6 Terrace Review — - Wednesday, December 21, 1988. oS

It can happen. anywher

Commentary -

—— by Stephanie Wleba

_ The lacy flakes fell softly on
the patio, and Elizabeth sipped
her coffee, entranced with the
silent wintery scene outside.
The stam of the front door
startled her.

“Liz! You won't believe it!”’
Michael’s excited voice called

' through the house, ‘‘Lizzie!”’

He lumbered into the kitchen,

_ his large frame filling the door-

way.

“Michael, you’re dripping on
the linoleum.’’ Annoyed,
Elizabeth grabbed a towel and
began mopping up the wet
snow around his feet. She’d
just waxed the floor yesterday,

" too. (Men just-have no idea of

keepin’ a house tidy.)

-“Lizzie, there’s homeless bag —

people out there! In our g’rage.
A bag-lady. and a bag-man. I
was shovelin’ the walk, and
they came right up to me,
askin’ to stay, all their
belongin’s in a shoppin’ bag.”’

_$*Wha-a-at?, Now slow down
and tell me. Here, step on this
towel.”’

Michael ignored her, stomp-
ing across the shiny floor with
his wet black boots. ‘‘They’re
hippies, I tell ya. They prob’ly
have ues like ‘Ocean’ or

‘Sky’. Chustmas Day, and

they’re wand’rin’ around i in the
snow like that. And her in the
family ' way.” He shook his head.
and poured a cup of coffee. -
Elizabeth trailed behind on her
hands and knees, toweling up

his tracks. ‘‘What’s a man to
do? I had to let ’em stay some- -

where.””

Elizabeth followed him to”
the table: ‘‘So there's bag-
hippies in the g’rage?”’ She
spoke to him as though he were
a small child telling tales of

- . Santa Claus.

“Don’t you listen? Anyway,
| couldn’t let °em in the house,
could I? Not people like that.
Who knows what kind of folks
they are. Do we have any of
those little oranges? I’m half
starved.”

Elizabeth picked up an
orange. (Why does he do things
like this, messin’ up the house,
and tellin’ stories to get me ril-
ed up?) “So what’re we gonna
do with ’em?”’

‘“‘What can we do? Can’t
turn ’em out on Christmas Day
in this weather. They can stay

’ for the night, long as they

don’t bother us any.” He ate
his orange and belched. ‘‘Weil,
I got to finish the shovelin’.”’
He stood up and tramped out,
leaving orange peels, coffee
rings and melted snow behind.
(Darn that man). She
remembered the time he claim-

ed that aliens from space had

’ Janded in the back yard. (He

ri

_ must be reading the ‘Enquirer’

again.) Elizabeth tidied up effi-
ciently, returning to her
peaceful. orderly afternoon.
She had just settled down to
watch ‘Days of Our Lives’’
when Michael burst in again.
This time he stood in the open
‘doorway holding his shovel, the
snow blowing in around him,
covering the braided floor mat.
“Lizzie, do somethin’! She’s ~
‘gone and had ‘her baby, right
there i in our B "rage, ( on. ol

Duke’s dog blanket. Whata
mess.’’ He gestured in his ex-
citement, spreading water and
snow on the carpet.

Elizabeth sighed, “And what .

‘am I s’posed to do? Call the
hospital staff out on Christmas
Day for some hippie-bag baby?
Michael, you’re making a mess.
Maybe we shouls call the . -

~ police,’’

‘No! [ don’t want to cause a
fuss on Christmas Day. What
would the neighbors say? But:
you better go see what you can
do out there.”’ He turned and
went out, leaving the door gap-

_ ing open,

(And just. what ¢ am I s‘posed
to do?) Now she’s miss her
show. But before she could go
out, she had to get another

towel and clean up the puddle -

by the door. Luckily, she’d
already put their small turkey
in the oven, but she had to get
the potatoes peeled soon or
they wouldn’t be ready in time
for supper. Michael liked his
meals on time. (Il! just get
them started before I deal with
Michael and his hallucinations,
Imagine, hippies having a baby
in someone's g’rage on
Christmas Day. What will that
man think of next?)

By four o’clock the potatoes
were cooking, and Elizabeth
put on her coat. It was becom-
ing dark out, but she had to
get this over with. She pulled
on her boots,.and opened the
door, peeking out. (| Where is
he?) .

- Michael stood in the
driveway, shovel still in his
hand, watching open-mouthed
as three bearded robed men.
paraded up to the garage. .

Elizabeth closed the door, .
‘and stood inside, leaning
against it. (Now what?) Slowly,
she removed her coat and
boots, and walked into the kit-
chen. She stood by the phone
for a few minutes, her hand on
the receiver. She tightened her
lips.

Then Michael started yelling

THE SIGN OF A
GOOD BUSINESS
- NEIGHBOR ...

VOD RutiNtso atiGndoue - Sa

THE SIGN OF |

A MERCHANT
WHO CARES

ABOUT PEOPLE ...

This emblem Identifies
the civic-minded —
businessmen who sponsor

Yerone Mion.

“in the community.

Alma - 638-1204
Vi. 635-5672
‘Terry 638-31 78

outside, “Lizzie,! ‘Lizzie!

(Darn that man). she put on... |

her boots again and buttoning —

her coat, opened the door. The. .

sky was dark, but the snow |.

drifts glowed with white moon-: |

light. Or was it moonlight? A

particularly bright star shone =~
overhead, casting an eerie light. .
‘Michael was gone, but the —
‘footprints in the snow led her .
tothe garage.

The big door was open, and

the powdery snow was blowing
in and settling on the lawn
mower. The overhead light was
out, but a soft yellow glow
came from the back corner of
the garage, over by the wheel-
barrow. Michael and the three
robed men stood around it,
blocking Elizabeth’s view. She
quietly came-up behind them.
A plain-looking young
woman lay resting against a
spare tire. She wore Michael’s
old work jacket, and her long
dark hair hung over her
shoulder. Next to her was a ~
man, not much older, bent
over the wheelbarrow, arrang- .
ing something Elizabeth could
not see. Then he moved aside,

_and Blizabeth’s mouth fell

open, Snuggled in a nest of old

tags was a pink newborn baby.
‘“*Michael,’’ Elizabeth

whispered. — ,
““S$S-s-h-h.”” He pulled her

‘back, away from the glowing ..

scene. “Liz, wait'll you hear
what these folks told me about
this baby. Get the guest room

ready — this is gonna be some.

Christmas!’”"
For once, she listened to
him.

if you wish to announce

‘the birth of YOUR baby, pe fill out t the form’
available in the maternity ward at Mills Memorial .

Hospital. We will piek up your ar forms every week.

MOODY — It’s a

On behalf of the Terrace Real Estate Board, president |
Gordie Olson made a sizeable donation to Capt. John
Harker of the Salvation Army last week. The money will be
put into the Salvation Army's Kettle Drive fund to make sure -
that the Christmas. of 1988 Is a happy time for all.

int! “Amanda ‘Marilyn Lorraine’, born be

September 27, 1986, 2 lbs. 2 ozs. Proud parents are. e Wendy and
Brad; and sister Jennifer. pee os

MOODY — It’s a girl!! “Brittany Arlene”, ‘born December 7, ae
1988, 6 Ibs. 7 ozs. Proud parents a are. ‘Brad
sisters Jennifer and Amanda. |

GILLIS — Gordon and Heather (nee Avison) a are , thrilled to an- op
 nounce the birth of their son Adam Charles,

born December 9,

1988 } weighing 6 Ibs. 12. Om oes

LOWERS
A LA CARTED

~ Membor ol Ars Wire Service

- 24-hour Phone"
~ (604)635- 4080 ©
_Skeena Mall

ate.

pe de ag Me ue

1 and | Wendy, and es