chapter 28, 16/11/1998
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mirabelle knocked at the door of the house and waited. A few moments later, the door opened.
"Mirabelle!" greeted an elated Nancy as she hugged her daughter in her arms. Mirabelle hugged her mother back.
"Hi, Mom. I missed you," replied Mirabelle as she let go of her mother.
"Well, don't just stand there in the cold, Mirabelle. Come on in," Nancy said to her.
"I brought my friends from the ranch," Mirabelle told her mother as she stepped aside to let her see her friends.
"Sure," Nancy said as she turned to them while Mirabelle entered the house. "Ah, Mr. Muller. Merry Christmas. Welcome," she said as Michael walked up to her.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Laughlin," he replied as he held out his present to her.
"Thank you," Nancy replied cheerfully, then said, "Come on in."
Next Joseph walked up to her. "Hello," he greeted as he held out a little packaged gift for her.
"Oh. Hi," replied Nancy, a little surprised: She had never met an Indian before and was unsure of how to act in one's presence (cultural differences). She stared at Joseph's brown skin and long braided hair as he stood there, waiting patiently. It was like an alien had appeared at her doorstep and was standing there before her.
"Can I come in?" asked Joseph as he waited outside of the doorway for a response from Mrs. Laughlin.
"Oh, yes," said Nancy, remembering her manners, "Come on in."
The gathering sat around the Laughlin's dining room table eyeing the delights of the Christmas dinner before them. A large turkey was the centerpiece of the table while bowls of potatoes, vegetables, and gravy were spread around it like satellites. Cranberry sauce, nuts and fruits were also on the table, as was a large pitcher of eggnog. Waiting in the kitchen was dessert: fruit cake and pumpkin pie.
"Oh, baby," said James as he eyed the succulent turkey whose aroma wafted throughout the room.
"I'm over here, James," Sheryl said to him, a little put off, as she sat beside him.
"Huh?" he blurted, then turned to look at Sheryl. "Oh yeah," James said as he took her hand in his. "Of course, you're the most delicious treat at this table, you know," he told Sheryl as he melted his eyes into hers, like Casanova.
"You're still using that line?" Mirabelle asked her brother from across the table.
James turned to look at Mirabelle, then asked her with a quizzical look on his face, "It works doesn't it?" Turning to Sheryl, he questioned her, "Doesn't it?"
Joseph worked hard to stifle a chuckle. "You know who he reminds me of?" he asked Mirabelle, sitting beside him.
"Don't say it, Joseph," she answered. "Let's just hope they never meet. We both know that living with one is enough of an experience."
"So how's my little Miry been, Mr. Muller?" Jacob asked Michael, who was seated opposite the host.
"Please call me Michael," Michael responded then said, "She's a good, dilligent worker. I'm lucky to have her helping out at the ranch."
"Miry?" said an astounded James.
"James," whined Mirabelle. He was ruining her evening, as usual.
Nancy Laughlin, well aware of sibling interaction dynamics, began praying silently, "God, please don't let them ruin Christmas. Please don't let them ruin Christmas."
The diners started eating after a perfunctory saying of grace by Jacob. Everyone ate quite happily while James provided comedic material for most of the meal.
Joseph, however, couldn't help having the feeling that his new acquaintances' friendliness was detectably unnatural: They were trying too hard to be friendly and it showed. The occasional surreptitiously-taken stare at him didn't help much, either.
With dinner over and the dessert being eaten, the conversation turned to other topics:
"So how are things in Ponderosa, Mom?" Mirabelle asked her mother who sat opposite from her. As she waited for a reply, Mirabelle picked away at her fruitcake--the last glass of eggnog she had made her feel as heavy as a beached whale.
"Pretty much the same as ever," Nancy replied, with a slight shaking of her head. "When was Mirabelle going to learn to stop playing with her food?" she asked herself. "It is so unladylike," she mentally remarked. Giving up on her daughter, Nancy continued talking: "Wallace Matthews is thinking of opening a new bar... He got bored of the hunting and fishing thing. Mr. Johnson is still at his shop, arguing with passerby," she elaborated.
"How about Mrs. Herbert?" Mirabelle asked.
"She's fine, but she's still looking for a new tenant... Ponderosa isn't exactly crawling with renters," Nancy said then suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes," she said to Mirabelle," She left you a present. It's under the tree."
Mirabelle nodded. "What about Reverend Michaels?" she asked.
"It's odd," answered Nancy, "but he's been developing into a real fire and brimstoner. Some people say he's starting to isolate the parishoners with all his dogma."
"Oh well," replied Mirabelle, "I'll never go back there... At least not with him around." Mirabelle thought quietly for a moment then asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Well," said her mother, "James here is thinking of opening his own mechanic shop." Nancy looked towards James.
"You're kidding?" said Mirabelle as she too looked at him.
James, feeling their stares, turned from Sheryl (whom he was talking too) and asked his mother and sister, "What?" Getting no response he said, "I know you women can't keep your eyes off me, but we're family, after all."
Mirabelle replied, "Mom says you're planning to start your own business."
"Oh yeah," answered James. "Who would've imagined me making a business plan?" he asked Mirabelle. He put his arm around Sheryl then said, "It was Sheryl here who convinced me too." "Where would I be without you?" he asked her.
"I can imagine a couple of places," Sheryl answered with a devious look on her face, teasing him.
"Remember what I told you, James," Jacob said to his son as he eyed him to see if he had gotten the message.
"Yeah, I'm thinking it over," James replied as he looked Sheryl over. If only she knew what he was thinking.
"I guess that's everything, then, Mom," Mirabelle said to her mother, then looked around. "Michael," she said after turning to face him, "Maybe we should get going. The forecast was for a snowstorm later this evening. We had better leave soon or else we're going to get caught in it."
"Oh, that's right," Michael replied, remembering the news report they had listened to on their way to Ponderosa. "Let's get going," he said. They had little time to waste if they were going to beat the storm.
Michael, Mirabelle, and Joseph got ready to leave. Before leaving, however, Mirabelle found herself being called off to the side by her mother:
"I thought you might be wondering how Edward is doing?" Nancy asked her.
"Not really," answered a nonchalant Mirabelle. She didn't want to see him again.
"He wants to get back together with you," Nancy said without any preamble.
"What?" asked Mirabelle, with her eyes wide open in surprise. She couldn't believe it.
"He's visited us several times to tell us that he's realized he's made a big mistake and that he wants to marry you again, if you'd let him," Nancy revealed.
"What about everything that he said about me," Mirabelle asked her mother. "You remember the rumours and what he said about me when we went to his house," she reminded Nancy.
"He said that it was all a big mistake. That, of course, you couldn't have put out the fire," Nancy said to her daughter. "He said that he was just so distraught about almost losing his factory that he went a bit crazy, irrational. He's taken back everything he said about you," Nancy told her.
Mirabelle was stunned. "I don't know about this," she replied, "I have to think it over."
Her mother nodded then said, "Your father and I already approve. Edward was very sincere to us in his apology and I'm sure he'd be just as sincere to you."
"I have to think this over, Mom," Mirabelle answered, now confused.
"It is pretty shocking news," replied Nancy, "I want you to keep it in mind, Mirabelle."
Mirabelle nodded and then was on her way out to meet with Michael and Joseph.
