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The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (384 hits)

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Submitted by Bigmike (View user info) at 2004-10-03 22:43:04 EDT

This post was an official UberMadness! entry. Click here to view the original matchup.

March, 1967

Jenny Morrison was eighteen and in love. It was the kind of love that gave her butterflies in her stomach a half an hour before a date. It was the kind of love that made her look at herself in the mirror about twenty times before she went out, checking to see if her eyeliner was just right. It was the kind of love that kept her awake at night, a song running through her mind and electricity flowing through her heart.

It was unconditional and complete.

She met Roger Stafford at a singles Christmas party down at the old church on the corner of Bradford and Butternut three months ago. Roger was everything that she ever wanted in a man. He was smart, had a good job, and was very good looking. The way he looked at her made her melt right where she was standing. Her knees got weak and her girlfriend Charlotte asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing" she replied, "But I think I had better go sit down for a few minutes."

She walked over to the table where the finger foods were and took a seat on one of the folding chairs that were there. She was fanning herself with one of the paper napkins that were on the table when she heard a man's voice behind her.

"Excuse me?"

She turned around and her heart leapt into her throat.

"Hi" he said. "My name is Roger. Roger Stafford. I can't recall ever seeing you at one of these get togethers before. Are you new?"

She didn't know what to do. Here was this man, the very one who had literally brought her to her knees not two minutes ago, standing over her trying to strike up a conversation.

"Umm, hi." Was all she could manage, still fanning herself frantically with the paper napkin.

"Are you ok?" he asked. You look a little pale.

"I'm all right I think. Just a little light headed". She replied, hoping he couldn't hear the thumping of the big bass drum that was her heart. Evidently he could.

"It's awfully smoky in here, would you like to get some fresh air?"

She considered the invitation very carefully. There was nothing that she would like more than to go for a long walk with him, enjoying the cool evening air, but would she seem too easy to him? It took her about ten seconds to reach her decision.

"Sure, why not. It might do me some good" she said.

He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. All she could think about was how strong his grip was and how feeble she felt. She allowed him to help her up, and in a minute they were outside walking down the street. She was cold so he had offered to put his arm around her as they walked. She let him and by the end of the night she was thinking Andy Williams was right. It was the last song she had heard before she left the party with Roger and Christmas was indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

The rest, as they say, is history.

It was a whirlwind romance with both Jenny and Roger finding out that they truly were meant for each other. She was an only child, so was he. She was eighteen, he was nineteen. She loved the same kind of music that he did and they spent hours listening to the Beatles in her mother's basement room. His favorite color was green, as was hers. They both shared a love of the same author, and when he read to her, the words of Walt Whitman had never sounded so good, so raw and so sensual. The only thing that they didn't have in common was family. She had an extended family that included grandparents and great grandparents on both sides. Also included were many Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. He had no family. They had all perished when he was young and he was raised by a foster family. As soon as he was old enough, he had moved out and gotten a job at a construction firm. The work was hard, but the pay was better than average if you were willing to break your back a little. He was never one to shy away from hard work.

For the better part of a year everything was going great. Then, one day Roger received a letter in the mail. It seemed the U.S. military couldn't live without him and through the machinations of the selective service, he was called upon to serve his country. Not being one to ever shirk responsibility, Roger answered the call and enrolled in the United States Marine Corps.

Jenny was devastated. She had read all sorts of negative things about the war in Vietnam, but she had never really thought it would affect her. Now, right here in the middle of her life, the war was chipping away at the foundation of her love. She was worried and scared for Roger and for their relationship. Roger, ever the optimist, reassured her that he would do the best that he could to become a great soldier, and that he would return to her as soon as his tour was over. The night before he left for Parris Island they made love for the very first time. It was an adventure for both of them and it was an experience which left them even more in love than before, and wanting more.

As he left the following morning, Jenny had all she could do to keep the tears from totally blurring her vision. She watched as he boarded the bus. She ran alongside it as it pulled out of the station. She waved as it disappeared down the street, taking Roger away from her and towards uncertainty. She cried sporadically for three day after that. Even when he called her to tell her about everything, she was still distraught at the distance between them. She regretted not asking him to marry her. Now, she would have to wait.

After a few months, Jenny had become somewhat used to Roger being a Marine. He seemed to be very good at soldiering and had shown such an aptitude that they had decided to train him to work on helicopters. She learned all this in a letter that Roger had sent her. He had become fond of writing letters to her because he said that he could be more "intimate" with his imagination while putting words to paper. It was also very much cheaper for him and he could do it every day. She wrote back religiously and they seemed to be falling deeper and deeper in love.

One day she received a letter from Roger informing her of a new assignment.

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Fifteen November, 1968

Dearest Jenny,

My CO has informed me that I'm being sent to Vietnam to work with the helicopter pilots. Imagine that, maybe I'll even be able to fly a few missions! They say that I'll be working to keep the aircraft operable and also doing some transport missions. I have been trained to operate the fifty caliber machine guns on board the CH-53 so have confidence that I won't be hurt or killed. I am so excited that I am about to burst. My superiors say that I really have what it takes to be an excellent Marine and that I am ready for "The big time". I have confidence in my ability so don't you worry a bit. I will go there and do what I have to do so that I can come back alive and well.

I love you Jenny, more than you can imagine. I know you can feel it through the letters that I write you every day. I will continue to try and write as often as I can, but I don't know how I will be able to send letters from Vietnam. I will find out when I get there.

Please take care and pray for me when you can. I love you and will see you when I get back.

Love,

Roger

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It was the last letter that she received. She must have written him thirty or forty letters, but received not a single one in return. She received a letter two months after his disappearance informing her that Roger had been shot down somewhere over Vietnam and was listed as missing in action. Her life shattered and lay in pieces around her ankles.

After a year of waiting for news of Roger, she had started to lose faith that she would ever see him again. After five years she had started the healing process, but not forgotten. After twenty years of living in her mother's house, she still could not forget about Roger. She would never give up hope. She would wait for him. She needed closure.

December, 1991

Charlotte had baked a Christmas cake. It was a marble cake and she had gone to great pains to decorate it with Christmas cheer. She was driving over to Jenny's like she did every Christmas, and she wanted to make sure that she brought something to cheer her up. Ever since that period in Jenny's life she refers to as "The Roger Years", everything had seemed to go downhill for her, especially around the holidays. For twenty three years Jenny had waited for Roger to be found. She had waited for him to walk back into her life again.

It had gotten better over the last five years or so but, no matter how hard Charlotte tried, she couldn't get Jenny to go out, meet new guys, or have any kind of fun. Charlotte had been a good friend over the years and had understood Jenny's pain. She had remained a true friend through thick and thin. When Jenny's mother passed away, she was there. When Jenny had fought a bad case of pneumonia, she was there. When Jenny had anxiety and stress over Roger every single Christmas, she was there. They had numerous conversations about whether Roger would ever be found. She didn't try to discourage Jenny's thoughts and always provided a strong shoulder when Jenny needed it. Charlotte was going to make sure that this holiday season, Jenny was going to have a good time. She was bound and determined not to let anything happen this year that would remind Jenny of her lost lover; her dashed hopes of marrying the only man she ever truly loved.

As she pulled into Jenny's driveway she was full of Christmas cheer. She sprung up out of the car, ran around the other side, opened the door and pulled out the cake, and bounded up to the front door. The snow was piled high around the sidewalk and she could see the sunlight shimmering off the crystals of snow as she knocked on the door.

No answer.

Charlotte knew Jenny was expecting her but she knocked again. It wasn't like Jenny to not come to the door.

No answer.

Charlotte figured that maybe Jenny was taking a walk or had gone to the store so she tried the doorknob. It was open, so she let herself in. She heard the music and the sweet sound of Andy Williams' voice immediately.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle-belling
And everyone telling you
Be of good cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year "

Jenny was sitting in the middle of the living room floor. She had papers scattered all around her in heaps, and she was crying. "Uh-oh" Charlotte thought as she put the cake down on the table next to the door and rushed in to see what was going on. When she got to where Jenny was, she immediately knew what was happening. All around Jenny, thrown helter-skelter, were old letters. Charlotte knew in an instant that they were Roger's letters. Charlotte was confused. She thought Jenny was making progress with those old feelings. Evidently, she was wrong. Jenny was having and episode.

"It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings
And great happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all"

"What's going on Jenny?" Charlotte whispered.

Jenny just looked up at her, tears still freely flowing from her bloodshot eyes. She reached up and showed Charlotte a letter. It had been opened, and was a little worse for wear, but it looked relatively new. Charlotte looked down at it and then reached out to take it from Jenny. She held it up and looked very carefully at the front of the envelope.

On the front, in an untidy but readable script was Jenny's address:

Jenny Morrison
1289 Comstock Avenue
Madison Wisconsin, 53562

The return address just had two words:

Roger Stafford.

"There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for roasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories
Of Christmases long, long ago"

"Did you find an unopened one Jenny? Is that what this is all about?"

Jenny was shaking her head furiously. Through her tears, she was trying to talk.

"LLLOOOK AT TH...TH...THE POSTMARK!" she screamed at Charlotte.

Charlotte's eyes immediately went to the postmark of the letter. December 28, 1971 was what she saw.

"Wait, didn't Roger stop sending you letters in 1968? Where did you get this?"

Jenny reached up with her other hand to show Charlotte another piece of paper.

"It came today" was all Jenny could say as she collapsed into tears. "It came today".

"Today? How the hell......?" Charlotte said as she grabbed the piece of paper from Jenny and began to read.

"We apologize for the delivery delay of this piece of mail. Here at the U.S. postal service we make every attempt to deliver mail on time. Occasionally, a letter gets misplaced and when we find the delayed mail, we deliver it as timely as possible. Please accept my sincerest regrets. I hope the delay of this letter is in no way an inconvenience to you. Have a happy holiday.

Sincerely,
Richard White, Postmaster.
U.S. Post Office
215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Madison Wisconsin 53562"

"Bastards" Charlotte said under her breath. She turned her attention to the letter. She opened it and began to read.

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Twenty Four December, 1971

My Dearest Jenny,

I hope this letter reaches you. I have no idea if the guy that told me he could smuggle it out was telling me the truth. I have been thinking about you constantly since my capture. It is the only thing that keeps me going some days. They are treating us badly, but that is to be expected. I may never see you again, so there are a few things that I want to say.

I love you Jenny, with all my heart and soul. I have never met anyone like you and I know now that I never will. You have brightened my life and given me a will to live that I thought I would never have. Even though each day seems like misery here, it is thoughts of you that keep my spirits bright and my pain to a minimum.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you Jenny Morrison. The minute that I get rescued or can escape from this living hell, I am going to rush home to you and ask you to marry me. Please consider your answer because the minute I walk through your front door I am going to ask you. Don't give up on me Jenny. I am going to make it.

I promise.

It is Christmas Eve now and I am all alone. I am remembering the first time we met at the old church. Do you remember that? I can still see the look of surprise on your face when I asked you to take a walk with me. I can still hear Andy Williams' voice as we left that church arm in arm. Please play that song for me Jenny. Always remember me as you listen to it. For me, it will always be the most wonderful time of the year as long as I have you in my thoughts.

I have to go now so please take care. When you get this letter, please hold it next to your heart for me so I can feel it beating. I miss that feeling Jenny. I miss it a lot. Pray that I make it out of here alive. Merry Christmas.

Love Always,

Roger

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Charlotte checked the postmark again just to be sure. She knelt down and took Jenny into her arms, putting the letter in Jenny's hands and pressing them next to her heart. Jenny leaned into Charlotte and buried her head into her chest, clutching the letter to her breast as tightly as she could. They were both crying now and nothing in the world could make them stop.

Andy Williams continued,

"It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year"

Jenny Morrison started dating soon after that Christmas. Strangely enough, the letter she received gave her the closure she needed to go on with her life. She never married, but she was content.

Every Christmas from that year forward, Jenny Morrison spent Christmas Eve with Charlotte, Andy Williams, and a few nice bottles of merlot. She did this in remembrance of Roger Stafford, her one and only true love.

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