Chapter Seven
Thirty minutes before the caroling event started, Brenna had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Only thirty-two people gathered in front of City Hall. She’d counted three times in hopes her numbers were way off.
It wasn’t a horrendous number, but a much lower turnout than she’d hoped for, especially since the majority of people there were shop owners who had walked over after they’d closed for the day. The town as a whole didn’t have a large presence.
Then again, Mom and Beth hadn’t shown up yet either, and they were excited to come. That gave her hope others would show up still.
Derek sidled up to her and slipped an arm around her shoulder. “Relax. People will show up, but this is Noel. We run on our own schedules.”
She angled her head to look at him. “How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”
“Because I know you.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Her cheek burned where he’d kissed her. Unconsciously, she touched the spot. Where had that come from? It had lasted a millisecond, been completely innocent and chaste, but it stirred emotions she’d have to address. The idea terrified her.
Once upon a time, she and Derek had gone down that road, and it hadn’t turned out well. One ill-fated kiss the summer after they’d graduated had changed their relationship forever. They had no longer been able to deny their feelings for each other after that, but he’d planned to attend the local community college and she’d been accepted into NYU.
Rather than deal with a possible relationship from hundreds of miles apart that they’d agreed probably wouldn’t work, they’d emotionally distanced themselves. Would eleven years make a difference? Much had changed, yet even more stayed the same.
For the time being, she shrugged it off the best she could. They had a mission tonight, and she needed to focus on the event, spend more time in prayer for it, even if it meant quietly talking to God as she walked around.
A line of cars pulling into the parking lot bolstered her optimism. She grabbed a stack of thin, paper songbooks from a box by the cookie table and stood at the corner of the sidewalk. As each family arrived, she greeted them and handed them a songbook.
By seven o’clock, several hundred people gathered on the lawn outside City Hall. Overcome by the massive turnout, Brenna choked back tears. They’d run out of booklets, but families shared among each other. The cloud of doom over the town had disappeared, if only for the night. She prayed it wouldn’t come back, but regardless, this was a start.
Derek tapped on the microphone to collect the group’s attention.
She couldn’t help giggling at the sight of him holding a fluorescent pink microphone. It looked out of place and didn’t produce the same quality as an expensive sound system, but it got the job done. For that, Brenna thanked God. Despite the obstacles she and Derek had run into, they’d pulled off the event, and she knew it wasn’t their doing but His.
Derek cleared his throat. “I want to thank each of you for coming here tonight. Our town has seen its share of struggles over the last three years, and it’s understandably affected our morale. But tonight, I invite you to set aside all else going on in your life, and take your heart back two thousand years ago to a night that would change the world.”
He paused and pointed to the figure of baby Jesus in the manger. “I’ve been reflecting on the lyrics of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ lately. The end of the first stanza says,Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight, and I think about what Noel has gone through. I don’t know all that our future holds, but I know we have a Savior who meets us where we are. He takes our darkness and turns it to light, replaces our fear with hope. Tonight, let’s honor Him and praise Him for all he’s done.”
Brenna stood near the front, watching the scene unfold. A round of applause went through the crowd. People cheered and joined together with their fellow citizens for a common goal. Friends and family linked arms with smiles on their faces.
They started with “Joy to the World” and sang every stanza before moving to “The First Noel.” Gwen Mercoles, the town’s oldest resident who sat bundled in a wheelchair but sang loud and clear, requested “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Hundreds of voices, though many out of key, filled the air with beautiful noise.
The planned order of songs went out the window as person after person requested songs, and no one minded the change. Brenna caught Derek’s gaze and smiled. An understanding transpired between them—Noel would be okay. Maybe not today, or even next month, but in time.
After ninety minutes of singing came to an end, Derek announced there were cookies and hot chocolate for everyone. Before the crowd dispersed, Edwin Beasley asked for a chance to speak to everyone, and Derek handed him the microphone.
Edwin gripped the mic tightly and cleared his throat several times. He looked out at the audience, specifically to his wife Susan who encouraged him by blowing a kiss. “When Mason Textiles shut their doors, I lost my job of twenty-two years. I’d given them my loyal service, then suddenly found myself without a job. At my age, it wasn’t easy to find another, and I’ll admit, I’ve been angry at God for the last two years as my wife and I struggled to make ends meet.” His voice dropped and turned hoarse. “I needed this reminder tonight of God’s all-consuming love. Too often, I’ve ignored His goodness because it didn’t come in the form I wanted, yet, His provision has been there all along. So thank you, Mayor, for organizing tonight. It’s done my heart good.”
As he handed Derek the microphone, Faith Young stepped up for a chance to speak. She gave a testimony of losing her job in human resources at the factory. For years, she’d worked herself dry at the expense of her family. She’d made her career her identity, and when she found herself without a job, she no longer knew who she was. While spending time at home, she reconnected with her family and restored relationships long neglected. What had seemed to be a curse turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Brenna dabbed at her eyes with the tail of her scarf. Glancing around, she saw few sets of dry eyes. Who would have thought an idea as simple as joining together to sing could produce such effects. Citizens of the town found their hearts in tune with the true meaning of Christmas and discovered they didn’t have to hide their problems, nor suffer alone.
In one night, Noel regained its sense of community.
Once the crowd thinned out, Brenna grabbed two hot chocolates and made her way to Derek. She’d tried going to him several times, but got interrupted on the way or saw him whisked away by a town member wanting to talk to him. Finally reaching him, she handed over a Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate.
“Thanks,” he said, lifting it to his mouth.
She nudged him in the ribs and winked. “You’re quite the hit, Mr. Mayor.”
He swallowed the sip and smiled. “This never would have happened without all your help. Everyone’s impressed with your door-to-door invitations.”
“Is it too early or naïve to hope this aura of peace and goodwill sticks around?”
