The wonderful gift of Christmas- A Christmas story - Part 21

 

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Maria didn't know if she should laugh or cry.  The information that was passed on to her by Mr Settler was just too much for her brain to handle.  Weird thoughts rushed through her head and Terrence took a seat opposite her.  

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"  

Maria shook her head, but looked at Terrence very seriously and said: "You will not believe what Mr Settler just told me. Could you keep the kids busy for a few hours?  I need to go and see someone."

"Sure, but is everything alright?" 

"Everything is just fine. I will be back in about two hours."

Terrence stood up and called the kids down from upstairs. They were all happy and laughter spread through the house.  The kids all kissed Maria on the cheek,and Terrence grabbed the puppies to go for a walk with them in the park.  

Once they left, Maria went upstairs to get dressed and then walked to the bus stop to catch the bus. 

She arrived at the hospital half an hour later.  Jack was not in his room, so she sat in the corner on the chair while waiting.  Thoughts of her last visit played in her head over and over again.  The nurse brought Jack back a few minutes later and he was surprised to see her. 

"You look lovely Maria." 

Jack said and remembered the first time that he saw her.  She looked so beautiful in that red dress and the way that she looked now, reminded him so much of that perfect day.  

"I'm glad you came."

"Why did you not tell me about all of this Jack?"

"Would it have made any difference?"

"Perhaps not, but we might have been able to do a lot of good with all this money."

"I've never been good with money. Money has never meant anything to me. I want to give it all to you because I know that you will know what to do with it. Please use it wisely."

" Are you sure about this Jack?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. You are the only person that ever paid attention to me, and I know it was real, because it was not because I had money."

"I really did love you Jack, but you were sick... and I should have helped you."

Jack smiled at her.  "Nothing that you could have done, could have ever prevented this. Everything worked out exactly how it was supposed to." 

"Will you be okay Jack?"

"I will be fine. Or at least as fine as I could ever be." 

Maria got up and walked over to Jack's bed.  She bent over and kissed him on the forehead. Perhaps a little longer than she was supposed to, and then whispered a soft thank you in his ear before she walked out. When Maria left, Jack felt like a renewed man.  

Maria phoned Mr Settler on her way out and asked for the address of the house that Jack left her.  She caught a cab and gave him the address.  She was just curious to see the house and felt a little excited when they were near. 

Maria stepped out of the cab and turned towards the large mansion that stood right in front of her.  It was so much more than she expected.  The beauty of the house overwhelmed her and when she stood in front of the large black gates she could not even imagine living here. The gates magically opened and she stepped inside.  

She walked up the driveway what must have been a hundred meters and saw a water fountain in front of her. On the porch in front of this gigantic house, there was a woman standing, waiting for her.  

"You must be Mrs Walker.  My name is Sarah.  I am the housekeeper. I am very pleased to meet you. Welcome to your new home."

"Hello Sarah.  I am pleased to meet you too. I am so overwhelmed by all of this. Please, call me Maria."

Sarah smiled at Maria. 

"Can I show you around?"

Maria nodded.  Sarah unlocked the door and they walked inside. It was an absolute perfect house, with the biggest reception area that Maria had ever seen.  They walked upstairs and Sarah showed her all the rooms. 

There were twelve rooms in total.  All with adjoining bathrooms.  There was a small library, a theater and outside, was a big heated swimming pool with a guesthouse. It was closed because of winter but nonetheless, Maria felt like a very important person and could just imagine all the fun that they would have here.  

Sarah took her to the kitchen and she was surprised to find a second lady there.  Sarah introduced Jenny as the cook and told Maria that they both lived outside in the maid's living quarters. Both Jenny and Sarah saw that this was all new to Maria. She looked like a very nice person, and they tried to make her feel as comfortable as they could. 

"Would you like me to cook dinner for your family tonight?" Jenny asked with a big smile. 

Maria smiled at her.  

"That would be lovely, but only if you join us. Both of you should, or are there more people hiding around here?"  Maria said with a laugh. 

"I have my son living with me. He is eleven now." Jenny said, and Sarah told her that it was only her and her husband, but he took care of the gardens and he was the driver, so technically he was also a worker here.  

Maria invited them all to dinner.  One night of extravagance would not hurt anyone. 

Maria could not wait to show the kids the house, but decided to keep it as a surprise for everyone.  Sarah suggested that George drive her to her house, but Maria didn't want anyone to be suspicious. She arranged with Sarah to have George pick them up at six o clock and handed her the address.  She phoned a cab to pick her up and when she got home, the kids were busy with the puppies outside again, and Terrence was busy making sandwiches for lunch.  

Everyone looked so happy to see her, and she hungrily ate the sandwich that Terrence offered her.  Maria seemed like a totally different person than the one that walked out earlier. When everyone sat around the table, she informed them that they were invited to Christmas dinner that evening, and they had to dress in their best clothes. 

Everyone was surprised, but did not ask too many questions. After lunch, she picked out a dress for Mindy and found a pretty dress for Gabriella. It was one of her own, but she made some quick adjustments, and at the end Gabriella looked perfect. She searched around in the attic, and found one of her husband's suits for Terrence.  

Everyone looked perfect, and Terrence looked so handsome in the suit. He looked like a totally different person. Maria looked absolutely lovely in her red Christmas dress and put on her mink coat that her husband had bought for her many years ago.  

It was her most prized possession and she looked stunning when she came down the stairs. Tonight they were celebrating life, and as Maria walked downstairs, the doorbell rang and she walked straight to open the door.  

The kids were all excited when George opened the door for them and felt very important when he told them to buckle up. George wanted to make the ride as memorable as possible, and took them on a detour through the city.  They passed the town square with the enormous Christmas tree, and it looked even more beautiful than ever before.  

Maria asked George to stop and they all got out and listened to some Christmas carols.  They all had their own memories about this tree, and in some way this tree brought them all together.  

It was too cold to stay out, and Maria pushed them all towards the car. With another little detour, George stopped in front of the house, and pushed a button for the gates to open.  The kids were staring with wide open eyes, and it was the biggest house that they had ever seen.  

George parked in front of the house, and opened the door for them.  The five of them stood in front of the house and it looked even more beautiful in the evening.  

"Whose house is this Maria?" Terrence asked, but he too was mesmerized by the beauty and the size of the house.  

"We do Terrence...we do."

Sarah opened the door for them and they walked into the beautiful reception area.  The three kids were amazed by the size of the house and Mindy and Gabriella were giggling when they saw Carlos Jenny's son peeping out from the kitchen.  

Carlos called Jonah to the kitchen and introduced himself. They became instant friends, and immediately went outside to play. Jenny said that she would call them as soon as dinner is ready. The two girls wandered around, and discovered the library.  Mindy sat on the floor and stared at all the books. She loved stories and begged Gabriella to read her a story.  Terrence and Maria found them there lost in their own world. 

"You had better explain to me what is going on Maria."

Maria nodded and asked him to follow her upstairs to a small office that she saw earlier.  

"You better sit down Terrence. This might be too much to handle."

Terrence sat down at the beautiful Mahogany desk and pulled out a chair for Maria to sit. Maria told him everything that she could remember and Terrence was just as surprised as she was. 

"What are you going to do with all of this?" 

Maria laughed.  

"To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. I went to see Jack today and this is for real. Mr Settler will have all the papers drawn up before new year and everything will be transferred to my name. This is too good to be true. We both found jobs at the right time, and now here we are. Soon I will have more money than I can count, and I would probably never have to work a day in my life again. But I honestly want to do good with this house and this money, and I want you to help me decide." 

Jenny rang the bell for dinner and they walked downstairs towards the dining room. 

"We could always turn this house into a hotel."  Terrence said jokingly and Maria just laughed. 

The  kids were already seated at the table, and the food looked absolutely delicious.  Jenny had put in a lot of effort and she really wanted to impress them all. Sarah and George sat opposite Maria and Terrence, and they chatted like old friends. 

After dinner Jenny suggested that they all have some coffee in the living room, while the kids watched a movie in the theater. 

Jonah and Carlos chose the movie, and a few minutes later the adults had the place all to themselves.  It was a weird situation as Jenny and the other help was not used to be part of any conversations in this household, but Maria did not want them to feel uncomfortable. She was definitely not used to having anyone help her, but she could imagine that you needed help in such a large house. 

After the movie had finished, Maria asked George if he would take them home.  The kids begged her to stay but she put her foot down.  It was a great evening, and something that she will always remember.  She just had to figure out what exactly she was going to do with the place.  All three kids had so much fun and fell asleep in the car, Maria smiled at Terrence when they drove past the Christmas tree in the park, and then it hit her like lightning.  

"I know what I'm going to do Terrence....I'm going to change the house into a shelter for battered woman."

Terrence smiled at her and said.  "That Maria, might be the best idea that you had all day! "

George helped Terrence carry the girls upstairs, and Maria helped Jonah to bed. After George left, Maria and Terrence sat in the kitchen talking. Maria was so excited about her idea that she knew that it would be difficult to sleep.  She wanted to do research immediately, and she hoped to speak to Mr Settler about her idea in the morning. She also wanted to call the social worker because she definitely wanted Susan involved.  Everything might just work out perfectly.  

Terrence finished his coffee and excused himself. He thanked Maria for the lovely day, and told her that he would see her in the morning.  Maria stayed and did some planning on a piece of paper. After she sorted out everything on paper, she could finally go to bed.  She knew exactly what she was going to do and very excitedly went upstairs.  She  had a perfect life with the perfect new friends, and she knew that together, they could achieve anything.  She fell asleep almost instantly.