Mrs Noel
by Fish © 2008
Twas the month of December and all through the land, thoughts were flowing of monies that would soon change hands. The decorations had been hung several months ago. Displays set up in August to ignite the flow of memories in the snow and ice, while bikinis and tans still occupied minds of man. It was this time that our neighbor Mrs. Noel would come around to have me help her with her decorations. It was an annual event for me ever since I was a young teen. I might have ended it if it had not been for the Houston’s putting their house on the market. It was the next house over from my parents, with Mrs. Noel between us.
My name is Lyle, the newest homeowner on the street and still Mrs. Noel’s neighbor. I had gone to the local university, and graduated in the upper tenth of my class. As a computer science major I was able to pick and choose where I wanted to start my career. I decided to stay at home, mostly because I loved the outdoor activities the area afforded. My enjoyment of the outdoors had a beneficial effect in keeping me trim. I had not had a steady girlfriend since graduation, but that really was not a problem since the new job and new house kept me busy. This was to be my first Christmas decorating my house and I wanted to outdo Mrs. Noel, or at least equal hers. Now the fact that I was helping her with her decorations would have seemed like I had an advantage, but the reality was that she had a lot of older decorations that were no longer available. Our themes would be a bit different.
We decided that the first weekend of December would be perfect to put everything up. Mrs. Noel would have the list of boxes to come down. We started with the centerpieces for her tables, and progressed on to her windows and doors. After getting that accomplished on Saturday, I went home to start on my interior during the evening. Since this was my first I had decided to mainly do the exterior, and let the interior be just a tree and two snow globes. My exterior decorations included strings of red lights around each window and door and an inflatable snowman and snow globe on the front lawn. I even had the icicle lights hanging from the gutters across the front so that the whole house was framed in white lights. I had my exterior done in short order since there was no need for checking lights or untangling cords. I had my artificial tree assembled, but decided not to decorate it until the following day. That night I went to sleep with a satisfied smile. My house was 90 percent done and I knew that it was as nice as Mrs. Noel’s.
Early the next morning I knocked on Mrs. Noel’s door and when she let me in, I was a bit surprised because she had her tree assembled. She had always used an artificial one. I told her that I would do the exterior first. She had planned on having two colors of lights, red and white. Like previous years, she had planned that each window and doorframe be outlined. She had the lighted reindeers made of wire for the front yard along with a bale of hay so that they appeared to be grazing. The last thing I had to place outside was a new-lighted wreath. I should have expected that she would have it color coordinated. The wreath was frocked with red ribbons and red and white lights. She then pulled out the controls. I was shocked to see that she had purchased a mini computer light controller. I had thought she would use the usual alternating socket that let separate strings appear to be blinking, but with this she had them in a cascade pattern. The lights started on each side of the house and continued to cascade coming to meet at the new wreath. When the lights met at the wreath, the lights started circling around the wreath and meeting in a star pattern at its center. I had to hand it to her – she always seemed to be able to bring something special to Christmas decorations.
I just had to finish trimming her tree. There were annual specialty ornaments for every year, and a few of those old silver mirrored ones too. At the top she had me place her angel. It had been hand made to resemble Mrs. Noel when she was my age, and the eyes and halo blinked on and off. Well it did that in previous years, but this year she had it and the entire tree lights connected to another mini-controller. The result on the tree was that the lights circled around it moving to the top. The final part of her decoration was an automatic fresh tree scent dispenser.
After I finished, she had a cup of cocoa and cookies for me. As we sipped, she was telling me how happy she was with the tree this year. I must have been wearier than I had thought because as I was looking at the tree, and listening to her tell me how each ornament represented a retracing of the past to the present that was the angel, I was getting sleepy. By the time she reached the story about the angel, I felt like I weighed a ton. I was so calm and relaxed that I thought I would be snoring in her living room. Instead I just sat there listening to Mrs. Noel, with the flashing lights shining on my relaxed face.
Mrs. Noel started speaking to me about the past, telling how she liked to look at the tree and its lights. How, as she allowed herself to relax, she would remember the years past. How it was the calming flow of the lights that almost took her on a path back there. It was so nice to hear her talk about it that I started to relax a bit also. She pointed out the bottom ornament bulbs and lights as she sighed. That was the first one I always placed on her tree. She continued on pointing out one ornament after another as she moved up the tree, each time sighing after relaying a memory from the past. I had been following her path down memory lane with ease, and reflexively letting out little sighs also. By the time she had reached the ornaments in the middle of the tree I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. I even had to stifle a couple yawns. She continued on in her sweet tone framing thoughts of the past as she described her ornaments. The lights continued to rhythmically light the room. As she reached the top of the tree coming closer to the present I had ceased participating in the conversation. It was just her voice sweetly heard in the room and in my head. My conscious mind had long relaxed into the memories of her past. In the present it was my own sub-conscious that was listening and agreeing with her. Finally she pointed out the angel sitting atop the tree and I heard her say, “Ho ho ho helper.” That was when I realized that Mrs. Noel was my Christmas spirit, and I wanted to do whatever she wanted.
She said I had been such a good boy for helping her that I deserved a treat. My reward was to be allowed to give her a massage, starting with her feet. As I rubbed her toes and the soles of her feet I could hear her soft sighs. Making sure that each foot had received my tender attention, I then moved to her ankles, while letting that foot rest upon my beating heart. As I paid attention to that leg, she had the other foot pressed upon the side of my neck. We were connected by heart and mind as I tenderly caressed her. I continued this until I was sure that each leg had all hints of stress released, and each muscle had been warmed. I worked my way up her body to her waist making sure I was not hurting her in any way. After I reached the bottoms of her shorts I changed to her hands, tracing across each finger, She had such strong but delicate hands. I then moved up her arms, thinking of the joy that she can give with just her embrace. As I moved to her neck, I could feel the blood flowing through her veins. Tracing a thumb down her back was wonderful.
As I soothed her shoulders, she turned to look back at me and said, “Good boy, stop for now. When you return home, I want you to watch this DVD. Your instructions for the holiday season are on it. Now, wake up and remember your instructions, and that you enjoyed helping me.”
When I awoke, I thanked her for the cocoa, and told her that her house showed the most holiday spirit on the block as always. She thanked me and said goodnight. As I walked down the steps I heard her talking to someone named Tyler. She was saying, “Now you see how it’s done. After he watches the DVD tonight, he will be able to help you also.” I went home to start a new holiday tradition.
That night as I climbed into bed I turned on the TV and flicked in the DVD meant only for me to see. The screen was white with a single word, “WAIT” written in red. The next and last thing I remember was hearing Mrs. Noel’s voice saying “ Ho, ho, ho helper.’ The rest of the night the bedroom scene was the flickering lights from my custom DVD. Tyler was there dressed in a red mini with white fur trim smiling with glee, as I repeated, “Yes Ma’am” while staring up from my bended knee.
For all you out there helping with decorations: May your Holidays be filled with the spirit; be it looking downward or lovingly upward from one or two knees.