by Dave Corrick
Chapter 21
A Magic Christmas for Louie and Lulu.
It was ten days before Christmas about 9.00 a.m. Louie and Lulu were at the Factory busy with the things the two bees were usually busy with.
Louie’s smell phone rang and it was Pearl. Pearl asked if Louie could come and see him urgently, there was something very important to discuss.
‘I can’t tell you over the phone’, said Pearl. ‘I need to see you without Lulu. Tell Lulu that I have an idea about a Christmas present for her, which is quite true. I think she would be over the moon with the idea I have but I need to discuss it with you first Louie’.
Louie agreed to go and see Pearl straight away and went to tell Lulu.
Louie went up to Lulu, who was deeply engrossed in some accounting stuff, and put his arm around her.
Lulu jumped. ‘Louie’, she said. ‘You gave me a fright!’
‘It’s alright Lulu, Pearl wants to see me. I can’t take you with me because it is something about a surprise for you at Christmas. Pearl sounds really excited. I won’t be too long. Phone me if you have any problems’.
‘Really Louie what sort of surprise?’ said Lulu trying to get it out of Louie as to what it might be.
‘Honestly I don’t know. Pearl hasn’t told me yet which is probably just as well. You would have made me tell and then it would no longer be a surprise!’ said Louie laughing.
‘Oh Louie I love surprises as long as they are nice ones’, said Lulu still a bit curious as to what was going on.
‘Don’t worry about that Lulu, Pearl thinks the world of you and I just know that there would be no nasty surprises you silly bee’.
‘Be carful Louie, please’, said Lulu.
‘I will’, said Louie. ‘I will probably only be half an hour’.
Louie gave Lulu a hug and headed off to see Pearl.
Half and hour later Lulu had a call from Louie on her smell phone.
‘Hello my bee’, said Louie. ‘I am going with Pearl to look at something. I am terribly excited. I can’t tell you anything yet. Just remember I love you and I will be about another hour’.
‘Louie why can’t you tell me?’ said Lulu.
‘It’s just so special’, said Louie. ‘I still need to go with Pearl and confirm delivery of your Christmas present. I don’t want to disappoint you if I can’t get it. I should be back in and hour Lulu. Don’t worry everything is alright’.
‘Please be back soon Louie, I miss you already’, said Lulu.
Lulu sat wondering what on earth it could be that was so special.
Louie was back within an hour as he had promised. Lulu could see he was excited by the ear to ear grin on his loveable bumblebee face.
‘I am so excited Lulu’, said Louie hardly able to contain himself. ‘I would love to tell you but you will have to wait until Christmas morning’.
‘Aw Louie’, said Lulu. ‘Can’t you just give me a clue? Please Louie’.
‘No’, said Louie. ‘You would never guess in a million years’.
Louie went over to Lulu and held her close to him and kissed her. Lulu looked up at Louie with her big brown eyes pleading Louie to tell her. ‘Just be patient Lulu’, said Louie. ‘It is only ten days to Christmas now’.
‘One other thing Lulu’, Louie’s grin had turned to a serious sort of frown. ‘I have to do some special little things at home between now and Christmas, you are not to look in the spare room until I tell you to on Christmas morning!’
Lulu could tell by the serious but excited look on Louie’s face that it was indeed something special.
‘Alright my bee’, said Lulu. ‘I will do what I am told!’
Louie and Lulu laughed and went and joined the Ten Ants for morning tea.
In the days leading up to Christmas, Louie was busy doing things in the evening in the spare room. Lulu could tell he was making something but she had no idea what it could be. There was quite a bit of banging and hammering at times along with a bit of cursing and swearing when things weren’t going too well for Louie.
Lulu was excited. She was very tempted to have a peep in the spare room but she knew that Louie would be very hurt if she did.
With two nights to go before Christmas, Louie had finished all the banging, hammering, cursing and swearing in the spare room. The couple could really relax now as the Factory was closed for two weeks until after New Year. They didn’t have to think about going to work in the morning.
Louie and Lulu sat outside on the deck. It was quite warm, in fact it was a beautiful summers’ evening. The sky was flooded with red as the sun went down
Lulu kept on teasing Louie about the secret Christmas present but Louie wasn’t telling.
‘Tell you what’, said Louie. ‘Let’s go through the tunnel and the quartz to the town and see what it’s like just before Christmas. It might stop you needling me about your Christmas present!’
Lulu laughed, ‘What a good idea, let’s go now, we might be able to do some good for the people’.
Louie went and got his Beehive Matches for the tunnel and the pair took off.
It was quite a thrill flying along the stream in the red glow from the sunset.
Louie lit the beeswax candles along the tunnel and on they went to the quartz.
‘Race you through’, said Lulu but Louie was too quick for her. Louie had been caught out by Lulu before. This time he was prepared and emerged in the village just ahead of Lulu.
Louie and Lulu climbed high above the village and circled overhead. The beautiful big blue wings they had now they were in the nymph like form somehow went with the theme of Christmas.
Below them there were lots of people out and about doing their Christmas shopping. A brass band played Christmas Carols in the square.
Also in the square was a large beautifully decorated Christmas tree. The Christmas tree lights had just come on and seemed to be flashing in time to the band playing the Christmas Carols.
In the distance Louie and Lulu could see the city, far away as a blaze of lights on the horizon.
‘Isn’t it magic Louie’, said Lulu after taking it all in.
‘Oh it really is Lulu’, said Louie. ‘It really was a good idea to come and have a look’.
Louie and Lulu flew over the houses that surrounded the town area.
‘I somehow feel like Santa Claus flying above the houses like this’, said Lulu laughing and uttering a couple of ‘Ho Ho Ho’s’
‘Aw look at that down there’, said Louie pointing. ‘Look at those idiots graffiti-ing that fence’.
There below them sure enough, were two youths with paint spray cans ruining some poor innocent victim’s fence.
‘Right’, said Louie. ‘Let’s go down and do some good here. Lulu you merge with the one on the left and I will take the other’.
The pair dived, fists outstretched in front of them glowing blue.
Once they had merged Louie said. ‘Really Lulu you do look a right plonker with that cap on back to front or maybe you have got your head on back to front!’
Lulu laughed ‘By the way you speak Louie you sound as though you have just graduated from kindergarten. Besides what are you wearing a hood for on a warm summers’ evening like this? Have you got a head cold or something you poor lamb!’
‘By what I am finding’, said Louie. ‘I really wonder if my host has even got a brain. There seems to be nobody at home here!’
‘Well’, said Lulu laughing, ‘It goes with how you look!’
‘What I suggest’, said Louie. ‘Let’s decorate ourselves for Christmas with these spray cans! I am sure our hosts would appreciate it!’
Louie and Lulu just about emptied the spray cans by covering each other with paint. It was all over their clothes, in their hair and even filled their shoes! It was great fun.
‘I’ve got an idea’, said Lulu. ‘I know my name, phone number and address. Why don’t we put this information on the fence! After all, an artist should let people know who th
ey are and sign their work!’
‘Brilliant Lulu, let’s do it’, said Louie impressed with Lulu’s smart thinking.
Louie and Lulu carefully added the information to the fence.
‘There that will do’, said Louie. ‘That was a great idea Lulu. I doubt if these guys will do it again’.
‘I’ve got another idea Lulu’, said Louie, feeling quite mischievous by now. ‘Let’s go and knock on the door of the owner and own up to what we have done! Then we can demerge from these two dudes and leave it up to the owner!’
Lulu laughed. ‘Come on Louie let’s do it’.
Louie and Lulu marched up to the door of the owner‘s house and knocked. The door was opened by a burly looking man who was obviously annoyed at being taken away from watching his favourite TV program.
‘I am awfully sorry sir’, said Louie, ‘but we have just graffitied your fence’.
The owner just burst out laughing at what he saw in front of him, he couldn’t contain himself, was it Christmas or was it Halloween!
‘Quick demerge now’, said Louie.
Louie and Lulu flew back up into the sky and left the psychedelic paint soaked youths to the wrath of the owner.
Louie and Lulu circled again high above the town. It took awhile to bring their laughter under control! It was truly wonderful flying in the near dark with the Christmas lights and the carol singing below them in the village.
‘Let’s go and sit in the square again for awhile and watch’, said Louie. Lulu agreed.
The pair landed in front of the Christmas tree and lay for awhile watching the lights and the people. The sky was black overhead now. Stars were shining and there was a full moon rising in the east behind the village church spire.
Lulu noticed it first. There was a lone woman sitting on a bench under the Christmas tree. She was crying. Something was very wrong.
‘I wonder what is wrong’, said Louie.
‘What I will do is go and merge with her’, said Lulu. ‘I should be able to find out what is troubling her. You stay here Louie and I will come back to you shortly’.
‘Be careful Lulu’, said Louie.
Lulu merged with the woman and stayed with her for about five minutes. Lulu demerged and headed back to Louie.
‘Louie’, said Lulu. ‘It is so sad. Her husband is dying of cancer. Her name is Dorothy Ashton. She is sitting in front of the Christmas tree because it reminds her of better times in the past when her husband was well’.
‘All sorts of thoughts are going through her mind’, Lulu continued. ‘She is thinking of her children when they were young and how they all had a good time as a family. The children have all moved away now and she is so alone’.
Lulu sat down beside Louie. ‘Apparently her husband has been in a coma for the last ten days and is in the village hospice, just a short distance from here. She is missing him terribly especially now that it is Christmas. Do you think there is anything we can do Louie?’
Louie thought for awhile. He thought about all the things that Pearl had taught them. ‘Yes said Louie, maybe there is. First of all I suggest that you go and remerge with the woman and then walk to the hospice’.
Louie thought some more then said. ‘I will follow and think about it while you walk there. I have got a plan’.
Lulu merged with the woman and started walking to the hospice. Lulu could feel her legs as being very tired. It was quite an effort to walk, there was no strength. The will to do anything seemed to be overwhelmed with despair. Louie flew above thinking about what they might do.
Lulu could feel everything that Dorothy Ashton felt. Lulu passed happy people shopping and laughing. Lulu could see it and feel it too but to Mrs Ashton it was just a blur.
Lulu arrived at the hospice. It was shut.
‘What do I do now?’ said Lulu.
‘Lulu, knock on the door and ask to see your husband’, said Louie. ‘Then go to him and I will follow’.
Lulu knocked on the door and a pleasant nurse answered. ‘Hello Mrs Ashton, have you come to see your husband?’
‘Yes I have’, said Lulu.
The nurse ushered Lulu in and took her to the bedside of Mr Ashton. Louie followed close behind.
The nurse put an arm around Lulu (Mrs Ashton) and said. ‘I am so sorry Mrs Ashton; your husband is very frail now. Feel free to stay with him as long as you want. I know it is so hard for you at this time of the year. Just call me if you want anything’.
The nurse scurried off to attend to other patients. Lulu sat down beside Mr Ashton. Indeed Mr Ashton was very ill. He lay very still. There was an occasional spasm from his poor cancer ravaged body. He was dying.
‘What now Louie?’ said Lulu.
‘I am going to try and take him back in time with my left fist’, said Louie. ‘It should work because he is still living. It’s similar to what I did with you Lulu when you were hit by the car’.
Louie clenched his left fist. It was glowing blue. He held the fist close to Mr Ashton so the blue aura touched.
Sure enough, Mr Ashton started to change. His previously painfully thin form filled out and he started to look healthy again. It was a miracle. The previously sunken eyes were now coming back to normal and flickered open. He sat up. He was confused as to where he was.
While Mr Ashton was sitting up in a dazed state, Louie continued the process of taking Mr Ashton back in time a little further. Louie hoped that by doing this Mr Ashton could go back to a totally cancer free state again. Louie had to be careful he didn’t go back too far. Coming back into reality with a memory that applied several years ago could put him into a state of shock.
Louie stopped and said to Lulu. ‘Demerge now Lulu and let’s watch what happens’.
Lulu demerged and left Mrs Ashton sitting by the bed. Louie and Lulu moved carefully to one side of the room.
Mrs Ashton was confused as was Mr Ashton. Was it just a dream thought Mrs Ashton? The pair sat and looked at each other for a moment.
‘Is that really you Harold?’ said Mrs Ashton.
‘Yes it is, it really is’, said Harold Ashton, touching himself and looking around in disbelief. ‘Dorothy what am I doing here?’
Mrs Ashton couldn’t believe it. She clutched her hands to her face, it wasn’t a dream and Harold seemed to be completely normal again!
‘Nurse, nurse!’ cried Mrs Ashton ‘Harold is alright!’
Mrs Ashton embraced her beloved husband and held him close with tears streaming down her face.
Louie and Lulu left discretely and headed back to the square. They sat on the grass again for awhile to think about what had happened.
‘Oh well-done Louie’, said Lulu, ‘that was just marvellous, I wish I could hug you but I can’t!’
‘Amazing wasn’t it’, said Louie. ‘I have no idea if Mr Ashton will stay healthy. As time goes forward he may get cancer again. It could be in his genes in which case we can do nothing about it. The process will just repeat itself again. The main thing is’, said Louie brightly. ‘Dorothy and Harold Ashton will be together for this Christmas’.
Louie and Lulu lay on the grass for awhile longer watching the lights flashing on the giant Christmas tree.
‘I can’t help thinking Lulu’, said Louie as they lay on the grass together. ‘Pearl has taught us so much since we found the ability to go through the quartz. I never thought much about the human society up until now. They were just there, we did our thing and they did theirs. As Pearl said it is something we are going to have to watch so we can protect our own community. I have been so naive and complacent about a lot of things’.
‘No you haven’t been naïve and complacent’, said Lulu. ‘But there is a lot to think about’.
‘Enough of this thinking stuff!’ said Louie brightening up. ‘Let’s go home, we have done our good deeds for the day, besides I want that hug you can’t give me while we are here Lulu!’
‘Race you to the wall’, said Lulu.
The pair headed for the quar
tz wall at the bank and through they went.
‘There that took your mind off asking about your Christmas present all the time’, said Louie as they walked back up the tunnel.
‘Sorry Louie, I promise I won’t ask again. After all it is only one day to go now!’
‘Aw Lulu, I am just teasing you. What have you got me for Christmas?’
‘Not telling’, said Lulu coyly and held Louie close to her.
The pair walked with their arms around each other back up the tunnel. They felt very happy with what they had achieved.
Of course all good things come to those who wait. Christmas morning duly arrived.
Lulu woke first and shouted in a whisper. ‘Louie! Louie! It’s Christmas morning. Can I go and look at my present now, please, please can I?’
‘What’s the time? Is it time to go to the Factory yet?’ said Louie rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pretending he didn’t know that it was Christmas morning.
‘It’s six, it’s Christmas morning, can I go and look at my present now?’ said Lulu sensing that Louie might be teasing her.
‘What present?’ said Louie trying to act surprised.
Louie laughed and reached out and pulled Lulu close to him. ‘Sorry Lulu I am just teasing you. I know it is Christmas day and there is a very very special present for you. Your present is arriving at seven’, said Louie.
‘What!’ said Lulu giving Louie a friendly smack. ‘What’s in the spare room that I haven’t been allowed to look at then?’
‘All will be revealed’ said Louie. ‘Go and make a cup of TG Tips then we will go out on the deck and wait’.
‘Aw Louie’, said Lulu. ‘What are you trying to do to me, I have hardly slept with excitement all night and now I find my present isn’t even here yet!’
‘Just be patient my bee. Go and make that cup of TG Tips, it’s not long now’.
Poor Lulu, this was getting even more mysterious. Lulu could tell Louie was excited, so after a sigh of frustration she did as he bid.
Out on the deck, the sun could just be seen coming up in the east.
‘Come and sit beside me Lulu and wait’, said Louie.
Lulu snuggled up beside Louie and held him close. It was just coming up to 7.00 a.m. This was the time of course Louie had promised something would happen.
‘What are you up to Louie?’ said Lulu. ‘This really is most mysterious’.
‘Sh Sh Sh listen’, said Louie.
‘What?’ said Lulu trying to hear something but couldn’t. Then Lulu heard it. A fluttering sound she had heard before but couldn’t think what it was.
The fluttering sound was getting closer.
Suddenly out of the early morning sky, in fluttered a beautiful moth. Indeed it was Pearl Baker-Moth. She was carrying beneath her one of Louie’s bracken baskets. ‘What could it be?’, thought Lulu.
Pearl alighted gracefully on the deck and smiled. ‘Happy Christmas you two. Louie you take the basket, let’s go inside. Lulu you don’t have to wait anymore!’
Inside, Pearl put her arms around Lulu and then said to Louie. ‘Louie show Lulu what’s in the basket’.
Louie held the basket out to show Lulu. ‘They are for us Lulu’, said Louie softly, looking directly at Lulu and smiling.
Inside the basket were two very small beautiful baby bees. They were barely two weeks old. They lay on their backs waving their little legs while making happy little squeaks that only baby bees happen to make.
‘Oh Pearl, Louie my dearest Louie are they really ours?’ Lulu was jumping up and down clutching her hands to her face. She hugged Louie, then Pearl, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t believe the beautiful sight that she beheld in the basket that Pearl had brought.
Lulu fell to her knees in front of the basket again clutching her hands to her face.
‘You beautiful creatures’, said Lulu. ‘I love you’.
The two little bees were squeaking louder now and Lulu reached into the basket and picked one up. She clutched it to herself closely. The wee mite reached out. It sensed somehow Lulu was its mother.
Lulu carefully picked up the other one and held them both together. They were so tiny yet they had the most perfect little yellow and black stripes. Louie and Pearl stood back and watched.
‘I think she likes them Louie’, said Pearl and gave Louie a hug.
‘Oh yes Pearl’, Louie responded. ‘Thank you so much for what you have done’.
Lulu cried softly and held the wee bees close to her for awhile. Then she put them back in the basket and turned to Louie and Pearl.
‘You have no idea what this means to me’, said Lulu now sobbing again. ‘They are just the most wonderful two wee bees I have ever seen; I can’t believe they are ours’.
Pearl went over to Lulu and put her arm around her. ‘Yes they officially belong to you and Louie. It has all been arranged’.
‘Come and sit down for a moment Lulu’, said Pearl gently.
‘A couple of weeks ago, the mother was killed on the road. Strangely enough very close to where Louie saved you. These two, a male and a female, were fortunately found and taken to the medical centre. Dr Wong has been looking after them for the past ten days and has made sure they were fit and healthy. The day they were found I phoned Louie as I knew how disappointed you felt after knowing you couldn’t have baby bees yourself.
‘Louie and I agreed for them to stay at the medical centre so that it could be a surprise for you today Lulu. Louie just fell in love with them straight away. Louie naturally insisted that it be arranged so that you and Louie are the parents. All the documentation has been arranged by Moore, Payper and Staff. So yes they are yours to love and cherish Lulu’.
Pearl was fighting back the tears now!
‘What a right lot we are’, said Pearl. ‘We shouldn’t be crying we should be laughing and be happy!’
‘Lulu’, said Louie almost forgetting. ‘Come and look in the spare room’.
Louie took Lulu to the spare room where Lulu had been dying to have a peep for the past week or so.
There it was. Louie had built a cradle out of bracken for the two baby bees. On it were tiny little sheets cut out of white lilies. There was a red rose petal on top.
‘Oh Louie that’s just so wonderful, I had no idea. Let me go and get the babies and put them in the cradle’.
Lulu first of all hugged Louie as tight as she could then went and got the two baby bees. The little ones squeaked with delight as Lulu laid them carefully in the cradle.
‘Let’s celebrate’, said Louie. ‘Will you stay for breakfast with us Pearl?’
‘Love to’, said Pearl wiping her eyes and laughing.
‘Right you two go out on the deck and talk baby stuff while I get some glasses of nectar’.
The three relaxed and talked about the wonderful moment for an hour or so. Lulu had to keep going in to check the little bees every five minutes.
Louie made breakfast. The sun by now was shining; it was the most perfect Christmas morning.
Half way through breakfast Lulu jumped up and said, ‘Louie my poor Louie, I forgot about your Christmas present!’
Lulu rushed inside and came out with a beautifully wrapped parcel for Louie. Inside was a new pair of yellow and black striped shorts that Lulu had spent hours making. The stripes perfectly matched Louie’s own stripes. The shorts were of course made from the finest spider silk.
‘I can’t match what you and Pearl have done’, said Lulu starting to sob a little.
‘Don’t be silly Lulu’, said Louie. ‘Look at the hours you have spent making these shorts for me’.
Louie went back inside and came back with another parcel. This time it was for Pearl.
What Louie had done was get a small piece of quartz from the tunnel. Louie had polished it and mounted it on a rosewood base.
Being quartz from the tunnel it glowed blue when any of the three held it. On the base Louie had inscribed.
Happy Christmas Pearl<
br />
Thank you for all you have done for us
Love Louie and Lulu
‘Oh thank you Louie and Lulu. That is just so beautiful. I will treasure it for ever. You two make me so so happy’. Pearl wiped away a tear as she held the quartz close and it glowed blue.
Louie, Lulu and Pearl sat outside on the deck for the remainder of the morning, reminiscing about what had happened over the past year. Pearl laughed about the episode that Louie and Lulu had with the graffiti “experts” just before Christmas and was so pleased with what they had been able to do for Mrs Ashton.
Pearl headed back to her apartment about midday. Louie and Lulu doted over the two new additions to the family for the rest of the afternoon. Lulu frequently picked up the precious little bundles and held them close to her. The joy of being a mother, that she thought she had lost, had been returned to her!
By evening the two little bees had names. They were now to be known as ‘Tiger’ and ‘Lily’!
When Louie and Lulu were in bed late that evening Lulu said, ‘I think Tiger looks just like you Louie’.
‘You think so Lulu, the poor little chap!’ Louie didn’t duck in time to miss a friendly smack from Lulu.
Lulu had moved the cradle into the room beside the bed so she could be near Tiger and Lily. Tiger and Lily were already sound asleep.
Lulu climbed out of bed and bent over the two little bees. There was a little snuffling sound coming from each of them. The tiny little partly formed wings were neatly folded down their backs. She marvelled at how their wings could be so small. They looked like little angels.
Lulu stroked the tiny little heads and just looked at them in disbelief that they belonged to her and Louie.
Soon all four were sound asleep. The moon was overhead just as it had been when Louie and Lulu were in the cave for their honeymoon. I think the Man in the Moon had a smile on his face once again!
