David's Christmas Carolers

So - where were we? Oh yes, it's Monday morning, after the first annual Blue Moon Christmas Gala Bash and it is the morning of Christmas Eve. David rolls over and hugs the pillow next to him. He knows he is alone in his bed … a rarity over the last several months. More than half his clothes are now at Maddie's house (or at her cleaners) and he never keeps anything in his fridge anymore but a six pack of beer - well, I guess that's the same. Anyway - David is sorry to be alone. The fight with Maddie wasn't really a fight, but he still feels he acted like a jerk. He is pretty sure that Maddie thinks so too - that HE acted like a jerk. As he slowly comes to consciousness, he vaguely remembers a dream he had about chatting with Santa Claus and eating pepperoni pizza.

He stubs his toe on a box in the middle of the living room and is immediately aware that he is not alone. Sitting on the couch are three guys dressed in robes with long beards and crowns on their heads. The crowns look like paper … like they have just come from Burger King. They are drinking coffee and eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

David is sitting between K2 and K3 on the couch in his apartment. He has a coffee cup in one hand and is licking the glaze off his fingers. K1 is making notes on a pad… thinking pretty hard about stuff - scratching out and drawing lines on his notes. The TV and VCR have been dragged out of the bedroom and set up on the box of Myrrh.

Cut to a scene nearly 2 decades before. It is a small living room in Philadelphia (we know that because … well, because we are TELLING you it is). It is shabbily furnished and in the corner stands a plastic Christmas tree and two unsupervised pre-teen boys decorating it. There are way too many lights, not evenly placed and way, way too many "ornaments." The ornaments range from a Lifesaver Man that was hand made by one of the boys years ago, to a hand blown crystal bell that has the year "1952" etched on the side. The boys are fighting over the top. The younger wants to use a Frisbee that had been dog chewed as the "star" and the older wants to use a roll of toilet paper. The fighting stops when singing voices can be heard from the street. The two boys just stare towards the window, but make no effort to move.

The carolers move off. No words are exchanged and no comments are made. The top of the tree remains bare. They sit down on opposite ends of the couch and direct their attention towards the TV and an episode of Star Trek. The tree, the debate, the carolers are all but forgotten. Each boy has a somber and far-off expression on his face.

Cut to the Wrapping Party at Blue Moon on Saturday. The office is strewn with packages and boxes, wrapping paper and ribbons. Carols - old and new alike - blare out of the boom box on Agnes's desk. The table-top tree that Agnes has put in the "waiting area" (OK work with us people .. assume there was a waiting area and a tree was there) is further dwarfed by the number of presents that have been wrapped and stacked near it pending the trek to the Children's Hospital.

The staff is working quickly. Lots of hustle and bustle - very unlike our Blue Moon crew. Agnes is flitting from desk to desk replenishing cookies, coffee, tape, ribbon, bows and paper. McGillicuddy and Burt are each constantly glancing back at the other one - keeping a wary eye. It would seem that there is a contest going on between them. McGillicuddy runs and places his last present on the pile on the right, picks up a Scrabble Jr. game and rushes back to his desk. Burt rushes up after him and puts his present on the pile on the left. The two piles are nearly even. Burt picks up the last present that McGillicuddy has just put down.

Agnes: Cassie and Doug Davison. Their father worked three jobs - he wanted his kids to have everything he never had. He was a nice man. They always had a ton of toys under their tree - the coolest stuff too --- but Mr. Davison was never home for Christmas. Mrs. Davison? Well my mother used to tell me that their mother had a DELICATE condition … she drank -- plain and simple - a lot. Cassie and Doug spent every Christmas with us from the time I could remember until Cassie went off to college and Doug joined the air force. Christmas is not about presents.

K2: You know of course, that they collected all these presents on their own time and paid for the wrapping paper and ribbons. It did not come out of Blue Moon's budget. Miss Hayes, of course, picked up the tab --- personally -- for the food for the party as well as the party on Christmas Eve at the hospital.

Maddie: I looked at your picture - at all of those bright and shining faces, and I can sympathize with what you wanted to do. You and your family have done a great thing - taking on the responsibility for those kids. You wouldn't want them growing up not appreciating the difference between right and wrong.

Maddie: Not that kind of support. I mean, I would like you to enter into an agreement with me - that, twice a month, you and those lucky kids in the picture will visit the Children's Hospital, and spend some time with the kids there - visiting, playing, making them feel better.

K1: Here she made a wonderful, generous, magnanimous gesture to a woman in need. She helped the woman, her sister and brother in law and their 8 children - 5 of which are foster children who would otherwise be in an institution right now if it were not for the Kellys. She should feel good about herself - she should feel like singing from the nearest mountain. But instead she is thinking about how she disappointed you.

Cut to a small kitchen in the Valley. It is Sunday night. Two women are sitting at the table with coffee cups and some cookies. One of the women is Marge Logan. She is looking very humble and very penitent. The other woman - who is younger than Marge by a few years but looks a lot like her - is looking nervous and disappointed. The other woman is Beatrice Kelly - Marge's sister.

Marge: I don't think so… I think she is working class just like the rest of us … well, all right, it's a different tax bracket, but I don't think that she has stacks of money lying around her house … I think that her paying this bill put her in a tough spot. She'll make the mortgage and she won't be eating Top Ramen for the next 6 months, but I think it really messed up some plans of hers.

Just then a boy - THE boy - the one that reminded Maddie of David - comes limping into the room. His jeans are torn at the knee and he is bloody from an obvious fall. He is not crying…. in fact he is being very nonchalant. He has a bottle of iodine in his hand and a washcloth. The boy's name is Tim.

She immediately gets up from the table and meets him in the middle of the kitchen. Marge is at the sink running water into a bowl and pulling ice from the freezer. The rest of the kids trickle in, taking cookies off the table and water out of the fridge. They are all talking amongst themselves about Tim's accident.

Maddie: It has taken more than seven years for David and I to get in sync on any given day --- make that sixty minutes together -- and we still aren't, most of the time. I wanted to give David the kind of Christmas that I had as a kid. His memories - you can imagine - are not Hallmark. We always had great holidays. Good food and great conversation and the little things - stringing popcorn and cranberries for the tree, reading the Christmas stories by the fire … you know.

Maddie: About David? No --- no Mom, not at all. That man can infuriate me like nobody's business. But --- no. I am not ready to have his toothbrush positioned permanently next to mine … but he is the end of the line for me. Don't tell him I said this … but he is the only man I have ever pictured myself with in 30 years. How the hell we are going to get from today to 30 years from today is anyone's guess but …

David emerges from the shower shortly after 6AM, feeling great. It is a beautiful morning. The air is clear and crisp and the sun is shining --- just another day in LA LA Land. He pulls his phone book from the side table by the bed and dials. He is humming/singing a Christmas carol that he cannot get out of his head.

David: Star of wonder Star of night, star with … Mr. Hawkins? Hi, It's David Addison …. No the son. … Hello … Merry Christmas to you, too. … I am sorry about Mrs. Hawkins. She was the best English teacher I ever had. … No, I was not her favorite … I learned a lot in her class. (laughing) … detention helped … Right … Oh, well I was looking for DeeDee and I don't have her new number. … No, sir … No, sir … California … Los Angeles … Private Investigator … I am a partner at the agency … Yes … I understand … of course not … you're absolutely right … OK … Thank You … Can I call her there? (writing the number down) … thank you Mr. Hawkins. … No, Sir. Just want to wish her a Merry Christmas. … Thank you. … Happy New Year.

David: Norm? … David … Did I wake you? … 6:30 … yes, in the morning. … It's Christmas Eve, man. Get up and greet the day. … Hey, I got a favor to ask you. … You and Mandy are spending the holidays with her folks in San Diego, right? … San Francisco … whatever … you won't be using your cabin? … Yeah, I was thinking about an impromptu holiday get away … No, just me and my lady … no party, well a private party … Richie went back a week ago Saturday … the whole week if you don't have plans for it … exactly the way I found it … what do you want? … I'll give you my Sam Cooke record collection as collateral … sure, check with Mandy … I'll hang on … what she's not sleeping with you? (laughs) …. (singing) Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect … yeah, hi … singing … it was me … It's Christmas, man … I'm happy. … no, no ghosts …. Past, present or future… Yeah, Yeah … thank you, Tiny Tim … SO? …. Hey, that's great. Thank you. Thank you both. … I promise … just like I found it … better … I owe you man … I owe you BIG … I'll carry your ball for you for the next 6 months and polish your shoes. … Thanks … Be by later to pick up the key. Merry Christmas.

Maddie is sleeping in her bed. The clock reads 7:13. Miss Me's tail starts wagging uncontrollably and she whines a little. A hand reaches over and turns off the alarm before it can go off. It is David. He kneels down next to the bed and watches Maddie sleep for a moment or two. His face is soft and loving.

David: Oh so now you're changing your mind, eh? You think Christmas is about presents? (He laughs happily and she joins him.) The only thing that's important is you and me … and some good ol' fashioned Christmas cheer … and I'm in charge - and we are doing it without any expense. If you've got a problem with that - you'll need to take it up with THE SANTA MAN himself.

Maddie comes out from her bedroom casually dressed in pants and a sweater, with a Christmas pin in a holiday scarf tied at her neck. She looks happy - really happy - happier than David has seen her in a long, long time. David likes knowing that he was able to put that smile on her face.

David: (pulling keys out of his pocket) … I got the keys … he says there is wood and all the snow stuff anyone could need … so all we'll need is … the tree … in the garage … and a stand … garage too … the decorations and lights … in the living room … food and wine …. kitchen and freezer …. What else? … what else? … Music … got to have music … what else? … Oh - I guess she'll want clothes … such a stick in the mud (he grins and bolts up the stairs taking them two at a time).

Cut to the driveway outside Maddie's house. The Christmas tree has been tied to the top of the BM'er. The trunk is open and we see several Christmas boxes, the ones from the living room that hold the Christmas decorations. David emerges from the house with two bags of groceries and positions them in the trunk.

David bolts back into the house and starts sifting through Maddie's CD's. He pulls about 10 to 15 out and starts for the door. A small box on the coffee table catches his eye - the box marked with his name. He opens it and pulls out the crystal moon ornament. He smiles sweetly and shakes his head as he watches the moon spin on the end of its string. He likes it.

Maddie watched the children playing and laughing and singing. Most of the presents were left off to the side. After a while, it was hard to tell the difference between Marge's nieces and nephews and the kids from the hospital … with the possible exception of the clothes that they were wearing. Maddie was in charge of refreshments and handing out cookies and punch. A young man - around 10 --- our boy Tim - came limping up to the table asking for punch. He was out of breath. Maddie realized that he was Marge's nephew - the one that reminded her of David. He drank down two glasses as he tried to catch his breath.

About 45 minutes later ,they are nearly at the top of the mountain in the hills around San Bernadino --- the Lake Arrowhead community. Maddie had fallen asleep on David's shoulder and did not wake at all during all the twisting and turning that he had done to get up the mountain.

David pulls into a driveway of an elegant home on the north shore of the lake. It is a tri-level home set deep in the woods above the lake. There is not another house to be seen. There are some lights on in the house, but when David pulls up, they quickly go off. Three teenagers, a girl and two boys, sneak out the back door with Miss Me on a leash. They wave quickly to David before jetting off into the woods.

They get out of the car and the cold mountain air sends a quick shiver through Maddie's body. David wraps his arm around her and leads her to the house. They enter on the first floor. There is a family room to the right and a couple of bedrooms to the left, but just beyond and in front of them is a circular room that is rimmed with windows, and a Jacuzzi spa steaming up the windows. The only light comes from inside the spa and it makes a soft blue/green glow. Maddie walks towards the spa and scoops the water up with her hand. It is warm … more than warm…it is hot. She looks back at David and smiles. He reaches out his hand and leads her up the circular staircase to the next level, the main floor. The very modern kitchen is to the right and the dining area to the left. Beyond is again a circular room that is rimmed in windows, and speckled with overstuffed furniture. A fireplace is lit and fills the room with a soft orange glow and the smell of warm apple. Maddie cannot really make out much more than that. David never lets go of her hand and leads her to the third floor. The only room on the third floor is the master bedroom. A king sized bed is set amidst the windows. Again, a fireplace is lit and fills the room with a warm apple smell. David leans over and flicks the switch and the widows light up with twinkling Christmas lights that have been strung around.

David leads her back down to the second level. On the table in the living area is a bottle of champagne on ice, glasses and a little spread of crackers and cheese. David pops the cork on the wine and pours them each a glass. He looks at her in the firelight's glow and his eyes shine like stars. Maddie is nearly in tears herself.

He takes a sip from his glass and sets it down. He walks over to the wall and flips the switch. A tree - THE tree --- THEIR tree lights up in the corner. The lights have been strung, but no ornaments are on it, save one near the top. It is the crystal moon that Maddie had gotten for David and had tossed aside on Friday night. Maddie's ornament boxes are sitting near the tree. Maddie lets out a grateful gasp. The moment, the scene, the whole setting takes her breath away. She needs to sit down on the hearth. David goes to her and kneels down in front of her.