A Tale of Two Christmases

A Tale of Two Christmases © 2022

by David Lee

Christmas Eve, in the year 2021, was cold and blustery. Glen Tomkins dreaded going out into the weather, but he had promised to help serve meals for the needy in the city and it would be something to occupy his mind and keep him from being alone. Holidays were the hardest time of the year for him.

He had put up a small tree and decorated his front bushes with lights in an attempt to cheer himself up. Being by himself during the gray days surrounding the winter solstice was almost more than he could bear. January and February wouldn't be much better, but things would look up in March if he could hold out that long.

As he walked into the parking lot entrance at the back of the church, he noticed the usual assortment of rusted-out vehicles and downtrodden faces peering out of them, waiting for the serving line to open.

It wasn't all doom and gloom. Once inside, he was greeted by the cook, Sue Sorenson, and several other helpers who had recently arrived. Tonight, an elderly woman from the congregation was perched on the piano bench and would be playing carols to make it a special evening.

The stream of guests was pretty steady. Fortunately, Ms. Sorenson had prepared plenty of food to assuage their appetites. Toward the end, a man came in asking if he could get two servings of dinner in some kind of container to take to his van. He said he had a child with him who was sick, and he didn't want to expose anyone else. Sue hastily found some containers which had held various supplies and would be stable enough to serve the purpose. As she often did for volunteers who lived alone, when there was lots of food leftover, she packed a meal for Glen, adding plastic flatware to both sacks.

"Please go out the kitchen door and keep these hidden in the paper bag until you reach your vehicle so the others won't know what you're doing. The health department doesn't normally allow us to do carryout lest someone tries to save it too long and get food poisoning."

"Since the line is shut down, may I get my coat and see him out," Glen asked.

"Yes, you're welcome to go on home after that," the cook said. "You aren't on cleanup duty."

"Thanks for your help, Man. My name's Tom Harold."

"Mine's Glen Tomkins. I don't think I've seen you here before."

"No, this was a last resort. I hate to take charity but I'm at my wit's end."

"May I take a look at your child, if I'm not intruding?" Glen asked.

"Sure, if you're not afraid to catch whatever Ethan has. I think it might be strep."

"I'll chance it. My kid's had that several times.

"May I feel your forehead, young man?" Glen asked as he stepped into the van.

"Okay," Ethan responded, lethargically.

"Haven't I seen you on the playground at school?"

"Yeah, you're Mr. Tomkins. You were on recess duty last week," the boy responded with more enthusiasm.

"It's good to see you again, Ethan.

"If you want, you're welcome to sit here and have supper with us before the food gets cold. This vehicle is the only place I can offer."

"Thank you, I'll do that. When we get through eating, I think we should go to the hospital and have Ethan checked. His head is pretty hot."

"I know you're right," Tom said. "I've been hoping his fever would break and I could avoid another expense. I'll pay for it somehow. I can't let my kid suffer."

During their conversation, Glen learned that the pair had been living in the van since they'd lost their housing because Tom was unable to keep up the rent. Their landlord had booted them just a week before the holidays.

It made Glen think of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Several months ago, Tom had sold his truck and the tools of his trade trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. He was at the end of his rope.

Glen was pondering how he could help; all the while asking questions to determine what kind of person he was dealing with. He ascertained from their conversation that Tom wasn't a drunk or a druggie but had suffered a lot of bad luck. There was no family left for him to rely on. Like Glen, he was basically alone in the world. Glen, on the other hand, had a stable job and a decent house. It dawned on him how lucky he was.

At the hospital, Ethan was seen quickly since there were few people in the emergency room waiting area. The doctor diagnosed his condition as strep and provided enough pills to take care of it.

When Tom tried to pay with his credit card, it was rejected. He wasn't sure about how he could work out a payment plan. The receptionist was looking into what the hospital could do to write it off, but Glen took the cash out of his wallet and satisfied the bill.

"Oh Man, that's too much. You don't even know us!"

"I know Ethan a little and I'm going to get to know both of you well. I want you to follow me home. You're not going to sleep in your van tonight."

"I can't ask you to put us up. You've done too much already."

"Hey, it's Christmas Eve, and you need to let me do this, especially for this boy. We need to get him in a tub of cool water to break his fever like the doctor suggested. You can't very well do that in your vehicle."

"Okay, I'll accept your charity for Ethan's sake."

After Glen pulled his SUV into the attached garage, he got out and motioned Tom to pull in beside it. He immediately pushed the button to shut the overhead door to shield Ethan from the wind.

Their first order of business was to see to Ethan. The five-year-old understood that he needed to get his body cooled down and he took the treatment like a little soldier. Eventually, his temperature dropped. Then, he shivered from the cold. Glen found a pair of flannel pajamas that had belonged to his son to make the boy comfortable.

"It's kind of you to lend him something clean. We're running out of things to wear that aren't dirty."

"We'll do some laundry after we get Ethan settled. Come with me. You can sleep in the room with twin beds so you'll be near if he needs you in the night."

The bedroom in questions had the look of a boy's domain. There were some books, model cars, and a few stuffed animals on the shelves. Glen took down a large teddy bear and placed it in the bed with Ethan.

"Jason called him Bobby Bear, but you can call him anything you like. If you don't like him, Lou Lion is available."

"Bobby is good," Ethan smiled, for the first time that evening.

He soon fell to sleep cuddled up to Bobby. Then Tom and Glen went out to the van see gather the clothes for laundering, leaving on a small light so that Ethan wouldn't be afraid if he woke up by himself.

While washing Tom's things, the men got better acquainted. Both found out more details about each other's lives.

Tom's brother and sister-in-law had gotten hooked on drugs and eventually overdosed. Tom's mother had early-onset Alsheimer's disease and was on welfare in a nursing home. There were no other close relatives, and Tom had been determined that his innocent little nephew wouldn't suffer the consequences for his parents' mistakes. So, he had adopted the boy.

"I've had him for two years, and he's like my own child. As you can see, I'm not the kind of parent I should be. I simply can't provide for his welfare. Maybe I should have allowed him to be adopted by someone else."

"You haven't done anything wrong to get into this situation. You're doing your best. We can try to make things work out. I don't seem to be a good parent to my son either. I'm not even sure where Jason is."

Glen went on to tell Tom that his wife had run off with another man and taken their son with her. The police weren't actively looking for her because all of her coworkers said that she'd gone away by her own free will. Glen had hired a detective to search for them, but he'd had no luck so far.

"Maybe you'd like to adopt Ethan," Tom said. "He could use a good stable home."

"I could do that, but if I did, I'd want to adopt both of you. You shouldn't be separated."

Tom started to cry, and Glen put a protective arm around his shoulder. They remained that way for several minutes. When Tom composed himself, he blushed with embarrassment. Glen's show of compassion had left him nearly breathless.

"I'm not usually like this; I like to be in control of my feelings."

"It's Christmas time, we all get a bit emotional.

"Hey, that reminds me, I have a remote-controlled car that I'd purchased as a surprise for my son's birthday, but he never received it because she ran off a week before. It's still in the box. Let's have Santa leave it for Ethan. Someone should get some good out of it."

After the laundry was dried and folded, the men bade each other goodnight and went to take their showers before turning in. Glen's bathroom was attached to the master bedroom, leaving the one in the hall free for Tom's use.

For Tom, the warm water running over his body felt luxurious. It had been over a week since he'd had anything more than a quick washup at a restroom sink. When he was done, he donned a clean T-shirt and boxers before climbing between fresh-smelling sheets. He didn't know how long Glen would keep them in his home, but he was going to enjoy the time he was in this house. On Monday, he would try to find housing again through Family Promise or some other organization. He would swallow his pride for Ethan's sake. At least tonight, they were fed, clean, and safe. Christmas was brighter than he'd feared it would be. He sent up a prayer of thanks.

Ethan awoke on Christmas morning feeling considerably better than he had the night before. He was warm and safe. His stomach rumbled as the aroma of breakfast cooking reached his room. The other bed was empty, so he knew his uncle was up somewhere. He went to the bathroom to pee and then wandered into the kitchen where he saw the men still in the boxers and T-shirts they'd slept in, dishing up eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Tom said as he tousled the boy's hair. "How are you feeling today?"

"Almost as good as new, Papa," Ethan responded. "I'm hungry."

"That's a good sign," Glen smiled. "I hope you like pancakes because I made a big one that looks like Mickey Mouse."

Ethan made short work of Mickey and looked hopefully at the stack on the serving platter.

"Help yourself to more if you like," Glen offered. "Do you want more scrambled eggs and bacon too?"

"Yes, please."

Once Ethan's tummy was full, Tom gave him his medicine, hoping that the food would keep the pill from giving him indigestion.

"Let's go look in the family room by the tree," Glen said. "I thought I heard Santa in the night."

Ethan spied a box wrapped in sheets of the comic section of the newspaper. It had a tag on it with his name.

"Look, Papa, Santa did find me after all! There's a package with your name on it too."

"Yes, I see. I guess I was wrong when I said he might not find us in the van."

Both men blinked back a couple of tears at Ethan's excitement.

"Well, Tom, it looks like Santa didn't bring you much of anything. Maybe he'll remedy that when the stores are open again."

"The bottle of aftershave smells really nice and it's totally unexpected. I'm sorry I don't have anything to give you."

"On the contrary, you've brought me joy. That's the spirit of the season, and I really didn't expect it this year either."

"And you've brought me hope."

"Speaking of that, I've been thinking about what you said about applying for housing tomorrow. I'd rather you not go to Family Promise, and maybe search the web for employment instead. I'd like to have you stay with me unless you get to the point where you're not happy here. You can synch your phone to my wireless or you can use one of my laptops if you prefer. I really like having the company."

"Talk about Christmas presents; you've really made my holiday!" Tom said with emotion.

In his enthusiasm, Tom hugged Glen close to himself. Their body contact, separated by only two thin layers of cotton, made their embrace feel rather intimate. A bolt of energy seemed to pass between them. Tom stepped back blushing.

"I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be."

"I don't want you to think that I'm trying to, um, repay your kindness with, um, my body."

"I don't. But I suspect you must have felt the electricity too."

"Yeah, it scared me."

"Me too. It was kind of a good scarry."

"Yeah," Tom gulped. "I guess I should look into housing after all."

"Please don't. I promise not to push you into anything you're not comfortable with. I'm sure we can be okay under the same roof as long as we're honest with each other. Once Ethan is feeling better, you can move into the guest room where you'll have a bigger bed and more privacy."

"Okay, but if I find a job, maybe I can work the graveyard shift, so I won't be home as much when you are. That way I'll be less likely to make a fool of myself. I would be off work in time to get Ethan to school and I could sleep during the day."

"Don't worry about what kind of schedule you need to keep. I can get Ethan ready in the morning and take him to the daycare at school or he can hang around in my room until it's time for classes. You know Willow Elementary where I teach is within easy walking distance. He and I can walk together when it's nice out, and when it's nasty weather I'll drive both of us there."

"That would be great."

Glen had purchased a small ham and several yams for his Christmas dinner. He'd figured there would be enough for him to eat off it for several meals. He'd gone a little overboard on food for the holiday in an attempt to cheer himself up.

With company, he still might be able to get at least two meals out of it. Having guests in the house would give him a motivation to cook more often. That wasn't a bad thing. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

For Tom and Ethan, the meal was like a feast. Tom had never let Ethan go hungry, but variety in their diet had been rather limited of late. Because they didn't have cooking facilities in the van, they'd eaten a lot of sandwiches.

When Glen pulled a chocolate cream pie out of the fridge for dessert, both nephew and uncle felt like they'd died and gone to heaven.

It took just over a week for Tom to get hired on at the corn sweetener plant. He had operated similar machinery in another factory before he'd tried to make a go of it doing house repairing as his own boss. The difference with his new job was that it was more automated and didn't require any heavy lifting. He had the computer savvy to fit right in. He would begin working second shift on January 2nd.

Glen couldn't believe how much brighter and shorter the winter months were that year. Having adult companionship and a lively child in the house made the difference.

With Tom gone during supper and the evening, Glen spent a lot of quality time with Ethan. Instead of setting him in front of the TV or leaving him to entertain himself with an electronic gadget, Glen played educational games and read to him as much as he could. Sure, there were times when he needed to grade papers or plan for lessons, but he kept those to a minimum when Ethan was awake.

The result was that Glen didn't have time to obsess over his own problems, and that made the time go faster. Before he knew it, spring was supplanting winter, and some of the birds were beginning to return to build nests. Ethan and Glen made several birdhouses together from scraps of wood in the garage.

About the time school ended, Tom got a promotion and would be on the dayshift. That meant more evenings and weekends for the three of them to do things together.

One of the activities they enjoyed as a family was camping. Glen had all the equipment plus a canoe which was more than adequate for the three of them. Ethan took to the outdoors as if he were a natural-born woodsman. The men taught him many of the skills they'd learned in scouts. He soaked it all up like a sponge.

One Friday afternoon when Tom got home from work, he found Glen looking like he was about to cry.

"What wrong?"

"I got the news that my divorce is final. I should be thrilled, but there isn't any provision for me to have contact with my son."

"How can they do that?"

"Marlys claims that he isn't mine. My lawyer has petitioned for a paternity test, but it appears that they have moved again. Just when the detective found them, they're gone!"

"They have to leave some kind of trail."

"Not necessarily. Her new man might be in the witness-protection program. If that's the case, they likely have completely new identities."

"You probably could have been more actively searching for them this past winter when you were taking care of Ethan and me. I feel bad."

"No, if it hadn't been for you guys, I might not have survived winter. I barely got through the last one alive."

"You mean like you'd have opted out."

"Yes," Glen admitted in a whisper, tears running down his cheeks. "You and Ethan gave me a reason not to."

"Don't ever leave us," Tom begged. "Ethan loves you and so do I."

Having said that, Tom held his friend close. This time, the force between them felt more like a magnet than an electrical charge. Neither seemed to be able to break free.

"You seriously have feelings for me?" Glen asked.

"Absolutely. Now that I have a stable income, I can admit that. If you don't want me, I guess I can survive on my own."

"Wow! You've turned my down-day into a happy one. I care a lot about you too! I'm glad you made the first move."

From that day on, Tom and Glen shared the king sized bed in the master bedroom.

About eight months after they'd first met, Tom and Glen went to the courthouse to exchange their vows and rings. Ethan was their only attendant and was happy to participate. He thought it was great that Glen was going to adopt him so he would be his other dad.

Tom had begun to contribute equally to their living expenses, and the men were looking forward to having the house paid off and saving money for their future together. Tom wanted Ethan to have the college education he'd missed.

To commemorate the first anniversary of their meeting, the men signed up to help with the Christmas Eve meal. At his insistence, Ethan would participate too.

On the first day of winter break, Glen received a long-distance call on his land line. He rarely answered that phone because he'd only kept it to take advantage of a lower price for bundling services. Seeing that the number was from a police department in South Dakota, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Hello."

"Hello. Is this Glen Tomkins?"

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

"This is Officer Jim Franken and I have a six-year old boy here who say's you're his daddy."

"Jason?"

"The lady who brought him here said his name was Matthew, but he claims it's really Jason."

"May I speak with him?"

"Certainly."

"Daddy, is that you?"

"Yes! Are you okay?"

"I'm scared. Mommy's dead. Dan shot her. And he's dead too."

"Oh my God! Where are you?"

"I'm not sure."

"This is Jim Franken again. We're in Jefferson, South Dakota. Do you know where that is?"

"No, but I can look it up."

"It's north of Sioux City on I-29. I'm looking up the route as we speak. Evidently, it's a little over a four hour drive from your city. It would probably take as much time by plane with the connections you'd have to make."

"Thanks. I'll come as quickly as I can. I'll give you my cell number so you can call me if you need to while I'm on the road."

The minute he got off the phone, Glen called Tom to let him know where he was going and that he would take Ethan with him because there would be no time to figure out a babysitter for him. Besides, he felt that Ethan's presence might help Jason deal with the trauma he'd been through.

Tom reminded him to pick up another booster seat so he'd be legal when he brought Jason home.

Glen hurriedly threw together things that they might need. He packed snacks, books, and a big down comforter in case the weather turned dicey. The last minute, Ethan said he thought they should take Bobby Bear because he knew Jason might want him.

Even with a quick run through a McDonald's for lunch, Glen got to Jefferson under the estimated time. Roads were clear and traffic was light. He'd also gone a few miles over the speed limit, but not enough to get stopped.

He had barely entered the police station before his son came running into his arms. There were many tears from the pair, and some from the staff.

"Mr. Tomkins, It's obvious that you are the father of this child. However, for the sake of following the law, I'll need to see your driver's license for proof of identity and have you sign some paperwork. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course. You can't let just anyone take a kid without documentation. I totally get that."

The whole operation didn't take long. The authorities had planned for all the contingencies when creating the paperwork.

While Glen was reviewing the forms and signing them, the two boys were getting acquainted. Ethan made the first move, telling Jason that they were going to be brothers and have a lot of fun together. (Glen had discussed this plan with him as they traveled.) Jason didn't ask how this was all going to happen. He just accepted it. He'd always wanted a brother and this kid seemed like someone he would enjoy being related to.

When the boys got into the back seat to buckle themselves in, Jason broke into a big smile seeing Bobby Bear between the booster seats.

"Dad, you remembered how much I love this old bear!"

"Actually, it was Ethan who thought you might like to have him come along. Bobby comforted him when he was sick."

"Thanks, Ethan! You're a great brother."

A few miles into the trip home, Glen stopped for a potty break. When the boys got back into their seats, Jason's eyelids began to droop. He hadn't slept well the night before. Glen arranged the comforter around both boys and the stuffed animal. It wasn't long before they were zonked out. Glen might have become sleepy too, but his system was too full of adrenaline from the excitement of having his son back.

They arrived home a little before supper time. When they entered the house, the aroma was welcoming. Tom had two big meatloaves in the oven along with squash and russet potatoes.

Everyone ate heartily, and Tom received a lot of praise from his husband.

Glen had worried that Jason might be upset about sharing his room with another kid. However, it was just the opposite. Jason seemed overjoyed that he had a brother who was the same age as he was. In fact, their birthdays were only a month apart.

From the first night Glen had taken Tom and Ethan in, he had put Ethan in the bed that Jason never used. Therefore, Jason came back to his own bed. All was good.

The following morning, when Glen went to check on the boys, he found them snuggled together in Jason's bed, while Bobby Bear was on the floor nearby. Ethan opened his eyes to see who was there. For a moment he wondered if Glen would fuss at him.

"He had a bad dream and I crawled in bed with him. I hope it's okay."

"It's more than okay. It is wonderful! Brothers look out for each other."

When the men went to help serve the Christmas Eve dinner at church, they took along their sons, dressed as elves. The boys were a hit as they went around to the tables of diners passing out candy canes. They stood by the piano, urging everyone to join in singing Jingle Bells at the end of the meal.

A lot of memories flooded Tom's mind as he observed the scene. Last Christmas had been a turning point in his life. This one was even better now that they were a family of four. In his youth, he'd always thought Dickens' Christmas Carol was over the top -- way too sentimental. On this night, it didn't seem magical enough. Tiny Tim's proclamation echoed in his head: "God bless us every one."

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Author's notes:

Author's notes: Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder.

Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions. Longtime readers my have recognized that Ethan's uncle is named in memory of my other editor who passed away a couple of years ago.

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Thanks, and Merry Christmas,

David,