‘Tis the Season
Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol!
Chapel Hill
To the left and right of us were low, snow-covered granite walls. I recognized them from the days of my youth. Between these walls, also covered by snow, was the driveway to the Chapel Hill estate.
I reached into my inner pocket, removed my flashlight, and opened the door. I got out and opened the rear door to retrieve my backpack. “It’s not too late,” said Carl. “You can come stay at our camp if you’d rather not be out in this weather.”
“Thanks Carl,” I said. “But I better get going or I’m going to be late.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll sit here with my lights on until you get out of sight.”
“Thank you,” I said. “And thanks for the ride.” With this, I said goodbye to Carl and I began walking westward along the path that would take me to the Williamson’s ancestral estate.
The ground was covered by snow, but it wasn’t hard to walk through it, and there was no way to get lost. As long as I stayed between the fences, I couldn’t get lost. I walked quickly away from the ATV, turned my flashlight on, tightened my hood a little more, and listened to the crunch of the snow beneath my feet. Occasionally I could hear the snow in the air as it fell to the earth. Around this time, Carl backed his ATV out of the driveway and went north toward his camp. Except for my small flashlight, the world was a globe of darkness.
I had feared getting cold and imagined myself collapsing like a would-be climber of Mt. Everest. As it happened, I did not get cold. I did get tired, but more than anything I was just hot.
A short time later I sensed rather than saw something looming out of the night. It was a darkness that was blacker than black, and I knew I had arrived. The dark fortress in front of me was the immense Chapel Hill manor. Curiously, there were no lights on at the main house. I suddenly realized that my invitation said nothing about the manor, so I walked to the left side of the house and peered into the night. The windows of the estate’s chapel were lit up.
I began walking toward the chapel and I saw tracks in the snow. The light and the tracks made me glad that others were near. I approached the doors to the sanctuary just as the lamplighter came outside to relight the torches. He relit them before turning his attention to me. “Sir? I must see to it that your presence is announced. Who may I say is calling”?
The formality was not expected, but I returned it as best as I could. “Good evening, sir. I am the Reverend Doctor William Roberts, of Squire Hill, Oklahoma. I am originally from the Del Roberts Community. I am responding to an invitation sent to me by Elder Haley.” He opened the door and stuck his head inside. Even from where I stood I could see the fantastic lights of a Christmas tree, boughs of holly, and tensil of green; red; and silver. There was even garland and holly on the front porch, and cuttings of mistletoe were placed above the steps.
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