After spending several years in Washington state and the adoption of my son Frank at age nine. I was offered a higher paid job with a leading company in the Indiana. I couldn’t say no. It was a decision that I thought would be a benefit to both of us to actually move on and start to a better life. Packing wasn’t as hard as I thought putting stuff into boxes. The battered rental trailer was a different story. Hooked to my old beat up Ford mini truck, the two of us started to load the trailer first. All the biggest stuff into it our couch, beds, dressers and washer, dryer set. Every nook and cubby hold we could find left over in that battered trailer we filled with items. The back end of the truck we piled boxes nothing was to be left behind. My son, Frank made absolutely sure even to the point of collecting our little pine tree that had grew to an amazing 3 foot now.
During the summer Frank had removed it from the little pot it was in and put it into a bigger yard pot. The pot made me smile every time I look at it. Now the poor thing sat in the bed of the truck sticking out of the tarp that we tied down over the boxes. I tried to get Frank to leave it with the new owners but he wasn’t in agreement. He said the tree was our family as much as him and I were. I asked him about our dog Uno. And his answer was “Well Uno is family no matter what. Just like Alphy.” I asked who was Alphy and found out that was the name he gave to the pine tree. So of course since Frank had named the little, not so little pine tree we had to take “Alphy” with us. So with the truck packed and Uno in the back seat compartment of my mini truck and Frank in the passenger seat all buckled up, I took one last look of our home for the pass two years and put the truck into gear leaving the past behind.
We just celebrated Frank’s 11th birthday a month before so he got to say his goodbyes to classmates and friends. As I had done with my fellow co workers and friends. Promising to exchange Christmas cards during the upcoming holiday. Then it hit me Christmas was a month away. I had some money left from taking care of things and getting a new home so I figured I would be able to give Frank a wonderful Christmas since the first one we spent together. So with a cashiers check, for half the down on our old home and a pocketful of dreams ad hope for our future and faith sealed tightly in my heart. I drove down the road towards the freeway. It was a little over three days when we arrived in Indiana. Traveling to the little town of Butler we soon found our new home out on a country road.
We spent a few months finding just the right one. This one a old barn turned into a house , the old loft remodeled into three bedrooms with staircase on both side and under the loft was the big open kitchen there was a fireplace and opposite of it across the front room was a sliding glass door leading out to a patio that lead to the backyard. Some backyard three acres of land. There was walnut trees, apple trees, cherry trees. Some maples, and elms along the fence line. The house painted red and white was truly beautiful with the white picket fence that lined each side yard and the front yard. Driving up the mailbox was made to look like the house. We piled out of the truck and stood there looking.
“Mom is this really our house?” Frank asked me.
Sighing I took in a deep breath “Yes it is including the mortgage,” I smiled.
We spent the afternoon unloading everything and putting it into the front room. Looking at my watch I noticed it was almost six o’clock and neither of us ate since we stopped for breakfast. Couldn’t locate the kitchen ware and really didn’t have groceries yet, so we unhooked that battered up rental trailer and drove into town and found a nice little place that swore of good home cooked meals. What we both learned was that the cooks were Amish and the food was truly home cooked. And was beyond good. With filled tummys and warm hearts we paid our bill and left. Frank suggested that we walk around town and explore it. For a small town the people were friendly and open. We finished exploring and went to the grocery store and got supplies and headed home.
On the ride home we saw many homes had already starting to decorate for Christmas. It was then that Frank voiced his concerns.
“Mom,” he paused and I waited looking at his face and seeing the dogged look. “Is Santa real? Since we moved will he be able to find us? Do you believe in him Mom?”
I pulled over to the side of the road and wrapped my arms around Frank. Frank always believed still does even though he is grown man now. Like his mother I never gave up in the miracles of the season. So with painstaking care I spoke,
“Frank,” I softly spoke, “We moved sure, but even if he cant find us we always have each other and we will decorate Alphy and sing songs and make cookies. And we will give to each other as we always do. We will share in making our home festive and ourselves cheerful. And yes my darling I believe truly that Santa is very real. After all remember he brought you to me a few Christmas back,” I smiled and the tears rolled down my face onto the top of his head.
“Mom you okay?”
“Yes,” I wiped the tears and started the truck up and moved off to the road home. It was dark but when I pulled into the driveway and was blasted with a bright security light. Frank stirred and opened the door and got out. He was less talkive then normal. We went into the house and turned on lights and after putting away the food stuff we bought. We headed off to the front room and started to unpacked things. I made mental note next move if we moved again we would mark the boxes to the assigned areas of the house. Beside the noticeable objects couch, beds, dressers and washer, dryer set I had no clue what was in what box. We opted to sleep downstairs but couldn’t find our sheets or blankets. For the first time in awhile Frank spoke with excitement.
“Mom, look what I found!” came his voice.
Looking over piles of boxes he sat among all our boxes of Christmas decorations and I thought why not. So I sat down by him and looked into box after box until I found what I wanted a old Christmas card wreath. Frank spoke up, “Mom is that?”
“Yes my darling. It is.”
“Can we put up a few decorations mom?
“Umm well it is late, but I guess we can put up a few of our paper ones.”
“Thanks mom,” he hugged me and drove into boxes retrieving paper decorations we had made.
Soon we had plastered the walls with our handmade decorations. Stumbling over a yet another box I opened it to find more decorations. And in the middle of the decorations was the one thing that brought back all my childhood Christmas’s. The little cheap Naivety set and the barn my brother Don had made all those many years ago. Tenderly I pulled it out of the box and walked over to the fireplace and set it on the mantel. Frank hugged me and said, “Mom you can water entire rainforest with your tears.” Laughing I hugged him back, “You think?” “For sure mom.” We just stood there and looked at that little Naivety set. Yes Santa is very real within all of us, in our hearts and in the deeds we choose to do in life towards others. That night I slept knowing Santa would find us no matter where we lived.
