Christmas in Plaid

The train station was filled with holiday travelers. Carissa stepped from the train and looked around. She glanced down at the slip of paper that she clutched in her hand, even though she already had its contents memorized.

“I can’t wait to finally meet you,” the note Carissa had printed off her email said, “I’ll meet you at the River Ranch Station at six o’clock, since that station is exactly in the middle between your Chicago and my Springfield. I’ll be the one wearing a plaid sports jacket. I thought that would be safe, since no one ever wears them anymore. We’ll see if we can prove people wrong about meeting someone over the internet!”

The moment Carissa raised her eyes from the note she saw a flash of plaid show for an instant through the crowd. She began moving in that direction, encouraged onward by further sightings of the plaid pattern. Suddenly a large woman stepped in front of Carissa, trapping her for several seconds. When the woman moved out of the way, Carissa stood facing a man wearing a plaid jacket.

Carissa stared at the man in mortification. He was old. His hair was completely gray and his face was slightly wrinkled. The man could easily have been Carissa’s father.

“Hi!” the man responded to Carissa’s odd look. “Are you the girl I’m meeting?”

“Yes,” Carissa replied automatically. Then she nearly kicked herself for not answering negatively.

“You look just like I thought you would,” The man answered cheerfully, “Why don’t we find a table over at the caféé.”

“Sure.” Carissa forced a smile at the man. She searched her mind through the memories of his emails, trying to remember if he had mentioned his age. He knew hers; she was sure. Unpleasant possibilities flashed through her mind, yet she was trapped by a sense of etiquette that had been trained into her in her childhood. Instead of following the impulse to run, she followed him to the caféé.

Oh, well, she thought in consolation to herself, I’ll just turn down the second date.

“Here we are,” the man smiled at Carissa and pulled a chair out for her, “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”

“Um, sure,” Carissa responded, “I’ll have a cup of hot chocolate if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll be right back,” the man started for the counter.

During the few minutes that Carissa waited for the man to return, she racked her brain for a way to get out of the situation. She glanced down at her bag and slipped her hand inside to find her cell phone. Her roommate was always willing to come down with a sudden, violent illness to get her out of uncomfortable situations. She felt her calendar, her car keys, various receipts, a half-eaten candy bar, and an old thank you card from her best friend. No cell phone. Carissa glanced at the man, who was nearly to the counter. She picked up her bag, nearly submerged her head into it, and began to riffle through it forcefully. The stubborn cell phone refused to reveal itself. Finally Carissa’s hand connected with the smooth plastic of her phone.

“Lost something?” The man made Carissa jump.

“Oh!” Carissa snapped her head up. “I found it. I thought for a minute that I’d forgotten it.”
Carissa waved the phone triumphantly in the air. The man looked mystified.

“I have to have it in case my roommate needs anything.” Carissa added lamely.

“Okay.” The man nodded, changing from the confusing subject of the cell phone. “So, how was your trip?”

“Good.” Carissa responded shortly.

“It’s so nice of you to come on Christmas Eve,” The man said, “I thought you might have wanted to be with your family. Are you going to join them tomorrow?”

“No.” Carissa replied, a trace of anger escaping in her voice. Then she blushed.

“I mean, I don’t get along well with my family. I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

The man raised his eyebrows.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He said. For a moment there was an awkward silence between them. Carissa searched for something to say, but all that filled her mind were painful memories from the past. She sighed deeply in an attempt to throw them off.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, “You probably are looking forward to a nice Christmas with your family. I don’t want to ruin it for you with my bad memories.”

The man looked at her with deep sympathy in his eyes.

“You’re right. I am planning to have a nice Christmas with my family, just as we do every year. We always have such a great time. I truly wish you could enjoy the same thing with yours. My family brings me the greatest joy in my life.”

“We used to have those kind of Christmases at home when I was a kid.” Carissa sighed. Another silence hovered between them momentarily.

“You know,” the man began hesitantly, “Maybe it’s still possible to patch things up with your family.”

“I wish I could,” Carissa responded, “But my father . . . he’s the one . . . he got really mad one night.”

Carissa hung her head as she remembered the terrible fight she’d had with her dad four years earlier. She continued speaking in a whisper.

“Not that I didn’t deserve it. I was trying to be independent, so I stayed out all night one night. I was so hurt when he yelled at me the next morning that I packed a suitcase and left. I was eighteen, so he couldn’t stop me. Just to make sure he wouldn’t try, I came all the way out here to Chicago. My parents live in Denver.”

To Carissa’s embarrassment, tears began to fill her eyes. She glanced at the man to see if he noticed. He just smiled kindly and handed her a napkin. Suddenly Carissa could no longer contain her emotions.

“I can’t go back,” she choked out as the tears overflowed. “My dad must be furious at me for leaving like that.”

The man passed Carissa another napkin and waited until she had her tears under control. When Carissa looked up at him again he was still smiling his kind, understanding smile at her.

“It’s possible,” the man said, “That your father is no longer angry with you.”

Carissa opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. The man continued.

“Fathers aren’t perfect, but just because they might get angry, it doesn’t mean they don’t love their children. I have gotten angry at my own kids many times, but I deeply regretted it when I did. If they hadn’t forgiven me, then our home wouldn’t be the happy place it is.”

Now it was the man that had tears in his eyes. He seemed to be looking far away. A half-smile touched his lips.

“Give your father another chance. You might find that he’s been missing you all this time as much as you miss him.”

As Carissa stared into the man’s eyes, she was transported to another time and place. She remembered her father sitting across from her and talking with her many times. An intense loneliness came over Carissa and she suddenly wanted to be back with her family more than ever before.

As her thoughts turned again to her present situation, something pricked her memory.

“I didn’t know you had children, John.” Carissa said with confusion.

The man’s brow furrowed.

“My name’s Farrell.”

They starred in confusion across the table for a second, but before either could speak, a voice came from the crowd.

“Dad?”

Both Carissa and Farrell turned. A girl with long black hair and eyes like Farrell’s suddenly stopped at their table. She looked bewildered.

“Jennie?” Farrell questioned the girl.

“Where is Lucy?”

“You’re not Lucy?” Farrell asked Carissa as he turned back to her.

“No. . . . I was supposed to meet a man in a plaid sports jacket.”

Both Carissa’s and Farrell’s eyes grew wide as she realized what had happened.

“Oh, my, gosh!” Jennie gasped.

All three of them started back toward the train station gate. When they got there a girl was sitting by herself looking very nervous.

“Lucy!” Jennie hollered, “I’m so sorry.”

Jennie and Farrell both started to explain what had happened. Carissa stepped back and began to search the station for another man in a plaid jacket. The only people left in this section were station personnel. After several minutes Farrell came over to Carissa.

“I’m sorry about the mix up,” He apologized, “I hope you’re still able to find the person you were supposed to meet.”

“Thank you.” Carissa responded. Then she added with more feeling, “Thanks for everything. I’m glad I was able to meet you this evening.”

Farrell smiled at her again and shook her hand warmly.

“I hope everything works out for you.” He said. Then his daughter whisked him away and the three of them left, chatting and joking happily with each other. Carissa stood alone in the empty station. Her mind was still swirling with the events of the past hour.

Suddenly the sound of a phone handset being slammed down broke the silence. A young, handsome man strode from the phone booth that had been hiding him from Carissa’s view. He wore a plaid jacket and a sour expression. He strode toward the caféé without looking around him.
Carissa started after him, but slowed after a few steps. She imagined trying to explain the situation to this angry stranger. As she watched him, the young man yanked a chair from a caféé table and slumped down into it. She stood there for only a few seconds more before turning towards the ticket office where a man sat reading a novel.

“Do you have a train going to Denver?” She asked him.

“Leaves in fifteen minutes from terminal B.” He responded without looking up. “You’ll have to hurry if you’re going to make it.”

“Can I trade in this ticket for one to Denver?”

“Sure.” The ticket man suddenly jumped up and hurriedly completed the transaction. The next minute Carissa was striding toward terminal B. Her fast walk turned into a jog, and then into a run as she contemplated the reunion with her family. Seconds later she zipped past the young man in the plaid jacket who sat scowling at into space.


Sean was still getting dressed when he heard the giggles of his grand children coming up the stairs.

“Honey, Lori’s family is here.” His wife, Cassie, called up to him. He smiled broadly as he descended the stairs. Three small children rushed to him demanding candy and piggy-back rides.

Over the next two hours two more of his children arrived with their spouses and little children. The house was filled with laughter and excitement. Sean chatted with his children and gave in to his grandchildren, all the time wearing the proud smile of a loved grandfather. But behind his broad grin he still felt the sting of emptiness that constantly haunted him. Especially on Christmas he missed Carissa.

“Everyone’s here,” Cassie called out the traditional phrase that had brought Sean pain the past four years. “Let’s start opening presents.”

A cheer rang out from the grandchildren, who all madly rushed to the Christmas tree and sat poised and ready for the word go. Just then Sean spotted the figure coming up the walk.

“Carissa?” He breathed out. Cassie’s head snapped around. She followed his gaze out the window. The children were instantly silent and staring as their grandfather let out a cry of joy and flung himself out the front door followed by his wife.

“Carissa. Carissa. Carissa.” His cries choked through the tears streaming down his cheeks. In moments his arms were around her, and his tears were falling on her hair. Carissa buried her face in his chest, just as she had done as a child, and sobbed. Cassie wrapped her arms around both of them and joined her tears with theirs.

“She’s home, mama,” Sean said to his wife, “Now everyone’s here.”