THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE ch 5

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE – chapter 5

A fictional story inspired by a non-fictional event

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I sympathized and compromised as I realized it was the first time he called the tree “our” tree.

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“Okay, hon, you can sleep a bit later, but I still want to get up early. I feel kind of grungy from lugging the tree home and I want to mop the elevator and hallway before too many people see the mess. After that, I’ll pull out the decorations and start breakfast. Once the coffee is brewed, I’ll come get you. How does that sound?” I tried to sound eager and still had to force myself to stifle a yawn.

6AM came early the next morning, much earlier, I should say than my brain of the night before realized. The thought of turning over and resuming my dream became all too appealing and without thinking twice, my fingers went to the snooze button, but instead of the snooze button, I inadvertently hit “off”.

“Hey, Lazy Bones! Are getting up today or what?”

I heard my husband’s voice through my brain fog as my entire body shook.

“Huh?” I muttered as my body shook again. I realized two large hands had grabbed my shoulders and tried prying my mind from the heavenly comfort of the slumber it was in.

“WHOA” I screamed and suddenly sat upright as a cold wet face cloth fell on my face. “What the heck?” My mind tried to spring into immediate awareness but still fell a few seconds short of reality.

Luke laughed. “For someone who wanted so desperately to get up early, you sure didn’t. Time to get up, sleepyhead. It’s almost eight-thirty! Coffee’s done, the elevator and hallway are now clean, Trouble’s been walked, and breakfast is almost ready.”

The fuzziness was leaving my head as I looked at my husband and sked, “What happened? Didn’t the alarm go off?”

Still laughing, he answered “Yes it did but press the “off” button and rolled over. I thought of waking you, but you looked so tired and peaceful. I decided to let you sleep a bit longer. We both needed it. I set my watch alarm for seven-thirty and when it went off, I got up, checked the tree, then did everything that was on your list. Well, everything, that is except for the decorations. That’s still your job. I planned on French toast for breakfast. Sound good to you?”

Luke never did need as much sleep as I did, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that he had gotten up so early.

Quickly getting out of bed, I flung my arms around Luke and gave him a huge hug. “Yes, it sounds great, and I’m starving! I feel like I could eat a bear!”

He laughed again, “Well, hon, bear’s not on the menu so we’ll settle for the French toast and bacon. Take your shower and I’ll get the griddle ready.”

I finally stumbled out of the bedroom, just in time to see Trouble start to lift his leg at the side of the tree.

“TROUBLE, DON’T YOU DARE!” I screamed loudly – so loudly that Luke dropped the spatula and came running. The dog ran to his cage – his home when we’re out and for when he is in trouble – in fact, that’s why we gave him that name.

“Hey, Luke, honey,” I said lowering my voice to normal, “I thought you said you took the dog out this morning.”

Luke couldn’t hide his amusement. “I did, but I guess he wanted to water our tree. Probably just marking his territory. After all, to him, it’s just a tree.”

“Just a ..?” I realized Luke was right and Trouble didn’t know any better. I walked over to his cage and gently closed the door. I patted his head and said in a soothing voice, “You need to stay in here for a bit. We’re going to be busy, and I don’t want to getting hurt or causing a problem.”

“Maggie, do you really think he can understand you?” Luke asked with a silly grin on his face.

“Don’t know; don’t care, but he’s staying put until the tree is up.”

After breakfast, as I sorted the boxes of decorations, Luke, as promised, went to the store, and bought the extra cable wire and paraphernalia needed to keep the TV in its new home.

Once he had the TV hooked up and assured himself that it was working, I put the decorations aside and together, we moved the couch to the wall on the opposite side of the room facing the TV. It was time to put the tree in the stand and get it ready for decorating.

Luke took his empty coffee cup to the kitchen and as he walked back into the living room, I heard him say, “Uh, oh!”

Turning towards him, I cautiously asked, “What’s the matter?”

Luke was standing in the middle of the room, looking up. My eyes followed his gaze but didn’t see whatever it was he saw.

He walked down the hall, squeezing past the tree and opened the door to the hall closet where he kept his tools. After grabbing his tape measure, he came back and said, “Hon, hold this end on the floor.”

As I did, he climbed the ladder and pulled the tape up until it reached the ceiling. He muttered to himself, “Damn, just as I thought!”

Descending the ladder, he turned and spoke to me, “Okay, then, Maggie, you can let the tape go now, but stepped back so it doesn't snap toward you when I press the retract button.”

As newly directed, I held the same end of the tape to the tip of the tree as Luke walked the length of the tree expanding the tape measure as he did.

“Yep”, he said, “we have a problem; the ceiling is 9 feet high, but the tree is 11 feet tall we have to cut the tree.”

Cut my tree? My PERFECT tree? I thought. My mouth fell open as I stood in shock. Yet I knew there was no other way to stand the tree in our apartment.

I cringed when Luke took his saw from the closet and removed part of the netting from the base of the tree.

“I have an idea and I think you'll like it” he said.

I stood still waiting to hear whatever he had in mind.