A Cheerful Christmas Carol

     Marley is a dead man. There is no doubt about that. That was what Mrs. Ebelina Scrooge was thinking to herself peering out the window. There was a carriage sitting across the street and someone had been knocking at the front door continuously for the past ten minutes. It had to be Marley, whom else could it be? Jacob Marley, Ebelina Scrooge's uncle and business partner to her husband Ebenezer, and someone Mrs. Scrooge abhorred just as much as everyone else did who had the misfortune to cross Marley's path. Then again, Ebelina also had a strong dislike for all those people who crossed his path, or anyone in general for that matter. This seemed to be the only thing she shared in common with her husband and her uncle.

     "I'm coming, I'm coming," shouted Mrs. Scrooge as the knocking continued.

     What business would her uncle have to have to bring his person here? He never visited, in fact, in all the years he and Scrooge had been partners, he had not once been to their home. Partly due to the fact that they never invited him, but that was a different matter. Scrooge never brought work home, Mrs. Scrooge forbade it. That meant there were no papers, ledgers or otherwise, that Marley would be here to fetch. It was nigh impossible that her uncle would be here for a friendly family visit as he had washed his hands of all his family many years ago, saying that they were of no use to him unless there was a way he could make money of them. Heaven forbid Scrooge was ill, Marley would have sent someone to inform her, he would not have come himself. No, on second thought he would not have even bothered to inform her at all. Such was the type of person which was her uncle, Jacob Marley.

     "I said, I was coming," Mrs. Scrooge raised her voice this time, growing more than a little infuriated as the knocking came once more.

     Mrs. Scrooge donned a stern look upon her face, and wet her lips in preparation for the harsh words in which she was about to spew forth on the unsuspecting Marley. She flung the door open, opened her mouth ready to hiss her words of malcontent, then a look of bewilderment crossed her face as there was naught there but the cold winter air stirring back. Then something caught her attention, she looked down and saw a small child.

     "Hello," spoke the child, looking up at Mrs. Scrooge.

     "Well? What do you want?" asked Mrs. Scrooge.

     "I'm Mckinley. Mckinley Dickens. I'm your niece."

     "I know who you are, I asked what do you want?"

     The appearance of her niece puzzled Mrs. Scrooge more so than the thought of her uncle Marley banging at her front door. What could the child want? Had something ill-fated befallen her mother? She and the child's mother's relationship had soured throughout the years, and they now had not spoken since prior to the child's birth. Mrs. Scrooge had never been in the presence of the child before this very moment, but she saw her with her mother from time to time as they passed by in the streets.

     The little girl wore a wide, generous and genuine smile, and her big blue eyes gleamed as she looked up at her aunt. She so looked like her mother when she was young, especially her eyes. She wore a beautiful red, winter coat trimmed in white fur and a matching white bonnet upon her head; obviously holiday attire. Judging by this, they were financially stable, so money wasn't the reason for the unexpected visit. Another thing caught Mrs. Scrooge's attention, it was a very small velvet sack the little girl carried, obviously not a handbag. There was something inside the sack that the little girl seemed to cherish, for she held it close to her, but in a delicate manner as if the bag's contents were fragile. Mrs. Scrooge's attention passed from the sack back to the small child once again.

     "I will not ask a third time what it is you are doing here, child. The day is cold and the wind is colder still, and I am not about to stand here and catch my death of cold. If you have nothing more to add, I bid you a good day," spoke Mrs. Scrooge as she started to close the door.

     "You're my aunt..." Mckinley spoke in a rush holding out her arm to stop the door.

     "Yes, we've both acknowledged that already," Mrs. Scrooge interrupted her in mid-sentence.

     "You're my aunt and I want to get to know you. I've come to spend the day with you."

     Mrs. Scrooge stood holding the door, not knowing what to say. She was a woman of quick wit who always had a quick reply to anything anyone had to say, usually it was something unkind. Even at nine-years-old, Mckinley was smart enough to see that her aunt was stunned and knew she had better act quickly before her aunt regained her composure. Mckinley turned and looked at the carriage setting across the street, the one Mrs. Scrooge had thought belonged to her uncle Marley. Mckinley's mother sat inside the carriage and did not move. She would not leave until she was certain Ebelina had agreed to let Mckinley spend the day, in which case Mckinley would be safe. Smiling brightly Mckinley waved to her mother, letting her know that she was okay and that she could leave now.

     Mrs. Scrooge looked across the street to her sister, her sister smiled and waved goodbye thinking all was in accordance. Mrs. Scrooge's eyes went wide as the carriage started off. She wanted to make protest but still could not find her words. This was the most interaction the two had had in many a year and Mrs. Scrooge was thunderstruck, to say the very least, that her sister would entrust her small daughter to her without so much as saying good day.

     "What are we going to do first?" asked Mckinley still wearing a smile.

     "I have errands I must attend to," said Mrs. Scrooge, turning her attention from the now distant carriage to her small niece. "You may wait here. Outside."

     Mckinley's smile faded from her face as Mrs. Scrooge took a step back and closed the door in her face. There came a clicking sound as the many locks were being locked from the inside. Mckinley did not know what had just happened, or what to do. She wanted to knock again but then thought better of it, thinking that maybe her aunt needed privacy to get a change of clothes since she said she had errands which needed her attention. So, she decided to take a seat on the top step and wait for her aunt. The wintery wind was cool indeed, her winter dress would keep her body warm, but she had no protection for her bare face as the bitter winds blew. She pulled her small sack up to her chest and buried her face in it, providing some shelter from the wind. She so hoped her aunt would not be very long.

     Inside her house, Mrs. Scrooge paced the floor in a frenzy. This was most unusual, her small niece, whom she never knew, wanted to spend the day with her, and her sister allowed it to happen. What could she be thinking? More importantly, what was she going to do? She had no idea how to entertain a child, nor did she have the desire. She couldn't just leave the child sitting on her front steps all day in the winter air. She would surely catch her death of cold... and what would the neighbors think? Yes, that is why she would tend to the girl for the day, only because of what the neighbors would think and say. Not from pity nor some other sentimental nonsense, it had to be done for sake of her reputation. After all, she and Mr. Scrooge were highly respectable people, maybe not liked, but respectable. Having finally convinced herself, she threw on her coat, took up her purse and headed for the door.

     The door opened and Mrs. Scrooge strode out. Mckinley's face lit up and smiled as she jumped to her feet. She looked up at her aunt, but her aunt walked by without speaking nor acknowledging her at all. Undaunted, Mckinley kept her smile and started off down the street after her aunt, holding her small sack she sang and skipped and was merry all the way. Always one to anger quickly, Mrs. Scrooge halted midstride and about-faced so sudden that Mckinley almost crashed into her.

     "Do you not see that I am very busy and have no time for such annoying singing nor dancing?" asked Mrs. Scrooge peering down at the child.

     "I'm sorry aunt Ebelina. I'm just so happy to get to spend Christmas Eve with you. You're my only aunt and we know so little about one another."

      "Well I for one prefer it that way," spoke Mrs. Scrooge as she turned and continued walking.