The Christmas gift - a Christmas story - Chapter 21
Mr Settler stood in the doorway watching Jack. He has known Jack for quite some time, but he has never seen him so frail and helpless as today. When Jack smiled at him he saw something different in Jack than he did before. His own wife died in a car accident a few years ago, after having a heart attack while driving. It was one of the saddest days of his life. His own children lived abroad and he did not see them very often, but he developed such a soft spot for Maria and her kids that it made up for the loss. He would give anything to see Maria happy again, and he knew after her husband died that it was a very difficult time for her. He was even glad when she met Jack, and hoped that he could fill the void in Maria's life, but he was wrong.
Mr Settler pulled up a chair to sit next to Jack. Jack turned towards him and smiled again and said:
"Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it."
Mr Settler nodded and waited for Jack to speak again. He could see that Jack was a totally different person but he still did not want to trust him.
"What can I do for you Jack?"
Jack turned his face away but started talking. He told Mr Settler the whole story of how he grew up and about his parents. He told him about the money and the trust fund and the house, and all the other luxuries that belonged to him. Mr Settler listened attentively and shook his head in amazement quite a few times before whistling through his teeth when Jack finished.
"You mean to tell me that you are a millionaire, or should I say nearly a billionaire, and you lived in Maria's house all this time? Do you know that money doesn't mean anything to Maria, and that money can't make you happy?"
Jack had a painful expression on his face but looked Mr Settler straight in the eye and said:
"Money doesn't mean anything, but I have lost the only thing that was dear to me. I messed up so badly and by sharing what I have, will make life so much easier for her and the kids. I feel so ashamed of myself but I have learned a very hard lesson. My life will never be normal again. I will live in a facility for the rest of my life and be dependent on everyone around me. Maria doesn't have to be dependent on anyone or anything. I want her to have the money, and the house and the rest of everything. She can do with it whatever she wants, but I'm sure she will put it to great use."
Mr Settler told Jack that it was a noble thing to do and that he was impressed by the way that Jack handled things.
"I'm sorry that this happened to you Jack, and I wish that I could change things, but you are right. Maria would know exactly what to do with everything, and she deserves it."
Jack told him that he already arranged for a transfer to one of the best caring facilities in the country and that he would take permanent residence there. He would never be able to work again, and he would put enough money aside for him to live comfortable in the facility. The rest should go to Maria. Maria had to know that there were some good in him, and that he was not all bad.
Jack gave him all the details and Mr Settler promised that he would get everything done before the new year. He would contact Jack's lawyer and set up a meeting as soon as possible and arrange for everything to be transferred to Maria's name. Jack felt very relieved when Mr Settler left the room, and for the first time in weeks, he fell asleep peacefully. All the anger and anxiousness left him and he felt free for the first time in his life.
Maria woke up very early on Christmas morning. She heard someone downstairs in the kitchen and quickly went downstairs to see what was going on. She walked into the kitchen and saw that Gabriella was busy cleaning the dishes from the previous night. It was such an emotional evening that Maria left the kitchen to clean in the morning.
"Oh sweety you don't have to do this. Come let me help you."
Maria and Gabriella cleaned the kitchen in silence and then made breakfast for everyone. They worked together in perfect harmony and they looked like mother and daughter. Mindy woke up a few minutes later, and joined them. The three of them had such fun and when Terrence and Jonah eventually came downstairs, they found them making pancakes in the kitchen. It looked like they were having a ball and there were flour all over the place. Terrence and Jonah joined in the fun, and everyone ended up full of flour. The puppies ran around and you could see the little footprints all over the kitchen. They all sat around the kitchen table and ate as many pancakes as they could. It was a lovely morning and a great way to start the day.
After breakfast, Terrence and Jonah took the puppies outside and let them run outside in the backyard. Mindy and Gabriella went outside to play with the puppies and Terrence went back inside to help her clean up the mess.
"I'm so grateful for you Maria, you gave me back my life." Terrence said.
Maria laughed and said: "That's exactly how I feel Terrence. If it wasn't for you I would never have found Jonah."
Maria made coffee and they sat drinking their coffee while the kids played outside. They sat chatting and was busy planning their day, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Mr Settler bought some presents the previous day for all the kids. He wanted to see how Gabriella was doing and when he left the hospital, he asked the driver stop at the house. Maria was delighted to see him and offered him some coffee. Mr Settler had been like a father to her in the past few years and he was always the person she could go to when she was in trouble.
Mr Settler kissed her on the cheek and sat down at the kitchen table. They chatted for a while and Maria invited him for dinner. He declined, but asked if he could speak to Maria privately for a few minutes. He had something important to talk to her about. Terrence was not offended and took his coffee outside and sat on the porch drinking his coffee while the kids played with the puppies.
Maria looked quite nervous, but Mr Settler assured her that it was nothing bad, and had nothing to do with Gabriella. He sat there talking and explaining to her about his visit to Jack. Maria was flabbergasted. Mr Settler went outside to talk to the kids, and called them inside to give them their presents. They were delighted but Maria did not join in. She sat in the kitchen, and couldn't wrap her head around what Mr Settler just said.
Terrence found her there, looking absolutely shocked and puzzled. He made her more coffee, and added a little more sugar to calm her nerves. When she looked a little better he went to see Mr Settler out and asked the kids to go upstairs to make their beds. He went back to the kitchen and found Maria laughing hysterically. Something was terribly wrong, and he had to find out what it was.
-To be continued
Chapter 1 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-1
Chapter 2 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-2
Chapter 3 - https://steemit.com/story/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-3
Chapter 4 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-4
Chapter 5 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-5
Chapter 6 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-6
Chapter 7 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-7
Chapter 9 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-9
Chapter 10 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-10
Chapter 11 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-11
Chapter 12 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-12
Chapter 13 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-13
Chapter 14 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-14
Chapter 15 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/dtbcx-the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-14
Chapter 16 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-16
Chapter 17- https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-17
Chapter 18 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-18
Chapter 19 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-19
Chapter 20 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-20
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