Dana Bowman digging in her bag for Christmas presents?
Christmas is near and fraternal twins and private investigators Dana Bowman and Bast Overture, along with Dana’s seven-year old son David are gearing up for the big C – Christmas. But as we all know and have experienced, Christmas doesn’t usually go as planned.
Scene: Christmas Eve in the Bowman/Overture household.
Dana; Okay, David that’s enough peeking under the tree. Bedtime.
David: Aw, Mommy…
Dana: Come on, upstairs to bed so Santa can come down the chimney and surprise you with toys.
David: I want to surprise him and say “hello” and “thank you” when he arrives.
Bast comes into the living room: And help him eat the cookies too.
David: No, Uncle Bast. Well, maybe if he can’t eat them all. He is kind of fat you know.
David moves over to the mantle, gets down on his hands and knees and peers up the chimney.
Dana: David, what are you doing?
David: Checking to see if Santa can make it down the chimney or get stuck.
Dana: Really, David. That is part of the magic of Christmas.- Santa can always get in but you have to go to bed first or he won’t come.
David: But Mommy, I’m really worried he won’t be able to get down our chimney.
Dana, throws up her arms: David, he will get in.
Bast, goes over to David and crouches down to his level: Okay, David, looks like we’ll have to let you in on a little secret. If for some reason, and I’m just saying “if” Santa can’t make it down the chimney, we always leave the front door unlocked so he can come in that way.
Dana: Bast? Safety.
Bast: Shh.
David: Okay, Uncle Bast. Let’s unlock the door then?
Bast: Already done.
David: Can I just check? It might be stuck.
Bast looks at Dana and shrugs. Dana nods.
Bast: Okay, but then it’s up to bed with you. Promise.
David: I promise.
There is a knock on the door.
David jumps up: It’s Santa. He’s early.
All three rush to the door. Dana checks the small window.
Dana: Oh, no. And it is definitely not Santa. I guess we’ll have to let her in. Well, folks we have an extra Christmas guest, it seems.
Dana opens the door: Hello, Great Aunt Doris. I thought you would be spending Christmas with you nephew, Ron.
Doris: He seems to have plans, although he didn’t tell me what they are.
Bast: Well, I guess you better come in.
Doris: Hmm, still here, I see. I thought you would have moved out by now. This is the Bowman family home and should be Ron’s.
Dana: Now, Aunt Doris, you are quite welcome to spend Christmas with us but you have to be civil to us.
David: What’s civil?
Doris: Hello David, Merry Christmas. I guess we better do as your mother says and be nice to each other – that’s what civil means. After all it is Christmas.
Doris enters the house. Bast takes her coat and hat and puts them in the closet. Dana shrugs her shoulders and whispers: What else could I do.
David: Don’t lock the door. We leave it unlocked for Santa.
Doris: Young man, doesn’t Santa come down the chimney?
David: He’s fat and might get stuck.
Doris: Oh, I see. Good thinking, young man.
There is another knock at the door,
David: It’s Santa, this time.
David beats them all to the door and pulls it open. On the steps stands a young man in jeans, windbreaker and a toque. In his hand he holds a bunch of wrapped presents.
David: Daddy. You made it for Christmas.
Ron: Well, that is what you and I planned.
Dana groans. Bast sighs. Aunt Doris smiles and says, Merry Christmas. Now this family is all together for Christmas.
We will leave the Bowman/Overture family to celebrate Christmas, keeping in mind Dana and Ron are divorced. Ron has been an absent father. Aunt Doris doesn’t like Bast because he is gay. And Aunt Doris has a bad habit of not only landing on Dana’s doorstep uninvited, but she tends to stay and stay and stay.
If you want to read more about another of Aunt Doris’ never-ending visits amidst murder and other nasty deeds, you an read about it all in my latest Beyond mystery, the novel Beyond Blood. The link to info about that is on the book cover below.
And on behalf of Dana and the Beyond gang and me, too, I want to wish all of you a joyful and peaceful (as much as possible) holiday season however you spend it.
Just make sure Santa doesn’t get stuck in your chimney.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
The latest Beyond book in the series
Sharon A. Crawford author 