Christmas Jack-o'-Lantern

by Subhajit Waugh

  Minutes seemed like hours. Beelzebub had become dumb with tension.

  Devil’s men arrived with Snegurochka and Mrs. Santa.

  “Allow them a safe passage to our camp” Jack ordered Beelzebub.

  Jack turned his head and addressed Snegurochka and Mrs. Santa “Both of you, rush to that horse carriage. And don’t stop till you reach our camps safely”.

  The two ladies ran towards the carriage and within seconds, the carriage disappeared from view.

  “Now leave my boss, please” Beelzebub pleaded to Jack.

  “Not so fast” Jack said, “There is still something left –the upper part of the scepter of Elf-land. I’ll leave peacefully as soon as I get it back”.

  “My master will be reduced to ashes by then” Beelzebub pleaded “I am sending someone to fetch it immediately” Beelzebub almost broke in a sob “…Pleeasee remove your hand now”.

  “Well then, send it through someone to our camp. I trust you”. Jack removed his hand, holding the silver crucifix in his palm. He kissed the crucifix and put it back in his pocket “and meanwhile….” Jack spoke as he waved the parchment over the flame of his Jack-o-Lantern “…this is for our safe passage”.

  * * *

  When Jack and Barbarossa approached their own camps, Barbarossa said “It was lucky that you found Beelzebub’s contract parchment from Devil’s robe. Otherwise what might have happened?”

  “Lucky?! Huh!” Jack snapped. He took out the parchment from his pocket and unrolled it “I don’t even know why Devil kept it close to his heart. It has been stamped EXPIRED. See…” Jack said. Then rolling back the parchment quickly, Jack laughed and said “and besides this isn’t Beelzebub’s. I don’t even know who this Dr. Faust is!”

  Barbarossa stared at Jack’s face in amazement and disbelief.

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  Chapter 53

  Coronation

  Jack was the chief guest of honor at the crowning ceremony of ‘Makarios Ameer’, now acknowledged the ‘blessed prince of Elf-land’.

  Jack had not recovered yet from the deep trauma of witnessing the burning alive of his faithful ‘Moily’. He was yet to come out from his phase of intense grief. Jack had refused to attend this ceremony, but Makarios Ameer’s messenger had pressed hard “the ceremony will be meaningless to Makarios without your presence”.

  With his mind filled with grief amidst all the excitement and joy around him, Jack walked along the red velvety carpet, leading to the elevated throne of Elf-land.

  Jack walked towards the throne with a burdened mind. He tripped on his own robe and fell on the carpet, arousing a brief and suppressed laughter. He got off quickly, and dusting off the imaginary dirt from his robe, he proceeded towards Makarios’ throne.

  Jack bowed down to ‘Makarios’ and held out the other half of the scepter. “Your majesty, I have succeeded in fetching this. Let this bring everlasting peace to Elf-land. Let harmony and prosperity reign in Elf-land”.

  Makarios took the broken scepter in his hand with deep gratitude and said “Didn’t I say that this ceremony would have been meaningless without your auspicious presence?” Makarios pulled out the other half from his possession. Then he playfully joined them together to get a glimpse of how the scepter originally looked. The two pieces fitted together properly, with only a crack mark visible.

  To the utter disbelief of all viewers, a bluish flame ignited spontaneously along the crack line. The flame started wrapping itself over the scepter like a snake. And then the flame turned golden yellow, then crimson red and finally violet.

  Slowly, the flame faded away and the scepter started glowing bright green in Makarios’s hand.

  When the glow faded away, the old scepter had turned shining new, and the diamond sparkled brilliantly. And, to the utter wonder of all the courtiers, the scepter had joined into one piece!

  “Long live the blessed prince!” the crowd shouted, “Glory to our motherland!”

  Makarios sat down on the throne and signaled the crowd to silence.

  “Please maintain silence,” the court herald announced “His majesty, ‘Makarios Ameer’ wish to make a short speech”.

  Makarios Ameer rose up “I shall make my speech very short. Here it goes…there are no Dark Elves and no Light Elves. We are all Elves”.

  His announcement was enthusiastically cheered and supported by the gathering.

  “I am not at all ashamed, but feel proud to say that the bloods of both ‘dark elf’ and ‘light elf’ are running in my veins” Makarios announced “This was a part of the prophecy. And after what happened just now, in front of all of you, I have started believing it seriously myself”.

  Another round of cheering erupted, louder than previous one.

  “Would you like to say something, dear Jack?” Makarios asked suddenly.

  Jack was not prepared for a speech and was caught on the wrong foot. He hesitated and stood dumbstruck. He looked confused and unable to decide what to say.

  “I am deeply grateful to elf-land for the hospitality it provided to me in times of dire need” Jack delivered his impromptu public speech “I am deeply grateful to late ‘Martini’ and his band of secret rebels for putting their faith and trust to me. I am lucky to see the birth of this new nation. All of you shall remain in my heart forever, especially my faithful ‘Moily’ who proved his loyalty through the ultimate test”. Jack gave out a deep sigh.

  The entire coronation hall fell silent, and they prayed silently for ‘Moily’.

  “I express my deepest gratitude towards Martini” Jack continued “and towards elf-land for providing me brave elf warriors to fight in my cause”. The entire hall resonated with cheers and clappings.

  Later on, Makarios held the scepter and announced “I have already granted a princely sum of money for the refurnishing and renovation of our parliament. I swear that I shall carry on my duties in accordance to decisions of our parliament. All decisions shall be the decisions of the common Elves”.

  Instantly his speech was drowned amidst booming clapping and cheers.

  When the violent cheering subsided, Makarios continued “I am deeply grateful to Jack-o’-Halloween, who has made all this possible. And now, Jack wants to place the crown on my head with his own hands”.

  Jack stepped forward, and took the crown from the priest, who was holding it on a golden tray. Jack held the crown high for all to see.

  The priest anointed Makarios’s hairs and forehead with holy oil and sprinkled holy water from the thermal spring of Iceland. Then Jack placed the scepter gently on Makarios’s head.

  The grand hall reverberated with “Long lives the divine king!” “God bless our monarch!”

  The high priest offered a cupful of sacred beverage, which Makarios finished off in one gulp.

  Amidst flourish of trumpets, blowing of conches, incantations and ritual deeds of assembled priests and high-elves, the coronation was over.

  Makarios rose up from his throne and said “Kneel down Jack”.

  Jack obeyed gracefully.

  Makarios drew the royal sword from his sheath and tapped gently on Jack’s shoulders. “I grant you the ‘Elf-cross’, the highest honor of Elf-land for true heroism. Now rise up Jack”.

  Jack rose up on his feet and announced loudly “I feel greatly honored. I thank entire Elf-land for the honor it has conferred on me”. Jack addressed Makarios “Your majesty, I beg your permission to leave now”.

  “Won’t you stay for the royal feast?” Makarios asked. “Won’t you reconsider your decision to leave immediately?” Makarios almost begged.

  “I deeply regret for being unable to stay for some more time” Jack replied apologetically “But I must attend Christmas party in Korvatunturi in two weeks. And before that I’ll have to visit my native ‘Halloween village” and also go to India to meet my wife. My flying ‘Vimana’ carriage awaits me”.

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  Chapter 54

  Hallowmas

  Jack was we
lcomed with laurel wreath crown in Halloween village. Even in his absence, the villagers had decorated his locked, old wooden mansion with Jack-o’-Lanterns from outside. Decorated Jack-o’-lanterns were hanging on the doorway of every house. They had crowned the Jack-o’-lanterns with laurel leaves.

  In India, Jack was welcomed by his ghost-bride with ‘Jack-o’-Lantern’. The whole campus of tree houses was lighted with Halloween lanterns. Jack wondered whether it is seed of Halloween tradition in India.

  “You have come back to me after such a long time” Jack’s wife said with a deep grudge “You think I’ll allow you to leave so soon on the pretext of attending some silly party?”

  Despite all his wife’s efforts to delay his departure, Jack was barely able to reach ‘Christmas village’ in Korvatunturi just in time. His closest friend Barbarossa had also come directly from Halloween village.

  The Christmas party was being held in the community theatre, located at the center of the village. The theatre hall was dimly lit with candles.

  Jack was very special guest at Christmas party. Mrs. Santa Claus warmly welcomed him, while Mr. Santa Claus seemed offended at Jack. In Mrs. Santa’s eyes, he was the greatest hero. But Mr. Santa looked at him with a mixed feeling of gratitude and regret. Jack wondered what might have gone wrong between them so soon.

  “Thank you so much for rescuing my old wife” Mr. Santa said with a grumpy tone.

  Jack was clueless at Mr. Santa Claus’s cold emotionless face and his complaining tone, while Mrs. Santa reacted like an angry cat on hearing ‘old wife’. She snapped at her husband “you should be drowned under gratitude to him” and pulled his white beard so hard that he screamed “oouuch!” The assembled stared speechlessly at them. And it instantly became clear to Jack that Mr. Santa might not be very happy at him for getting back his henpecking wife.

  “What was that for?” Mr. Santa protested to his wife, while still fondling his beard. He turned to Jack helplessly and pleaded, “Why don’t you say something to her?”

  Jack had no wish to be drawn into this husband-wife love affair. Wishing to get away from this after effects of his brave rescue act, he fumbled “Er...you needn’t have checked madam…he is not wearing a false beard”.

  “Oh thanks for your clarification” Mr. Santa Claus reacted harshly at Jack. Mrs. Santa hid her smile, clenched her fist, tightened her knuckles and said, “Sometimes I get a compulsive urge to check whether my old man wears a false teeth set”.

  Mr. Santa Claus hid his jaws in his palms in panic, while Jack wished them a ‘happy married life’ and quickly disappeared among the festive crowd.

  Jack headed towards the gathering where Mr. ‘Jack Frost’ was performing a live show.

  Mr. ‘Jack Frost’ was entertaining the viewers by tapping the window glass with his wand and leaving fern shaped frost patterns. He blew out from his mouth, sending a shivering chill across the entire hall and nipping the nose & toes of the gathering. He looked very carefree and happy while demonstrating his mischievous tricks. It was difficult to guess his age: his faced looked like a teenager while he had long white beard like an old man.

  “That trick was good,” a skeptic looking man said scornfully “but not so impressive”.

  Mr. Jack Frost felt offended. “Is this impressive?” he said, and with a wave of his wand he covered the person with snow. There was an instant laughter from the viewers.

  Ded Moroz watched ‘Jack Frost’ with deep scorn; as if he was watching some fraud cheating the gathered fools with his third rate magic. And he was almost mad with jealousy and anger when Mr. ‘Jack Frost’ turned a bucket of water into ice-block with a touch of with wand and the crowd cheered. And then Mr. ‘Jack Frost’ played his trump card. He pointed his wand outside through the open window at the fir & spruce forest. And with a wave of his wand he set the forest in flames: the green forest turned into autumnal foliage of orange, yellow, brown and reddish colors.

  Ded Moroz could bear no longer as if it was a deep insult to him. Ded Moroz spotted out Jack among the clapping and admiring viewers of Mr. ‘Jack Frost’, and instantly he pounced upon Jack.

  Ded Moroz forcibly pulled Jack aside by his sleeves and took him to a corner. He shook hands with Jack. “I am deeply grateful” Ded Moroz said to Jack “for rescuing my granddaughter Snegurochka. She is everything to me; my whole world”.

  Without even waiting for Jack’s response, Ded Moroz snapped “Now tell me: do you think those cheap tricks were worth clapping and cheering?”

  Jack fumbled some reply.

  “Of course not!” Ded Moroz replied himself. “He changed a bucket of water to ice” Ded Moroz tapped the floor with his silver staff “But I can freeze an entire lake to solid ice”.

  “Of course. Of course!” Jack asserted. He was feeling uneasy to fall right into the grip of Ded Moroz, after somehow coming out of Mr. Santa’s grasp. From the freezing ice-sheet to the freezing water!

  Mr. Ded Moroz caught hold of Jack firmly his hand. “He merely covered that person in snow” Ded Moroz said, “that what he can do-a mere mischief”. Ded Moroz brought his mouth near Jack’s ear and whispered “But I can freeze a person to death. And out of gratitude for what you have done for me, I’ll teach you how to mercilessly freeze a person to a slow and painful death”.

  Jack broke free from Moroz’s grasp and fled to another corner.

  Then came the big surprise!

  Kris Kindl, the fairy like Christmas-child, with angelic wings and golden blond hairs, also emerged out of the side-room, where he had been waiting secretly. His monster companion ‘Hans Trapp’ accompanied him.

  La Befana, the ‘mother of all children of Italy’ ran and hugged Kris Kindl tightly. She started weeping. Then she wiped her tears and said “Such a cute child. You remind me of my own son”.

  A few minutes later, Mr. Santa Claus and Ded Moroz took a center position, holding each other’s hands as a gesture of friendship, and announced, “We wish to make an important joint speech”.

  Mr. Santa began “Today at this auspicious occasion of-“

  “Let me speak first” Ded Moroz interrupted and cut short Mr. Santa’s speech instantly. Without even looking at Santa’s face, he announced further “To keep territorial conflict among us to a minimum, we have decided to carve out a buffer territory comprising regions of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, and Belgium, along the border of our own territories. Here it is…”. He pulled out a map and displayed it to the crowd.

  Mr. Santa Claus was stunned. He protested “But it was decided that Czech Republic shall fall in the buffer zone, and so will half of Poland. Besides, why did you include Belgium and Switzerland?” Mr. Santa was still recovering from the shock. “And besides” Mr. Santa said “why didn’t you intimate me anything of your plans?”

  “Well…” Ded Moroz replied, “Boundaries are not engraved on stone. Pushing the buffer zone a little towards the west won’t really hurt anyone”.

  Ded Moroz turned his face away from Mr. Santa and addressed the gathering “It’s our deepest pleasure that our cute angel ‘Kris Kindl’ has kindly accepted our humble offer of serving as the ‘Christmas gift bringer’ of newly created buffer state”.

  Instantly the focus of the crowd shifted from protesting Mr. Santa, and Kris Kindl became the cynosure of the party. They congratulated Kris Krindl and drank to his health.

  The party was in full swing, when Santa’s secretary ‘Ruprecht’, dressed like Odin, entered the hall riding a polar bear. People panicked in alarm and ran hither and thither in utter fear and confusion. But when he patted the bear with a smile and announced, “It’s a tame beast” they came back slowly and cautiously, and once again indulged themselves in the revelry.

  Barbarossa took Jack to one corner and said “One of our messengers delivered this message” there was a tone of fear and urgency in Barbarossa’s words “Devil is recovering fast. Soon he will be on our heels and then at our throats”.

  Jack smiled calmly
and said, “I was aware that this would happen. Devil’s claim to immortality is not totally bullshit”. Jack placed his hand on Barbarossa’s shoulder and continued “But for now, let’s enjoy the present moments to the fullest extent”.

  Snegurochka spotted out Jack. She sprinted towards them excitedly and hugged her brother Jack tightly. She pulled at his sleeves excitedly and said “I’ll show you something-I have decorated with my own hands”. She signaled to the man standing on the raised platform at one end of the dimly lit theatre hall to pull the curtain.

  All the noise and chatting dropped down instantly to a stunning silence. Everyone gazed in amazement at the huge, sparkling Christmas tree, decorated with tinsels, ornaments and colorful candles. An angel was placed at the top of the tree, waving his hand at the viewers.

  A huge Jack-o’-Lantern was hanging from the Christmas tree in Jack’s honor.

  Jack felt a sudden burst of excitement. He was very close to his ambition of becoming the ‘greatest legendary figure’, which he had always dreamed of: a clear sign of his dreams materializing.

  Tears of joy appeared on the corner of his eyes. He turned his face to hide the tears flowing down his cheek.

  *** THE END ***

  About the Author:

  Mr. Subhajit Waugh was a recipient of prestigious National Talent Scholarship. He obtained his Master’s degree in Physics (Topper) from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela. Presently, he is working as a Scientific Officer, and resides in Indore. [email: sub2007waugh@gmail.com, sub2005waugh@rediffmail.com]

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