Sarah and the Gathering Time

Chapter 10 - A Christmas Gift

Having already suffered Dot's Yuletide celebration—Uncle Geofroy had given her a Christmas pudding that looked as if it had come from the year 1312—Sarah wasn't looking forward to her first Christmas without her mum and dad. Still, she tried to make the best of it, knowing that's what her parents would want.

She helped Bridget and Miss Clare decorate the Christmas tree, she sampled Marta's attempt at baking (the chocolate-covered peanut butter bonbons weren't half bad) and helped Angie practice for her very first role in a school play. They were performing an updated version of the birth of Jesus, where the three wise men skidded into the stable on skateboards.

Sarah was glad she didn't have to attend school this year. She got to study at home, as she had a lot of catching up to do; which meant she had plenty of time for Christmas shopping. Each of the girls received a weekly allowance and, not used to having money of her own, Sarah had been saving hers. Still, it was Christmas Eve day, and Sarah hadn't actually bought any gifts yet.

Touring the shops downtown, she found the perfect gift for Marta. It was an antique book from the Esoterica Bookshop called Ancient Wisdom: A Guide for Budding Witches. For Angie, Sarah came across some cool skateboard stickers, while Bridget and Liza would get a new saddle pad, white as clean snow. For Miss Clare she bought the latest perfume. Uncle Geofroy got a blue baseball cap, to help him fit in.

Sarah had the most difficulty figuring out what to get Dot. Then she saw it, in a ladies' consignment store window. A silk scarf, splashed with various shades of pink flowers and green leaves. It looks like something Dot would wear, Sarah mused, relieved to have finished her shopping at last. The girls and Miss Clare were going in on a new Whopper Chopper for Elsie, so that was taken care of.

Sarah thought about her parents. She wished she could give them something for Christmas, but how does one gift a ghost? Then she thought there just might be a way. Searching through the Christmas cards at Drugmart, Sarah found one with just the right message.

When Sarah got home, she went straight up to her room to wrap the gifts she'd bought. Then she signed the card she got for her parents. Unrolling her rune cloth, Sarah placed the card so its message was face down, covering the scorch marks. Then she folded up the leather, with the card inside, and tied it up with her magic string. She tucked her feather into the knot where she'd tied a bow and stood back to examine her handiwork. I hope this works, she thought, sitting down and setting the gift on her lap.

Sarah rested her hands on the leather and closed her eyes. She thought about her parents, picturing their faces in her mind. Then she concentrated on seeing them with the card in their hands. Sarah must have sat there concentrating for nearly an hour before she felt a slight movement inside the folded cloth. Quickly, she yanked off the string and opened up the leather. The card was gone!

"It worked! It worked!" Sarah danced around her room, elated. Then she noticed there was something partially hidden in one of the folds of leather. On closer inspection, Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. Her healing stone had been returned to her! And there was something else. On the end of a silver chain was an antique, oval locket.

Carefully opening it, Sarah saw that two tiny pictures had been placed side by side, a likeness of her mother and father, smiling out at her. Holding the locket next to her heart, Sarah felt love for her parents, and a deep gratitude towards them for having saved her life. She tried not to think about the fact that they were gone. Yet, it remained, however faint, a dark shadow lurking in the far reaches of her mind.

"Sarah!" Miss Clare called from the bottom of the stairs. "It's time to open the Christmas presents!" Sarah clasped the locket around her neck, scooped up the gifts she'd wrapped, and then raced downstairs to join the others.

"Coming!"