A Christmas with Carol

I thought that this is some type of strange twisted nightmare to be having early Christmas morn. "Rick Carlisle, I was your boss in a former life. Do you see the cock cage and the chains I bear?"

"Yes, Joe." I said still wondering what I could have eaten or drank to produce such a spectacle.

"The cage you have forged and the chains you will bear are even greater than these. You want to push your wife into the arms of another man to fulfill your twisted fantasies without realizing the consequences of your actions. If you continue to do as I did and make the fantasy a reality you will suffer a worse fate than I."

"Uh, Joe it's harmless besides I will control the situation."

"Silence!" Joe let loose with a soul crushing moan. Suddenly emerging from his torso was four gnarled ugly creatures. Rick do you recognize my passengers?"

"No Joe." I told him though these demons piqued my curiosity.

"These are lust, infidelity, selfishness and jealousy. They feed upon the dissatisfaction of the foolish and the ignorant. If you do not learn to be aware of their presence and avoid them at all costs they will eviscerate your life and spirit and leave nothing behind except an empty shell."

"Tonight you will be visited by three spirits. The first when the bell tolls two, the second at three and the third when the bell tolls four. If you fail to heed this warning then you will come to know my passengers well."

Suddenly the demons retracted back inside the ghost of Joseph Conroy and then he simply passed through the wall of my living room disappearing into the night. I went back to bed not quite believing what I had just witnessed and made a notice to watch what I eat and drink at future parties.

I heard a bell strike two springing me from the slumber of a long winter's nap. Funny, there are no church bells in close enough proximity to hear from our home. I shook the sleep from my eyes and noticed a figure standing over me. The figure before me was male and stood about 6'4" with long flowing brown hair, a full beard and a slightly rotund belly. Not fat but definitely looking to be living a rich bountiful life.

He was emitting a soft yet brilliantly white light glowing and illuminating my bedroom. It was nearly blinding in its intensity. Looking at Carol I didn't understand how she lay there deep in the arms of Morpheus. The figure was wearing a golden robe adorned with precious jewels sparkling in the light emanating from his being. Reaching his arm toward me his hand was not visible beneath the long sleeve of his robe.

"Touch my robe!" a deep booming baritone said. I decide to comply grabbing onto the sleeve. I began floating up and together drifting out the bedroom door, down the stairs into the living room. Then the voice said "I am the ghost of Christmas present. I have many brothers who have come before me and many yet to be born. Look upon the wonders before you!"

All of a sudden I was looking at Carol, Charlie, Meghan and myself opening our gifts by the tree. Then I see my parents Richard and Martha and Jim and Marty Simmons, Carol's Mom and Dad, my sister Emma and her husband Steve their children Alice and Audrey at the kiddies' table with Charlie and Meghan. Everyone around our dining room table while I carve ham and turkey for our Christmas dinner. We are laughing and smiling enjoying the celebration.

The spirit, his voice booming said "Look at all of the joy and good fortune you are enjoying." I saw a glimmer of sadness where before there was a sense of joy and satisfaction. "Unless the events of today are not drastically altered... you will be visited by two more spirits."

"Expect the next one when the bell tolls 3." With that my hand fell from his robe and the bright light extinguishing as he was passing through the living room wall into oblivion leaving me alone in the darkened room. I am frightened by the vision but do not know why. I stumble back up the stairs crawling into bed next to my sleeping wife who is oblivious to the events unfolding so far. I drift off into an uneasy sleep only to hear a bell sound three.

I wake up more aware this time than the previous. My eyes open upon the vision of a frail older gentleman with a gray beard and wearing a charcoal colored robe standing beside my bed. He went to the window of the bedroom standing and motioning me to join him. Arriving at the window a gentle voice said "I am the ghost of Christmas past take hold of my robe and do not let go!"

I took hold of the robe and all of a sudden the window came open and we floated outside the window and were soon flying. Looking back I see Carol resting blissfully unaware of what was currently transpiring.

Landing in a snow covered lane I see my childhood home. We approach the window looking voyeuristically through the semi-frosted panes at a happy family, my family. I had nearly forgotten how young my Mom and Dad were when I was growing up. I was playing with a bright yellow Tonka truck and Em with her new Malibu Barbie dream house. The unmistakable sounds of laughter filling the room.

At the table were Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jo my Mom's parents. I could smell my Grandma's freshly baked apple pie sitting beside a pumpkin and minced meat. They have been gone nearly twelve years now. They look like my parents do today. A few wrinkles and splashes of gray to mark the years and the wisdom they have come to know.

The happy family finishes the feast and just as my Mom sits a slice of Grandma's apple pie before me we are once again on our way. "Please one more minute?" I ask wishing to look upon the faces of my family and enjoy a bite of that wonderful and comfortable memory in the guise of apple pie. However my guide has other plans.

Next stop along the journey is to a small apartment in a rather rundown building. I recognize it as the first place that Carol and I lived in after we first married. There is a small raggedly looking tree in the corner and just two gifts sit beneath it. Later in the day we would visit my parents before having dinner at the Simmons home with her parents.

My former self notices something out of place on the tree. A small blue bootie hanging from one of the scraggly branches. I feel my eyes well up with tears as I realize that was how Carol chose to tell me that Charlie was on the way. The specter looking on with fondness as if it was his memory as well saying to me "Despite the meager surroundings this is one of the richest Christmases of your life would you not agree?"

"Yes spirit I my wholeheartedly agree." Replying with tears freely falling from my eyes.

"My time is nearly finished." With that we were airborne yet again and suddenly reappearing in my bedroom. "You can expect the final visitor when the bells rings four!" with that the spirit passed through the window into oblivion. I return to bed wondering what the point of all of this is. I try staying awake but I soon drift off.

I no more than fall asleep when the bells sound four. My eyes immediately open upon a faceless specter in an inky black robe carrying a scythe. The sleeve of his shroud extends toward me without a sound. "I take it you are the final spirit, the ghost of what has yet to happen but is to come?" I see the dark hood surrounding the faceless specter nodding in the affirmative.

"I fear you spirit most of all. Do with me what you will." I take hold of his robe and suddenly an icy cold chill goes down my spine. I find myself in a dimly lit room and on the bed are a man and a woman having sex.

The man is saying "You like my big fat cock don't you slut! You like it more than being with your pathetic loser of a husband and those two brats of your don't you?" I recognize the voice of the man, it's Joel Hansen! The woman replies "Oh Joel pound me, fuck me with that big hard cock of yours!! My husband is a wimp and you fuck me so much better than he ever did!"

Joel says, "Whose slut are you and who owns this pussy?"

The woman replies "I'm your slut, this pussy is yours and only yours baby!"

Just like a film we fade to black and back as the next scene opens. I am looking upon the sullen and sunken faces of my children Charlie and Emma sitting in a rundown shack of a house with a man and a woman dirty and disheveled around a meager table with nothing but some spam and bread upon it.

The man has an open can of beer with a dozen or so empties littering the floor around him. The woman looks older than her years and is obviously frightened of the man at the table who shouts, "We better not run out of fucking beer or there'll be hell to pay. That's the only reason these goddamned brats are here for, beer money!"

There is no Christmas tree, no gifts, no feast, no love and no hope! "What are my Charlie and Emma doing here? Where is Carol or our parents?" I ask pleading with the spirit for answers. The spirit beckons with a bony finger, 'come' before once again we fade to black.

Next we are at our church in the basement where Sunday school classes are held and there is a group of Carol's friends. I recognize Sally Labouski and some of the others. I can hear them speaking in whispers. Sally says to Ann Franklin, "I hope the slut gets what she deserves after seducing my Bill. Pretending to be this prim and proper mother and Sunday school teacher and in reality nothing but a cheap tramp that sleeps with anyone including the husbands of her friends!"

"I agree" Ann Chiming in saying "Hell she slept with the husband of everyone here! The only husband she hasn't slept with is her own. The dumb bastard. Thinking it would be fun to watch his wife become his slut and even more foolish thinking he had control of the situation." The others were nodding their heads in agreement.

I ask the spirit "The voice of the woman, is that my Carol? Was she the one sleeping with Hansen, the one this cackle of hens is trashing? Is my Carol a no good rotten husband stealing slut?" The spirit gives no succor and provides no answers. All that happens is a fade to black and reappearing at the town cemetery. I see the headstone marked Simmons and the dates indicate that Jim and Marty have been gone for some time.

The spirit once again moves his bony digit beckoning me toward him. As I approach I see another stone engraved with the name Carlisle. Richard and Martha my parents gone some twelve years ago. Next I see the name Richard "Rick" Jr. Died two years ago December 25, suicide.

"I'm dead! Did I lead my beautiful loving and faithful wife down a road of depravity? Did I cause the deaths of our parents prematurely? Am I the reason our children are living with an abuser while their mother is a whore for that asshole Hansen?"

"No spirit, please say it isn't so!! Please is this the future or just some form of a future that has yet to be written? Please, please say can change if I change. I never want my wife to sleep with another man. I want our marriage, our family, and our parents alive and happy. Oh please say I can change the future!" The last thing I remember is lying on the frozen ground pounding furiously on the granite slab marking my grave before a final fade to black...

"Mommy Daddy, wake up its Christmas!!!!" I open my eyes a bit groggy to the unmistakable sound of excited children, MY CHILDREN! I look over to see the beautiful face of my wife somewhat worse for wear from a bit too much Christmas cheer the previous night!

I tell Charlie and Meghan to go back to their rooms and we will go down for Christmas in a few minutes after Mommy and I dress. I look at Carol "Hey babe grab a shower and I'll put the coffee on so we can both feel human before the festivities begin in earnest."

Carol shouts, "Oh God, the presents!"

"Don't worry dear, I took care of it. Bring the kids down with you." I say smiling at her.

"You'll get your big gift later this evening!" she said winking at me on her way to the bathroom. I throw on my robe and slippers thinking, 'Joe and the spirits they saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life. They gave me my family back and all in one night!'

I bounce down the stairs with a spring in my step and giddy as a, well, a child on Christmas day! I have the coffee brewing, hot chocolate and pastries coming out of the oven when Carol and the kids come down the stairs.

We open gifts laughing and singing. Soon the family will be arriving so Carol heads to the kitchen to start prepping Christmas dinner. I get dressed and as I'm coming down the stairs I hear the doorbell ringing. I hear the kids shout "Grandma, Grandpa!" as my parents walk through the door. Once everyone arrived we had a celebration for the ages.

It was nearly eleven before the family all left. What a wonderful day. Carol and I head up to bed. Carol says, "It's time for your present! I've been thinking if you really want to see me with..." I stop her before she could finish. "No never, never in a million years! You're mine and only mine!"

Oh babe, I'm so glad to hear it! Let's put this nonsense behind us! Now come here and unwrap your gift. I'll even let you play with it for a little while!"

I didn't need to be asked twice. "I love you Carol!"

"I love you too babe! Merry Christmas!" and indeed it was with many more to come!