The Christmas Wreath, John C. Laird [online e reader txt] 📗

must have been two dozen college kids doing their thing into the wee hours of the morning. And he and Judi had certainly joined in the revelry. Amazingly, he didn’t have a hangover, not even a headache. He closed his eyes and listened to the ocean.

Suddenly, for a brief second, a gust of cold air hit his nude body as the sleeping bag was opened and another body quickly joined him, then just as quickly re-zipped their cocoon.

“Geez, it’s cold in the morning, but I just had to pee. Now I wish we would have bunked down a little closer to the outhouses.” Burrowing under the joined sleeping bags, Judi speedily shed her sweatshirt and sweatpants and snuggled up to him, her face buried in his neck. She ran her cold hands down his warm body.

He jerked. “Shit, Judi, your hands are freezing.” Ben wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I’m not complaining; like they say, ‘cold hands, warm heart’.” He had ducked his head back inside the sleeping bags, now they were completely enclosed. “Cold out, but warm in here.”

Judi murmured into his neck. “By the way, somebody put a Christmas wreath over the antenna on your car. I guess Ensenada really caters to college students during holiday breaks.”

Benjamin’s breath caught in his throat. “What did you say?”

“I said, somebody put a wreath on your car. A real one, a really nice one, too. Red ribbons, berries and these really cool little wooden angels with big trumpets.” Judi kicked her feet. “And you need to clean these sleeping bags out more often; I found pine needles down at the bottom, they kept pricking my feet. Oh, yeah, I put the wreath in the car; you’re going to have to check it out, it’s pretty unique. When he didn’t respond, she pulled the top of the sleeping bag down and looked at him, at the puzzled expression on his face. “Hey, Ben, what’s wrong, is everything okay?”

He stared at her for a long second. “Yeah, it’s okay. Last night, I think I had a dream about Christmas trees and winter, with snow and everything, like back in Michigan. I can’t remember much, you know how they fade after you wake up. Something about a wreath…and there was this guy…hell, I can’t remember…just weird, I guess.”

Judi burrowed even closer to his body. “Anyway, don’t forget, we can’t spend all day here, my plane leaves for Ohio tonight, and even if it is the ‘red eye’ we still have a long drive back. And I’m looking forward to a long, hot bath before…”

“Judi, I changed my mind; I want to go with you.”

She pulled back, looking, searching his face, her eyes brightening. “You changed your mind? Why?”

The sea eagles cried, the surf roared. This time around, Benjamin Logan didn’t even hesitate. “I want to be with you, wherever we go. I love you, Judi. I always will.” He kissed her, long and hard.

#

Joshua frowned and gently put his hand on Benjamin Logan. The sleeping man’s chest was rising and falling rhythmically beneath his hand. “It’s more than a dream my old friend. It’s a second chance for you. Make the best of it; you’ve earned it. Call it a do-over, so to speak.” Ben’s breathing slowed, then stopped.

Joshua H. Cristobel looked at the half full bottle of Jim Beam. “They thought my changing water into wine at a wedding a wonder, or feeding the multitude with two fish and five loaves of bread a miracle.” He shook his head and sighed, “Oh, ye of little faith.” Finally, a smile brightened his countenance like a sunrise. “But for those that are strong in their belief and their faith—all things are possible.” He lifted his hand from the still form before him. “Merry Christmas, my friend…”

#

The sun blessed the day, the eagles rejoiced and the pounding surf thundered its approval. The two young lovers held each other close, their love and their life stretching out before them in a seemingly endless stream of blissful anticipation.

And God smiled.

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Imprint

Text: J. C. Laird
Images: istockphoto/Alexandra Laird
Editing: Alexandra Laird
Publication Date: 12-13-2012

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