Startled from Their Graves.... Jan BSL Langley

landscape. Mike’s voice startled her as he cried out, “Mary! Look at this!” “God, Mike, scare me to death why don’t you…what have you found?”

      “The answer to the mystery of this room and the Christmas tree,” he slowly replied as he pushed books aside on both ends of the bookcases opposite the fireplace. “A secret room?” asked Mary.

      “No, no secret room. Look here, Mary. This room used to be the main living area. You can tell by the original molding behind the books. This is the original house. Our living room is… for Pete’s sake, an addition!”

      “So Mike, our Christmas tree belongs in here. It’s a family tradition. As she spoke the pages of the Christmas album that lay open in front of them slowly began to turn. Mike sat next to Mary as they watched in amazement.

      “What the…!” exclaimed Mke.

      “Shussssssh,” cautioned Mary.

      Suddenly the boxes of ornaments that sat forgotten on the chair fell to the floor and scattered through the room. At the same time the pages stopped. The book lay open to a picture of a white-haird lady watching a small girl placing an ornament on the tree. Beneath the picture was written, Cara Lee and Great Grandmother Caroline Mattsom, 1939. As they looked closely they could see the ornaments on the tree in the picture were the very ornaments that lay spread beneath their feet.

      “Well I guess we know what we have to do to make things right around here,” said Mary, as she got up and went into the living room with Mike close behind.

      “We’ll have to keep up the tradition,” replied Mike with a smile on his face.

      It took the rest of the evening before they finally sat down in the library with a glass of wine, admiring the newly placed Christmas tree in front of the library window.

      “I guess that wasn’t Cara Lee we saw,” said Mike.

      “No, not Cara Lee but Caroline. She was concerned the traditions would be forgotten.”

      Caroline Mattsom never again reappeared in the old house. But often, as Christmas nears, an ornament mysteriously appears in the oddest of places: in a silverware drawer, on the porch swing, in a shoe and once in the dog’s bed. But, never in the living room. The appearance of the ornaments signal it is time to purchase a Christmas tree for the holidays.

      Peshikee Grade Camp