Surprised he had to explain, Jacob turned to Mary, and he detailed, “Well, I dare say, if the two of you had NOT forgotten to tell the story to the children, the event would never have evolved!"
And then Jacob scratched his chin, as she said, "Which is still astounding to me that neither one of you thought about this important detail!”
As Mary shrugged her shoulders, she searchingly said, "Beyond me..."
Just then, luckily for Mary, Vincent and Mouse arrived, carrying the last of the needed pitchers of water.
And when Mary saw that Vincent had been enlisted by Mouse, Mary assertively noted, “Mouse you asked Vincent? I told you to ask one of the elder boys!”
Defiantly he answered, “No Mary, you said one of the bigger boys! And Vincent is the biggest boy I know!”
Slyly giggling, Mouse pointed his finger at Mary and said, “Mary forgot again!”
Mary tried to keep her temper in check, as her worse fears were coming to fruition! Mouse continued to run her forgetfulness into the ground by repeatedly teasing her!
And so Mary calmly, said, “Now Mouse, remember, its not polite to point, and I distinctly remember saying…”
And because Jacob was feeling comfortable stepping back into his patriarch role again, he butted in to end this standoff between Mary and Mouse, and in a firm terse tone, said, “This isn’t the time for sparring you two, there is work to be done.”
Straightening her apron, Mary compliantly said, “Of course Father.”
Mouse though, was not so obedient! He purposely stood behind Vincent so only Mary could see, and silently laughed as he pointed at Mary once again!
This truly irritated Mary, causing her to raise her eyebrows in alarm, and shake her finger back at him, silently signaling for him to knock it off.
Not realizing Mouse was hiding behind him, Vincent caught a glimpse of Mary looking angry at whom he thought, was at himself! But in not wanting to alert his Father, Vincent brought his hand to his chest, silently asking Mary if he had done something wrong.
As Mary re-focused from Mouse to Vincent, Mary silently motioned, “Not you…HIM!”
By now Mouse had moved over, and was looking quite innocent pouring the water into the larger vessel.
Vincent looked behind himself, and then over at Mouse, and flaying out his hands, he indicated to Mary, he didn’t understand.
Well, just as Mary was about to mouth out an explanation, Jacob, upon finishing his check list, asked, “Now, did you get all that Mary?”
Upon realizing Jacob must have been giving her instructions during her silent battle with Mouse, Mary had to admit she did not, and so humbly Mary asked, “I am afraid not Father…would you mind repeating?”
Turning to Mary, Jacob with concern, asked if her mind was elsewhere today.
Saying she was so sorry that she wasn't listening, but then Mary emphatically promised, Jacob now had 100% of her attention.
Saying he hoped so, Jacob then kindly repeated his check list, and then upon seeing Mouse filling the water, Jacob slapped him on the back and said, “Good job young man…good job.”
Seething over the fact Mouse had come out smelling like a rose in this silent battle, and she a mindless boob, Mary too added, “Yes…I was about to say the same thing…GOOD JOB MOUSE!”
Vincent looked over at Mouse, just in time to see him mutely laugh and point at Mary again, clarifying what Mary was trying to tell him.
As Vincent got the picture of what was going on between Mary and Mouse, just then Pascal sent a message, saying Peter had arrived, and needed help with the supplies.
And so, in order to run a little interference between Mary and Mouse, Vincent asked his ornery little buddy, “Shall we assist Peter?”
To which Mouse proudly replied, “OK fine, I will help…"
Mouse then turned toward the elders, and said, "...be right back Father and Forgetful Mary!”
And so with Mouse, the rascal at his side, Vincent gave Mary a nod, indicating he now understood what she had been dealing with.
And so, as they walked toward the entrance to aid Peter, Vincent asked Mouse, “Why do you taunt Mary as you do?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Mouse said, “Funny I guess…besides, she tells me if I forget something or do something wrong.”
To which in response, Vincent thoughtfully explained, “That is different Mouse, Mary oversees all of us. And Mary is quite prideful of her efficiency, and if she falls short, it disturbs her greatly, and it doesn’t help if you goad her about it. Also you need to remember; she is our elder and deserves all of our respect. I believe you need to apologize to Mary and also stop calling her Forgetful Mary!”
Mouse began to feel a bit guilty for his behavior, and with a pout, he reluctantly agreed by saying “Guess so…when we get back I will apologize to Forgetful Mary…errr, to Mary.”
As Peter saw them coming, he called out, “Hey that was quick!”
Proudly Mouse declared, “We ran part of the way so you wouldn’t have to wait long.”
As Vincent gathered up the snow dusted boxes, he asked, “Snowing again?”
Stomping the snow from his shoes, Peter confirmed it was, and they are expected to get about an inch or more of accumulation today, and then added, “Oh by the way, Catherine says hello.”
Vincent tipped his head, surprised Peter would have heard from Catherine at this early hour, and asked, “Catherine? You spoke with her?”
In reply, Peter boasted, “Better than that, I saw her! I passed her as she was walking to work.”
As Vincent contemplated his Catherine in the world above, doing something as mundane as “walking to work,” well, thinking about this, struck him with confused feelings of concern, and sadness. Concern about the dangers she faces daily, and sadness, he was not walking with her.
As Vincent heard Peter’s laughter break through his thoughts, by mentioning, “Yes I even offered her a ride, but of course, not surprisingly…she wanted to walk!”
With his attention directed back to Peter, Vincent warmly replied, “Should you see her again today, tell her hello for me.”
And so Vincent and Mouse escorted the good doctor to the medical chamber, where he, with a generous and caring heart, along with Jacob, would be examining the inhabitants of the tunnel community.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, the morning flew by for Catherine at the D.A., as there was so much to learn, and so much paperwork!
But thankfully the work was interesting, and very satisfying, which helped make the process come easy for her. Not to mention Paul’s ability to cut through the muddled red tape lingo, clarifying it all.
And because Joe started to give Catherine cases to do the leg work on, her case load started to build, and so by late morning, Joe issued Catherine her own cubicle, right next to Paul’s.
And so upon looking at her watch, Catherine told Paul, “I think I better take a rain check on your invitation for lunch…with Christmas around the corner, I should utilize lunch time to do a little shopping.”
As Paul waved half of the sandwich he had planned to offer her, he laughingly said, “Ok, but you don't know what you are missing! Peanut Butter and Jelly.”
Catherine laughed too as she grabbed her coat, and said, “Next time!”
Just then Edie called out to Catherine, and then motioned for her to come over to her desk. And so as Catherine stepped up, she asked, "What's up?"
To which Edie pulled out her pad, and noted, "I see you don't have a check mark by your name yet. Come on and cough up the ten bucks."
As Catherine began to dig in her purse, she asked, "What's this for Edie?"
And so in an irritated type manner, Edie said, "To buy Joe a Christmas Gift! Now just cuz you are new, doesn't get you off the hook! You are one of us now so ante up girlfriend!"
Privately, Catherine was happy to be asked. She had seen Edie and Linda collecting money for Joe's gift, but assumed she wouldn't be included, not being part of the clique as yet. And so as Catherine gave Edie the money, she kinda turned the table on her a bit, by saying, "Hey Edie?"
With her curt demeanor, Edie cocked a brow, and tried to unnerve the new kid by answering, "Yeah?"
With a cocked brow of her own, Catherine said, "Make sure you put a check mark by my name."
Taking Edie off guard, she did a double take, and though she tried to look miffed, she instead burst out laughing, and said, "You're all right kid...I think you just may fit in here after all."
Catherine laughed too, and then she once again, aimed for the elevator, and as she pushed the down button she waited for it to open.
As the door to the elevator finally opened, the sandwich vender, who comes through the office during lunch, stopped, and as he squinted to size up Catherine, he then offered her something from his sandwich cart.
Being in a hurry, Catherine kindly declined, and said thanks anyway.
But in reply, the vender insisted, “I really think you better have a sandwich. Here…try the Bratwurst…it comes highly recommended by a friend.”
Thinking this sounded sorta odd, Catherine curiously looked at the vender, and asked, “A friend?”
Looking first to his right and then left, he stepped close and with a wink he said, “Yeah…Vincent.”
Vincent?! Could this sandwich guy be referring to her Vincent? And could he actually be a helper?
So without breaking eye contact, Catherine asked, “What would Vincent’s last name be?”
With a roll of his eyes, he said, “I aint got all day!”
But then because Catherine was a rookie; the verder softened his tone, and said, “OK, you’re new, so I will play along…Wells, his last name is Wells.”
By now, Joe who had been watching the exchange from afar, was thinking the vender was flirting around with Catherine. And so with a ready to rumble attitude, he approached them and asked, “Is there a problem with the selection here today Cathy?”
Feeling a bit surreal, with the melding of the underworld with her life above, Catherine replied, “No Joe…I am just debating on what to get. I guess I will have the Bratwurst.”
As she fished into her purse for her wallet, the vender stopped her, by saying, “Forget it lady…there’s a sale on the Bratwurst today. It’s on the house. Merry Christmas!”
Taking the sandwich from his hand, she suspiciously thanked him, and said, “Merry Christmas…”
Joe thinking this sounded like a good deal, looked over the cart, and said, “I’ll have a Bratwurst too.”
To which the vender said, “That’ll be $4.90.”
And because Joe was taken aback that he was asked to pay, he started to ask, “But I thought you just said…”
Suddenly realizing the “Holiday Spirit” did not extend over to himself, Joe reluctantly doled out five bucks, and said, “Keep the change.”
The vender looked at the bill, and then at Joe and sarcastically said, “Merry Christmas big spender!”
As the vender rolled out of earshot, Joe said, “Well how do you like that guy?"
And then in a big brother type fashion, Joe said, "Look Cathy, you gotta watch it, the venders are like piranhas around here. If they don’t charge you an arm and a leg for a lousy sandwich, they are hitting on you.”
Catherine tried to stifle her laugh at the whole scenario of Joe getting suckered into buying an over priced, dried out sandwich! But because he got stuck, sticking up for her, she thought it was quite sweet!
And so Catherine thankfully replied, "Thanks for the advice. I’ll be on my guard next time.”
But as Catherine walked toward the elevator, she couldn't resist adding, “Enjoy your sandwich Joe.”
As Joe looked at his acquisition, he said to himself, “How do you like that?”
Joe then laughed too, as he asked himself, “How in the world did I end up getting bamboozled?”
The moment the elevator doors slid shut, Catherine eagerly unwrapped the sandwich, and inside was a note which said,
Dearest Catherine,
You and I have been invited to dine at Pai’s this evening.
I shall meet you at 8:00.
Be well Vincent
And so by the time the elevator doors opened, Catherine was smiling at the prospect of seeing Vincent that night.
Meanwhile, a guy, who had been waiting for the elevator, noticed her wide smile and as Catherine departed, he jested, “Wow, this must have been a hell of an elevator ride!”
To which Catherine cheerfully replied, “It was!”
And so as Catherine stepped out from the confines of the office, she stealthily navigated through her carefully thought out route, as she made tracks to the nearby stores.
First stop would be Zinovy Pritsker Piano Craft Company on York Avenue, where she wanted to pick up the wire which was needed for Rolley’s piano. As Catherine paid for the missing link to Rolley’s composition, she walked out of the store, feeling so happy, and anxious for Christmas, so she could give it to him.
Next stop...Mr. Smythe's. Catherine wanted to check on the order she placed for Brigit's new book, which she thought would be perfect Christmas gifts for the children, and also wanted to get one for Vincent too.
And so as Catherine walked in, Mr. Smythe greeted her kindly, and said it was good to see her loveliness again!
Humbly Catherine thanked him, and she then asked Mr. Smythe if her order was ready for pickup.
As Mr. Smythe searched his records and notes, he sadly told her, it looks as though her order for "A place for the forgotten Children" was never placed!
Promising he would do all he could to get the books in time for Christmas, Mr. Smythe then asked for the best address to have it delivered to for expedience sake.
Knowing Lou's shop was nearby, Catherine gave Mr. Smythe Lou's barber shop address.
Upon seeing that Catherine was looking a bit downhearted by this unfortunate happenstance, Mr. Smythe convincingly, and calmly asked her, "Fear not Dear Girl...you do believe in Christmas Miracles do you not?"
With a smile Catherine answered, "I guess I do...especially if it's through you Mr. Smythe."
Catherine then thought about a gift she and Vincent had talked about giving Lin and Henry, as a token of their appreciation for all they do for them. And so since they would be seeing them tonight, she eagerly moved onto another request, saying, "I do need your expertise in another manner Mr. Smythe, I need to find a book for some close friends."
Without question, pause, or explanation, Mr. Smythe stealthily presented a book of Chinese poetry.
As Catherine inspected the book, the title and contents, with a look of wonder she told Mr. Smythe, "This book...how did you know..."
And then Catherine stopped herself, thinking twice about making a big fuss over Mr. Smyth's clairvoyant talents, and as she paid Mr. Smythe, not only his money, but she paid him a compliment as well, as she told him, "Thank you so much for all your help Mr. Smythe...this book, well this book is a perfect choice for our friends.!"
With a knowing nod, Mr. Smythe replied, "Superb! Now remember, I will do all I can about your other order as well."
To which Catherine replied, "I know you will, and I will keep the faith...Merry Christmas Mr. Smythe."
And with a droll aplomb, Mr. Smythe replied, "Merry Christmas to you too Lovely Lady."
Catherine left the little shop feeling quite successful on acquiring a great last minute gift for Lin and Henry. And as far as her children's order, she would keep the faith, and pray they will arrive in time for Christmas, and somehow with Mr. Smythe involved...she was sure they would.
Finally, Catherine's last stop was the Christmas Cottage, where she hoped to find a replacement Snow Globe for Vincent.
And so as Catherine browsed the beautiful musical globe selection, unfortunately, all they had left, were Nativity Scenes!
And although they were festive, and really quite beautiful, Catherine was steadfast in her quest, holding out for a cottage scene, which would be reminiscent of their vintage keepsake globes.
And so as Catherine stood there, beginning to feel that this may be an unrealistic expectation, a thought struck her! And she wondered if Vincent’s snow globe could be repaired! And so she asked the proprietor if he knew if this could be done.
Thoughtfully, the man told Catherine, “We don’t do repairs here…but I do know of a guy who is a snow globe repair specialist, his name is Dick Heibel. I have his number right here…let’s give him a buzz.”
As Catherine listened, she could tell the call was going favorably, and then she asked the million dollar question for this time of year, which was, “Can I have it back in time for Christmas?”
To which Mr. Heibel promised “Yes”….but only if, he could get the globe today by 6:00!
Oh my! Catherine wondered how in the world would she manage to get the globe secretly from Vincent’s chamber, and then to Mr. Heibel by 6:00!
Looking at her watch, she saw she only had 20 minutes left on her lunch hour, and so she schemed and weighed her options, which were slim to say the least.
The options consisted of going herself…but no, she didn’t have enough time, then there's Peter…but no, she can't ask him, because he is already below…
And then Catherine re-considered this, and thought YES PETER! He is already below! Perfect! He could secretly get the globe, and drop it off to her in time for her to bring it to Mr. Heibel’s.
But how in the world could she get word to him?! Then Catherine thought of the sandwich vender, and she schemed, “Maybe he could get word to Peter!”
And so rushing back to the office, Catherine caught up with the vender/helper, just as he was beginning his trek to the next office building.
As Catherine ran up to him, she asked, “I am not sure how all this works, but am I allowed to send a message to the tunnels through you too?"
To which the helper said, "Yeah, ya can."
At the prospect of her plan working out, Catherine then hesitantly asked, "I don't mean to sound pushy, but since time is of the essence, could you deliver it right away?"
To which the helper matter-of-factly said, "Yeah, I can. It's what I do!"
Saying how much she appreciated his help, she then quickly scripted a note, and then said, "This note must go only to Dr. Peter Alcott? He is below doing exams today.”
Embarrassed she had not yet inquired, Catherine then asked, “Am I allowed to know your name?”
Holding out his hand, he proudly said, “Absotutely! I am Sam. Sam I am!”
Catherine smiled, thinking “Oh my, what a jokester!”
And then in reply, Catherine officially introduced herself, and said, “Well SAM…I am Catherine, and this note explains to Peter that I need him to get Vinc..."
Holding up his hand, Sam said, "Tut Tut! I don't need any details! Just give me the note."
Worried that if she doesn't explain, Sam won't realize the importance of his task! And so Catherine said, "Oh Dear, well suffice it to say, I really need Peter's help this afternoon."
And then at the risk of totally alienating Sam, Catherine then added, "But Sam, can I at least tell you this is about a Christmas gift for Vincent, and he can't know anything about it?"
In reply, Sam said, “You didn't hafta, but I think you just did!"
Trying to put Catherine at ease, Sam then said, "Hey I got it…I got it, and don’t worry. Like I said…it’s what I do.”
And then Sam the helper ran through the alleyway, to where Catherine assumed was a secret entrance to the tunnels.
And as Catherine watched until Sam was out of site, she shook her head in wonder, as she found herself entrusting this very important task to this stranger, SAM! But then thought, hey, if Vincent trusts him…
To be continued
Chapter Thirteen
And then Jacob scratched his chin, as she said, "Which is still astounding to me that neither one of you thought about this important detail!”
As Mary shrugged her shoulders, she searchingly said, "Beyond me..."
Just then, luckily for Mary, Vincent and Mouse arrived, carrying the last of the needed pitchers of water.
And when Mary saw that Vincent had been enlisted by Mouse, Mary assertively noted, “Mouse you asked Vincent? I told you to ask one of the elder boys!”
Defiantly he answered, “No Mary, you said one of the bigger boys! And Vincent is the biggest boy I know!”
Slyly giggling, Mouse pointed his finger at Mary and said, “Mary forgot again!”
Mary tried to keep her temper in check, as her worse fears were coming to fruition! Mouse continued to run her forgetfulness into the ground by repeatedly teasing her!
And so Mary calmly, said, “Now Mouse, remember, its not polite to point, and I distinctly remember saying…”
And because Jacob was feeling comfortable stepping back into his patriarch role again, he butted in to end this standoff between Mary and Mouse, and in a firm terse tone, said, “This isn’t the time for sparring you two, there is work to be done.”
Straightening her apron, Mary compliantly said, “Of course Father.”
Mouse though, was not so obedient! He purposely stood behind Vincent so only Mary could see, and silently laughed as he pointed at Mary once again!
This truly irritated Mary, causing her to raise her eyebrows in alarm, and shake her finger back at him, silently signaling for him to knock it off.
Not realizing Mouse was hiding behind him, Vincent caught a glimpse of Mary looking angry at whom he thought, was at himself! But in not wanting to alert his Father, Vincent brought his hand to his chest, silently asking Mary if he had done something wrong.
As Mary re-focused from Mouse to Vincent, Mary silently motioned, “Not you…HIM!”
By now Mouse had moved over, and was looking quite innocent pouring the water into the larger vessel.
Vincent looked behind himself, and then over at Mouse, and flaying out his hands, he indicated to Mary, he didn’t understand.
Well, just as Mary was about to mouth out an explanation, Jacob, upon finishing his check list, asked, “Now, did you get all that Mary?”
Upon realizing Jacob must have been giving her instructions during her silent battle with Mouse, Mary had to admit she did not, and so humbly Mary asked, “I am afraid not Father…would you mind repeating?”
Turning to Mary, Jacob with concern, asked if her mind was elsewhere today.
Saying she was so sorry that she wasn't listening, but then Mary emphatically promised, Jacob now had 100% of her attention.
Saying he hoped so, Jacob then kindly repeated his check list, and then upon seeing Mouse filling the water, Jacob slapped him on the back and said, “Good job young man…good job.”
Seething over the fact Mouse had come out smelling like a rose in this silent battle, and she a mindless boob, Mary too added, “Yes…I was about to say the same thing…GOOD JOB MOUSE!”
Vincent looked over at Mouse, just in time to see him mutely laugh and point at Mary again, clarifying what Mary was trying to tell him.
As Vincent got the picture of what was going on between Mary and Mouse, just then Pascal sent a message, saying Peter had arrived, and needed help with the supplies.
And so, in order to run a little interference between Mary and Mouse, Vincent asked his ornery little buddy, “Shall we assist Peter?”
To which Mouse proudly replied, “OK fine, I will help…"
Mouse then turned toward the elders, and said, "...be right back Father and Forgetful Mary!”
And so with Mouse, the rascal at his side, Vincent gave Mary a nod, indicating he now understood what she had been dealing with.
And so, as they walked toward the entrance to aid Peter, Vincent asked Mouse, “Why do you taunt Mary as you do?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Mouse said, “Funny I guess…besides, she tells me if I forget something or do something wrong.”
To which in response, Vincent thoughtfully explained, “That is different Mouse, Mary oversees all of us. And Mary is quite prideful of her efficiency, and if she falls short, it disturbs her greatly, and it doesn’t help if you goad her about it. Also you need to remember; she is our elder and deserves all of our respect. I believe you need to apologize to Mary and also stop calling her Forgetful Mary!”
Mouse began to feel a bit guilty for his behavior, and with a pout, he reluctantly agreed by saying “Guess so…when we get back I will apologize to Forgetful Mary…errr, to Mary.”
As Peter saw them coming, he called out, “Hey that was quick!”
Proudly Mouse declared, “We ran part of the way so you wouldn’t have to wait long.”
As Vincent gathered up the snow dusted boxes, he asked, “Snowing again?”
Stomping the snow from his shoes, Peter confirmed it was, and they are expected to get about an inch or more of accumulation today, and then added, “Oh by the way, Catherine says hello.”
Vincent tipped his head, surprised Peter would have heard from Catherine at this early hour, and asked, “Catherine? You spoke with her?”
In reply, Peter boasted, “Better than that, I saw her! I passed her as she was walking to work.”
As Vincent contemplated his Catherine in the world above, doing something as mundane as “walking to work,” well, thinking about this, struck him with confused feelings of concern, and sadness. Concern about the dangers she faces daily, and sadness, he was not walking with her.
As Vincent heard Peter’s laughter break through his thoughts, by mentioning, “Yes I even offered her a ride, but of course, not surprisingly…she wanted to walk!”
With his attention directed back to Peter, Vincent warmly replied, “Should you see her again today, tell her hello for me.”
And so Vincent and Mouse escorted the good doctor to the medical chamber, where he, with a generous and caring heart, along with Jacob, would be examining the inhabitants of the tunnel community.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, the morning flew by for Catherine at the D.A., as there was so much to learn, and so much paperwork!
But thankfully the work was interesting, and very satisfying, which helped make the process come easy for her. Not to mention Paul’s ability to cut through the muddled red tape lingo, clarifying it all.
And because Joe started to give Catherine cases to do the leg work on, her case load started to build, and so by late morning, Joe issued Catherine her own cubicle, right next to Paul’s.
And so upon looking at her watch, Catherine told Paul, “I think I better take a rain check on your invitation for lunch…with Christmas around the corner, I should utilize lunch time to do a little shopping.”
As Paul waved half of the sandwich he had planned to offer her, he laughingly said, “Ok, but you don't know what you are missing! Peanut Butter and Jelly.”
Catherine laughed too as she grabbed her coat, and said, “Next time!”
Just then Edie called out to Catherine, and then motioned for her to come over to her desk. And so as Catherine stepped up, she asked, "What's up?"
To which Edie pulled out her pad, and noted, "I see you don't have a check mark by your name yet. Come on and cough up the ten bucks."
As Catherine began to dig in her purse, she asked, "What's this for Edie?"
And so in an irritated type manner, Edie said, "To buy Joe a Christmas Gift! Now just cuz you are new, doesn't get you off the hook! You are one of us now so ante up girlfriend!"
Privately, Catherine was happy to be asked. She had seen Edie and Linda collecting money for Joe's gift, but assumed she wouldn't be included, not being part of the clique as yet. And so as Catherine gave Edie the money, she kinda turned the table on her a bit, by saying, "Hey Edie?"
With her curt demeanor, Edie cocked a brow, and tried to unnerve the new kid by answering, "Yeah?"
With a cocked brow of her own, Catherine said, "Make sure you put a check mark by my name."
Taking Edie off guard, she did a double take, and though she tried to look miffed, she instead burst out laughing, and said, "You're all right kid...I think you just may fit in here after all."
Catherine laughed too, and then she once again, aimed for the elevator, and as she pushed the down button she waited for it to open.
As the door to the elevator finally opened, the sandwich vender, who comes through the office during lunch, stopped, and as he squinted to size up Catherine, he then offered her something from his sandwich cart.
Being in a hurry, Catherine kindly declined, and said thanks anyway.
But in reply, the vender insisted, “I really think you better have a sandwich. Here…try the Bratwurst…it comes highly recommended by a friend.”
Thinking this sounded sorta odd, Catherine curiously looked at the vender, and asked, “A friend?”
Looking first to his right and then left, he stepped close and with a wink he said, “Yeah…Vincent.”
Vincent?! Could this sandwich guy be referring to her Vincent? And could he actually be a helper?
So without breaking eye contact, Catherine asked, “What would Vincent’s last name be?”
With a roll of his eyes, he said, “I aint got all day!”
But then because Catherine was a rookie; the verder softened his tone, and said, “OK, you’re new, so I will play along…Wells, his last name is Wells.”
By now, Joe who had been watching the exchange from afar, was thinking the vender was flirting around with Catherine. And so with a ready to rumble attitude, he approached them and asked, “Is there a problem with the selection here today Cathy?”
Feeling a bit surreal, with the melding of the underworld with her life above, Catherine replied, “No Joe…I am just debating on what to get. I guess I will have the Bratwurst.”
As she fished into her purse for her wallet, the vender stopped her, by saying, “Forget it lady…there’s a sale on the Bratwurst today. It’s on the house. Merry Christmas!”
Taking the sandwich from his hand, she suspiciously thanked him, and said, “Merry Christmas…”
Joe thinking this sounded like a good deal, looked over the cart, and said, “I’ll have a Bratwurst too.”
To which the vender said, “That’ll be $4.90.”
And because Joe was taken aback that he was asked to pay, he started to ask, “But I thought you just said…”
Suddenly realizing the “Holiday Spirit” did not extend over to himself, Joe reluctantly doled out five bucks, and said, “Keep the change.”
The vender looked at the bill, and then at Joe and sarcastically said, “Merry Christmas big spender!”
As the vender rolled out of earshot, Joe said, “Well how do you like that guy?"
And then in a big brother type fashion, Joe said, "Look Cathy, you gotta watch it, the venders are like piranhas around here. If they don’t charge you an arm and a leg for a lousy sandwich, they are hitting on you.”
Catherine tried to stifle her laugh at the whole scenario of Joe getting suckered into buying an over priced, dried out sandwich! But because he got stuck, sticking up for her, she thought it was quite sweet!
And so Catherine thankfully replied, "Thanks for the advice. I’ll be on my guard next time.”
But as Catherine walked toward the elevator, she couldn't resist adding, “Enjoy your sandwich Joe.”
As Joe looked at his acquisition, he said to himself, “How do you like that?”
Joe then laughed too, as he asked himself, “How in the world did I end up getting bamboozled?”
The moment the elevator doors slid shut, Catherine eagerly unwrapped the sandwich, and inside was a note which said,
Dearest Catherine,
You and I have been invited to dine at Pai’s this evening.
I shall meet you at 8:00.
Be well Vincent
And so by the time the elevator doors opened, Catherine was smiling at the prospect of seeing Vincent that night.
Meanwhile, a guy, who had been waiting for the elevator, noticed her wide smile and as Catherine departed, he jested, “Wow, this must have been a hell of an elevator ride!”
To which Catherine cheerfully replied, “It was!”
And so as Catherine stepped out from the confines of the office, she stealthily navigated through her carefully thought out route, as she made tracks to the nearby stores.
First stop would be Zinovy Pritsker Piano Craft Company on York Avenue, where she wanted to pick up the wire which was needed for Rolley’s piano. As Catherine paid for the missing link to Rolley’s composition, she walked out of the store, feeling so happy, and anxious for Christmas, so she could give it to him.
Next stop...Mr. Smythe's. Catherine wanted to check on the order she placed for Brigit's new book, which she thought would be perfect Christmas gifts for the children, and also wanted to get one for Vincent too.
And so as Catherine walked in, Mr. Smythe greeted her kindly, and said it was good to see her loveliness again!
Humbly Catherine thanked him, and she then asked Mr. Smythe if her order was ready for pickup.
As Mr. Smythe searched his records and notes, he sadly told her, it looks as though her order for "A place for the forgotten Children" was never placed!
Promising he would do all he could to get the books in time for Christmas, Mr. Smythe then asked for the best address to have it delivered to for expedience sake.
Knowing Lou's shop was nearby, Catherine gave Mr. Smythe Lou's barber shop address.
Upon seeing that Catherine was looking a bit downhearted by this unfortunate happenstance, Mr. Smythe convincingly, and calmly asked her, "Fear not Dear Girl...you do believe in Christmas Miracles do you not?"
With a smile Catherine answered, "I guess I do...especially if it's through you Mr. Smythe."
Catherine then thought about a gift she and Vincent had talked about giving Lin and Henry, as a token of their appreciation for all they do for them. And so since they would be seeing them tonight, she eagerly moved onto another request, saying, "I do need your expertise in another manner Mr. Smythe, I need to find a book for some close friends."
Without question, pause, or explanation, Mr. Smythe stealthily presented a book of Chinese poetry.
As Catherine inspected the book, the title and contents, with a look of wonder she told Mr. Smythe, "This book...how did you know..."
And then Catherine stopped herself, thinking twice about making a big fuss over Mr. Smyth's clairvoyant talents, and as she paid Mr. Smythe, not only his money, but she paid him a compliment as well, as she told him, "Thank you so much for all your help Mr. Smythe...this book, well this book is a perfect choice for our friends.!"
With a knowing nod, Mr. Smythe replied, "Superb! Now remember, I will do all I can about your other order as well."
To which Catherine replied, "I know you will, and I will keep the faith...Merry Christmas Mr. Smythe."
And with a droll aplomb, Mr. Smythe replied, "Merry Christmas to you too Lovely Lady."
Catherine left the little shop feeling quite successful on acquiring a great last minute gift for Lin and Henry. And as far as her children's order, she would keep the faith, and pray they will arrive in time for Christmas, and somehow with Mr. Smythe involved...she was sure they would.
Finally, Catherine's last stop was the Christmas Cottage, where she hoped to find a replacement Snow Globe for Vincent.
And so as Catherine browsed the beautiful musical globe selection, unfortunately, all they had left, were Nativity Scenes!
And although they were festive, and really quite beautiful, Catherine was steadfast in her quest, holding out for a cottage scene, which would be reminiscent of their vintage keepsake globes.
And so as Catherine stood there, beginning to feel that this may be an unrealistic expectation, a thought struck her! And she wondered if Vincent’s snow globe could be repaired! And so she asked the proprietor if he knew if this could be done.
Thoughtfully, the man told Catherine, “We don’t do repairs here…but I do know of a guy who is a snow globe repair specialist, his name is Dick Heibel. I have his number right here…let’s give him a buzz.”
As Catherine listened, she could tell the call was going favorably, and then she asked the million dollar question for this time of year, which was, “Can I have it back in time for Christmas?”
To which Mr. Heibel promised “Yes”….but only if, he could get the globe today by 6:00!
Oh my! Catherine wondered how in the world would she manage to get the globe secretly from Vincent’s chamber, and then to Mr. Heibel by 6:00!
Looking at her watch, she saw she only had 20 minutes left on her lunch hour, and so she schemed and weighed her options, which were slim to say the least.
The options consisted of going herself…but no, she didn’t have enough time, then there's Peter…but no, she can't ask him, because he is already below…
And then Catherine re-considered this, and thought YES PETER! He is already below! Perfect! He could secretly get the globe, and drop it off to her in time for her to bring it to Mr. Heibel’s.
But how in the world could she get word to him?! Then Catherine thought of the sandwich vender, and she schemed, “Maybe he could get word to Peter!”
And so rushing back to the office, Catherine caught up with the vender/helper, just as he was beginning his trek to the next office building.
As Catherine ran up to him, she asked, “I am not sure how all this works, but am I allowed to send a message to the tunnels through you too?"
To which the helper said, "Yeah, ya can."
At the prospect of her plan working out, Catherine then hesitantly asked, "I don't mean to sound pushy, but since time is of the essence, could you deliver it right away?"
To which the helper matter-of-factly said, "Yeah, I can. It's what I do!"
Saying how much she appreciated his help, she then quickly scripted a note, and then said, "This note must go only to Dr. Peter Alcott? He is below doing exams today.”
Embarrassed she had not yet inquired, Catherine then asked, “Am I allowed to know your name?”
Holding out his hand, he proudly said, “Absotutely! I am Sam. Sam I am!”
Catherine smiled, thinking “Oh my, what a jokester!”
And then in reply, Catherine officially introduced herself, and said, “Well SAM…I am Catherine, and this note explains to Peter that I need him to get Vinc..."
Holding up his hand, Sam said, "Tut Tut! I don't need any details! Just give me the note."
Worried that if she doesn't explain, Sam won't realize the importance of his task! And so Catherine said, "Oh Dear, well suffice it to say, I really need Peter's help this afternoon."
And then at the risk of totally alienating Sam, Catherine then added, "But Sam, can I at least tell you this is about a Christmas gift for Vincent, and he can't know anything about it?"
In reply, Sam said, “You didn't hafta, but I think you just did!"
Trying to put Catherine at ease, Sam then said, "Hey I got it…I got it, and don’t worry. Like I said…it’s what I do.”
And then Sam the helper ran through the alleyway, to where Catherine assumed was a secret entrance to the tunnels.
And as Catherine watched until Sam was out of site, she shook her head in wonder, as she found herself entrusting this very important task to this stranger, SAM! But then thought, hey, if Vincent trusts him…
To be continued
Chapter Thirteen
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| Destiny of my Heart! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Twelve __________________________________________ The Holly and the Ivy |
