by John Snyder
They took a seat by the window. As they looked out the window, they saw a woman and her child toss some money into Jacob’s kettle.
“Look at that. They’re giving generously and we’re not even ringing the bell.”
Mary pressed her nose against the window for a better look. “That was very nice.”
“It sure was.”
Mabel balanced a tray as she carried their food to the table. “Here you go, two dogs with mustard and two hot chocolates.”
“I’m so hungry I could eat a cow,” Jacob joked.
Mary laughed. “Me, too.”
They talked while they ate…getting to know each other a little better as they shared tidbits about their lives.
“What do you want Santa to bring you?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’d like a new doll. That’s what I was saving my money for.”
“You put the money you were saving for a new doll into the kettle?”
“Yep.”
“That was a magnificent gesture of giving…very unselfish.”
“Well, thank you, Mr. Jingles.”
Munching on their hot dogs and sipping their hot chocolate, they continued their conversation, talking about school, what Mary wanted to be when she grew up, and an assortment of other topics. Jacob didn’t share much about himself.
“I wish I had you as my grandpa,” Mary told him.
“Oh, I’m sure your grandpa is a fine man. Does he live here in the city?”
“My grandpa’s dead.”
“Oh, Mary, I’m so sad to hear that.”
“That’s okay. I never really knew him. He lived far away from here.” Mary became silent, then said, “Since I don’t have a grandfather, can I adopt you as my grandpa?”
A feeling of exultation rushed into Jacob’s heart, causing him to smile.
“Certainly. It would be my honor.”
“Let’s shake on it.”
Jacob grasped Mary’s delicate little hand and they gave each other an animated shake.
“I have a better idea. Come over here.” Jacob gave Mary a big hug.
“I love you, Grandpa.”
“I love you, too, Mary.”
“We better get back outside.”
Jacob called out to Mabel, “How much do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house, Mr. Jingles,” she said, letting him know she’d overheard their conversation.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’ll gladly pay.”
“Nope. Santa and his helpers eat here for free.”
“Well…thank you very much.”
Jacob and Mary put on their coats and gloves and went back outside to the kettle.
“That lady was nice,” Mary said as she picked up her tin can.
“You better run along now. Your mother and father will be worried about you. I really appreciate your help.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Grandpa.”
An emptiness came over Jacob as he watched Mary walk away. She’d brought him so much warmth on this cold winter day. He watched her until she was out of sight, then resumed ringing his bell, joyfully greeting those who walked by.
* * *
Mary ran all the way home, delighted by her relationship with Jacob and the good things they were doing together. At the dinner table that evening, she told her mother and father more about Jacob.
“Mommy, you know that man I told you about…the one I am helping for the Salvation Army?”
“Yes?”
“He told me he doesn’t have a home and that he’s poor. He lives at the Salvation Army.”
“Does he have a family?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. We’ve become best friends. I like him so much, I have adopted him as my grandpa. We even shook on it. He’s a nice man, Mommy. Sometimes he even lets me ring the bell.”
“That’s very nice of you, Mary. It is good to help the poor and to make friends with a kind old man who is trying to help others.”
* * *
The next morning, Jacob strolled up the street with his kettle and discovered that Mary was waiting for him. “Wow, you certainly are an early bird.”
“Haven’t you heard…the early bird catches the worm.” They both laughed.
Mary, eager to get started, fiddled with her tin coffee can.
“You set up here. I’ll go up the street to the other corner and collect some money in my can.”
“Okay, boss.” Jacob smiled.
Word spread that Mary was helping Jacob. This moved people to give to Mary, knowing it would all be put into Jacob’s kettle. Mary made numerous trips back to see Jacob and to empty her can into the kettle.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to have to bring a bigger can,” Mary said as she emptied more money into the kettle.
That evening she told her parents about how much fun she was having helping “Mr. Jingles” collect money for the poor. Her mom and dad sat proudly listening to Mary cheerfully discuss her newfound friend and their joint efforts to collect money for the Salvation Army. Mary wanted to do more. She organized a fund-raiser among her neighbors, family, friends, and relatives, going door to door with her coffee can to collect for the bell ringing campaign. Her first contribution came from her father, a whopping ten-dollar bill, launching her endeavor in an extraordinary way.
Mary wrestled with the weight of the can on her walk to meet Jacob. When she arrived at the street corner with her abundance, Jacob was astonished. He helped her empty the cash into the kettle, not quite able to fully comprehend how a girl of her young age could muster this much interest in such an undertaking. Between the two of them, the collections accumulated so fast that he and Mary were forced to make several trips a day back to the Salvation Army Mission to empty his kettle, astounding everyone there.
After helping Jacob, Mary went home, where her mother was vigorously scrubbing the kitchen floor.
Mary asked, “Can I bring Mr. Jingles home with me for supper one night so you can meet him?”
Her mother, preoccupied with her work and only half listening, said, “Sure.” The following morning, Mary met Jacob at his collection point. As he rang his bell, she invited him to supper that evening.
“Oh, I don’t know. What would your mommy and daddy think?”
“I asked my mommy and she said it was okay.”
Jacob paused for a minute. The offer sounded inviting, but he didn’t know what to say.
“Please,” Mary begged.
“Well, I suppose if it is all right with your mommy and daddy, it would be okay. I would really like to meet them. Are you sure it’s all right?”
“Sure I’m sure.”
After they’d finished collecting donations that day, Mary accompanied Jacob to the mission to turn in the kettle. Then, they went off to Mary’s house for Jacob to meet her parents and for supper.
Mary burst through the kitchen door, tugging on Jacob’s hand, leading him into the house. “Come on in, Mr. Jingles. Here he is, Mommy!” Her anticipation of a warm welcome for her friend was squelched just as soon as her mom laid eyes on Jacob.
Standing there in her kitchen holding her daughter’s hand was Jacob McCallum…her estranged father. Emma’s face reddened with anger, her nostrils flared, and she began to hyperventilate, tears gushing down her cheeks.
Jacob, equally stunned, dropped Mary’s hand, his chest pounding like a kettle drum. His futile search for Emma was over as she materialized before him, an unlikely outcome to his chance meeting of a charming little girl with such a big heart. A gratified look flitted across his face. He stood in front of Emma, nervous yet hopeful that she would run over to embrace him. He had waited so long for this very moment. “Emma?” Jacob said sheepishly with a slight smile.
Her eyes widened as she tried in vain to blink back her tears. “Dad? How dare you!”
Mary looked confused. She was just a baby when she last saw her grandfather, and she had no recollection of him. Her mother told her that he’d passed away. Jacob had had no
earthly idea that Mary was his real granddaughter. Only by a strange coincidence did Jacob and Emma stand face-to-face. Jacob’s prayers had been answered. Emma’s nightmare had come true.
“How dare you use my daughter to weasel your way back into my life? How dare you!”
“But, Emma, you don’t understand, I had no way of knowing—”
“I understand perfectly!” she interrupted. “You think after all you’ve done, you can come waltzing back into my life and expect me to embrace you with open arms?”
“But I—”
“Shut up. Don’t even talk to me. Get out of my house. Out!”
“This is my real grandpa? But you said he was dead.”
“As far as I’m concerned, he is!” Emma shouted as she glared angrily at Jacob.
“Grandpa, don’t leave. I love you.”
“I love you, too, my child, but I must go. Your mother doesn’t want me here.”
Hearing the commotion, Emma’s husband, Nathaniel, entered the room. He recognized Jacob as the man he’d treated in the hospital weeks before. “What’s going on?”
Emma was on a rampage. Mary was crying hysterically. She attempted to run to the door to be with Jacob, but her mother restrained her.
“Out!” Emma demanded as she pointed to the door.
“Don’t go, Grandpa,” Mary pleaded.
Jacob sadly turned and walked out the door. The next thing he knew he was standing on the sidewalk in front of the house. He could still hear the shouting coming from within.
“What is it? What’s all the commotion?” Nathaniel asked.
“That was my father. I hate him!”
“I love my grandpa. I want to go with him. He’s sad,” Mary said between sobs.
“I never want you to see him again!”
“But why, Mommy? What did he do?”
“Never mind, Mary. Go to your room.”
Mary ran upstairs to her room, crying. Emma stood in the middle of the kitchen as her rage turned to sobs. Nathaniel grabbed her by her arms. She was inconsolable and shaking uncontrollably. “Emma, get a hold of yourself. Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’ve told you about my father. I can’t believe he showed up here after all these years.”
“That was your father?”
“Yes.”
“That was the man I treated at the hospital…the bell ringer. Obviously, he’s a changed man. Why don’t you at least give him a chance? He’s done so much good here in Baltimore.”
“I’ve told you what he’s done to my family.”
“Yes, but that was years ago. He’s been searching for you. Perhaps he wants your forgiveness.”
“I will never forgive him for what he has done.”
“You didn’t even give him a chance to ask for forgiveness. Think about what you are doing. Think of Mary.”
“Whose side are you on anyway?”
“It’s not a matter of sides. He’s your father. He’s come a long way to find you. Can’t you see by the sheer coincidence of this that it may be God’s way of reuniting both of you? And what about Mary? Are you going to deny her the opportunity to know her grandfather?”
“Yes! Yes, I am!”
“Don’t be so selfish.”
“Selfish? You know what he’s done to me. He killed my mother!”
“Yes. You’ve told me many times. But still…”
“I don’t want that man in my life, or Mary’s, either.”
“Won’t you think about it, Emma?”
“I have thought about it; for years I have thought about it.”
“But time has a way of changing people.”
“That man is evil. He could never change.”
“Emma. At least give him a chance.”
“I will not!”
Mary was at the top of the stairs, choking back tears, as she listened to her parents argue. She gathered her courage and walked down the steps into the kitchen.
“Are you mad at me, Mommy?”
“No, child, I’m not mad at you, but you stay away from that man. Do you hear me?”
“But he’s my grandfather…your daddy. And he’s my friend.”
“I still don’t want you to go near him.”
“But, Mommy, I don’t understand. When I told you about him in the beginning, you said how nice it was for me to help this poor old man. Now I find out he is my grandpa and you want me to stay away from him. How can that be the right thing to do? I love him.”
“That was before I knew he was my father.”
“Listen to yourself, Emma,” Nathaniel said. “He’s your father. Give him a chance to make things better between you.”
“He doesn’t deserve another chance.”
* * *
Brokenhearted, Jacob saw the answer to his prayers slip right through his fingers. Jacob discovered that finding forgiveness could be tenuous. Walking aimlessly around the streets of Baltimore, he tried to make sense of what had just transpired. On his way, he passed several taverns. Did his answer lie within their walls? Would a stiff drink quench his thirst for love and forgiveness? He rationalized that, at the very least, it would offer him an easy escape from the unfathomable pain he was feeling. He checked his pockets for any cash left from the small stipend he received for doing chores around the mission. Did he have enough money to tie one on? He did!
Throwing open the door of a decrepit saloon, he charged toward the bar.
“Can I help you, sir?” the bartender asked.
“Just give me a minute.”
Jacob’s chest was constricting, making it difficult to breathe. A patron walked over and touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I just need to catch my breath.”
“What would you like to drink?” the bartender asked again.
Jacob surveyed the selection behind the bar, then he ordered a glass of vodka.
“Coming right up.”
Suddenly, he panicked. A cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Before getting served, he ran out of the bar and continued running down the street until he could run no more. Leaning against the side of a building, he slid down into a sitting position. He grasped his head and surrendered to his fervent urge to cry. That was a close call, he said to himself. It had been a long time since he’d craved a drink. He knew he was awfully close to a relapse and it scared him. Reflecting on his surprise meeting with Emma, he realized his hopes of gaining her forgiveness were forever shattered, causing him to irrationally have regrets about his first encounter with Mary. But he treasured the time he’d spent with her, and the agony of never seeing her again haunted him.
Jacob got up and continued his walk. He headed for the rail yard to hop a freight to anywhere…anywhere but Baltimore. As he arrived, he could hear the familiar whistles of the trains coming and going. He sat on the tracks, contemplating which boxcar to board. The thought even crossed his mind to lie down on the tracks and wait for a passing train to run over him, but he decided otherwise. Climbing into a vacant boxcar, he settled in, waiting for it to pull out for parts unknown, not really caring about its destination. The train began to move slowly out of the yard as Jacob watched the lights of the Baltimore skyline pass lazily by. Thoughts raced through his mind about all he had accomplished there, and it suddenly occurred to him that he was throwing it all away. He reminisced about Howard and Bob and all they had done for him…about all he’d learned from them. The lights of the city blurred through his emerging tears.
No! I’m not going to throw my life away again. Jacob jumped from the boxcar while the train was still creeping out of the yard. Hitting the ground hard, he stumbled, twisting his ankle. Hobbling, he headed for the mission. His limp brought back thoughts of Tom. The intermittent stops he made along the way to rest his ankle made his journey back to the mission take several hours, and he arrived late into the night.
“Where have you been, Jacob? It’s late. I’ve been worried about you. Why are you limping?” Bob asked.
“It’s a long story, Bob. I’ll tell you later. There is something more important we need to talk about. Something terrible has happened.”
“What is it?”
“You know how badly I wanted to find Emma, to ask for her forgiveness?”
“Yes.”
“Well…tonight it happened.”
“But where? How?”
“Remember that little girl I’ve been telling you about?”
“Mary?”
“Yes. As it turns out, she’s my granddaughter.”
“What?”
“She took me to her house for supper tonight, and to meet her parents. When I got inside, I discovered that her mother was Emma.”
“Oh, wow!”
“Needless to say, our reunion didn’t go so well.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say she wasn’t so glad to see me. She threw me out and said she never wanted to see me again. She also forbade me from seeing Mary.”
“I’m so sorry. How can I help?”
“I don’t know if you can. What can you possibly do?”
“Jacob, this is more than a mere coincidence. I think God has had a hand in all of this.”
“Then why did it turn out this way?”
“I can’t tell you that. You must be patient and have faith.”
“I’ve got some thinking to do. I think I’ll go to the chapel for a while and pray on this.”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
* * *
Jacob reluctantly toted his kettle to the corner of Charles and Light Streets. He stood there slowly ringing his bell, constantly staring down the street, hoping to see his granddaughter running up to greet him. It didn’t happen. He realized that it never would.
After about two hours, Bob came by to check on him.
“Jacob! How’s it going?”
“My heart is just not in it today.”
“Why don’t you go back to the mission? I’ll ring the bell for you.”
“Will you? Thanks, Bob. I don’t think I can make it through the day out here.”
“Why don’t you tell me where Emma lives and I’ll pay her a visit to see if I can patch things up.”
Jacob gave Bob directions to Emma’s house and then went back to the mission. After finishing for the day, Bob took the kettle back to be tallied, then he headed out to pay Emma a visit. Nervously, he approached the front door and knocked. Emma answered.
