A Christmas Tale

Boedlan and Carbenarge felt the cold terribly. They felt the damp even worse as their bones had grown old over the years. They sat, at ease with each other, staring at their small fire. Every so often one of them would raise their eyes from their labours and smile at the other. It was a smile of love, a smile of contentment and a smile of two people whose souls are totally at one with each other.

In the quieter months when the work did not take over their lives Carbenarge had said to Boedlan that she felt that true love was being able to read a book whilst in your partners company. Boedlan had understood without question. To be able to read because you were totally relaxed in the love that surrounded you, a love that did not need constant conversation to show interest. A love that was so deep that silence was truly golden.

At this time of year Boedlan and Carbenarge had little time to read. Whilst it was possible to do some of their preparations for Christmas in advance much of the work that they did had to be done at the last minute. It could only be carried out when true knowledge of what was required was known.

Boedlan lowered his eyes back to his efforts as, in perfect rhythm, Carbenarge raised hers, looked across at her partner and smiled. In the light of the fire flames she could see him as he used to be - young, vigorous and full of hope. 

The years had not been unkind to them but they both knew that their end was travelling toward them and gathering pace with each step.

“My goodness, is that the time?” said Carbenarge glancing toward the timepiece. “We should stop for now and get some rest. We have so much to do tomorrow”

“You go ahead,” said Boedlan, ‘I want to finish this tonight, there is a lot of pain to deal with here.”

“All right, but don’t you light another glowstick. It is plenty late enough and your eyes will suffer,” she said as she bent down to kiss his head.

Boedlan sat in the half-light his eyes moist with the knowledge he was grappling with. The fire was almost out as he rose and put the work to one side. He moved stiffly, each joint aching as the blood that had settled in his feet was forced to reluctantly make its way round his veins.

As he lay down next to Carbenarge and listened to her gently breathing he glowed with the feeling of how lucky he was to be with her, that they were still together. They hadn’t always been lucky, indeed many thought their lives tragic but it made them perfectly qualified for the job they had to do. As he closed his eyes he remembered the children. It was for them that they did their work.

As the sun rose so did they. After the briefest of pauses they were back in their chairs working. Sometimes it was easier in the sunlight to sort out the threads but sometimes the light made the finest so hard to see. With only one more day until Christmas Eve they knew what was needed.

Boedlan and Carbenarge’s work was hard, some thought the hardest, for their job was to create hope. A strong hope, a hope that could defeat the bleakest thoughts, a hope that could banish memories of sadness and loss. A hope that could fight off the awful loneliness that Christmas can bring for so many.

Boedlan and Carbenarge knew about loss, they knew it from that Christmas Eve when they had to face the fact that they had lost their child. An accident that had deprived them of hope, of belief, of memories, of everything it seemed.

It was as the clock struck midnight of that eve that they had stared at the bleakness of their lives and, holding hands, ended it all. Except they found it had not ended. They found themselves in a place where hope was made. A place where the sad find comfort in comforting others.

So now their work was creating hope to plant into the thoughts and dreams of those who face the lowest time over Christmas. Boedlan and Carbenarge have done it well, they have seen people brought back from the brink, rebuild their lives and smile again.

Now don’t think that Boedlan and Carbenarge put the thoughts of hope inside the head and souls of the suffering. No, they put it in the hearts and minds of their family, neighbours and community hoping that it is they that will reach out to the lonely and low in their midst.

Boedlan and Carbenarge’s work hard, very hard, and as they smile at each other as they labour they share one thought – that maybe, just maybe people will start doing their work for them without them needing to be reminded. So this Christmas perhaps we can make our own hope, our own kindness and our own generosity of spirit because Boedlan and Carbenarge’s are growing old and deserve our help.