The Town with Two Christmas Trees

“Write something fluffy and sweet,” his editor instructed.

Tom nodded his head, “Can do.”

Unfortunately, he knew more about what was happening behind the scenes than he cared to. But he didn’t tell his editor that.

Now he was sitting on a lonely bench across from two separate groups of people, each comprised of his friends, spatting over who had the better tree and which one was the official town Christmas tree. As they needled one another, they worked feverishly to put up and decorate their tree and doing so without enjoyment.

“Grown-ups can sure mess up the simplest thing,” one girl of about 12 said to her friend as she pointed to the ledge where the teams were working.

“Yeah,” returned girl two.

They walked quickly by, not giving any notice of the effort of the two groups. Tom watched as they walked down the boardwalk, heading to wherever kids their age go.

Part of Tom wished he could tell them that the sniping had begun a year ago when one party was upset that the town’s Christmas tree had broken apart in a wind and ice storm and not immediately repaired. That’s when unofficially, the other group decided to take over.

“Fluffy and sweet, fluffy and sweet,” Tom reminded himself.

However, his mind continued to play everything out, including how one group had the blessing of the town fathers and a budget to purchase a new, sturdier tree. The other was supplied their tree by a shop owner needing a tax write-off.

“It’s not my job to judge,” Tom reminded himself with a heavy sigh.

Thirty-five minutes later, the trees were up, decorated, and each clique had gone their own way. He looked at his reporter’s notebook, where he had written nothing about this “fluffy, sweet” event.

As Tom let out another heavy sigh, the two preteens walked by. This time they paused to look at the two trees delicately crowding the ledge overlooking the parking lot.

“Maybe there’s hope after all,” the first girl said.

“And some joy, too,” replied the second.

“And love,” added the first.

“And happiness,” the second squealed.

Then Tom watched as the cynical duo transformed, taking turns twirling in circles up the boardwalk as children don’t often do.