A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

It's Christmas Eve on the Batson farm in Georgia. Everyone is inside the Batson house gathering around the Christmas tree playing around the Christmas tree, singing, or pulling a classic prank. Sasha sits in the kitchen with Ana sipping on tea while Doug's Mother is in the living room with the kids after Sasha pleaded with her to simply relax and not overwork her self trying to clean up the kitchen after the massive meal they had. Ana's parents are also over and are in the living room. The old Marine General looks out the window and peers into the barn seeing that Doug is crawled under his tractor in the cold weather wrenching on it and banging on it as he attempts to replace a wheel bearing. The slamming and banging gets louder as Doug begins to become frustrated. The old General smirks holding back his laughter. In the kitchen Ana nods towards the window and says "your husband is begining to make a scene I think, I see my Dad wanting to laugh." Sasha looks out the window to see that Doug is lighting off a blow torch to get the seized bearing off. Sasha sighs "I'd rather not deal with him right now." Ana says "he should be with us in here, its Christmas Eve." Sasha rolls her eyes "you've clearly never met my husband who knows nothing but work, and work some more, and work again." Another loud bang is heard and the rattle of metal hitting the ground is heard. Sasha looks to see Doug giving him self a thumbs up and his own nod of approval. Ana says "well, I guess he's happy now." He gets the bearing replaced and puts the wheel back on. He then changes the oil and all the filters before he starts cleaning up. He starts putting things away when the last wrench he goes to put away gets his attention. The inscribed initials say DB, but it wasn't inscribed by him, but his Father. He half smiles at the old Craftsman wrench before he puts it away in his tool box. He walks over to the wash tub and cleans up before he feeds all the horses in the barn. He then stands at the back door of his barn looking out in the pasture towards the pine Forest in the far end where the sky is lit up by a half moon. He shivers a bit and he zips up the heavy jacket he's wearing. He walks over to the fence post that has a wooden plank across it making it a cross and kneels. "Dear heavenly Father, I come before you not to ask you for anything tonight but to simply give thanks, to give thanks for this life I have, the family and friends I have blood and extended, my wife and children, the farm, and most of all for saving us all from sin through your son Jesus Christ, and it is through him that I pray, Amen." He stands up and replaces the worn black cowboy hat as the wind begins to pick up. He looks up at the sky as the clouds slowly clear away and the stars reveal themselves. Doug can hear soft footsteps in the barn but he pretends he doesn't. Sasha stops at the door and sees where he's standing and that he's looking towards the sky. She stands there quietly for a moment watching him. Doug then hears the angelic voice that only his wife has start to softly sing in Latin, Veni, Veni, Emanuel. Very few songs exist that strike a cord to draw a tear from Doug but that one does every time he hears it sung, especially during this time of year. He takes the hat back off and kneels again simply in reverence to Christ as Sasha keeps on now standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder. Sasha is taken back to when she was a little girl back in Russia singing this exact song in Church with her parents and brother during the Advent. Where she first learned to sing beautifully. She looks up to the sky as she performs for God him self. Katya and Caroline who snuck out of the house are hidden behind the bales of hay yet are in absolute awe having never heard Sasha praise God in Latin yet alone sing Latin. Caroline whispers "I believe this is a moment we shouldn't interrupt." Sasha finishes serenading the world around her and Doug wipes his eyes before he stands back up. Sasha smiles up at him and he smiles down at her as be hugs her side. He clears his throat and to keep the mood alive and well he begins to sing his rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman with absolute conviction. Sasha backs him up. Katya says "you can write all the Christmas stories you want, make all the movies you want but nothing captures the magic of Christmas and the reason for it like this does." Katya notices a couple of cows have walked up to the fence and are watching Doug and Sasha curiously. Doug sways with her as they finish the song then they move on to Silent Night. Caroline and Katya slowly sneak away as Doug and Sasha near the end of the song. They leave but not without Katya knocking over a shovel. The noise catches Doug and Sasha off guard making her latch onto him. Doug looks but doesn't see anyone Caroline and Katya having snuck away. Doug says "we must have attracted someone else other than the cattle." Sasha looks to see the cattle looking at them and chuckles. "I guess we put on a show for sure. I honestly just came out here to get you to come inside, I had no intention of singing, it just happened I guess." Doug kisses her and says "I love you." Sasha says "I love you too." She puts her hand on his left cheek "Merry Christmas my darling." She kisses his cheek then they walk back to the house hand in hand. Doug says "you know you have the most angelic voice I've ever heard sing." Sasha says "no, I used to sweetie." She clears her throat and says "our daughter stripped me of that title." Doug says "well, you still have a beautiful voice to me period." Sasha says "I would only expect you to tell me that, anyone else would say otherwise." Doug says "Sasha niether one of us sounds the same as we did when we met, that's life." He stops walking and let's go of her hand and Sasha turns around to see what's wrong if anything. Doug pulling his typical Christmas magic pulls a small black box from his pocket. He hands it to Sasha "Merry Christmas my love." She takes it and opens it finding a gold necklace with a sapphire. She sighs "you never cease to amaze me." She puts it on then hugs him as tightly as she can. Katya bangs on the window to get their attention then opens it up "hey you two you're missing the fun in here!" Rocking Around the Christmas tree can be heard blaring and then Katya shuts the window. Sasha says "I suppose we should entertain our guests and family huh." Doug says "that might be a wise choice." She giggles at his answer as they head inside.