Honoring Old Friends
By fom
Posted By: fom, psst Welcome back SBO! <fomnumberone@yahoo.com>
(IP: hydra.providentcompanies.com)
Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2002, at 4:30 p.m.
Just a bit of liberty with the HL:TS canon, for
auld lang syne.
And I know Alexandra's diction was always
absolutely beautiful, but just rarely the French accent would slip thorugh in
her English, and when it did, it was always charming. So I tried to recall that
here, as well.
MWC - - HONORING OLD FRIENDS
The chapel was cold, but he had grown used to it
over the years. Actually the fleece lined sweat pants and shirt he wore under
his cassock kept the chill off his bones quite nicely. A smile covered his face
as he surveyed his church. The evergreen garland draped along the walls and
around the columns gave it a festive air, and Darius liked it, especially now,
at night, when the candles were lighted in every wreath. Their soft light
brought the old place to life and gave it a warmth that Darius wished could
remain there year round. He resolved to do something about that, to bring in
some plants, small potted evergreens perhaps. Yes, that should fill some spaces
and soften the sharp stone edges, and bring some color to the cold gray church
building. He loved this chapel, indeed had lived here for so many years, he
felt he knew every crack and cranny in the stones. Live greenery…surely that
could not be considered too frivolous once the Holy Season was past. After all,
Darius argued to himself, shouldn’t every season of the year be holy and filled
with life?
“How is that, Father Darius?” her voice rang out
and echoed slightly off the ancient stone walls. She stepped back, the better
to judge the effect of her handiwork, then tweaked a twig here and a branch
there.
“Simply beautiful. I like it. I really do. Your
artistic touch has made all the difference.” Despite the fact that the last
parishioner volunteers had left nearly an hour ago, Darius glanced around as he
walked slowly forward, then spoke more softly, “but please, don’t tell the
other ladies I said so. They try so hard to do what they can every year to make
the chapel lovely for Advent.”
“And it *was* lovely,” she replied quickly. “I
just thought perhaps the rug for the altar area might help against the chill,
Father, and add some color as well, you know…and some red bows for the
garlands…”
He looked at her blue eyes, sparkling with
reflected candlelight, and the sweet smile on her face, and he felt a surge of
affection for her. “Tessa, I’ve told you before - -I’m ‘Darius’ to you, yes?”
Nodding, she chuckled, then motioned to him,
“Wait. Go back a bit.” Tessa bent to plug in the wire she held in her hand.
Suddenly hundreds of tiny white lights lit the twelve foot fir tree which she
had been decorating, and with the flip of another switch, the lights they had
placed around the recessed windows of the chapel, framing the stained glass,
twinkled to life. And there to the right of the altar was the life size crèche
she had built, complete with angel figure hovering above the cave-like
structure which sheltered the Holy Family. A warm, subdued light fell on the
figure of baby Jesus in the stone manger; and the figures of Mary and Joseph,
backlit by Tessa’s creative lighting, glowed almost as if with a heavenly
light.
Darius felt goose bumps run over the back of his
neck and down his arms. He stood silently for a long moment, as did Tessa,
gazing at the scene. At last she turned to Darius once again for his look of
approval and found him visibly moved. He spread his arms in amazement and she
went to him. He embraced her warmly and said, simply, “Thank you, Tessa.”
Her happy smile filled his heart with warmth. “It
was truly my pleasure, Fath…um, Darius. Duncan and I don’t always decorate for
the season, but this year, being back home in Paris, eh, I wanted to do
somet’ing different, somet’ing special. And I wanted in some way, to say ’thank
you’ for being such a good friend to Duncan…” a lump rose in her throat as she
added in a whisper, “and to me.” Darius kissed her gently on the forehead, then
stepped back and held both her hands in his.
“And that, my dear Tessa, has been my pleasure,
believe me.”
The outer door of the chapel opened, cold air
whooshing in, then the door closed with a bang. The sound of feet stomping on
the mat in the foyer and Duncan’s lowered voice came clearly, “*Try* not to
slam the door, would you, Richie?”
“Oh…oh, sorry. It was the wind, Mac. The wind is
strong and the door’s heavy and I…um…ok, ok. No slamming doors in church. Got
it. Hey, Mac, you *are* sure Tessa’s here, aren’t you? I mean, what if she got
tired of waiting and just took off?”
The inner door to the foyer swung open. Duncan and
Richie stepped into the chapel proper, then Duncan stopped, amazed at the sight
that met them. Richie bumped into him, then looked up and gave a low whistle.
“Wow, would you just look at this? It’s incredible! Who would ever think this
drafty old place could look…so…um,” he faltered under the look Duncan shot him.
Richie gulped and continued quickly, “so *beautiful* It looks really beautiful!
And see, Mac?” Richie walked quickly down the center aisle; “Here’s the manger
scene. Tessa, it looks great! Fantastic! Incredible! Unbelievable, even!”
Tessa rolled her eyes a little and laughed at
Richie’s youthful exuberance. “Thank you Richie. I’m glad you like it. But you
knew it would be good. After all, you did help me make de cave.”
Richie’s cheeks were bright with pleasure and
embarrassment. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
Darius turned. “Hello, Duncan, my friend. How are
you? And Richie, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Darius and so is Richie. And you?”
Duncan placed an affectionate hand on his friend’s shoulder.
Darius replied, “Couldn’t be better. It’s my
favorite season of the year and the foremost sculptor of Paris has just
decorated my chapel. What more could I possibly want?”
Before Duncan could reply, Richie blurted out,
“Howsabout some dinner?” then muttered, “I know *I’m* starving!”
Darius grinned, “Well, Richie, I believe I could
find some hard biscuits in my cabinet and I could make up some green tea for
you in my room, if you like.”
“Um…well, Father Darius, thank you SO much, but
actually I was thinking of something more along the lines of turkey and
dressing and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie with real whipped cream and …”
Tessa laughed again as she finished putting away
her tools. “Then you might ‘ave to catch the Concorde back to de States,
Richie. You are in Paris now, you know. How about a Christmas goose with
cranberries and oranges, pate de fois gras, some delicious bread as only the
French can make it, cheese and fruit and a lovely wine to go with it all, hm?”
Richie tried his best to hide his crestfallen
expression. Darius nearly laughed outright. Duncan grinned and said, “Don’t let
him fool you. Richie will eat most anything if he’s hungry enough.”
Richie threw up his hands. “Except for snails,
Mac! Just don’t ask me to eat snails. All creepy, crawly, slimy…oooo yeuch!”
Duncan and Darius did laugh out loud this time.
Then Duncan was moving past the few rows of chairs between him and Tessa. He
reached out for her, drew her close and kissed her, and her hands slipped up to
his neck, then slid under his dark hair that hung loose around the collar of his
turtle neck sweater. Tessa drew back and murmured, “What you think, hm?”
“About what?” Duncan tried to nuzzle her neck, but
she pushed him away.
“The church! Look! Tell me what you think!”
Duncan’s eyes were on her mouth, still glistening
from his kiss. “Beautiful!” he replied and leaned toward her again. She dodged
him deftly.
“The decorations, Duncan! Do they compliment the
church? It’s not too much, is it?”
“Fantastic! Incredible! Unbelievable even!” Duncan
quoted Richie as with a movement unseen by Darius and Richie, he smoothly
grabbed at the flesh of her side under her sweater.
Tessa pushed his hand away, giggling, and said
reproachfully, “Duncan!” then she hissed softly, “Behave!”
Darius hid his smile as he purposely looked away,
glancing around the chapel again. He cleared his throat. “I’ve never seen St.
Joseph’s look so beautiful, so inviting. Tessa, you outdid yourself.”
Tessa allowed Duncan to pull her against him and
hold her in the crook of his arm. Then she poked him rather hard with her elbow
and nodded with quirked eyebrow. “What? Oh! Right. Speaking of ‘inviting’,
Darius, we’re here to invite you to join us for dinner.”
Darius blinked in surprise. “Well, Duncan, do you
mean tonight? I do have midnight mass, you know.”
Duncan nodded, as did Tessa
Still taken somewhat aback, Darius thought to make
his usual response to Duncan’s invitations, which had mostly ceased in recent
years. He thought Duncan knew better than to ask him to leave the church
grounds. Before he could say a word, however, Duncan spoke, “I know, I know.
You won’t leave the rectory, even to have Christmas dinner with us. So we – “
“We decided to bring Christmas dinner to you!”
Tessa interrupted and finished Duncan’s sentence.
“Excuse me? Do you mean…?”
“Yes, we do,” they answered together.
Just then, Richie, who had slipped away unnoticed
a moment before, returned carrying a box filled with food. “Where do you want
this, Mac?”
The delicious fragrance of Tessa’s Christmas goose
quickly filled the chapel. Darius shook his head in surprise. “What is all
this?”
Duncan clapped his friend on the back. “It’s
Christmas dinner, Darius. Yes, a few days early, I know. We figured you
wouldn’t leave St. Joseph’s so we brought the dinner to you. You don’t mind, do
you?”
“Mind? Do I mind? Of course not! Oh my!”
Richie spoke up, “ Uh, Mac, this is getting kind
of heavy.”
“Come this way, Richie,” Darius moved quickly. “My
room is just over here.” Darius led the way across the chapel.
Duncan looked at Tessa whose gaze followed the
very old man and the very young one as they disappeared into Darius’ quarters.
Soft light from the crèche caught Tessa’s blond hair and set it to glowing
golden in the dim chapel and Duncan felt his throat tighten. He leaned his chin
against her temple and whispered into her hair, “You’re so beautiful.”
Tessa turned shining eyes upward, eyes made bluer
tonight by the sky-blue angora sweater she wore; she gazed at Duncan who bent
his head and kissed her tenderly, his full warm lips lingering longingly on
hers. At last, he opened his eyes and murmured, “I love you.”
She smiled happily at him. “I know you do,
Duncan.”
“Thank you for this.” He indicated the decorations
with his eyes and she understood and sighed with contentment.
At last, Duncan leaned his head slightly in the
direction of Darius’ room and she nodded in agreement. They walked slowly, arms
around each other’s waist, across the church. She drew him to a stop just under
the arch and they turned to look once more at the entire scene. She said
softly, and her whisper filled his ears and his heart, “I love you forever,
Duncan.”
The lights flickered in Duncan’s gaze as his eyes
blurred a bit. He swallowed hard; but when her eyes met his, he was smiling and
the love in his eyes made her heart ache. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
“Merry Christmas, Duncan.”
They turned and walked together into Darius’ room.