Oskar, the Christmas Tree Elf: A Christmas to Remember

Chapter 4: The Perfect Christmas Tree

When Emma reached the kitchen, Luke was standing at the griddle, first in line for lunch.

"Grandma," he said, "you make the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water."

"It's the way I season the pan. I use secret ingredients," chuckled Grandma. Soon, the entire family had been served and everyone had taken a seat around the table. After a short prayer of thanksgiving, they began to eat.

"Grandpa," asked Emma between bites, "can I go to the attic with you to bring down the Christmas decorations? It's a little scary, but I love going up there."

"I like your enthusiasm, but first things first," he replied. "We need to get the tree cut to size and put in the stand. Papa Andrew's special revolving stand, with its large model trains, is already waiting in the living room. Once the tree's set up, you can come up to the attic with me."

"Emma," said Grandma, "I remember my Papa buying that tree stand when I was just a little girl about your age. Our family had so many wonderful German ornaments, and when Papa's father—your great great grandfather—died back in Maine, no one else in his family wanted those 'old' ornaments, so Papa asked his mother to pack them carefully and ship them to him. But there were almost too many for one tree!" Grandma laughed. She paused to take a bite of her food. "But once he could make the tree revolve, Papa was able to find space for all of them. He always loved to have the latest gadgets.

"Our family here in Northrup are the caretakers of a hundred years of family treasures and someday they may belong to you or Luke," she added. Emma listened attentively, while Luke continued to slurp from his bowl of tomato soup. "People come from all over the county on Christmas Day to see our Christmas tree and share food and holiday cheer with us.

"Your mom is our only child and she's not interested in living on the farm and growing trees," continued Grandma. She smiled lovingly at Sue, who was cutting off a piece of her sandwich to give to Luke, who had finished his. "Papa had seven children and I was the only one who wanted to keep our family traditions alive. I was the baby in my family and I continued living at home after all of my brothers and sisters moved away." She looked around at her family gathered around the table. "For years, the only time I saw them was when they gathered here at Christmas.

"Your Grandpa Dan worked for my Papa. At first, when he was still in high school, it was only during the summers, but after he graduated he came on full time. He would always help Papa put up our Christmas decorations. Then one Christmas Eve, Dan and I became sweethearts," she said, reaching over to take hold of Grandpa's hand. Grandpa leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"And that brings us to today," he said, rising from his chair, "with a Christmas tree on the porch and snow about to fall."

"Grandma and I will clean up in the kitchen," said Sue, as she began to pick up the plates. "You guys go have fun with the tree."

Emma jumped out of her chair and ran up to Grandpa. "Don't forget me!" she exclaimed.

"How could we ever forget you?" asked Luke sarcastically.

Grandpa, Brad, Luke and Emma all put on their jackets and went out to the porch. Thick clumps of snowflakes had begun to fall. Grandpa got Papa Andrew's measuring pole and began cutting the trunk so the tree would be the perfect height for the living room: when the tree was set in the stand, the top of the tarnished 105-year-old silvered glass star that would be placed at its tip would just clear the ceiling. Once they removed the trunk, Grandpa and Brad carried the shortened tree into the living room. Emma ran in behind them, while Luke and Gus sat on the porch, watching the snow fall.

In the living room, Emma watched Grandpa and Brad set the tree in the stand securely and make sure that it was perfectly level. Then they picked up a bucket that was waiting in the corner and poured two gallons of water into the stand. To make it easier to decorate the tree, Grandpa began to assemble scaffolding in the window bay using special planks designed to fit precisely into the window moldings.

While the tree was being set up in the living room, Grandma and Sue went out to the porch to begin cutting branches off the large trunk that had been left behind. "Luke," Grandma said, "Would you cut all the remaining branches off the tree trunk so your Mom and I can make them into pine roping?"

"Sure, Grandma!" he said, grabbing the saw and setting to work.

"Be careful you don't cut yourself," said Sue. Then, turning to her mother, she added, "I love the smell of pine in the house, don't you?"

Grandma nodded. She had placed in front of them a large basket of holly cuttings, pinecones and cinnamon sticks, which she and Sue started to expertly weave into a growing rope of garland using twine and fine wire.

Two hours later, Grandma, Sue and Luke carried their creation into the living room. Grandpa and Emma were stringing lights on the tree while Brad and Gus napped on the sofa in front of the fireplace. To Emma, the garland resembled a long green, red and brown snake: a Christmas boa constrictor. She wondered what Oskar thought of how his tree had been transformed.

"Emma's big tree definitely came in handy, Dad," said Sue. "I think we have enough garland to wrap around the entire living room." Sue went over to sit with Brad and the cat while Grandma and Luke began hanging the garland on old brass hooks secured in the wooden crown molding. Trying to find Oskar, Emma searched the branches of the tree.

"Emma," said Grandpa, "I think it's time for us to go up into the attic."

"Yay!" said Emma. She helped Grandpa carry the empty lighting crates up the stairs to the second floor. Grandpa set his crates down in front of the attic door, and as he opened it, its old hinges creaked. Grandpa flipped the light switch and picked the crates back up, and he and Emma climbed the stairs together.

The attic was big and filled with frosty, stale air. Dusty cobwebs hung from the rafters. Through one of the dormer windows, Emma could see snow falling outside.

"When Grandma was your age, this was her favorite place in the house," said Grandpa. "She told me how she would open all these boxes and release all the Krupzer family ghosts. They became her imaginary friends. I'm sure she'd love to tell you all her stories if you ask her about it sometime."

"I wish we lived here," suggested Emma as she explored the attic. "It's a lot more fun than our house."

"We wish you lived here too. There's so much family history we'd love to share with you. Once your Grandma took a trip to Maine with Papa Andrew after his mother died; they went through six generations of forgotten family treasures in the old Maine homestead and hauled the best of it back here." Emma grew excited at the thought of these treasures and began to peek in one box after another. Grandpa continued. "This is the repository of 200 years of family history."

In her search, Emma came across a large oak trunk that had been locked with a large padlock. "What's in this one?" she asked.

Grandpa looked at the trunk for a moment as he tried to recall what it held. When at last he remembered, his face lit up and he grinned. "You know, Emma, I don't think I've ever seen what's in there. All Grandma ever told me was that she lost the key to it when she was still a girl."

This new information only made Emma more determined to find out what was inside. She stared at it as Grandpa continued looking around the attic.

"Here are the Christmas ornaments," he said. "We may need to make a dozen trips to bring all these wooden crates down. Oh, here's the crate of wooden cranberries! Your great, great grandfather Krupzer made these in the spring of 1905, back in Greenwood, Maine. He and his wife and their children painted each of the berries and threaded them all by hand. These have been on family Christmas trees for over a hundred years."

Emma walked over to inspect the ornaments. "Can I carry them down?"

"I don't know. They're pretty heavy."

"Please, Grandpa? I know I can do it!"

Together, they carried the first old crates down from the attic, and then enlisted Brad and Luke to help carry the remaining 20 crates. Soon everything was down in the living room. On their last trip, before Grandpa shut the door, Emma looked back and wondered one more time about what the mysterious crate contained.