Chapter 22
“Step right up. Read all about it,” Chase shouted, as he stepped into my apartment, swinging a copy of today’s New York Times in my direction. “I’ll be sure to send a copy to your father in Wisteria. Do you think Ms. Thompson would like a copy? You can show Thomas this copy tomorrow if he hasn’t already seen it.”
“You’re crazy, but amazing, Mr. Reporter Man,” I exclaimed, waving my arms in the air. “Let me see what you’re so proud of.”
There on the front page of the New York Times was the photo Chase had taken of me after my first day of work at the Emporium. You could see the salad and breadsticks in the background. He’d also taken a picture of me curtsying at my first recital when I played “The Gift of Goodbye,” only I didn’t know that was the title when I played it. Then, as I unfolded the paper, there was a larger photo of me playing at Carnegie Hall. Chase had interviewed me a couple of nights ago and I knew he was going to write something, but had no idea the story would be on the front page of his paper. There at the bottom were the words: written by Chase E. Monroe. New York Times Reporter. I couldn’t have been prouder.
Setting the paper down, I walked over to Chase and hugged him. “I’m so glad I met you on my first day in New York. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you, Chase.”
“I love you, too, Anna. Let’s go take our picture together in front of the Blue Sky Apartments before someone tears the building down and puts up a new high-rise.”
“Let’s,” I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the apartment. “You called me Anna again.”
“Indeed I did.” Chase gave me his wicked grin.
~ ~ ~
I took my copy of the article with me the next morning to show Thomas, but he’d already read all about me and pointed to a man, all bundled up, sitting outside the front door, waiting for the store to open.
“Who do you suppose that could be?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” Thomas replied.
Just then Daniel and Mara came in the back door before heading to class.
“I left some sketches here the other day that I need for class today,” Mara said.
“Do either of you recognize the man sitting outside the front door all bundled up?” Thomas asked. When everyone shook their head, Thomas said, “Let’s open the door for him so he doesn’t freeze to death out there.”
Hearing the door unlock, the gentleman stood up and turned around. Thomas waved him inside. “It’s freezing outside. How can I help you on this cold winter morning?”
“I’m Oliver Simpson. I’m a musical director on Broadway and I’m very interested in talking to Ms. Anna Louise Armstrong. I was told I could find her here.”
“I’m Anna Louise Armstrong,” I said, stepping forward.
Mr. Simpson smiled at me. “You do look like the girl on yesterday’s front page of the New York Times. I would like to hire you to write the musical score for my next Broadway play here in New York. The script is being developed right this minute and the writers would like your input into the play.”
Thomas, Mara, and Daniel all stared over at me. “I think he’s talking about you, Anna Louise,” Daniel finally said.
Seeing Daniel, Mr. Simpson remarked, “Didn’t you star in the NYU play Streets? Fantastic performance, young man.”
“Thank you, Mr. Simpson,” Daniel replied.
“Why don’t you come by and audition for a part in the play I’m asking Ms. Armstrong to be part of?” He dug a couple of cards out of his pocket and handed one to Daniel.
“I’ll be there. Thanks.”
“Here’s my card, Ms. Armstrong. I hope you’re interested in becoming part of my next production and will set up an appointment with my assistant.”
“Thank you, Mr. Simpson. I’m very interested and will make an appointment with your assistant soon.”
“I look forward to working with both of you young people in the near future.” Mr. Simpson wrapped his scarf back around his neck and strolled out of the Emporium. Hearing a chorus of screams rise up behind him, Mr. Simpson turned around and smiled, waving through the window.
“You’ve done it again, Anna Louise, and this time you’ve taken Daniel with you,” Thomas called, hugging me, then Mara and Daniel.
I was stunned, but couldn’t wait to tell Chase what had happened—for both Daniel and me. To tell him that a Broadway musical director had seen his article on the front page of the New York Times and had come out in the freezing cold early this morning to ask if I’d write the musical score for his next Broadway play. How he’d seen Streets and recognized Daniel and told him to come in for an audition once the script for the play was written. What an amazing start to another day at the Emporium.
We soon found out Chase’s article didn’t end with Mr. Simpson. When the store opened at ten o’clock, people started streaming into the Emporium to look at and even buy several pianos sitting on the showroom floor. The phone started ringing to have Thomas come tune their pianos. Pretty soon his tuning schedule was out for almost a month. The whole day had turned out to be nothing short of astonishing because of one article in the New York Times. Near closing time, Thomas stared over at me and said, “What are we going to do, Anna Louise?”
“Do you think Lucas or Benjamin might want to follow in their father’s footsteps NOW? We’re going to need more help, especially when Daniel’s not able to come in.”
“I’ll talk it over with the family and see if maybe Lucas could come in after school and learn how to tune pianos with me. That would help me out a lot. Wonder if Pop can see the explosion that has happened at the Emporium since he hired you on the spot that day.”
“I think he always wanted the Emporium to become a family business and it seems like that is about to happen. My role is small, but I’m so grateful I can work here and write musical scores at the same time. I’ll be playing concerts with the Chamber Orchestra, but my heart will always be right here at the Emporium.” I slipped into my coat, wrapped my warm scarf around my neck. “It’s been a fabulous day, Thomas. See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here. Remember you and Chase are spending Christmas with the Cutlers this year—just like family.
As I rode home to SoHo, I called Chase to tell him how his article in the newspaper had changed everything at the Emporium that day. About Mr. Simpson sitting in the cold waiting to ask me to write the musical score for his next Broadway show. Giving Daniel his card to audition for a part on Broadway. About all of the pianos they had sold and about all of the tunings Thomas would be doing. The Emporium was going to need more help. Thomas was going to talk to his son, Lucas, to see if he would come in after school and learn how to tune pianos.
“Your article on me playing at Carnegie Hall in Mr. Cutler’s memory certainly woke up New York to the Piano Emporium only a couple of blocks away from Times Square. Thank you.”
Chase laughed. “I loved doing the article on you. Here’s this young girl who got on a bus from Wisteria, Kansas, and rode to Manhattan in New York determined to make her dream of learning to play the piano and to one day play at Carnegie Hall come true. She worked hard and her dream did come true, but along the way she also grew into a beautiful young woman.”
“Chase. You’re making me cry. I could say the same about you and how you’ve grown into this phenomenal reporter and journalist. I hope people see who wrote the article and will call on you to write about even bigger things.”
“Thank you, Anna. I’ll see you later tonight to go Christmas shopping.”
“Yes. We have lots of shopping to do if we’re going to spend Christmas with the Cutler family. I can’t wait to see Savannah and how she’s doing. You were right, Chase, this has been a good year.
“It has been. See you in a little while. Bye.”
~ ~ ~
Getting out of the cab in front of Thomas’s house became quite a feat with all of the packages Chase and I had brought along to put under the tree. Watching us struggle from the front window, Lucas and Benjamin hurried out to help us. “Thanks,” I said. “Guess all of this is a little more than Chase and I could handle. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Lucas said. “You can load up Benjamin and me and then we’ll take them into the house and put them under the tree.”
“That would be a great help. Thanks,” Chase said as he took some of the packages off the back seat of the cab and placed them into Lucas’s and Benjamin’s arms. “I think Anna Louise and I can bring in the rest of them.”
Lucas and Benjamin laughed as they looked over the top of the packages and headed into the house.
Thomas stood there with the door open so Chase and I could make our way into the house with the remaining packages. “Did you buy out New York City, Anna Louise?” Thomas teased.
“Just about. I don’t know about Chase, but I had the time of my life doing it.”
“Come on in,” Thomas said, taking the packages out of my hands and handing them to Lucas to put under the tree. He did the same for Chase, handing the packages to Benjamin.
The house looked and smelled like Christmas. Something wonderful was baking in the oven while Beth, Ashley, Savannah, and Mara scurried around the kitchen.
“Hi ladies,” I said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Anna Louise,” Savannah sang out. “I’ve missed you a lot.” She ran over and into my arms, giving me a hug.
“I’ve missed you, too. Here you are helping Beth and Ashley prepare this great Christmas meal.”
“We’ve had so much fun. Beth helped Ashley and me make lots of cookies that we took around to the neighbors. We even went caroling last night around the neighborhood. I could sing the songs because you played Christmas carols at the hospital last year and I remembered them.”
“That’s amazing, Savannah. You learn quickly and have a great memory.”
“Here’s an apron, Anna Louise,” Beth said. “I’ll have you arrange all of the cookies and candies on a couple of plates and cut the pies, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. Show me to the treats,” I replied.
The table was set and the food ready, so everyone took a seat and Thomas said grace, then he carved the turkey as Beth passed the rest of the dishes around the table, starting with Daniel. Mara was sitting next to him, then Lucas and Benjamin. On the other side of the table there was Chase, me, Savannah, and Ashley. Thomas sat at one end and Beth at the other.
The chatter began as we started to eat and didn’t stop even after we were finished. The children were anxious to open their presents. Mara and I helped Beth clean the dishes off the table while Ashley and Savannah went into the living room to shake packages and search for their names.
“Ho, ho, ho,” came this voice out of nowhere with a bag slung over his back. I quickly ran for my purse and pulled out my phone so I could get pictures of Ashley and Savannah as they saw Santa Claus come into the living room. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he said in his deep voice. “Has everyone been good this year?”
Ashley and Savannah stared at Santa and said they’d been good. Santa looked in his bag and brought out gifts for each of the girls. Their eyes twinkled as they said thank you to Santa. “Anyone else been good this year?” Santa asked.
Mara looked at Daniel and Daniel looked at Mara.
“We’ve been pretty good, Santa,” Daniel said. “We’ve been going to school, Mara sold some of her paintings, I starred in a play at the college, and I’ve been asked to audition for a Broadway play. Is that good enough, Santa?”
Santa let out a big “Ho, ho, ho,” then handed Daniel and Mara each a gift. Then he turned to Chase and me, already knowing the year we’d gone through and knew the list was long. Santa handed us each a present from his bag. Then there was Lucas and Benjamin. “Well, boys, what do you have to say for yourselves?”
Lucas stared over at Benjamin and Benjamin stared right back at him. “Santa, we’ve been good. We’ve gone to school and helped Mom all we could when she asked us. We love shooting hoops with each other and with our dad when he can. Is that good enough?” Lucas and Benjamin asked.
“Sounds great to Santa. Here are your gifts.”
Thomas looked over at Beth with all the love in the world in his eyes and asked her if she’d been good.
“I’ve been as good as I could be all year long, Santa,” she said. “Life has been interesting in the Cutler household this year, but it’s also been filled with love and caring for one another.”
“Well, then, this pint-sized present is for you, ma’am,” Santa said. “Hope you like what’s inside. I’ve got to go now. My bag is empty and I need to fill it up again before I stop at the next house.”
Santa had returned to the Cutler home, and Thomas seemed to be gone quite a while before he returned and put his arm around Beth as she opened her gift from Santa. When Beth opened the small box and got a glimpse of what was inside, she threw her arms around Thomas’s neck. In the box were the keys to a new SUV. Her old Chevy van was on its last leg and she still had four children to transport to school and around the city. “Did Santa happen to leave the SUV in the driveway while you were out, Thomas?”
“I do believe I did see something in the driveway, but it appeared to be as white as the snow, so I’m not sure. Let’s all go look.” Thomas led the way followed by Beth, then the rest of the family and friends. Everyone piled in as Beth put the key in and started up the SUV. “Hang on, everyone, Beth is at the wheel.”
Beth took us on a trip around the neighborhood so we could see all of the lights and decorations in the yards. The houses could have been on any Christmas card, especially with the smoke circling out of the chimneys. As she pulled back into the driveway, Beth said, “Let’s go have us some cookies, candy, and pie to eat, along with coffee and punch to drink. What do you all say?”
“But, Mom, what about all of those other presents under the tree?” Benjamin said.
“You’re right, Benjamin,” Beth replied. “We’ll have treats right after we open all of the presents under the tree.”
This time Thomas, not Santa, handed out the presents under the tree. The excitement in the room rose to fever pitch as each and every gift was opened. Once again, I had to take pictures capturing the looks on everyone’s faces at they opened their presents. Colorful Christmas wrap covered the living room floor. There just wasn’t time to properly throw it in the garbage bag Beth was holding. Once the presents were all opened, the boys and men started to ball up the gift wrap and toss it toward the bag Beth was holding.
“Great shot,” they shouted back and forth.
Back at the table, after the treats had been passed around and everyone had their mouth full, I said, “I’ll play Christmas carols if anyone would like to sing along.”
Ashley and Savannah jumped up and down.
“Let’s sing the ones you played at the hospital that day,” Ashley said.
“Yes,” Savannah echoed. “I didn’t really get to sing that day, either.”
“Do you think we could get your dad and mom, as well as Daniel, Mara, Lucas, Benjamin, and Chase, to sing along, too?” I smiled, glancing around the table.
“I’m still eating,” Lucas and Benjamin choked out, staring at one another.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll start playing and singing and whoever wants to join in can.” As I played and sang “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” Ashley and Savannah joined me. When I struck up “Jingle Bells” I heard a few more voices join in, and when I played “Frosty the Snowman”, everyone seemed to join in, singing loud and clear.
Last I played “Silent Night,” and as we all sang softly and reverently, Mara passed out candles and lit them for everyone to hold until the end of the song. The tree lights twinkled and the candle lights flickered as Christmas Day came to a close.
Finally, the Cutler family stood in the doorway and wished Chase and me, along with Mara and their son, Daniel, a “Merry Christmas” as we climbed into Daniel’s old blue Hyundai that would take us back to SoHo.