Joyeux Noel
By
Susan Waterflower

Susan watched her breath frost before her as she stood in the mist of one would call a winter wonderland. Her long coco brown hair was styled back in two neat ponytails a extra large blue hoodie lined with wool guarded her from the frosty air that surrounded her. And for added protection extra long white socks and those cute tan fur lined boots had been added to guard her legs from the season’s chill.

“I’m going to miss you,  you have been good to me.” She said turning her head slightly so she might peer over her shoulder at the imposing fire engine red school house. Bold English letters in a arc like patter spelled out the words Oshima Middle School. The arc was formed over the double wide door that greeted each student.

“I’m going to miss you all.” She softy added as she started toward the old iron gate. School was almost over for her now, she had passed all of the fields outlined in the N.I.P with flying colors and now nothing really stood in her way. She could almost feel that diploma in her hands. Her grades too where has high as they had ever been.

And with that being said Susan slowly made her way toward the main gate, a trail of footprints could be seen in the freshly fallen snow as she made her way toward the main cobblestone street. The normal smooth and perfectly square stones where know hidden under a fifty mixture of melting snow and blacken ice. Such a mixture was commonly seen upon the more well traveled roads.

“Good afternoon Susan-San.” Called one of the younger students as she spotted her. The young one wore a bright ruby red snow coat. One could tell she was one of the younger students by the tailoring of her skirt.

“Good afternoon too you too Mina-Chan.” Said Susan folding her hands in front of her.  A prideful smile crossed her lips as she was addressed as such. It felt good having the young ones add ‘San’ to the end of your name.

“Is it true,” Said the young girls face lighting up, “That you once stole away into the Forbidden Room? And the old haunted train station?” She asked quickly before her courage could fail her. She then looked away as if ashamed of her question.

Once more a prideful smile seemed for form upon Susan face as she peered down at the little one. Slowly she reached up and ran her figures through her long coal black locks of hair.  Mina was such a cutie pie Slowly she nodded her head as to say ‘Yes’ to the little girls question.

The little girls face seemed to turn rosy as she felt the older girls fingers running through her hair, she smiled and nodded her head too and without another being spoken she quickly sprinted away to join her friends. Christmas day was only a hand full of hours away after all.

A small tear fell from the corner of Susan’s eyes as she watched the little girl frolic away. She too was once in her shoes, It was amazing how in her younger days she use to look up to the upperclassman like they where some short of Saint or Shinto Spirit. The upperclassman of her day where hero’s to all, the noble defenders of the weak and the prim and prime ladies of the courts.

“Good bye school, good bye Kendo Team, and Supernatural club. I knew thee well.” She said turning once more to peer toward the imposing brick building. Two months is all she had left here, two months a mere breath when compared to the age of the earth.

Soon Susan found her way onto the crowed cobblestone paved high streets of Oshima. People in fine woolen coats quickly rushed about there business, one could not help but over hear the tale end of many of cell phone conversations as people chatted away about there plans for that night and the exchanged rumors of sales and such.

Adding to the scene of Christmas madness one might call it was the ringing of the large brass hand bells, there loud chime could be heard at every corner and at the entrance to any business or sweet shop. There ringers where often old men and women whom hopped to use the spirit of the holiday to drum up funds for there orders or there choose civic groups.

The seasonal greeting of Merry Christmas or Happy Winter and even the rare but still often heard Joyeux Noel could be earned by dropping a small coin into there collection plate. Some would even drop a bill or two into the round silver plated bowls though most simply gave the change left over from the purchase of chocolate or extra large coffees or sacked orders.

Along with the ringing of the bells the seasonal decorated shop windows too added there own flare to the scene. Sprigs of holly and ivy could be found taped up in all four corners of the windows, some merchants displayed small scale porcelain Christmas villages complete with small chine houses and other odds and in that completed the scene.  Other more faith minded shop owners had nativity scenes displayed in there windows.

As always Susan took time to peer through the thin glass veil that divided the warm shop air from the chilly late winter mist. A soft blush appeared upon her face as she noticed the collection of Chika dolls displayed upon shelf’s of the toy merchants. Every little girl had at least one Chika plushy to claim as her own.  Some had more than one others had whole collections. The cloth and cotton toys where treasures to these lass’s.

“Oh.. The newest Chika dolls are out.. Oh I wish I just have few more coins to my name.” She said looking down at her feet.  “Hey its going to pay off, one day I’ll earn enough to buy a whole warehouse of Chika dolls, my daughter will have a whole collection of them. And my son the biggest and best train set I can find for the little prince.” She whispered softy as she placed her hand upon the frosted glass.

Though the greeting of Merry Christmas might be used to wish one good luck and good fortune in this a season of forgiveness and good cheer to all for Susan the season seemed to be gloomy one as her father was once more away and her sisters too where as busy as ever with there work. The lack of funds too seemed to weight heavy on everybody’s mind.

Though Susan had been award a good many of scholarship and several nice grants a good bit of her housing and traveling had to come out of pocket. In away she owed more to her sister and mother and father than she did anybody else if anybody should get a present it should be them. Her Christmas present was a three season payment on nursing school.

With these facts in mind Susan had broken open her coin box and had spent every last cash to her name upon three fine gifts to her family. Her father would find a checkered pattern white and blue box holding a fine silvery pocket watch with a clipper ship emblazon upon the face. Her mother a necklace of silver with golden half moon hanging from the center. Her dearest sister come morning would find a golden and silvery linked chain bracelet from which one could hang charms of there choosing.

The purchasing of these three gifts had all be depleted her stash of coins and bills built up over the past year.  But what where coins when compared to the love and shelter those three had provided to her over the past fourteen years of her life! Coins could not buy a mothers love nor a sisters love and they failed to buy how could a hand full of crowns buy the warmth of a fathers touch?