kennedy. Their flight was cancelled and they rescheduled for the 27th, but when they tried to leave the airport, Mart got stuck twice just in the parking lot, so they are back in the airport. "They've been trying to find a room near the airport, but that's a joke. They're trying to find a way to get into the city or here, but they may be sleeping in plastic chairs tonight.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
" What did your mother say about our staying all night in the City?" Diana asked as Mart hung up the payphone in the airport terminal.
"That wasn't Moms. It was Trixie. And she said not to worry about what our parents say if we have to get a room." Mart pulled her to him. "It's not like we're..."
"It's just announcing to the world that we're getting a hotel room for the night." Diana pulled away.
"Well, we have to find a room and a way to get there first," Mart looked around for the limousine service desk. While his first option was to be in Sleepyside for Christmas, he didn't mind the idea of sharing a room in a Manhattan hotel, either. One think he knew for certain, he did not want to spend the night in a plastic chair.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
"It is brutal out there!" Mr. Belden slapped his arms in an attempt to warm up as he came into the kitchen from the service porch. "Where's your mother?" he asked Trixie.
"In your bedroom. She must be wrapping packages because we were ordered not to go in."
"Then how about some hot cocoa for two cold and sore men?" he asked Trixie.
"Yeah, this man could use some warming up." Bobby followed his father into the house. "We worked our butts off while you--"
"We saw your manly man work, Bobby." Trixie got the milk out of the refrigerator and began pouring it into a saucepan. "It looked like you were blowing more snow onto the driveway than Mother Nature herself."
"Hey, I didn't see you out there."
"Bobby and I finally got it worked out," Mr. Belden interrupted. He ruffled the flaxen curls on Bobby's head. "He worked hard."
Trixie looked out the window. "It looks like most of your hard work is already buried."
"It is, but it'll still be less to plow and shovel later. And we had to make way for everyone to get their cars up the drive.
Trixie's shoulders slumped and Honey gasped a bit. "Yeah, if anyone gets here."
Ring...Ring...
Once again, Trixie was the first to pick it up.
"Hello, Mrs. Wheeler. Yes, I'll put her on."
Trixie, her father, and Bobby waited as Honey took the call. Her short, polite responses gave no indication as to the reason for her mother's calling until tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"Of course, Mother, I understand that you and Daddy... I'd like to if that's okay, especially if Jim doesn't get here. I know, Mother. Me too. Honey choked on the last two words. "Mr. Belden is standing right here. I'll put him on."
Honey handed him the phone and sat down at the table. Wiping the tears from her face she smiled feebly at Trixie. "They're...they're..." She put her head down and sobbed.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just
thinking about you
Trixie rushed over and hugged her friend as her father reassured Mrs. Wheeler that Honey was more than welcome to spend Christmas at Crabapple Farm
"I know you were looking forward to a holiday with Jim and your parents. I know you were looking forward to our annual Bob-White Christmas Eve party. But Honey, there's nothing anyone can do in this weather." Trixie sat down and pulled her friend close. "But I think it'll be fun if we have a quiet evening. And Brian might still make it and we haven't heard from Dan and...and...maybe by this time tomorrow the storm will have moved on and we'll have our party then."
Mrs. Belden entered the room carrying brightly wrapped packages. "Who's on the phone, she started to ask when she saw that Honey was crying. "Oh, no. What is it? What's wrong? Honey?"
"It's Mrs. Wheeler, Moms. They're still in Ontario. Dad's getting details." Trixie nodded towards her father and they all waited until Mr. Belden got off the phone.
"Guess you know that the Wheelers are still in Ontario. The Westchester airport is closed, but they aren't giving up. As soon as it reopens they'll be on their way. I told them that Honey was welcome to stay here and if we hear from Jim again, we will relay a message that he is to stay put.
"Girls, the roads are treacherous and the smartest thing Jim or Brian or anyone can do is not drive. I know it puts a damper on the holiday, but you are not to encourage them to travel."
"Of course, Dad."
"Of course, Mr. Belden."
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the
same dear, if you're not here with me
The snow continued to fall through the afternoon and evening, drifting over the stone fences along Glen Road until they'd completely disappeared, and up against the sides of the barn and over the old chicken coop. Honey and the Beldens waited anxiously for word from Brian and Dan, but hearing nothing, finally sat down to dinner.
While Mrs. Belden had prepared a delicious meal, the five sat silently at the kitchen table, the scraping of spoons in their bowls the only sound other than the howling wind outside. The gloomy looks on their faces was a stark contrast from the bright red and green plaid table cloth or the blinking lights on the tree in the adjacent family room.
"Does anyone feel like dessert?" Mrs. Belden got up from the table and walked over to the counter where she had a pie cooling. "What's that?" She peered out the kitchen window." What?" She dropped her pie knife onto the floor, ran to the door and out onto the service porch. When she opened the door, the others could see the headlights of a large semi-truck heading up the driveway and they ran out onto the porch behind her.
The truck stopped and a tall young man jumped out of the passenger side. He said something to the driver before shutting the door and trudging through the snow towards them. The truck began backing down the driveway towards Glen Road.
"Jim! It's Jim!" Honey and Trixie ran out of the porch and into the storm, oblivious to the weather, and both fell into a snow drift in their excitement. Jim prodded through the drifts as fast as possible to the girls.
"Surprised?" he asked as he helped them up.
"Surprised? Oh Jim!" Trixie hugged and kissed him before dragging him into the house.
Once Jim was settled in front of the blazing fire in the family room, he shared the story of how he'd left his Jeep at the truck stop and hitched a ride with a trucker. The truck driver was trying to get home to his family in nearby Peekskill and welcomed Jim's company on the long, slow drive. He'd even offered to give Jim a lift back to the truck stop when he did his run to Boston the following week.
"I told Buddy I'd probably get one of you to take me to get the Jeep, but I'd call him if I needed. I really enjoyed the ride and his stories about life on the road."
He looked at Honey sitting on one side of him and Trixie on the other and leaned back. "I'm just so thankful I found a way to get here."
"Now we only need Brian and Mart and Di and Dan." Trixie sighed.
"I doubt they'll be as lucky as me and find someone like Buddy." Jim closed his eyes and gave a silent prayer of thanks.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when
those blue memories start calling
Brian looked out the train window before glancing at his watch. The train couldn't have been moving at more than five miles per hour. "Well at least it's moving," he thought.
He reflected back to Union Station several hours earlier, when he'd given the last seat on the train to the young mother. The conductor had been so impressed by his generosity, he'd found a seat for Brian in another car--a reserved seat--and insisted that Brian be given a free upgrade. That seat had been on the last train out of Washington before the tracks were closed near Perryville, MD. As slow as this train was moving, it was a lot faster and lot more comfortable than the seats in Union Station.
Brian looked out the window again and saw they had stopped. He realized that, under the blanket of snow, was the Sleepyside Commuter Rail Station. He laughed as he stood and got his suitcase.
"Now, Belden, how are you going to get to the Farm?" He asked aloud as he stepped onto the platform. It was slick from the blowing snow, but at least it wasn't completely covered. He looked over to the empty taxi stands and wondered who or what he might call when he saw a white Chevrolet Blazer, with a large number 1 painted on the rear bumper. He stepped over and recognized the town seal on the door and the man leaning against it.
"Chief Molinson, how'd you like to visit your favorite protégé?" he called out as he headed over, knowing he'd owe the Police Chief a favor big time.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
A short time later, Brian received a welcome as jubilant as Jim's had been. After having a large bowl of his mother's chili, he settled onto the sofa and pulled Honey close to him. "I still need a little warming." he whispered as squeezed her waist and waited for her giggle. He loved the sound of her laugh.
"So you took the commuter train to DC, stole a seat from a mother and child and--" Trixie began to tease.
"Oh, Trixie. Brian would never do anything like that." Honey snuggled closer to her fiancé.
Just then there was a loud banging on the back door.
"Who could that be?" Mr. Belden got up and headed into the kitchen with everyone following him. "Oh my! Look at this!"
Standing at the door were Mart and Diana. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were behind them.
"Come in! Come in!"
Once they were all settled in and had steaming mugs of tea, cocoa or cider, Mrs. Wheeler was delegated to share the details of their adventure.
"After I spoke to you, Peter, and realized how miserable Honey would be." She smiled warmly at her daughter. "I knew we couldn't spend the holiday away from her. So we managed to get a clearing to land at JFK. We contacted Tom and he said he felt confident he could make it to the airport. So we took off.
"I don't know what all the hullabaloo has been about all day, but we had no problems until the actual landing, which was a bit rough. She looked over at her husband. "Matt, you will have to check into that. But just as he promised, Tom was there waiting for us. And we headed on home.
"You are not going to believe this. As we were leaving the airport, there was a airport limousine stuck in a snow drift and Tom pulled over to help. We couldn't believe it when there, in the back of the Town Car, were Mart and Diana." Everyone laughed. "Of course, we offered to bring them home and, well...
"Here we are." She clapped her hands in pleasure.
"Now if we would only hear from Dan. Has anyone?' Trixie looked around the room futilely. She knew no one had heard from him.
"If only he hadn't taken that girl to the airport."
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But
I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
"I told you that New Yorkers don't panic in a little snow," Dan kidded his friend.
"Yeah, how many times did you get stuck before Tad showed up?" she retorted.
"Yeah, Dan. How many times?" Tad Webster looked over at his friend. "You should just be thankful you have a loser friend who owns a tow truck with a plow."
"That's not all you're doing, Tad."
"It's about all I'm doing right now. I don't want to commit to anything. As soon as I turn twenty-two this spring, I'm submitting my application to White Plans, Sleepyside, Tarrytown..." Tad had obtained his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from the Community College at the same time as Dan, but, instead of transferring into a four year school, he was hoping to go directly into police work. Of course, all of the local departments required that you have two years of college and be twenty-two years old.
"I'm just glad you came along when you did."
"Yeah the state police would have towed you if we hadn't gotten you out of that drift."
"Well my car's fine in the church lot for now."
Tad turned the large truck onto Glen Road. "Speaking of the state, they haven't been through here in awhile."
"I think they've given up on side roads. Sure you don't want to come in for a hot drink? I'm sure Mrs. B..." Dan offered as they pulled into Crabapple Farm.
"Thanks, Dan. But I'm under contract." Tad shrugged and grinned. "You know. Thanks, though."
Dan and his companion jumped out of the truck. "I don't know how I'll ever thank you, Tad," Dan offered.
"No problem. It was just a little out of my way." Tad watched the young woman trudging through the snow drifts. "By the way, Dan, she's a keeper!" He laughed as Dan slammed the door.
Dan called out to Mr. Belden and Bobby as they came out of the garage carrying firewood. Bobby dropped his load and headed towards Dan. "Oh, gee, is my sister ever going to be-- Who's she?" He pointed over to Dan's friend.
"I'll introduce her to everyone when we get inside." They all headed onto the service porch.
"Well, you're not going to believe what I found outside," Mr. Belden called out as he and Bobby came into the kitchen. Trixie was piling cookies on a plate and turned to look at her father. When she saw who was following him, she dropped the two cookies she was holding and almost knocked the plate onto the floor.
"Danny! Danny!"
Once everyone had run into the kitchen, Dan had pulled his friend close and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Brian, Mart, Trixie, Honey, Jim, Diana, Bobby, Mr. and Mrs. B, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler...Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas, everyone! I want you to meet my friend from California, Ronda."
I was so excited when I got your name; someone I'd met in real life AND another Dan fan! I knew I had to write a Dan story just for you. But Dan wasn't speaking to me, so instead I decided to give you Dan himself for Christmas. Then I decided why not give you a Christmas with ALL the BWGs! I wasn't feeling daring enough to travel too far out of my own universe, so I decided that I'd send you to Rutgers for a semester or two, where you could meet Dan and spend a holiday in Sleepyside. The story is purposely vague about what you did while you were in Sleepyside. Figured you'd want to create your own fantasy for THAT experience.
And, yes, I know you now live in Washington, but I know you're originally from California, and I thought it’d be neat to have Dan date a California Girl. AND I assumed you'd want that date with Dan when you were young and single, before you got married and had kids! I hope you enjoy your foray into my universe!
Author's Notes: Song title and subtitles are from Blue Christmas, written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson, and first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957. I'm not an Elvis fan, but these lyrics seemed so appropriate I had to steal them.
MARC is the commuter rail system in Maryland. There are several lines that run to and from suburban areas to Baltimore and Washington, DC, and between the two cities.
The REAL weather conditions for the REAL Sleepyside (Ossining) were far too warm for it to snow on the REAL December 24, 1993, but, hey, this is fiction! They COULD have had a major snowstorm on that date.
And, of course, MUCH thanks to Cathy P for giving us Jix; to Cathyoma and Steph for all their work on the Secret Santa Story Project and ESPECIALLY to Terry, the bestest formatter, editor and Trixie friend there is! MERRY CHRISTMAS!