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Part Two: Snow way to treat a friend

We left Phil and Frankie standing at the open doorway of a remote cabin.  They had been tracking the source of a strange sound, which they supposed to be made by some frightening animal, but were surprised to find themselves facing not a wild beast, but Phil’s neighbor,  Mr. Gordon.  With equal surprise, Mr. Gordon’s first words as he sees the boys were:

“Mr. Wellbright, Mr. Elliott!  How did you two find me?”

“We weren’t looking for you, Mr. Gordon.  We didn’t even know you were up here.”

“That’s right.  We kept hearing a strange sound, and we followed it here to this cabin.”

“You must be referring to my sagbutt.”

“Gosh no, Mr. Gordon  I wasn’t referring to you at all.  Like I said, we heard this strange sound–. ”

“Let me try again.”  Mr. Gordon held up a something resembling a large trombone ,  “This is my sagbutt.  I was practicing on it.  That is the sound  you and Mr. Elliott must have heard.”

“Oh, that’s a- a sag butt, did you say?  It looks sort of like an over -grown trombone.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s one way to describe it.  The sagbutt is a predecessor to the modern trombone so favored by todays jazz musicians.  You gentlemen might as well take off your snow shoes and  come in.  Be careful when you close the door though, there is a great deal of snow on the roof and we don’t want to cause an avalanche.  I plan on going out later to rake it off.”

” Look at that, must be at least ten inches of snow up there.”  Said Phil.

“I’ll bet that would make quite a pile if it all came down at once.”  Frankie added.

“Say Mr. Gordon, let me save you the trouble of doing that,”  Phil said “I’m already dressed up warm, with boots and hat and coat and gloves.  You just take it easy and let me do this for you.”

“Thank you,  Mr. Wellbright, that’s very kind.  The rake is right there beside the door.”

“Is there another one of those things around, Mr. Gordon?  I’d be glad to help.”

“I’m afraid not, Mr.  Elliott, but thanks anyway.”

“While Phil’s doing that, do you mind if I take a look at that sagg -a , that musical instrument of yours?”

“Of course Frankie, if you’d like to examine my er-saggbutt, here it is.”   He handed the instrument to Frankie then, stepping into the open doorway Mr. Gordon addressed Phil again.  “I certainly appreciate this, Mr. Wellbright.  .  Just try to drag the snow so it doesn’t fall in front of the door.”

“I’ll start down at the other end and work my way back, then I’ll have a clear area on the roof to drag the snow to the side before I bring it down.”

“Good idea.”

“Mr. Gordon, have you been playing the sagbutt for long?”  Frankie asked.

“No, Mr.  Elliott, I’m still just a neophyte.”

“Oh, uh huh.  Mind if I give it a try?”

“Be my guest.”

After the note subsided, Phil said, “You’ll probably think this is pretty stupid, but when we heard you blowing on that thing, we thought I was some kind of strange animal.”

“Yes.  That is,  compared to the sound Mr. Elliott was able to produce, I’m sure mine must have sounded rather like a wounded water buffalo.”

Frankie responded, “Don’t be ridiculous,  Mr. Gordon.  Everyone knows there aren’t any water buffalo around here.”

“We were thinking more of a love-sick moose.”  Said Phil.

“Or a mammoth.”  Frankie added.

“A mammoth?  Of course.  A mammoth is much more plausible.  What brings you gentlemen here to this remote country?”

“Frankie got a job playing at the resort.  He talked me into coming with him.  What about you Mr. Gordon?  What brings you up here?”

“Mrs. Gordon suggested, and I agreed with her, that I could use a little rest, and some peace and quiet.”

“You couldn’t have picked a better place for it.  What could disturb you in a remote place like this?”

“I was just thinking the same thing myself.”

“You ought to get plenty of rest and peace, especially now that we’re here.”

“Now that you’re here?  What did you have in mind?”

At this point perhaps I should pause the narrative to inform those readers who may be unfamiliar with the prior history of Phil and Frankie and Mr. Gordon, of what happened on the very first day they met, and also to give a brief summary to all readers of certain events that had transpired since the day of their first meeting.

It was on Christmas Eve, that Phil and Frankie first met Mr. Gordon, and on that day  Phil accidentally knocked Mr. Gordon unconscious with a snow shovel.  Mr. Gordon regained consciousness in a  moment or two, and immediately forgave Phil for his unintended action; such was the character of Mr, Gordon.  Although he could forgive, it was more difficult for Mr, Gordon to forget.  For one thing there was the lump on his head that lasted several days and made putting on a hat something of a delicate procedure until well after the New Year.  More than that though, there were Phil’s efforts, usually accompanied by Frankie, to do something kind for Mr. Gordon, that never seemed to go as intended.

First there was the Pumpkin Pie incident, in which Phil and Frankie eagerly insisted on delivering the pie Mrs. Springinton had baked for the Gordon’s.  The two friends paraded across the street, locked arm in arm, carefully holding the pie up in front of them, singing Deck the Halls.  Mrs Gordon, having been alerted by a telephone call from Mrs. Springinton, was waiting at the front door, which she swung open as Phil and Frankie reached the porch.  Still shoulder to shoulder and still singing, the two men marched across the threshold and tripped over each others feet.  Walking from the kitchen to greet his guests, Mr. Gordon had the briefest of moments to glimpse  the pie, looking like a miniature harvest moon, sailing toward him.  A pumpkin pie in the face always does something to ones sense of balance,  and the added impact of Frankie and Phil colliding with him midships as they stumbled forward caused Mr. Gordon to tumble backward to the floor.  All three man came down in a heap with a tremendous thud, like a giant sack of toys that had fallen down the chimney.  Always one to look on the bright side, he was at least able to honestly say that the pie was delicious.

Then there was the day that Phil and Frankie helped the Gordon’s take down their Christmas tree. No one has yet been able to figure out how the trunk of the tree came to be fully inserted into Mr. Gordon’s  coat, entering at the bottom and coming out at the collar.  The tinsel icicles hardly bothered him, nor did the occasional cranberry or piece of popcorn.  What  made the experience most unbearable for Mr. Gordon were the dry and scratchy evergreen needles that fell off the tree by the hundreds and seemed to work their way into every stitch of clothes he was wearing, including even his undergarments, where they caused him a great deal of discomfort.  He had to endure this for quite some time too, for Mr. Gordon was too polite a host, or perhaps too modest, to excuse himself to change clothes until his guests had completed their mission and bade farewell.

The final incident, and one that I am happy to say ended without injury thanks to the abundant layer of snow on the ground, happened when the boys were helping Mr. Gordon take down the garlands  around the outside of the house and Frankie forgot one of the cardinal rules of moving a ladder, which is  to always look up first.  Indeed, the only thing that finally alerted Frankie to Mr. Gordons presence was a sound, not unlike the wail of a wounded water buffalo, followed by a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of  Mr. Gordon coming to earth.  Not wishing to miss an opportunity to spread Christmas cheer, Frankie spread himself out on the ground not far from Mr. Gordon and encouraged the other to make snow angels with him.

With all of this, you can readily understand how Mr. Gordon began to feel like a hunted animal as far as Phil and Frankie were concerned.  He knew the two men meant him no harm, but he began to feel decidedly unsafe in their presence.  Mrs. Gordon could see the toll this was having on her husband, and gave him the sage advice to remove himself to a locale far from Phil and Frankie,  with the hope that their zeal for doing her husband good deeds would abate in his absence.

You can also doubtless understand why Mr. Gordon may have sounded as though he were being pursued when he first saw Phil and Frankie at his door, and why now, he seemed to be nervous at their presence.  Imagine yourself in his shoes, or slippers, balancing the conflicting emotions of dread that something terrible must be about to happen to you, and relief that something terrible hasn’t just happened to you.  Such a strain would surely unnerve the stoutest of us.

To get back to the story, Mr. Gordon had just asked Phil what he had in mind, to which Phil replied:

“I mean doing these little chores for you, so you can relax, take it easy.  Let us do the work.”

“Of course.  I’m sorry if I seem a bit nervous, I hope I haven’t behaved inhospitably.  It’s just that seeing you two gentlemen here came as quite a surprise.”

“That’s okay Mr. Gordon,  Frankie and I were surprised to see you too.  Hey,  this snow is starting to pile up.  Have you got one of those snow shovels around here?  I’ll clear a walkway when I’m finished.”

“Thank you Mr.  Wellbright.  Yes, there is a snow shovel, I believe it’s around by the back door .”

“Okay.  You sure you trust me with it?”

“What’s that?  Oh yes.”  Mr. Gordon rubbed his head.

“I still can’t tell you enough how sorry I am about that, Mr. Gordon.”

“It’s quiet all right.  You needn’t apologize any further, but, just to ease your fear of doing me bodily injury, I’ll stay in here with Mr. Elliott, where it’s safe.”

Then, just at that moment, a most singular thing occurred.  I suppose if Frankie and Mr. Gordon had been a couple of highly trained acrobats, or perhaps two skilled precision dancers it would have taken them hours of rehearsal and many  a run through to accomplish what they were about to do, but they did it and did it well on the very first try.

Frankie definitely had the lesser demanding of the two roles.  For his part, he started with his back to Mr. Gordon, holding the sagbutt downward, then, as he started to play, he turned, took a step toward the door where  Mr. Gordon stood, raised the instrument, and extended the slide as he blew a note.

While Frankie was executing this movement, Mr. Gordon turned with impeccable timing, and, leading with his chin into the room, was greeted with stupendous effect by the extending slide of the sagbutt.  It is not easy to say which of the following difficult elements Mr. Gordon performed with the greatest degree of excellence.  Was it the explosive recoil  as he reeled from the glancing blow of the sagbutt to his chin, the seemingly effortless way in which he went from upright to head -over- heels in backwards flight, the velocity he achieved while in the air, the distance he travelled, or the landing in a mound of snow beneath the eaves directly in front of the open door?  I suppose if one were a judge at the Winter Olympic Games, one would have to give him all perfect scores, although if one were looking for any deficiency, one would have to admit that his landing did result in a great burst of snow being thrown up, something, I believe, for which the judges usually take at least a minor deduction.

In any event, Mr. Gordon sat there with a sort of dumbfounded expression on his face, like an athlete who’s Olympic dream has just come true, but doesn’t know what to make of it yet.  His reverie lasted only a moment before the deafening roar of the crowd, in the form a Frankie’s frantic shouting  roused him to semi-awareness:

“Mr. Gordon! I’m sorry!”

Mr. Gordon looked at Frankie, or, from Mr. Gordon’s perspective, looked at two of Frankie.  “What, what happened?”

“Let me help you.”  Frankie rushed forward and in his flight through the doorway instinctively grabbed the door handle and pulled it forcefully closed behind him.  There followed in a moment a rumbling sound, as of a great weight letting loose and shifting above…

To be continued…

Click here to read the previous adventures of Phil and Frankie: Amazon.com: Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer: A Tale of Christmas Time (9781708759025): Morris, Richard K: Books

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Click here to read Ski bums and sagbutts: A madcap frolic in the snow. (Part 1fb)

copyright  2017  r.k.morris

Part Ten:  After Dinner

We left Phil and Frankie with Mrs.Springinton, Alice, and  Regalo in the Sprinington home, waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.  Frankie was providing music at the piano while the others  finished dinner preparations.  We rejoin them after dinner.  Most of the family are tidying up in the kitchen.   Phil  is laying out kindling in the fireplace, and his dog, Petey is curled up by the hearth.  Frankie is back at the piano playing Christmas carols, with Mary Elizabeth seated on the bench beside him, Regalo snuggled in her lap.

“Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Springinton.  I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such a good meal.”

“Thank  you Frankie.  You and Phil must feel free to join us any time.”  Turning to  Mr. Springingtion she said, “Isn’t it grand that Mr. Wellbright moved in next door, Arthur.  He and Mr.  Elliott are such nice men.  I feel just like we’ve been given a special Christmas present.”

Mr. Springington replied, “Phil and Frankie are welcome here anytime.  Of course, our door is open to all of our neighbors, but since we’ve just met today, I want to make sure you know it’s a standing invitation, for both of you.”

Phil answered, “Thanks, Mr. Springington.   We’ll try not to wear out our welcome. ”

“Laughter and music is something I never tire of, Phil.”

Celia winked at Alice and said, “Papa’s just glad to have someone else play the piano after dinner for a change.”

Mr. Springington chuckled, “Sure, that’s because I like to keep my hands free while I’m singing, so I can express myself with these broad gestures…”  He spread his arms wide.

Mrs Springington patted her husband on the shoulder, “You have a fine baritone voice dear.”

To which Mr. Springinton replied as he put his hand over hers and gently rubbed it, “Thank you Elizabeth.”

“Do you play, Mr. Springington?”

“A little, Frankie, but not so well, nor with such a wide repertoire as you.  Yes, I’d say having you two gentleman join us for Christmas Eve is one of the nicest surprises we could have hoped for.  Next to  having Robert getting leave to come home, I don’t see how we could ask for anything more.”

Phil looked up from the fireplace and spoke to Robert, “How about you, Lieutenant, are your folks from around here too?”

“No, I’m sort of  an adopted son of this  town myself.  I lost my mother and father when I was a boy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.  After that I was raised by different Aunts and Uncles.  Both of my parents came from large families, so there was always someone willing to take me into their home.  Everyone was so nice and loving to me, but they just couldn’t take the place of my real mother and father.  I suppose if I had been younger, or a few years older when they died, it wouldn’t have made as much difference, but I was old enough to remember my mom and dad, and young enough to still need the presence of a mother and father in my life.  No matter how much my aunts and uncles tried to make me a part of their home, it just wasn’t the same for me.  My heart always yearned for my real Mom and Dad, so I never really minded when I would go on to the next relatives for a few months or years.  I’ve got a great family, not only the aunts and uncles,  lot’s of cousins too, and I love them all, but after losing my mother and father, none of those places ever felt like home.  I guess that’s one reason why the Navy seemed like a natural fit to me, you know,  never really settling down, going to different places.  Then I met Celia and we fell in love and got married.  Since then, thanks to Celia and Alice, and especially Mother and Father Springington,  this house has become home as far as my heart is concerned.”

“What about me, Daddy?”

“You most of all, Mary Elizabeth  You’re the North Star that guides me home wherever in the world I may be.”

“I hope my question  didn’t stir up any painful memories for you, Lieutenant.”

“That’s all right Phil, it’s nothing I haven’t come to grips with a long time ago.  Since we’re all family and friends here, I wish you would drop the Lieutenant and call me Robert.”

“Okay, Robert, thanks, and welcome home for Christmas.”

“It’s good to be home. ”

“Things are looking pretty bleak in the rest of the world right now.”

“Yes, they are.  Between Hitler and Staling making war on their neighbors, and Japan’s aggression in the Far East, it’s a wonder we’ve been able to stay our of it this long.”

“Any idea where you’ll be going after your leave, or can’t you say?”

“No to the first, and yes to the second question.”

“Must be pretty tough on you Celia.”

“I won’t pretend it isn’t, Phil.  I won’t say I’ve gotten used to it either, because that wouldn’t be true.  I suppose I’ve just gotten stronger that I ever thought I was.”

“I want both of you to know, and you too, Mary Elizabeth, that I’m grateful there are men like your father, men who volunteer and who are ready day and night to–well, who are ready in case the need arises.”

“I’m grateful for them too Phil.”  Celia said.  “The time when he’s away allows me to think of just how grateful.”

“I’ll tell you one thing.”  said Robert, “If the worse does happen, we’re going to need a lot more volunteers than we currently have in the Armed Services.”

“I suppose if that day comes, it will be boot camp for me.  Unless and until then,  well seeing you and Celia and Mary Elizabeth together on Christmas Eve, and knowing you’ve got to leave soon,  it makes me feel kind of selfish, like I’m just taking all this for granted .  I wish there was some way I could  do something too.”

Frankie chimed in from the piano, “That goes for me too,.  I don’t keep up much on international happenings, but if what you guys are talking about ever happens, I suppose I’ll be right down at the enlistment center with Phil.  In the meantime I’d love to pitch in too, but what can a couple of guys like us do compared to you trained fighting men, Robert?”

” I know something you could do that would be a great help.  especially tomorrow, on Christmas.”

“On Christmas?”  Frankie asked.

“Sure.  Just come with me to  the military hospital tomorrow, I’m sure you could help make Christmas a lot more bright for a lot of servicemen who won’t have the chance to be home this Christmas. ”

“I don’t get it, ” said Frankie, “We’re not even at war, and there are still guys getting ending up in the hospital?”

“Sure there are Frankie; preparing for defense can be dangerous, even during peacetime.  Ships and tanks and airplanes are big and heavy,  and even with training, guys make mistakes and get hurt.”

“I never thought of that. ”

“Sometimes we even get wounded pilots home from the American Volunteer Group in China.”

“You mean the Flying Tigers?”  Phil asked.

“That’s right Phil.”

“Imagine Frankie, what those guys have been through.  What an honor to spend Christmas with such men.”

“Then you’ll come, both of you?”

“I see how Frankie can help spread Christmas cheer with his music, but what can I do to help?”

“Bring your paints, brushes and plenty of canvas, Phil.  You can do portraits or winter landscapes, even caricatures, if somebody wants one.  The point is that you’re a skilled and  famous artist.  The fact that you’re spending Christmas Day with these wounded vets who can’t be home yet, I think it should make a big difference to many of them.  I know it would mean a lot to me to know that I wasn’t forgotten in a hospital bed on Christmas day. ”

“Sounds like a great idea, what do you say, Frankie.”

“Count me in.  The man I learned piano from used to go around  to the hospitals on Christmas Day and play for the kid’s there.”

Mr. Springington said,  “That sounds just like Sam Rawlings.”

“You know Sam Rawlings?    He taught me everything I know about music, plus a whole lot more. I used to spend all my free time as a kid down at the Keyboard Café sitting next to Mr. Rawlings at his piano.”

“I thought I detected something familiar in the way you played.  You learned from a great musician and a very dear friend.”

“Don’t I know it.  I sure do miss Mr. Rawlings,  I haven’t had the chance to see him since I got back in town.  You know, Mrs. Springington,  it’s funny that you mentioned Dooley Wilson earlier today, ’cause that’s who Mr. Rawlings always reminds me of.  Even the way his voice sounds, and the way he looks at you when he’s playing; his eyes soft and patient and full of understanding.  I can’t wait to see him again to thank him and tell him about everything that’s been happening, you know, the places I’ve played, catching up on new songs, that sort of thing.”

Mr. Springington said, “You’ll find him everyday at The Keyboard Café, same as before.”

Mrs. Springington added, “Every day except tomorrow.  He still closes the café on Christmas Day so he can get around to the hospitals.”

Frankie replied,”He still won’t let making an extra buck get in the way of doing some good for those in need.  Good old Mr. Rawlings.   Does he still have the same business partner, that crazy Hungarian chef, what was his name, Rudolph, wasn’t it?”

“What’s this about a crazy chef?”  Phil asked.

“He’s not really crazy,” Frankie replied, “Just sort of eccentric, you know with a real artistic temperament.  He’s short and plump and waddles around the café like a restless gander, speaking half English, half Hungarian, making small talk with the customers, giving orders to the staff, making sure everything is just right all the time.  Then if something doesn’t turn out just the way he wants it, bam!  Up goes his voice about two octaves, out goes the English except about one in ten words, and Rudolph’s arms go out in wild gestures in every direction: at the staff, at the ovens, at the floor, at his heart, you name it, and not one of us can understand what he’s even talking about until Mr. Rawlings comes along, looks at him with those big brown eyes, nods a few times, talks nice and soothing to him for a few minutes, and everything is all right again.”

“That’s them all right.”  Mr. Springinton said, “And I’m glad to say they are still partners in the business, and The Keyboard Café has lost none of its character.”

Mrs. Springinton looked at the kitchen clock. “Oh Arthur, look at the time.  We have to get going.”

Phil asked, “Are we keeping you from something Mr. and Mrs. Springinton.  Frankie and I can leave if you need to get ready.”

“Oh no, there is no need for you to leave.  We’re going to Christmas Eve service.  You and Frankie are welcome to join us.”

“I haven’t been to a Christmas Eve service in a while.  I’d love to go, thank you.”

Alice said, “It will be nice to have you along, Phil.”

“Thanks Alice.  I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t light that fire if we’re all leaving.”

Mrs. Springinton asked, “How about you, Frankie, would you like to go with us?”

“I don’t know.   I wouldn’t have to pray out loud, would I?”

“Of course not.  You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.  You can sing if you like.  There will be plenty of singing; carols and hymns.”

“The carols I can handle, but I’m a little out of my league with those hymns.  I’d hate to sound foolish there in a church full of people.”

“Just stay close to me and you won’t sound foolish.  Oh dear, that didn’t come out right.  What I meant was, just stay by me and I’ll help guide you.  Just follow my lead.  If you need to get my attention just tug gently on my sleeve, and if I  need to get your attention, I’ll nudge you gently with my elbow.  Besides,  if you knew half the mistakes I’ve made, you wouldn’t worry about how you are going to sound.”

“All right Mrs. Sprinington, I’ll go, as long as you promise to look out for me.”

“I do.  I’m so glad you’re going too Frankie, and now I can tell you that you’ll get a chance to see Sam Rawlings tonight.”

“Mr. Rawlings, really?”

“Yes, really.  Sam is a member of our church and plays keyboards at our services.  He’ll be so glad to see you again,  I’m sure.  Arthur, would you lend one of your coats to Phil.  Is everybody else ready?  Phil, Frankie, it’s just a couple of blocks.  What a lovely night for a walk…”

To be continued…

“

Part Nine:  Of Wolves and Chihuahuas

We left Phil standing at the front door of the Springinton house.  He had expected to be greeted by Mrs. Springinton, but was surprised when a much younger woman opened the door.  Almost speechless, Phil at last managed to ask the woman, “Where did you come from?”  to which she replied:

“The kitchen.”

“Oh.  I guess that was kind of silly of me.  What I meant was, I only left the house a little while ago, and Mrs. Springington said everyone else was out .  You sort of surprised me”

“I just got back a few minutes  ago.  Mother’s in the kitchen too.  Do you wish to speak to her?”

“If Mrs. Springinton is your mother, does that make you  Mary Elizabeth’s mother?”

“No, my sister is Mary Elizabeth’s mother.  I’m her aunt.  Alice is my name.  Won’t you come in, Mister..?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, that’s part of the reason I came back;  to tell your mother my real name.  You see, when I was here earlier I used a phony name.  The other reason is to return Mary Elizabeth’s mitten.  She must have dropped it outside when we were talking with Officer Carson.”

“Oh, then you must be that nice Mr. Webster mother was telling me about, the one who thought Mary Elizabeth was sick and wanted to build a snowman to cheer her up?”

“Yes, at least that’s the name I told your mother.  It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Springinton.  Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. Just call me Alice.”

“My name’s Phil.”

“Come on in Phil.  Mother and I were just getting dinner ready.”

“Before we go in Alice, I want to say that I think your mother is one of the most wonderful persons I’ve ever met.  That’s why I want to come and confess that I didn’t use my real name earlier.  I wouldn’t want her to think poorly of me.”

“That’s awfully nice of you to say so Phil.  Just for the record, I think she’s pretty wonderful too.  Shall we go in?”

“Sure.”

“Hello Mother, look who’s back.”

“Why, Mister Webster.  I’m so glad to see you.  After you left earlier, it dawned on me that a single man like you,  just moved into a new house the night before Christmas Eve, you probably haven’t any place to have a nice dinner.  Won’t you share our meal with us? If your friend Mr,  Elliott has no plans, we would love to have him join us too.”

“Thank you Mrs. Springinton.  I haven’t any plans for Christmas Eve, that’s very kind of you.  But before I put you in the spot of having to change your mind, there’s something I need to tell you .  It’s about me, something I did.”

“My goodness, this sounds serious.  Did you rob a bank or something?”

“Well, no, nothing that bad.  But I did lie to you earlier Mrs. Springington, and I regret doing it.  I feel terrible, and I want to tell you how sorry I am.”

“You needn’t feel terrible Mr, Webster.  After all, you’re here now making a clean breast of it.  What did you tell me that was so bad?”

“You just said it  Mrs. Springington, my name.  My name isn’t really Phil Webster.”

“Oh dear, and I already decorated a cookie with your name on it.  I know, there’s young Phillip Flannigan down the street, he always stops by for cookies on Christmas day, I’ll set that one aside for him.”

“No Mrs. Springington, that part of my name is real.  My first name really is Phil.”

“Oh, well here’s a cookie with your name on it.  You might want to save it until after dinner.”

“Thank you Mrs. Springington.  It’s my last name that I lied to you about.  My last name isn’t Webster, it’s Wellbright.”

“I like Webster, but Wellbright is nice too.  It sounds, well, well and light, as in the opposite of dark.  Well-bright!  Very nice to meet you again Mr.  Wellbright.  won’t you have dinner with us?”

“This is very kind of you Mrs. Springinton.   I’m kind of surpised you seem to  be taking this  so lightly.”

“Oh, I don’t take lying lightly Mr. Wellbright.  Lying is a very serious matter.  Just because I’m not stomping my feet and lecturing you doesn’t mean I don’t take lying seriously.  But you’ve already confessed what you did and said you were sorry for it. ”

“Then  you’re not angry with me for giving you a false name earlier?”

“Angry?  No, not at all.”

“Nor disappointed?”

“Good heavens no.  You meant me no harm by saying your name was Phillip Webster when really it is Phillip Wellbright, did you , Mr. Wellbright?’

“Please, call me Phil.”

“I will, thank you.  Did you Phil?”

“Did I what?”

“Did you mean me any harm by saying your name was Phillip Webster?”

“No, of course not.”

“Did you mean anyone any harm?”

“No.”

“Were you giving a false name to avoid being recognized by Officer Carson and perhaps being arrested for some previous crime you had committed?”

“No.  As far as I know I’ve got a clean record.”

“There you see?  You recognized that what you had done was wrong, you’ve admitted it to the people affected by your decision, no one was harmed, and now there is no longer any reason for you to feel bad about it.”

“I haven’t told Officer Carson yet.  He still thinks my name is Webster.”

“Hmm.  You’ll just have to tell him later.  In the meantime, in case he finds out, I’ll vouch for you.  Any way, what I’m trying to say is I accept your apology and I forgive you for introducing yourself under a false name.”

“I really don’t know what to say Mrs. Springinton.  You’ve been so kind, and we only met just today.  How can I thank you?”

“You can thank me by taking off that orange jumpsuit and helping set the table for dinner.   After that, if it makes you feel better, I will be glad to listen to your reason for wanting to conceal your true identity.  Alice, will you take those coveralls from Mr.  Wellbright and hang them in the front closet.  I hope we won’t be needing them any more today.  Phil, you can use one of my husband’s coats until you get some winter clothes of you own.”

Alice and Phil walked toward the front closet.

“Let me help you with that Phil, these things can be a bear to get out of if you don’t want to lose your balance.”

“Thanks Alice.  Your mother sure is something.  Is your whole family as sweet as she is?”

“Let’s see, you’ve already met Mary Elizabeth.  What did you think of her?”

“She’s a swell kid.”

“Then there’s Dad, and my sister Celia, and my brother-in-law Robert.  I think I can safely say they’re all pretty wonderful too.  I guess that’s the lot.”

“You forgot one.”

“I did? Who?”

“Yourself.

“Me?  I’m just Alice.  Besides, how would it sound if I spoke of myself as being one of a group of such wonderful people?  Why, that would be  boastful of me.”

“It wouldn’t be boastful if somebody else said it.”

“That’s true, but somebody else hardly knows me.”

“You’re right.  I’m sorry, I must have sounded like a real smooth wolf.  I don’t usually say things like that, honest.”

“It’s all right, Phil.”

“You believe me?  That I wasn’t just trying to flatter you, you know, to get in good?”

“I believe you.”

“See, already you’re convincing me that you are wonderful.  At this rate I will know  you well enough  to say it by the time dinner is over”

“Before you give me too much credit, I have a secret to tell you.”

“A secret?  Should we whisper?”

“Nothing mysterious, just something I know.   So you’re Phillip Wellbright, the renowned and talented young artist who dropped out of sight a month or so ago?”

“Oh, so you know all about me?”

“Yes, or to put it more accurately, a friend of mine knows all about you, and she told me earlier today.  That’s why I believe you weren’t flattering me just now.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Do you remember the girl you met at The Glass Slipper last night?”

“You mean Olivia?  The art student?”

“That’s right, Olivia.  She knew who you were all along.  They even had a section on you in one of her courses.  Olivia and I are old friends.  She told me how nice you were, and how you weren’t like so many other men, you know, on the prowl.  She said you remind her of a nice, shy boy she went to school with.”

“Can you imagine that?”

“So I figure if you can sit face to face with a girl as pretty as Olivia in a setting like The Glass Slipper  and not even try to maneuver into a position to make a pass, you’re no wolf, brother.”

“Thanks Alice, but don’t sell yourself short: you’re not exactly a pain to look at yourself.”

“Simmer down , or I’ll have to take back what I said about you not being a wolf.”

“About that Alice, I haven’t always been like that kid your friend Olivia went to school with, you know, shy and all,  I–”

“Excuse me Phil,  look at that man bounding up the front walk.  Is that your friend Mr. Elliott?”

“That’s Frankie all right.  Say, what’s that sticking out of his jumpsuit?”

“It looks like a dog.”

“Sure must be a tiny one.”

“Here he comes, I’ll open the door and we’ll find out.”

“Hello Frankie.  How did it go with Mr. and Mrs. Gordon?”

“Great Curly.  They were very understanding and forgave everything.  I’m glad you talked me into telling them I was sorry.  And look what they gave me!”

“We were just wondering about that when we saw you through the window.  Frankie, this is Alice Springington.  Alice, this is Frankie Elliott.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. Elliott.  won’t you and your shivering friend come in?”

“I don’t think he can be shivering from cold already.  Mr. and Mrs Gordon told me they shake like that sometimes.”

“Why don’t you unbutton him Frankie, so we can get a look?”

“Okay, Okay,  just a second.”

“Here. Mr. Elliott, let me help you off with that jumpsuit.  We finally just separated Phil from his.”

“Thanks Miss Springinton.  That feels a lot better.  Say hello, little fellow.”

“Oh Phil, it’s a Chihuahua.  He’s adorable.”

“Isn’t he though.  You better wait in here Frankie till we find out if it’s all right with Mrs. Springinton to bring him into the house.”

“Mother won’t mind, she loves animals.  Come on into the kitchen, Mr. Elliott….Mother, Mr. Elliott is back, and look who he brought with him.”

“Mr. Elliott, I’m so glad to see you again, and look,  a Chihuahua!  You must have been over to the Gordon’s house.”

“Yes, and what nice people they are.  Everybody, I would like you to meet  Regalo .”

“Regalo, that’s Spanish for gift.”

“Do you speak Spanish,  Phil?”

“Sure,  Mrs. Springinton,  where I grew up in Arizona, a lot of my friends and neighbors speak both English and Spanish; and for the one’s who are having a hard time learning English, I figured it would help them learn faster if I also spoke a little Spanish.  So Frankie, tell us how the Gordons happened to give you Regalo.”

“Sure Curly, it’s like this.  It seems there is this young couple who got him as a puppy right after they were married a couple of years ago.  Well, about a year later they had twins, and now the kids are walking around,  and the couple is afraid Regalo here might get hurt.  You know how toddlers grab onto things and don’t let go.”

“I know Frankie, but I’m surprised you know it too.”

“You’re not the only one with nieces and nephews, Curly.  Sometimes I wonder how this nose and these ears have survived being around those kids and still stayed attached to my face.  Anyway, so  this couple asked Mr. Gordon to find Regalo a new home, one without twin toddlers.  His name means gift does it?  What a perfect name for him!  Regalo and I are like old pals already, aren’t we little buddy?  And now, Mrs. Springinton, earlier today didn’t I hear you say something about a piano?”

“Yes, it’s right there in the other room.  Do you play, Mr. Elliott?”

“I do and I shall, if no one objects.  I believe you had requested As Time Goes By?”

“You’ll play that for me!  Oh, this is wonderful.  Oh, look at you with Regalo, the tiny Chihuahua.  If only we had a violin,  it would be just like having Xavier Cugat play for us.  You’ll stay for dinner, won’t you Mr. Elliott?”

“I’ll stay if you can put up with me that long.  Warm up your voices folks, ’cause after this I’m playing Jingle Bells!” 

To be continued…

Part 8fr:  Rescue dogs and cats out of the bag.

We left Phil and Frankie kneeling nervously beside  Mister Gordon after Phil had accidentally knocked him unconscious with a snow shovel.

“You didn’t kill him, Curly.  Look, his eyelids are twitching.”

“Mr. Gordon.  Mr.Gordon.  Speak to me.  Are you all right?”

Mr. Gordon opened his eyes, looked at Phil and Frankie and said:
“What hit me?”

“It was me Mr. Gordon.  I’m so sorry.  I did it with the shovel.  Oh, it was an accident.  Please, will you forgive me?”

“That’s all right, Mister, Mister…?”

“My name is Phil Wellbright, and this is my friend Frankie Elliott, and the only reason we’re wearing these orange jumpsuits is because we found them in the closet and we needed some clothes to keep us warm.”

“I forgive you Mr.Wellbright.  I should have known better than to approach you with that tree blocking your view.  I wanted to come over here to apologize to you gentlemen.”

“You, apologize to us?”

“Yes. When I saw you two earlier today wearing those orange jumpsuits, I assumed you two were a couple of patients from our nearby rest home who had wandered away.  That accounts for my less than cordial  behavior when we met earlier.  After I telephoned Morning Rise, and the people there assured me they had no patients missing, I remembered that Bill Travers, who used to live in this house, had two of those jump suits that he used to wear up north.  I do hope you gentlemen will forgive me.”

“That’s quite all right Mr. Gordon.  Anyone could make the same mistake.  Officer Carson thought we were from Morning Rise, and even that kind Mrs. Springington thought so, until you called and cleared the whole thing up.  Here, let us help you up.”

“Thank you, I think I’ll sit a moment longer.  I’m still feeling a bit dizzy.”

“Say Mr. Gordon, I just realized something.  How come nobody thought we were escaped prisoners in these orange jumpsuits?”

“The county jail uses orange with white stripes.  If I had seen you wearing those, I would have brought Bessie with me.”

“Bessie, huh?  Reminds me of some of the old timers I know back home who name their shootin’ irons.”

“Bessie isn’t a gun, she’s a dog.”

“A dog?  Oh, I get it, like one of those guard dogs or something?”

“Yes, she’s a trained Rottweiler.”

“Pretty mean, is she?”

“No.  Bessie has a sweet disposition.  But on command she can take a man down and hold him until any threat has been neutralized.”

“I’ll sure glad Bessie wasn’t with you just now.  She might have thought I was some kind of threat, after I konked you on the head with this shovel.”

“Yes, well, I normally don’t take her on a social call.  I don’t really know her that well.”

“You mean you own a dog that on command can take a man down, and you hardly know her?  I don’t get it.”

“Bessie isn’t my dog.  I’m caring for her until we find her a new home.  That’s an interest of mine;  sort of rescuing dogs and cats who’ve been neglected or abused, and finding new homes for those pets whose owners can no longer keep them.”

“You do that, just on your own?”

“Yes.  We all have our strengths and weakness you know.   I find that I’m not much good with people; I am actually rather shy you see, and I’m afraid that often makes me  comes off as stuffy and aloof; and I am also aware that my  appearance, no matter how much I try to soften it,  does not exactly cause people to warm up to me.”

“Oh now Mr. Gordon, I don’t think so at all.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, Mr. Wellbright, but I am well aware of the fact that I look like what some people would call a sourpuss.”

Blushing deeply, Frankie could only say:

“Can you imagine that?”

“Yes.  I am happy to say that dogs don’t seem to mind my appearance, and thanks to them I am able to do some good in my own small way.  With a face like this, it is good to be an animal lover.  Oh, here comes my wife.”

“She must be an animal lover too.”

“Frankie!”

Frankie answered aside to Phil: “Sorry, it just slipped out.  The last time I saw a face like that it was looking into a crystal ball at Dorothy and her dog Toto.”

Phil answered in a hushed tone, “Quiet will ya?  He’ll hear you.”

Frankie cleared his throat and spoke again to Mr. Gordon:

“What I meant was, you know, common interest between husband and wife.”

“Yes, I’m sure.  While Mrs. Gordon does share my affection for animals, she is a nurse and spends much of her time giving first aid classes.  When she isn’t doing that, she busies herself primarily in our town’s arts and literature society you know, always finding writers and poets and artists to come and give talks at luncheons.”  Mrs. Gordon joined the group.  “Hello dear.  This is Mr. Wellbright and Mr. Elliott.  Gentlemen, my wife.”

“Pleased to meet you Mrs. Gordon.”

Mrs. Gordon nodded  to Phil and Frankie:

“Merry Christmas, gentlemen.  Oswald, this is no time to be playing in the snow.  We have a lot to do yet, and you’re not even wearing your gloves.”

“I wasn’t playing dear.  I had an accident.  If you gentlemen will give me a hand,  I think I can stand up now.”  Phil and Frankie helped Mr. Gordon to his feet.  As they brushed the snow from Mr. Gordon, Phil said to Mrs. Gordon:

“I sure think it’s wonderful what your husband does to help neglected dogs and cats, Mrs. Gordon.  You must feel pretty good, knowing you’re caring for those animals until you can find them a new home.  I have a dog too, Petey  is his name, and the thought of him being neglected or abused would practically break my heart.  By the way, I’m you’re new neighbor.  I just rented this house.  I’d love to have you and Mr. Gordon come over and meet Petey sometime.  He’s a good dog, and very friendly.”

“Thank you Mr. Wellbright.   We’ll be glad to take you up on your invitation.  We must have you over for dinner one night to welcome you to the neighborhood, perhaps sometime between now and the New Year.   Wellbright…Wellbright?  Seems I know that name from somewhere, oh well, I’m sure it will come to me.  Mr. Elliott, haven’t I seen you around our town?”

“Oh sure.  I’m from around here myself.  Just Curly here is new to the neighborhood.”

“Seems you’re some kind of musician, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.  I’m sort of in between engagements right now.”

“I’m glad to hear that, it means you have plenty of free time.”

“Oh, well, I’m no good at giving lectures on my art, if that’s what you have in mind.”

“No, that’s not what I was going to suggest.  I’d like you to come to one of my first aid classes.  We could always use an extra dummy.”

“A what?”

“I beg your pardon.  It’s just that our local department store usually let’s us borrow any of their extra  mannequins to practice wrapping bandages on, but during the Christmas season they never have any to spare.”

“Oh, well, sure, I’d be glad to lend a hand.  Or an arm.  Pick a limb, any limb.”

“I was thinking about doing a lesson on treating head injuries next time.  Tell me, Mr. Elliott, were you by any chance ever dropped on your head as a child?”

“On my head!  All my childhood traumas occurred at the other end, if you’ll pardon the expression, courtesy of my old man’s leather belt.”

“My mistake. I guess my crystal ball must have been a little cloudy.”

“You’re crystal ball!”

Mr. Gordon said:

“That, Mr. Elliott, is my wife’s sense of humor.  You see, both she and I do make jokes occasionally.”

“Oh, well, that’s a good one on me.  I feel a little embarrassed now.”

Mrs. Gordon seemed not to mind any further and spoke to her husband:

“We must get going, Oswald; I need your help with the tree.  Did you hurt your head?”   They started to turn to go and Phil said:

“Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon.  Just stop in anytime.  You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me.  Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. Wellbright, Mr. Elliott.  Oh, and Mr. Elliott, I’m sorry about my little joke about being dropped on your head.  By the way, I’ve heard that you really are a very capable and versatile musician.  I would so love you to come to one of our luncheons and play for us.  You wouldn’t have to give a lecture at all.”

“Thank you Mrs. Gordon.  I’ll take you up on that.  Merry Christmas.”  Frankie answered as  Mr. and Mrs. Gordon walked back toward their house.  “You know, they really are a couple of nice people.  I’m sorry I called Mr. Gordon a sourpuss earlier and made that crack about the crystal ball just now.  I didn’t think either one of them could hear me.  Guess I was wrong.  I feel like a heel.”

“Why don’t you go tell then you’re sorry?  They both apologized to you, you should do the same, if you really are sorry.”

“I’ll do it.  Thanks Curly.”  Then calling to  Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, “Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, would you wait for me a moment?  I’ll be right there.”  Turning back to Phil he said:  “Hey Curly before I go, do you realize you told Mr. Gordon your real name,  and Mrs. Gordon knows it too, and she’s always looking for writers and artists to talk at their society luncheons?   I think you just blew your own cover.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Frankie.  I guess in my panic after knocking Mr. Gordon unconscious, I forgot I was pretending not to be me.  I heard the way Mrs. Gordon said she knew my name from somewhere too.  Looks like I let the cat out of the bag.  I ‘d better go tell Mrs. Springington my real name.  I wouldn’t want that nice woman to find out from someone else.”

“Okay Curly.  I’ll catch up with you after I finish telling  Mr. and Mrs.Gordon how sorry I am.”

“Okay Frankie.”  Phil started back towards the Sprinington house when he noticed something on the ground.  “What’s this?  One of Mary  Elizabeth’s mittens must have fallen out of her pocket.  I’ll give this to Mrs. Springinton when I tell her I used a phony name.  I hope she isn’t too disappointed in me.”

Phil walked up the front step and rang the bell, but instead of Mrs. Springington,  the door was opened a much younger woman.

Phil didn’t speak at first.  He gazed at her a moment, then seemed to remember himself:

“Hello. ”

“Hello.”

“Where did you come from?”

To be continued…

Part  Seven fb:  A heart of gold.

We left Phil, Frankie, and Officer Carson in the Springinton kitchen with Mrs. Springinton and Mary Elizabeth.  The boys had just realized the confusion they had created by donning those orange jumpsuits, and were sharing a laugh with Officer Carson, while they all enjoyed some of Mrs. Springinton’s cookies and hot cocoa.  Officer Carson had just finished a still-warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie when he asked:

“There is one thing I don’t understand.  Why were you two so determined to complete that snowfamily of yours today?  When I asked you to come to the station with me, it was like I was trying to pry you away from your own child.  What was up with that?”

“Officer Carson, I’m afraid that is the second, and I hope final confusion in a series of ongoing blunders that I have been making today.  You see, last night, while I was out walking my dog Petey, I happened to be on the sidewalk in front of the Springintons house here when Mary Elizabeth’s mother brought her home from that play she was in, except I didn’t know that was Mary Elizabeth’s mother, and I didn’t know she was in a play.  What I saw was a woman dressed as a nurse carrying what I supposed to be a sick little child into the house.  Then I heard Mr. and Mrs. Springington speaking to the nurse about a big cast of some kind, and, well I imagined the sick little girls mother had been in some sort of terrible accident, and was in a big cast.  Then I heard someone say they didn’t know where Mary Elizabeth’s father was, or if he would be home for Christmas.  I thought he had skipped out on his own family.  I suppose I was wrong about that too?”

“Yes, my son-in-law is in the Navy on some kind of assignment; you, know, he can’t really tell us about it.  We only found out today that he will be coming home to spend Christmas with us.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.  Anyway, so here I was, the night before Christmas Eve, and here was this poor, sick little girl, her mother in a bed of pain after suffering some terrible injuries, and her irresponsible father nowhere to be found.  I wanted to do something to cheer the little girl up, to brighten what I thought was going to be a pretty sad Christmas for her, so I decided to build a snowman for her, and that it had to finished before it got dark on Christmas Eve.”

Officer Carson noted that:

“When I got there, you already had one snowman built and were talking about making a whole family.”

“That’s because Frankie here decided to help.  You see, I’ve never spent a winter in the north,  in fact I’ve never built a snowman, so when Frankie heard my story about the sick little girl, he offered to help, and even insisted we build a whole snowfamily to cheer her up.”

Mrs. Springinton  said:

“That is so sweet of you gentlemen.  I’m glad to have you as a neighbor Mr. Webster, and Mr. Elliot, you must feel free to stop in as often as you like.”

“Thank you Mrs. Springington.  Curly and I are great pals, so I’m sure I’ll be around.   These cookies are delicious, do you mind if I have another?”

“Help yourself.  Please, everybody, help themselves.  Officer Carson, are you leaving so soon?”

“I’d love to stay and visit with you Mrs. Springington, but I’m still on duty.  Thanks for the cookies and cocoa.”

“We should be going too, Mrs. Springington.  I want to change out of these orange jumpsuits before we create any more confusion.  Thank you for your hospitality.  You have a lovely grand-daughter.”

“Thank you Mr. Webster.  It’s too bad you didn’t get a chance to meet the rest of the family, but my husband is picking up Robert, that’s Mary Elizabeths father, and my daughters are both at the theatre.”

“Oh, you have more than one daughter in the play?”

“Yes,  my younger daughter Alice is in the show too.”

“Well, perhaps we’ll get to meet them all soon.”

“Yes, I certainly hope so.  Good day gentleman.”

“Good bye Mrs. Springington.  Thanks again.”

Phil, Frankie, and Officer Carson stepped out of the Springinton house into the late afternoon air.  As the three reached the sidewalk, Phil said:

“What a nice woman.  So thoughtful and kind.  She seems sort of dizzy at first, but I don’t know…”

To which Officer Carson replied:

“Yeah, I thought she was a little flighty when I first met her myself ; but now I think that’s just her way of setting a comforting tone, you know, to help others feel at ease.    Although she may act like she’s up in the air, I believe Mrs. Springington has both feet on the ground, and not some shifting quicksand either, but firm, steady rock.”

“I think you’re right Officer Carson, there’s something  solid behind that dizzy exterior.”

“Solid is right,  and she’s got a heart of gold.”

“A heart of gold, did you say?”

“Yeah, one of the purest.  Well, I’ve got to go the other way down the block. Nice meeting you,  Mr. Webster, Mr. Elliot.”

“Just call me Phil.”

“Or Curly, that’s what I call him.”

“Yeah, or Curly.  Just don’t call me Babe.”

“And you can just call me Frankie.”

“Okay, Phil, Frankie, it was nice meeting you.  Merry Christmas.”

To which Phil and Frankie both answered:

“Merry Christmas. ”

“Come on Curly, let’s get out of these orange danger signs before we cause any more confusion.”

“Yeah, I suppose there’s no longer any hurry on finishing the rest of that snow family.  You go ahead up to the house, Frankie, I’m going to grab that shovel. ”

“After we get out of these coveralls, maybe we could take Petey for a walk.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll be right there.”  Phil reached the snow shovel that was stuck in a deep bank of snow.  “Here’s how Paul Bunyan would swing it up and over his shoulder–”

The still, quiet afternoon air was disturbed by a clanging sound, as of a large, metal object striking something hard.

“Oops,  guess I was a little too close to that tree.”

Frankie, who had just stepped inside, popped back out.  “Hey Curly, what was that?  It sounded like my old man when he used to call the dogs in by banging a soup bone on a cast iron skillet.”

“It was just me, Frankie.  I must have hit that tree trunk with this shovel when I swung it up onto my shoulder, you know, Paul Bunyan style again.”

“Tree trunk nothing!  Look behind you Curly.”

“Why?  What did I–  Mr. Gordon!  Oh no, Frankie, come here, quick, it’s Mr. Gordon.”

“Well Paul Bunyan, you felled him with one swipe of your mighty shovel.”

“Frankie, this is no laughing matter.  I think I killed him!  Oh, poor Mr. Gordon.”

To be continued…