JT EVERGREEN SHORT STORIES

As told by Fireman Charlie Freeman I was happy to trade duty on the eve of eves with Mike, a brother-fireman so he could be with his family. Dave and Mark, who were probably asleep in the duty room as the midnight hour approached had also traded duty with other members of our fire brigade. We were a close-net group which made us so committed on the job when we depended upon one another in life and death situations. Before I closed the overhead door for Engine 6148, I stepped outside into the clear cold night air and gazed up at the moon. It was so quiet I heard a barn owl off in the distance courting a potential mate. I envied him in a way. I was thirty-two and had not met my soul mate. I was beginning to doubt there was such a person. The moon was so clear and bright, I got the feeling I could reach up and touch it. I smiled when I realized Mr. Moon was over 225,000 miles away and was already seventy-seven feet away from where it appeared to be. The only reason I knew this ...

As told by Frederick Thornton I was on my way to the train station and home to Arlington Heights when I noticed The Olde Book Shoppe up ahead on Jackson Boulevard. I’d walked this way many times on my visits to Chicago’s Loop, but for the life of me, I could not remember ever having seen this bookstore before. I saw the “Christmas Sale” sign in the display window, so I stopped and smiled when I saw a dog-eared copy of The Poky Little Puppy on display along with other familiar children’s books of a bygone day, many of which I had in my collection when I was a kid. Then I noticed a beautiful Tiffany style shade hanging over a round table inside the shop, illuminating an assortment of books displayed on the table. It was cold and windy standing outside looking in on this warm cozy scene, so I looked at my watch and decided to go in until it was time to leave for my train. I did not want to miss this train as I was meeting my parents and we were going out to the farm to see Gr...

As told by Peter Worthington As a child, I remember the stacks of Christmas cards my mother would prepare each year. In those days it cost three cents to mail a sealed envelope. If you left it unsealed and tucked the flap inside, it was a penny. Postage has since gone up dramatically, and the number of cards sent and received has likewise dropped. So, you can imagine my surprise when this large envelope arrived in my mailbox. I assumed it was a Christmas card, even though it was July, not only because of its size but also because of its Christmas red – color. Then I noticed what was pasted in the upper right-hand corner – a six-cent canceled stamp.  The cancellation date read 1970.  I wondered where in the world this envelope had been for the last forty-six years. There was no return address but the cancellation stamp contained the name of the city from which it was mailed – Chicago, Illinois. Apparently, it had slipped down behind something somewhere along the line ...

 “What is it?” “It’s a Christmas Tree.” “No, it’s not.” “Dad, this is your fault.” “It’s not my fault … why is it my fault?” “Because you procrastinate.” “You’re not old enough to know what that word means.” “You don’t even know how old I am … do you?” “Ah ... ten ... eleven?” “I’m fourteen and I know what procrastinate means. “Are you suggesting …?” “No, I’m telling you. We would have had a better choice of trees if you hadn’t…” “…procrastinated.” “Good evening, folks, this is the last one. Isn’t she a beauty?” “Are you kidding? You’re right about it being the last one. And I’m not wondering why?” “It’s a magic Christmas tree and will bring the owner much luck.” “Much luck, my Aunt Fanny. How much is it?” “Twenty.” “TWENTY DOLLARS? You’ve been dipping at the eggnog … haven’t you?” “As a matter of…” “I’ll give you a dollar. No, on second thought, you give me a dollar and I’ll take it off of your hands. I will remove it from your life.” “...