Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 14 : Fall 2012 | Page 53

A True Christmas Story
by Barbara Boucher

This true Christmas story took place 25
years ago when Earlan owned the gas
station on the corner.

Winter was setting in. How Barbara
and Renee loved the crisp, frosty air and snow
dancing like ballerinas. As they looked outside
their window, they could see the tall, snow-laden
evergreens, trees they had planted with their own
hands as baby saplings. Now, those fragile babies
were towering giants.

Christmas was approaching, and the
two Fort Fairfield women could barely stand the
excitement of the season. All through November
and early December, they bought each other
small tokens for Christmas. They knew the gifts
would never make it under the tree. Because they
were so excited to give to one another, the gifts
would be opened long before Christmas arrived.

It was time to choose the tree. The women
went to Earlan’s gas station in Fort Fairfield and
watched the trees being unloaded from the big
truck and propped up in the lot. After careful
examination of all the trees, they finally picked
out a beauty and brought it home. While Renee
finagled the tree into its stand, Barbara gathered
their boxes of ornaments, beloved even though
almost all came from the dollar store. Back then,
dollar store ornaments, or hand-made, were all
they could afford. All was ready for the big day,
the tree set up and ready for decorating. First,
the lights were placed perfectly on the tree; each
one positioned just so. Barbara walked back and
forth, squinting critically at the tree, and made
sure every light was sitting on the branches in the
exact right spot. Then the strawflowers, picked
in the fall and dried in the rafters, were placed
gently in the tree. The ornaments, wonderful
glittery baubles to catch the light came next, and
finally the bright streamers of ribbons cascading
down the branches. What a wonderful season it
was, small tokens already given or hidden away,
the festively decorated house filled with the
heady aroma of wonderful homemade food, and
all shared in a loving family. Nothing could be
better!!!
But wait, there’s more! A much-anticipated
visit from Mom & Pop!
Each day during the holiday season the
women would drive by Earlan’s gas station,
where they watched other families, the children
with huge grins from ear to ear, buy their trees.

One by one the trees were purchased, flung in
the backs of pickup trucks or tied to the roofs
of cars, until finally there was one lone tree
left. Everyday they saw that tree, day after day,
standing there all by itself, waiting for someone to
buy it, someone to take it home to be decorated
and adorned, but nothing ever happened. No
one wanted the small tree.

As the day for the arrival of Mom &
Pop drew closer, Renee and Barbara began
joyfully cooking, baking and making ready for
the visitors. Time was beginning to tell on their
first tree since it had been set up a month earlier.
The women thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if,
when Mom & Pop arrived, a brand new tree all
decorated from Earlan’s station in Fort Fairfield
could be waiting for them.” Then a new idea
jumped into their heads, and at the same time
they turned to one another and said, “Let’s
buy the sad little tree at the gas station, bring
it home, and decorate it.” They decided this
was a great idea, and they would use the old tree
for greens and garlands. So the next day they
purchased the short, fat, perfectly proportioned
tree and brought it home.
Magically, the little tree seemed to come alive
with happiness; it was loved and would have a
chance to shine brightly in a warm home. By the
time they finished decorating the tree, it was the
most perfect tree imaginable. The tree glowed
in the window as a welcome for Mom and Pop
and throughout their entire visit. Everyone fell
in love with the perfect little tree. When Twelfth
Night came and it was time to take down the
tree, sadly they removed all the lights, ribbons,
tinsel and balls and packed it all away until next
year. As the tree sat there, bare again, they knew
they couldn’t just throw away their wonderful
friend who had given them such joy, so they
decided to place the tree in the snowy garden
until spring. And in the spring, as the days grew
longer and the sun warmed earth and air, to
their surprise they saw a tiny, inch-high, little
evergreen sapling sprouting from the ground. It
seemed the tree had still one gift left to give.

FALL 2012

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