Merryville

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

December 28

It was eight in the morning when Chris woke up, his head slightly buzzing with the ill effects of the red wine from the night before. But nothing he couldn't handle. Moments later, Arthur woke up with a moan. Apparently he'd had a little more to drink. They got dressed and took care of their bathroom stuff and then headed downstairs. They poured themselves a cup of free coffee from the machine in the corner, then chose a chair. They didn't speak for a few minutes after sinking into the cushions and leaning their heads on the back of their chairs. Finally, Arthur sat up and sipped his coffee. "So, what're we doing today?"

Chris sat up, too. "Well, we have to get permission from the mayor to use the tree, show Franklin his house, get the Santa costume, get the bell fixed, meet Annie at City Hall at 11 so we can go for lunch and try to set her and Charlie up, and then we have the kids' party tonight."

"Oh, is that all?" Arthur said with a chuckle.

Chris reviewed the to-do list in his mind as he tried to mentally sort out the amount of time they would need to complete each task. "I'd say, let's start with showing Franklin his new house, then go from there." Chris thought a moment more. "Yep, I think that'll work out."

"Okay, then." Arthur said, as he finished his coffee. "Let's go."

The day was crisp and cold, and Chris and Arthur huddled inside their coats as they walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. As they turned up the worn footpath that led to the church, they noticed several deep holes dug off to the side. Arthur stopped and looked at Chris. "What do you think that is? I don't recall that being in your story."

"It wasn't."

"If it wasn't part of your story, why is it happening?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the arch again. I didn't create real lives for all these people. I suspect Spike and Bo. They are two young unpredictable teens. " Chris paused for a moment. "But it's their own story and it can't affect our objective. Let's keep going. We've got a lot to do today."

When Arthur and Chris arrived at the church, the scent of coffee greeted them. Franklin and Pastor Peter were standing outside drinking from steaming hot mugs.

"Hi, Franklin. Hello, Pastor Peter." Arthur nodded a greeting. "Were you waiting for us?"

"No, we were just enjoying this beautiful sunny day," Franklin answered.

"We've come to show you your new home, Franklin. It's all ready."

"I'm ready! See you, Pastor."

Five minutes later, deep inside the forest, Chris pointed to the house. "There it is. "

Franklin's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

"Welcome to your new home, Franklin," Chris said.

"My new home? Are you kidding me?"

"No, we're definitely not kidding you. This is yours."

He opened the front door and entered, roamed from room to room, taking in all the new decorations. Franklin already had so many plans in his head for his new home. He imagined a little garden around the house in a corner under a small roof where the earth was never frozen. He wanted tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms, and created a mental list of groceries he would need to get later on that day, mostly seed and soil to save money since he had almost nothing but some coins thanks to Pastor Peter.

"This is great! How can I ever repay you?"

"You don't have to. Just enjoy it and we'll see you in town at the feast," Chris said.