Christmas at WJTW - 1590 AM Ch. 02

"I don't know, Tom," Stan shrugged. "I got a call from Mr. Sterling this morning to find out how you were. He also said that he wanted to meet you. According to him, any man that a whole town goes looking for is someone he wants to get to know."

I didn't know what to make about Jeff Sterling's wanting to meet me, but I knew we had to assume that the new plant coming to our area was dead. "Stan, I've got files in my office of six other companies that are looking to expand or relocate. I think you should grab them and have the committee get started working up new proposals."

"I'll grab the files, Tom, but I don't want you worrying about anything except getting better. I hear they plan to kick you out of here tomorrow."

"I can't promise I won't worry, but yeah, they are going to release me tomorrow," I said as I pulled the covers off my right foot to reveal the cast. "Of course, I'll be on crutches for a few weeks."

"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," Stan said just before he left.

About ten minutes later, another person was standing in my doorway. My heart soared when I saw her.

"Is it alright if I come in?" Traci asked with a very uncertain smile.

"Yes, definitely," I said, holding my arms out. "I'm so happy to see you. I am so sorry that I caused you to go away. I'm not going to give Amanda the dishes."

Traci was in my arms instantly and put her hand over my mouth when I mentioned the Chinaware again. "Hush, it was never about those damn dishes. And you didn't cause me to go. I was just so jealous that you still had feelings for Amanda, and you were using the Chinaware to get back together with her."

"No, I could care less about Amanda," I assured Traci. "It's true what they say; time does heal a broken heart. I had loved her very much, and her betrayal cut deeply. But over time, I've come to realize that I was never her true love. I'm not sure that she ever really loved me. But the truth was that Amanda never really got over Chad."

"But you don't just stop loving someone," Traci said with a timid voice. "That's why I was so jealous. I was terrified that you were still in love with her. I mean, she's so beautiful, and I'm so plain."

"Stop it," I said immediately. "Yes, Amanda is a beautiful woman, but so are you. And you don't have to worry about her ever. I don't love her or hate her. In fact, I don't feel anything about her anymore. Besides, I've found someone much better."

I kissed her, and her response was passionate. Traci held me tight for a long time. When she finally pulled away, Traci whispered in my ear, "I love you so much."

As Traci sat down in the chair next to the bed, I saw a little head peek around the corner of the doorway. "Is it a few minutes yet, mommy?"

"Yes, honey, you can come in," Traci told her daughter.

"Is Mr. Tom still mad at us?" she asked fearfully of her mother.

"Mr. Tom was never mad at either of you," I said immediately. "In fact, Mr. Tom loves both of you." Kimberly squealed in happiness and raced toward me at full speed. If Traci hadn't intercepted her, I'm sure she would have launched herself on top of me.

The following day, Jimmy drove me back to the station, and Traci had already cleared a path so I could get around on my crutches. I got better physically over the next couple of weeks, but the station and my financial life were dying. I was behind on all my bills, and I saw no way to turn it around.

I had already received notice that the mortgage on the land for the new tower would be sold on the courthouse steps five days after Christmas. I had received a second notice for the electric bill, and I knew I was days from having the electricity cut off. When that happened, I was truly done.

My staff had agreed to take half pay until I could turn it around, but I struggled to pay even that. And Traci absolutely refused to take anything at all. In fact, she was economizing everywhere she could. Traci found a way to extend our printer cartridges, and she was making used paper into notepads. Instead of buying bottled water, Traci took the used plastic bottles, cleaned them, and refilled them with tap water before storing them in the refrigerator. She started buying all of our food from the dollar store and a winter coat for Kimberly at a thrift store. And Traci was doing this while, at the same time, going from business to business, trying to find new advertisers.

It brought tears to my eyes when Kimberly came into my office one morning and offered her piggy bank to me, so I could pay the bills. I gave her a kiss, told her that she was very sweet, but I thought she should buy something nice for her mother.

I felt like a drowning man, and there was no life preserver anywhere around. I was losing faith in everything except for Traci and Kimberly. But that is what hurt the worst because I knew that soon, I wouldn't be able to provide for them. They deserved so much more than I could give them. By the day before Christmas, I was in a terrible funk. Yet, on that day, I was visited by three angels that restored my faith and lifted my spirit.

No, they weren't spiritual entities; they were flesh and blood, just like you and me. Nevertheless, they were my saving angels, and they had come at my darkest hour.

The first of my angels stepped into my office a little after nine that morning. He was a tall, distinguished-looking man with short brown hair and a ready smile. I hoped he was a potential advertiser rather than a salesman. However, he was neither.

"Good morning, Mr. Ambrose," he said as he extended his hand, "I'm Jeffery Sterling.

I stood up and balanced on my good foot while taking his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"No, the honor is mine. I can only stay a few minutes, but I wanted to meet the man that got a whole town to go out searching for him."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," I protested as my face flushed.

He waved me off. "No exaggeration in my mind. I have to say that I was stunned when your town's mayor broke off his presentation to go looking for you. It was a pretty shitty presentation, I might add. Still, I was intrigued that this town was rallying to find one of their own. That impressed the hell out of me. Then you sent me the thumb drive with the real presentation, and I was further impressed. I just wanted you to be the first to know that Sterling pharmaceutical has decided to build its new plant here. We signed the papers yesterday. The county has promised to fast-track the permits, and if all goes well, we should be "under construction within a month. Congratulations, you've done your town proud."

"Mr. Sterling, on behalf of all my neighbors, thank you," I was able to get out, and then I was hit by another thought. "Is it truly official? Would it be all right if I announce it on the air?"

"It's Jeff, and you can shout it to the world. All the papers have been signed, sealed, and delivered. It is now cast in stone. I authorized plans to be drawn, and the surveyors will be out within the week. Now, I have to dash, but it has been a real privilege to meet you, and I look forward to working with you over the coming years." With that, Jeff turned and was gone.

I hobbled into the production room and put together an announcement of the news. Then I put it in the spot rotation to be played every hour for the rest of the day. My phone began to explode a few minutes after the announcement was first aired. I spent the next two hours talking, mostly to the committee members, assuring them that the news was true.

It was truly great news for our area, but I believed it had come too late for me. The bank couldn't possibly approve any kind of loan for the station until well into January at the earliest. And by then, I'd be dead in the water.

A little after 11 am, my second angel arrived in the form of John Zornbeck, a local attorney that I knew because we were both members of the same Rotary Club. I had tried several times to get him to advertise on the station, but he would just laugh and tell me he had more than enough business. I thought maybe with the downturn in the economy, John had changed his mind. But that wasn't the purpose of his visit.

"Tom, were you aware that I'm Henry Wilson's attorney?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head. "Henry and I rarely talked about finances. He told me that he was living on his Marine pension, Social Security, and a few investments. We both knew that we each had to watch our pennies."

"Well, I've been Henry's attorney for the last twenty years," John explained. "Now that Henry has passed, I'm the trustee of his estate. Years before Henry's wife died, they set up a living trust. But you're right, he didn't have much. He lived mostly on his Marine pension and his social security. He also had about $45,000 in investments, and he owned his house free and clear."

At that point, my phone started ringing again, so I apologized and took the call. It was Stan. Apparently, he had been the last to find out about the Sterling announcement.

"Look, Stan, can I call you back? I'm with someone right now."

Stan agreed once I promised to call him back when I was free.

"I'm sorry, but it's been a little crazy since the announcement that Sterling is going to build their plant here," I said with a sheepish grin.

"Yes, congratulations, by the way. You guys on the chamber committee did a fantastic job. And I can see that you're really busy, so I'll get right to the point. Henry left everything he had to you. I liquidated his investments yesterday, and here is a cashier's check for $45,973.53. The house and everything in it belongs to you. You can either choose to live in it or sell it. Whatever you want to do, here are the keys. If you want to sell it, I'll arrange to list it. It's one of the nicer houses on the block, so I guess it will sell for between $225,000 and $250,000."

I immediately told John to put the house up for sale.

After John left, I called back Stan and filled him in on what Jeff Sterling had told me. He was so excited that he could hardly talk. I finally told him that I had to run some errands, and we'd talk later. I sat staring at the cashier's check and thinking about the generosity and love Henry must have had for me. This gift meant the world, and then I was reminded of the dream I had while lying trapped in my car. I was certain that it was Henry's influence from years of being friends that brought me back from the brink of giving up.

Once off the phone, I shouted for Traci. She came running, thinking I was having some kind of medical problem. Kimberly was trailing close behind her mother with a look of concern on her face as well.

"Look at this," I said as I held up the cashier's check.

"Where did that come from?"

"John Zornbeck is Henry's attorney, and he just told me that Henry left everything to me. John cashed in all of Henry's investments and had the bank cut this check for me. We need to go to the bank to deposit it. But before we do that, let's get checks ready for the most critical bills that need to be paid. While we're at the bank, I want to put the paperwork in for a short-term line of credit."

Running the errands that day proved to be one of the more satisfying days I'd had in a long time. With Traci's help, we figured out which bills to pay. First on the list was the electric and gas bills, followed by the back pay. That took about $4500. Then with Sly Albert's help at the bank, we figured what it would take to pay off the balance on the land. That left me with a little under $1400. Of course, that didn't include the $25,000 line of credit I had requested. Sly told me that it wouldn't be any trouble considering the inheritance I was coming into.

After finishing our chores, I took my two favorite girls out to lunch. Traci objected at first, saying we shouldn't waste the money. But I won the argument by pointing out that we'd paid off our most pressing bills, paid off the land, arranged for a short-term loan, and could expect about $200,000 when Henry's house sold. So, the least I could do was take my two favorite girls out to lunch. And Kimberly squealed when I told her we were going to IHop. It was her favorite restaurant, and I loved having eggs and bacon for either lunch or dinner.

When we got back from lunch, Traci and I decided to take a tour of Henry's house. I had been in it many times, but I hadn't ever looked in any of his closets, the filing cabinets, or the cellar. Most of the house was what you would expect from a bachelor. His clothes were clean but wrinkled. The refrigerator had food, but mostly frozen dinners. There was one closet full of Christmas decorations. Henry used to put them out each year, but with his failing health, he hadn't done so for the last two years.

One of the bedrooms was locked, but I had the key, so I unlocked it. I was very surprised to find that Henry had a gun collection. He had about thirty guns. I recognized that some of them were quite valuable. He had five antique guns, from a flintlock to an antique derringer. I would eventually sell the antiques for almost $10,000. The rest of the guns, except for a Glock 40 mm, which I kept, I sold for $12,000.

During our exploration of Henry's house, my third angel appeared. It was Billy Richards. He was the EMT who had first found me in my crushed car.

"Tom, they told me you were over here," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to see how you were doing and return some things to you. I can already see that you're getting along great and that always makes us EMTs very happy. We found these things in your car, and I wanted to return them."

Billy held out my 9 mm Glock, which I kept locked in my glove compartment. I took it with a sheepish grin. Then he held out a lighter with the Marine emblem on it.

"That isn't mine," I informed him.

"Really?" Billy said with confusion all over his face. "I found it in your car, just inside the driver's side window."

"That's impossible," I said immediately. "That was Henry's lighter, and he's never been in that car. So, I can imagine how his lighter couldn't possibly have gotten there."

"I don't know what to tell you, Tom," Billy said with a shrug, "but I found this lighter in your crushed car."

I studied the lighter and saw the inscription of his years of service under the Marine emblem. This was definitely Henry's lighter. But I wasn't going to argue with Billy, so I just accepted it.

Before we left the house, Traci grabbed Henry's photo albums. We decided to look at them that night as we watched TV. I discovered that Traci had never seen "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart and Donna Reed. So, I checked the television guide and found that it would be on at 6 pm that night. With our dinner on trays, I lit a fire in the fireplace with Henry's lighter, and we started watching the movie.

I have to admit that it is one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. But it wasn't until about twenty minutes into the film that I realized the extreme similarities between the movie and what I had experienced. The big difference was that I didn't have an actual angel helping me. My experience had simply been a nightmare that shocked me into remembering my true core values.

When the movie was over, Kimberly was sound asleep. So, I scooped her up and put her in her bed. I wondered with a chuckle if visions of sugar plums were dancing in her head. Then I climbed back into bed with Traci, who was going through Henry's photo albums.

"Look at this picture, Tom," Traci said as she held it up. "It's a picture of a young Henry with his wife, Ellie. She was so beautiful."

I glanced over at the photo, and my heart skipped a beat. I grabbed Henry's lighter off the nightstand and looked at the photo again. The young Henry in the picture was the man who had been with me in my dream. Right then, I realized that I had been wrong. I truly had a real angel looking out for me that night. It had been Henry.

Christmas that year was truly special. Not only was I spending it with two people I truly loved, but my financial problems, through Henry's generosity, had been greatly reduced. It was still a struggle because the economy hadn't bounced back yet. However, the atmosphere in town had changed radically. Now optimism and faith in the future were the rules of the day.

Six months after that Christmas, Traci and I were married. And seven months after that, Henry Ambrose was born. But our life wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. When little Henry was born, his lungs weren't completely developed. The doctors assured us that he would eventually outgrow this problem. But for two and half years, young Henry struggled to keep up. He was easily fatigued and out of breath when he played with Kimberly or the other kids. By then, Covid-19 was raging through the country, and Traci and I were terrified for our son. Then the thing we feared the most happened; Henry contracted the Covid virus.

It started with just a small cough and then a low-grade fever. By the third day, we had to rush him to the hospital. By then, the doctors knew that respirators weren't much good. Fortunately, the doctor taking care of Henry did his own research. After days of following the conventional treatments with Henry getting worse by the day, our doctor started administering politically incorrect drugs. Still, Henry seemed to worsen, and we were told to prepare for the worst.

Only one of us was allowed to be by Henry's side at a time. So, Traci and I alternated sitting by his bed. As devastated as I felt, I knew that Traci was barely holding it together. But the one I worried most about was Kimberly. When Henry was born, she became like a second mother to him. She fed him, played with him, and changed his diapers even when they weren't dirty. While Traci and I switched spending time at the hospital, Kimberly stayed mostly in her room crying. Many times, when I would go check on her, she'd be sitting on the floor clutching Henry's teddy bear with tears streaming down her face.

On the morning of the eighth day, I woke up in Henry's room with the sun just beginning to shine in. When I looked over at my son, he was watching me. When he realized I was awake, he smiled at me.

"How do you feel, son?" I asked, barely able to choke out the question.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," he replied weakly. "Can I have pancakes?"

I don't think I've ever been happier than I was at that moment. "I'll see what we can do, son," I said as I pushed the nurse's call button.

The nurse told Henry pancakes might be a little too much at first. But she did agree to get him some apple juice and toast with jam. Henry didn't complain and wolfed it down. From then on, he got better every day. After three more days in the hospital, we finally could take him home.

As thrilled as we both were to bring Henry home, I believe that Kimberly was the happiest of all three of us. She hardly let Henry out of her sight for weeks. He finally complained to me, and I had to put some limits on Kimberly's mothering.

That was sixteen years ago, and Traci and I have been happily married all that time. Oh, we've had our ups and downs. Kimberly tore her ACL playing soccer in college, ending her college career. She was down about that for a bit but then bounced back.

Over the years, I have had to have my appendix taken out and have hernia surgery. Traci had a scare when she found a lump on one of her breasts. It turned out to just be a cist.

Henry's lungs finally developed as the doctors promised, and he played football and baseball in high school. He was pretty good but didn't pursue any sports in college.

Kimberly had gone away to Wingate University to study nursing. When it was Henry's time, he opted to go to a small division two school nearby, Tyler University. He was majoring in communications.