Epilogue – Christmas 2018
It was a packed audience. The twenty-eight-hundred seat Paramount Theater had standing room only for the city of Seattle’s premier Christmas Concert.
Mary and her family were in attendance having flown up from LAX as well as Annie’s family flying in from Paris. While in town they all stayed with Itsuki who still lived at their father’s old cottage in the woods of Seattle. As they sang and laughed and decorated the Christmas tree, Itsuki sat in Seth’s old wooden rocking chair by the roaring fire and watched his families joy, enhanced by the beautiful snowfall through the large picture window. Before they arrived Itsuki hung a sprig of mistletoe by the tree. While in the rocking chair he said,
“Ahem, excuse me guys” pointing upward to the magical stem.
Mary and Andrew, saw it and laughed and gave each other one gigantic kiss, as did Annie and Steve with the family cheering them on. Mary and Annie then came over to Itsuki and with a big embrace, both whispered,
“You remembered mom and dad’s basil.”
The heartwarming scene caused him to think back on the first time he saw the cottage and met Seth twenty-two Christmases ago. He was only five years old but the memories were clear. When Seth answered the door, he looked up at what seemed to be a giant. There was a big Christmas tree by the window and a friendly dog. After the lady left him with the giant man he started to cry. Seth held him is his arms and gently rocked him back and forth in the rocking chair until he felt safe enough to fall asleep. The two girls came home in their usual ruckus and once again he was afraid and began to cry. The taller girl took him by the hand to the kitchen table. She smiled and dried his tears as they shared cookies and milk together. The smaller girl slipped him a small teddy bear when no one was looking, so he wouldn’t be alone.
He peered through the curtains to the theater floor from back stage. Wow, it really is a full house.
When he was announced as the final and featured performer, he ran on stage wearing Annie’s ugly Holiday sweater and was greeted with a standing ovation from his hometown crowd. The other performers of the evening slowly assembled on stage and surrounded Itsuki, adding to the joyful applause and Holiday atmosphere.
“Merry Christmas Seattle” he yelled out as he took a seat on the bench of the black Steinway concert grand piano.
“Before I start, Jim, would you please turn up the house and stage lights?” The lights slowly flickered on.
“There, that’s great. I just wanted to see the glow in your beautiful faces. . .” The entire theater felt like one big family celebration of Christmas love. Looking around he saw his father Seth, seated in the front row with the rest of his family, sending him a smile and a wink.
The theater crowd fell silent with anticipation. Merry Christmas dad, I love you. With closed tearful eyes, Itsuki started the pianissimo to his opening song, The First Noel.
***MERRY CHRISTMAS***