🌲🎁🍩Gift of a Mystery📖❄✨
by Ann 🎶
🌲🎁🍩Chapter 8📖❄✨
Snow and wind continued throughout the evening, with Joe and Frank looking out at the blizzard until they went to bed. They prayed for anyone out there in it. There were several people they personally knew and cared about, some they’d find out about in the morning.
Melody was one of them. She’d gone out before the blizzard had started, anxious about her musical that wasn’t exactly selling out. First she was somewhat angry. Then she realized she had the wrong attitude. She didn’t even notice the snow clouds that had been gathering up above as she drove around Bayport. Her thoughts were on the fact that everyone needed kindness and help. The cookie baking crew, they had the right attitude, she told herself silently. Thinking of others. She could do that.
That meant changing course on her musical she’d worked so hard on. Thinking over it, she could see it was more than a little self-absorbed. What could she do? For one thing, she could offer it for free. Or maybe do something other than that musical.
She never saw the snow covered leaves that had blown onto the road. Her tires hit it, the brakes locked up, and her car shot across the road into a snow drift. After some engine revving, tires spinning, she realized she wasn’t going anywhere for a while. Thankful she was unhurt, she tried to call the Bayport Garage to help get her out of this mess, but her phone didn’t work. No signal. Just great. She knew she should have changed carriers after it was obvious they weren’t really about helping customers, but cared more about their own interests.
Now she was really stuck. And cold. She wondered if anyone would hear her if she blew her car horn. She tried it. Sounded dinky. She sighed, just knowing no one was going to hear that pathetic horn above the wind. She was going to be stuck all night long! Maybe even freezing….Feeling scared, she tried the horn again, letting it continue. She didn’t have any of the emergency equipment the Hardy brothers had suggested she carry with her. Having meant to do so wasn’t the same as actually doing so. Water, nonperishable food, blankets, emergency kit, flares, all of those things she could have easily put in her car like Frank and Joe had asked her if she had.
Making a promise to herself, that if she got out of this, she’d get those items to keep in her car. Tears started to flow down Melody’s cheeks, feeling miserable and alone. She didn’t know people were praying for her.
Unsure if her vehicle was even visible from the road, she hoped her lights might be seen.
On his way home, military vet Timothy drove along the road Melody had been traveling just a short time ago. He planned to stop at his next door neighbors’, Dave and Marge Morton, before going to his cabin, which he had built with his military buddies after he had been honorably discharged last year.
Driving slower due to the snow, which had turned into a blizzard, Timothy peered past the path his headlights were cutting through, sure he had seen a light over to the side. It hadn’t been a reflection, he was fairly certain. His gut instinct was to pull over and check it out.
Being careful due to the slipperiness, he stepped onto the snow covered road. Focused on his mission, he moved toward the side where he’d seen the light. The closer he got, the more positive he was someone needed help. There was an odd sound, muffled by the wind. A horn, maybe? If he was right about what the white covered shape up ahead was, someone in his or her car had run off the road.
He checked his phone for a signal in case anyone was injured. Praying everyone was alright, he reached the car, the light he had seen now totally covered with snow. Ascertaining where the car door would be, he used his gloved hand to brush the snow off the window.
“Are you alright?” he called to the lady, who was trying to quickly dry her eyes. She nodded as together they got the door open.
“Oh, thank you!” she smiled as her tears of fear turned into ones of happiness. “I was praying, but I didn’t know if anyone would ever see me! Oh, I recognize who you are! You’re the hero who rescued people in Afghanistan!”
He raised his eyebrows and smiled, noting she obviously wasn’t having any trouble breathing with all the talking she was doing. “Are you alright? Melody, isn’t it?”
She was delighted he knew her name. “Yes! Timothy, right?”
He nodded. He helped her out of the vehicle and the two made their way up to the road. Melody wondered at her rescuer. He was so strong and had obviously worked hard to learn to walk again after losing his legs from the knees down in an explosion.
As Timothy drove her to the Mortons’, Melody knew what she was supposed to do, instead of the musical.
************
Morning at the Hardy home, with the sun shining bright in the sky after the blizzard, everything sparkling like diamonds, had two more beloved relatives arriving. Fenton’s sister, Gertrude aka Trudy, got there just a short time before their cousin Mac (Spinning Through Peril). They’d hoped they would be there in time for some of the celebrations and with smiles and hugs, the Hardy family joys increased with one another’s presence.
While Frank and Joe were playing outside enjoying the snow, Laura called her youngest son to the phone. Melody had called and wanted to talk to him for a minute. Joe was surprised, but quickly came and said hi to her.
Melody returned the greeting then told him, “Remember you told me before that everybody can do something.”
“Sure. You were feeling discouraged and thought you couldn’t do anything. I told you that you just needed to figure it out.”
“You were right. And I did.” She briefly told him what happened with the accident then rescue in the blizzard. “I can put things together, but it’s not my talent I want to showcase and share. It’s people like Timothy. He doesn’t want to talk about himself, but just people getting to be around someone like him would make the world a better place. I’m going to set up things like military veterans and first responders story telling at schools and libraries. And stream it around the world, too!”
“Hey, that sounds cool, Melody! That’s your song to share with everyone!” Joe grinned. “Thanks!”
************
As the stars could be seen twinkling up above in the clear winter sky that evening, the annual Bayport tradition of the fire department and several other first responders of riding around with the horns sounding and lights flashing had begun. This let kids of all ages see the engines going by with firefighters waving which brought smiles to many Bayporters’ faces.
Everyone at the Hardy home was gathered in the kitchen, munching on Laura’s and Aunt Gertrude’s doughnuts and cookies while visiting.
Mac was the first one to hear the deep horn and siren in the distance. All of the males hurried to get their coats and go outside to see the engine. The two females, also very interested in seeing the firetrucks and lights, took a couple of minutes to gather refreshments for the firefighters.
Once outside, the boys all watched and listened as the powerful horns and flashing lights got closer. The ladies joined them. It was chilly outside, but that was pushed aside. Much stronger was the feeling of appreciation for the good people of the fire department.
“I’d sure like to be a firefighter someday,” commented Joe.
“So would I!” Frank could picture the brothers rescuing people and helping put out fires. When they got older, they worked to do exactly that, as detectives and volunteer firefighters.
As the firetruck and other first responder vehicles came by the Hardy home, they could see one of the firefighters dressed as Santa Claus.
“That’s Henry,” Joe told James, Mac, and Aunt Gertrude. “He’s a veteran and a firefighter. That’s better than Santa Claus, cause Henry’s real.”
Aunt Gertrude and Laura gave the firefighters and other first responders the refreshments, hot chocolate along with the cookies and doughnuts. The appreciative thanks was very rewarding.
Once the firetrucks moved down the street, the Hardy family and their visiting relatives went back inside to the warmth of the fireplace. The Hardys had electric heat, but they loved the coziness of the fire with the popping and snapping of the sparks. Food tasted great cooked over it.
This was a perfect time to do some treasure hunting. Frank and Joe brought their maps to the gifts for each other to decipher. They had decoded the clues of what their gifts were, now they needed to read the maps they made to find those cool gifts!
Joe studied the pictures, words, and trails in serious contemplation. Yesterday he had found the invisible lines for part of the path that Frank had drawn with lemon juice which he couldn’t see until Joe realized what it was and had held it up to the sunlight to read it. He’d then traced it lightly with a pencil, so now he followed it, starting appropriately at the beginning of the map.
Frank was working on his, but he also was watching his little brother. He grinned, thinking of the extensive route Joe was about to go on.
“Okay. Looks like I should start here where it mysteriously says ‘start’ with a picture of the..hmmm…front door looks like.” Joe went out into the front entrance, talking it out as he went. Frank grinned more. Joe was naturally very entertaining.
A couple seconds of silence then Joe started walking, following the drawings and word clues. “Going up the stairs now, judging by the picture.”
About twelve or seventeen minutes later, everyone could hear him announcing at the top of the stairs, “According to this word puzzle ‘sriatsnwod’, I’m now going to go back downstairs!” As he got to the entrance of the living room, he gave his big brother a look. “How come you didn’t have me go up on the roof?”
Frank stood up as if he’d forgotten to put that down on the map. “Didn’t I get that part in there?”
Next Joe followed the markers on the map to the kitchen, the dining room and back to the living room. “Hey, I’ve got this picture puzzle to solve and that takes me to my gift!” He studied the page.
“What’s the puzzle of?” asked James. The whole family was enjoying this.
“It’s a small black rectangle shape, with a 🔍 magnifying glass next to it. And a multiply sign. Hmmmm. And it says look beyond.” Joe gazed around. “Behind something, maybe? Rectangle the TV is rectangular, but it’s not small like that…Or, it’s bigger if you magnify or multiply the size of that small picture of a rectangle!” Joe hurried over to the TV set between shelves on either side. Peering behind it, he spotted a long thin gift wrapped box!
Smiling, Joe reached behind the TV, looking beyond it, and got his gift. Opening it, he found he was correct in what he’d deciphered from the clues Frank had given him through the week. A bow and arrow set. Joe admired it, the smoothness of the wood, the perfect straightness of the arrows. He knew it was top quality crafted by their neighbor Samuel.
“Thanks so much, Frank! An authentic Cherokee bow and arrow! Wow! I should say, wado equa!” He grinned, thanking him in Cherokee. “I love the clues, the map, the mystery, and even the meandering trail!”
Frank grinned, happy at his brother’s enjoyment and appreciation.
“Your turn!” Joe told him.
Nodding, his brother turned to his map. He’d followed along the dotted lines Joe had drawn, pausing when he got the 8 he’d been thinking about since yesterday. He’d already decided it didn’t meat ‘ate’ and it didn’t seem to mean infinity, or a snowman, or two zeroes or o’s stacked on top of one another….he had a feeling it literally meant “eight”. What 8, though? 8 Days? 8 clues? Lights?
The other clue was listed a step before the ‘8’. It was also a string of numbers. Code? 3-15-21-3-8. Letters and numbers code? Frank got out a pencil and started decoding, his little brother already grinning as he watched him writing. Frank was more quiet than Joe, so he didn’t announce what he was doing, so Joe told the other family members he was decoding the clue.
“C-o-u-c-h!” spelled out Frank as he deciphered the clue. He hurried over to the piece of furniture and politely asked those sitting there if he could check out the cushions for the next clue. In a few minutes, he had found the slip of paper.
“What’s it say?” asked Joe, even though he knew exactly what was written on it.
“One word, or scrambled word written on it ‘tinabce'” Frank studied it then grinned. “Cabinet! And ‘8’ refers to how many sides!”
He went over to the low octagonal wooden cabinet James had built for them years ago. Opening the door of it, he searched until he found the wrapped present hidden behind other items in the cabinet.
Bringing it over, he unwrapped the gift, revealing, as he’d figured out from Joe’s clues on the previous days, a car! This one was fueled by water.
“Thanks, Joe! Very cool! The clues and mystery and of course, the car!” Frank grinned.
The car worked great and they watched it go around the room. Other gifts were exchanged later, including James’ gift to the Hardy family. He had made a beautiful wooden backgammon set, a favorite game they all enjoyed playing.
They all enjoyed more food and true stories of long ago that still were very relevant and important today.
Every day is a gift – appreciate it and make the most of it, bringing cheer into peoples’ lives.
Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas!
🎶It’s the Season of Light, 🎶
🎶Bright Shining and Real🎶
🎶The Almighty is Praised🎶
🎶Shine Light on the Truth🎶
🎶Right Through the Darkness🎶
🎶With Unshakable Trust🎶
🎶Eternal Gifts of Love🎶
🎶Blessings Beyond Compare🎶
What matters most is having the True Light in your heart.
NEVER THE END!
Enjoy the chapter? Please let me know – tap/click here to go to the chapter post. Thank you!
Hardy and Drew Mysteries 