The blizzard continued for 3 consecutive days. Snow had deposited in 24″ mounds over the fields. Most roads were so heavily iced that the state declared an “emergency” and warned the public not to drive until the ice had melted or cleared off. After being locked in the house for over 36 hours, Holly was starting to get cabin fever. John had stocked up extra firewood, groceries, and warm jackets prior to the blizzard. It was below freezing and the power was down due to the ice accumulating over the power lines.
“Better go to the store. Looks like we’ll be stuck here for couple more days and we’re running low on milk and bread.” Holly noted.
“Does the baby have enough for tonight?”
“I’m now using up the last bottle of formula. But by tonight, we’ll be all out. It’s Christmas Eve and the stores will close by noon – so better get there as fast as possible.”
“I’ll start heading out – the store’s quite a few miles down the hill and past the schoolyard. You sure we won’t need anything else? It’s gonna be a long walk!”
“I think we’re good with the batteries, matches, and firewood.”
“Just sit tight Holly, and don’t open the door to any strangers!”
John put on his snow shoes and headed down the hill. He passed by the Johnson’s Farm, the post office, and the intersection of Central Parkway and Lawrence. He could see smoke emanating from the chimneys of each house. Icicles decorating the power lines looked like stalactites of hard rock candy. It would be another 24 hours before they would melt off as the sun was barely visible at this early morning hour. It was 10:30 already. It would be another 45 minutes to reach the schoolyard and another 20 minutes to cross the fields to the local grocery store. He would barely reach before 12 noon. He hoped that the store would not run out of the two items he needed most at this moment.
Santas, wreaths, and poinsettias decorated the porches, front yards, fences, windows, rooftops, and doors of each house in their cul-de-sac in the neighborhood of Glenn Ridge. Christmas decorations included string of lights shaped like icicles, an angel holding the sign “peace”, and a unique Christmas tree made up entirely of parallel circuitry of lights (so if one burns out the rest stay on) were very popular this year! Getting a head start weeks earlier, John himself had spent a considerable amount of time and money into putting up the lights. At least it looked like Christmas…just without power!
Holly relit the fire and swaddled the baby with a warm blanket. He had already had 8 oz an hour ago and a wet diaper change. “He won’t be hungry until the next feeding which won’t be for another 2 more hours…exactly around noon.” Holly thought out loud as she snuggled little Ryan in her arms and relaxed in the rocking chair.
“Christmas is the season of giving, a holiday for families to come together! You know, Ryan, when I was a little girl, all the kids in my neighborhood would spread good cheer with caroling. We’d visit each house and go through grandma’s entire Book of Carols! It was quite popular in those days!…” Holly noticed that little Ryan had dozed off.
She also had not gotten 8 straight hours of sleep for some time and was used to an occasional napping in the middle of the day. So, she laid the baby in the bassinette and stretched out on the sofa. She immediately drifted into a dream.
Splatter, howling, and wailing woke Holly with a start. She opened her eyes to a pitch black room. She soon discerned that the howling was the wind as the storm raged on outside. The splatter was from the sleet hitting the windows, and the wailing was little Ryan telling her that he was hungry. The fire in the hearth had died down.
She found a flashlight, and quickly lit three candles. She picked Ryan up and fed him the last drop of the milk. John had still not returned. She walked through each room comforting Ryan and assuring him that “Daddy would soon be home!” She tried powering on her cell phone, but it had run out of batteries.
They had slept for over 6 hours. Ryan was quite hungry and getting restless. “If John doesn’t get back soon, I’m going to have to go across the street and ask the Jensens for some milk!” The weather conditions worsened, precluding any outdoor ventures. Looking out the window, Holly was barely able to make out the street lamp. A knock on the door, followed by a pause, and then a second knock added to Holly’s sense of urgency. “John’s finally here!”
“Merry Christmas! Ho Ho Ho!” An old man with a gray beard! He was wearing some kind of a uniform.
“Hello Mr…serviceman!”
“John is stuck in the storm, but he sent these things for you…milk, bread, and a toy for the baby. It is Christmas Eve after all!”
“But when is John returning?”
“The power is still out…but try the main breaker. You’ll find that some of the power has been restored to your area.”
“Huh? The power has been restored? Are you sure?”
“Good night! And stay warm!”
“Wait…what’s your name?”
“Merry Christmas!”
“What? Did you say… Nicholas?”
The wind closed the door shut. Holly placed the delivered packages on the kitchen counter. Baby formula, milk, and a doll shaped like Santa Clause that rattled and played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as a lullaby. Ryan drank 8 more ounces. He loved the rattle. He calmed down, smiled, and cooed.
Holly found the main breaker and switched it on. He was right. The power was partially restored! Only the Christmas lights in the yard, on the tree, and on the windows turned on! The house glowed cozily with warm hues of red, yellow, and green! Ryan clapped and cheered!
The storm continued for 18 more hours. John returned the next morning, almost 24 hours since his departure. He brought three bags full of goodies, fruit cake, eggnog, and milk.
“The storm was so bad that we all camped out in the store. The owner locked the doors as the blizzard moved closer. Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I hope Ryan isn’t too starved.”
“Well thanks for sending your friend over…by the way, I didn’t get his name.”
“What friend? Holly, I told you not to talk to strangers or go outside! It was not very safe!”
“Well, he fixed the power and brought over some toys…look”
This time, the flipping the breaker did not restore the power.
“There’s no way anyone could get here. The roads are completely covered with about 3 feet of snow. Look at our driveway. How did he make it without leaving any footprints or clearing off the snow on the porch?”
“He said his name was Nicholas or something like that…”
“I guess we’ll never know. It’s good thing that you and the baby are all right!”
John, Holly, and Ryan made the most of their remaining holiday though they agreed to spend the next Christmas in Florida!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Happy Holidays!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~