Christmas on Wednesday

By Kori S. Voorhees

Everything in Beth Penningtons world seems to stop when she receives an email reminder from her boss that Christmas is on Wednesday this year and that it is the only day that they have off from work. Since Beth has been with the company for less than six months, she has no vacation time and is 1,600 miles away from home.

Christmas on Wednesday chronicles Beths life and experiences from the time she leaves home for college until Christmas on Wednesday...a day that begins with Beth thinking that the world is very unfair but turns out to be one of the most exciting days of her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 20, 2002
• ISBN: 9781469111520

Kori S. Voorhees

Kori S. Voorhees grew up in Cameron, Texas. At the age of 18, she moved to Seattle, Washington, to attend the University of Washington on a tennis scholarship. After graduation, she worked as marketing coordinator for an investment management firm. Currently, she is a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Washington women’s tennis team and a freelance writer. Mrs. Voorhees received her B.A. in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration from the University of Washington. She lives with her husband, Colby, in Seattle, Washington. This is her first novel.

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Copyright © 2002 by Kori S. Voorhees.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-THREE

To my dear husband, Colby:

All my love, all the time

To my parents, John and LaGayle Sosnowy:

It is impossible to thank you enough for your

constant support and encouragement

INTRODUCTION

Beth was just about to get her afternoon cup of coffee when the box popped up on her computer screen, You have received a new mail message from Graham Newberg. Mr. Newberg rarely sent emails himself so she thought that this must be important.

It read:

To: SBC Employees

From: Graham Newberg

Subject: Holiday Schedule

With the holidays rapidly approaching, I am

sure that you are trying to make arrangements

with your families. Therefore, I just wanted to

remind you that Christmas is on Wednesday

this year. We will close the office at 3 p.m. on

Tuesday, December 24, and reopen at 8 a.m.

on Thursday, December 26. If you would like

to request additional time off, please speak

with your direct supervisor about using some

of your remaining vacation days. Have a

wonderful holiday season!

You’ve got to be kidding, Beth thought as she read and then reread his words. As a new employee with less than six months at SBC, Beth did not have any vacation time yet.

This really sucks! What am I going to do? I’ve never been away from my family and friends at Christmas. In fact, I’ve never had less than two weeks off at Christmas that I can remember, she thought.

All of a sudden, it seemed like someone hit the mute button on Beth’s life. Silence filled the room. She looked around at her coworkers who suddenly felt more like strangers. She was lonely. Looking forward to the holidays was the only thing that had helped her get through the days. She hadn’t seen her family since graduation in June. And, now she didn’t know when she would be seeing them again.

Mr. Newberg had always been a nice, understanding man. Maybe she could explain her situation to him and work something out. She knocked on his door and slowly walked in, perspiration gathering on her forehead.

Excuse me, Mr. Newberg.

What can I do for you, Beth?

I just received your email regarding the Christmas holiday. As you know, I don’t have any vacation time yet, and my family lives in Texas. If I only have Wednesday off, I won’t be able to spend Christmas with them. Is there anything I can do?

Listen, kid. I understand your situation. We’ve all been there. I wish I could help, but it’s company policy.

Beth left his office dejected. She was going to spend her first Christmas away from home and without her family. She still hadn’t developed any close friendships in New York City. So Christmas with friends wasn’t an option either.

The last three hours of the workday dragged on and yet flew by at the same time. They were probably the most unproductive in the five months she’d been working. She couldn’t concentrate on her projects, and her computer screen blurred as she stared at it blankly.

ONE

Four years earlier in Deer Creek, Texas …

As the sun rose over the horizon, Beth and her mom pulled out of the driveway. They wanted to get an early start on their 1500-mile journey to Los Angeles. It was a peaceful morning with only the sounds of birds chirping. The air was fresh; and for the first time, Beth took the time to let the image of the oak trees, cattle, and wide-open spaces soak into her mind. She wanted her own mental photograph since it would be over three months before she would be home again.

Douglas Pennington stood in the middle of the gravel road and waved goodbye to his wife and daughter. He had hoped to be able to go with them, but being in the middle of a big trial as District Attorney, he could not get away. When the car was out of sight, he walked inside and sat down on the steps in the entry hall of their two-story red brick house.

Dear Lord, please be with Beth as she opens this exciting new chapter of her life. Bless her and guide her along the way. Please keep my girls safe as they travel and bring Sharon home safe to me next week. In Jesus name, Amen.

Beth and Sharon stopped at Baxter’s Mini-Mart to fill up and grab a snack for the road.

Y’all have a safe trip. Good luck, Beth. Come back and see us sometime, said the lady behind the counter.

Deer Creek was no different than any other small town. Everybody knew everybody, or at least everybody thought they knew everything about everybody else.

Beth couldn’t wait to get to the big city and start her new life as a freshman at Thurston University. New sights. New sounds. New friends. New experiences. She was finally on her way as the Deer Creek, Pop. 5478 sign got smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

Deep down inside, Beth was just as nervous as she was excited. After all, she really did not know what to expect. The more she thought about the unknowns, the more nervous she became.

What will it be like to live in a big city? Will it be easy for me to make new friends? How hard will my classes be? Am I a good enough swimmer to compete at the collegiate level? Beth thought. Then she remembered what her dad had always told her before a meet, It’s good to have butterflies. If you didn’t, it would mean you didn’t care. Just be sure you have them flying in formation. A smile came across her face; she took a deep breath, and then settled back into the passenger seat.

So, honey, did you have fun at Kimmy’s house last night?

Yeah, it was great to see everyone. Blake, John, Misty, Lance, and David were there. We watched videos and shot some pool, said Beth. I’m going to miss them.

Of course, you will. But you’ll meet lots of new friends at Thurston. You’re still excited about going there, aren’t you? asked Sharon.

I’m very excited, but I am a little nervous. I’m not sure what to expect, and I don’t know anyone in Los Angeles.

You’ll be fine, sweetheart. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like you. Well, except for Connie Garrison. They both smiled at the thought.

The Garrison family had moved to Deer Creek during Beth’s sophomore year. Charles Garrison had been a stockbroker in a small West Texas town and had the opportunity to come to Deer Creek to open his own Edward Jones branch office. Connie Garrison was hired as the high school office secretary. Charles and Connie had two sons. Their oldest, Benjamin, was a freshman at West Texas College at the time. Their youngest, Brandon, was Beth’s age. Brandon was a smart and athletic young man. He had the highest grades in his class at his previous school and was slated to be the starting quarterback on the varsity football team as a sophomore. But now that they’d moved to Deer Creek, he had more competition, academically and athletically. And Connie could not handle the fact that Beth, a girl nonetheless, got more attention than her son. So she took every opportunity to make things difficult for Beth, and one time she even resorted to starting rumors about her. Fortunately, the Pennington’s were thick-skinned and didn’t let that sort of thing get to them. This, however, frustrated Connie even more. What a miserable and unhappy person she must be.

Mom, I know I’m doing the right thing. I’ve never been one to just go along with the crowd.

As night fell, they pulled into El Paso. They found a LaQuinta Inn just off of the freeway with a lit vacancy sign, so they stopped.

TWO

Sharon and Beth rose early the next morning to get out on the road before the traffic got too heavy. They grabbed a quick breakfast at the Kettle Restaurant across the street from the LaQuinta. Sharon got a coffee to go to help keep her awake as they drove. Beth took the first driving shift of the day, and they continued on their journey westward. Before long they reached the sign that read, Leaving Texas, followed immediately by the sign that read, Entering New Mexico. Beth pulled the car over to the side of the road and hopped out with her camera.

Mom, will you take my picture? I’m gonna make a scrapbook, and I want to record our trip state by state.

Sure, dear.

Soon they were back on the road again. Day two of their trip seemed to drag on endlessly. For the most part there was very little conversation except to discuss where to eat and where to take the next gasoline fill-up and restroom break. Neither Sharon nor Beth had ever driven through the desert so they both admired the scenery, which was very different than what they were used to. Fortunately, their car had air-conditioning, but by midday the sun was really beating down on them as they continued along Interstate 10. Beth was wearing shorts and could feel her legs burning as the sun shone brightly through the windows.

They crossed the state line into Arizona just before lunch. Stopping again to take Beth’s picture in front of the Welcome to Arizona sign, they both dripped with sweat. While the heat in New Mexico and Arizona wasn’t as humid as the heat in Texas, it sure didn’t feel any cooler. In fact, they found it quite hard to breathe in the dry heat of the desert.

By the time they rolled into Phoenix around dusk, the air was beginning to cool off. They found a small hotel on the edge of town with a vacancy sign and stopped. They enjoyed the reprieve of the cool night air and took a little walk to stretch their legs. After eating dinner in the hotel restaurant, Sharon retired to their room. She wanted to call Doug and report on their progress before it got too late. Beth, meanwhile, walked down to the lobby to use the payphone. Beth was tired and depressed. Today had been her first full day away from home, but unfortunately, they weren’t to L.A. yet, so she didn’t have anything new to be excited about. She missed her friends and the comfort of home.

In fact, during her last driving shift of the day, her thoughts had taken some interesting turns. She began to think that she had made a mistake. I should have gone to Texas State with my friends, she thought. However, soon she found herself arguing inside her own head and chastising herself for such a ridiculous notion. For all that was going on inside of her, Beth didn’t share any of it with her mom. When things were really bothering her, she tended to keep it to herself. Sharon could tell when Beth had things weighing on her mind because she became very quiet. For the most part, she let Beth sort it out herself, knowing that she’d open up to her if it became too much to bear. However, Sharon was a talker and wished that Beth would share more with her about how she was feeling.

Hi, honey, we are in Phoenix. Today was a long day, and we’re both very tired. How are things at home? said Sharon to Doug.

Everything is fine. I’m just missin’ my girls, though.

We miss you, too.

How’s Beth holding up? he asked.

She was very quiet today. I think something is bothering her, but she won’t talk to me about it.

This is a big change for her. I’m sure she’s got a lot going on in her mind, but she’ll be fine.

While her parents discussed the situation, Beth called Kimmy. After having all of her conflicting thoughts, she just wanted to talk to someone besides her mom or dad. She just wanted to be able to talk and get her mind off of the trip and the fact that she was moving across the country. The last thing that she wanted Kimmy to know was that she was having second thoughts.

Hi, it’s Beth, she said as Kimmy answered the phone.

Hey, stranger, are you in Los Angeles yet? Kimmy asked.

Not yet. We just arrived in Phoenix and are spending the night here. We’ve got one more full day of driving and should get to L.A. by tomorrow night. So how are you doing?

I’m fine. Just getting ready to go to the movies with Blake and David.

Sounds like fun. Be sure to tell them hello for me.

"Will do. Give me a call when you get settled in

L.A. I’m anxious to hear all about it," said Kimmy.

As Beth hung up the phone, she could still feel the knot in her stomach, but she knew for sure that she had made the right decision. She certainly missed her friends, but that is exactly what she wanted to get away from as well. She looked forward to new friends, new places, and new experiences. And in less than 24 hours, she’d be there. The end of the long and lonely drive was in sight. She walked back down the hall to their room. Sharon was already in bed with the lights off. Beth quietly climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Beth woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep. She was energized and ready to go. This was the day that she would arrive in L.A. Beth took a shower; and when she got out, Sharon had just been woken up by the alarm that she had set for 5:30 a.m. Good morning, Mom, said Beth, I’m ready to go when you are. I can’t wait to get to Los Angeles.

Sharon felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t know what had happened to Beth since yesterday, but she was happy to see that she was excited and smiling again.

I’ll take a quick shower, and we’ll be on our way.

While you’re in there, I’ll walk down the street and get us some muffins and bagels for the road. That way we don’t have to stop for breakfast.

Good idea, honey. Be careful. Beth walked with a renewed spring in her step. She was still a little nervous, not knowing exactly what to expect, but excited nonetheless. She could smell the wonderful pastries as she approached the bakery door. There were only two people ahead of her in line, so she didn’t have to wait very long. The clerk filled the bag with blueberry and banana walnut muffins and sesame bagels. While he poured the cup of coffee for Sharon, Beth grabbed several packets of low-fat cream cheese and a bottle of orange juice from the cooler. By the time she got back to the hotel, Sharon had loaded the car and checked out.

Let’s go, said Sharon as Beth hopped into the car and handed her the cup of coffee.

Throughout the morning, they nibbled on their muffins and bagels as they whizzed through town after town. Before long, they approached the California state line.

Look, Mom. Pull over, said Beth as she pointed to the Welcome to California—The Golden State sign. Sharon snapped a picture of Beth by the sign, and they pulled back onto the highway.