Merry Christmas From Captain Billy and Tommy
The light over Tommy’s canopy clicked off and all was quiet inside of Tommy’s Hangar. Exceptionally quiet, Tommy thought, like all the world was under a blanket. Then, he remembered that when Captain Billy had left the other day, he mentioned that it was supposed to snow this weekend. He mentioned how a snowfall was like a soft white blanket that covered everything. IT MUST HAVE SNOWED!
Just as Tommy was wondering what the world outside must look like, he heard a different sound than he was used to. A low rumbling sound of a vehicle and a soft crushing sound. Then he heard the sound of two doors opening and closing, and suddenly the hangar doors slid open. Tommy was greeted by Captain Billy and his younger brother, Bob. Their ages were four years apart, but looked like twins. It was Bob’s grey truck he had heard as the tires rolled over the soft snow. A cold breeze entered the hangar as they unloaded the pickup with many large boxes.
Tommy was treated to his first sight of the airport with everything covered in a soft white snowfall. It sparkled as the rising sun’s rays warmed the hangar and seemed to bounce off the snow like it did off Tommy’s propeller as it spun.
“Morning Tommy! Ready to get this place all decorated for the holidays?” said Billy, as he closed the hangar doors, shook off the cold and stomped on the floor to get the snow off his work boots. “I brought my brother along to help with the tree and the overhead lights.”
The next few hours were spent with the joyful sound of Christmas music on the radio, and the smell of coffee and fresh pastries. The brothers worked, while telling stories of past Christmases as children and laughing about old times. Billy had written some of these stories down a few years ago, inspired by his friend, Lisa, called “Childhood Christmas Memories.”
Soon, the box for the tree was discarded, and the tree was up and lit with beautiful multi-colored lights. “It’s all lit up like a Christmas tree,” Bob said, as the two laughed together. Ornaments followed, along with strings of lights all around the top of the wall of the hangar. The final touch was a large four-foot wreath that was placed on the outside where the two large doors met.
With the doors closed, Billy clicked on the thermostat and the hangar started to warm up. They had let the sunshine in to warm the interior. It was fun to decorate while looking at the freshly fallen snow. Billy and Bob sat, chatted, and had coffee together and spent the morning with Tommy. When lunch time came, the two finished cleaning up, and Bob headed out the small door.
“Well Tommy, we are off to Marcus Dairy for lunch and some Christmas shopping downtown,” Billy said, as he set the thermostat and turned the lights off over the work benches. “I’ll be back in a few days, so enjoy the decorations.”
The door closed, then Tommy heard the truck doors open and close and the sound of tires crunching the snow as they drove away. Billy had left the radio on low and Christmas music filled the hangar. That night, as the sun was setting, the light over Tommy’s canopy came on with a click. With the tree lights and the lights that ringed the hangar, Christmas had come to Tommy’s Hangar.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
