Aww the season of Christmas in the city, and all are out. Many creatures were stirring, and no one owned a house. It’s a season for stretching maybe a dollar or two, for maybe a gift, or to join in on all of the halabaloo.

The balls were breaking right in front of Scorts face as he sat there chin to a small round table in the Cabernet, and those weren’t the only balls being broken in the small room of the dive. His head was dizzy from the night before where he and a few friends finished off a case while watching a wish for things to come on television. Now he sat Watching his beer rock back and forth inside of the mug counting the minutes, his shoes sticking to the floor from being in the same spot for far too long as he milked his beer for every drop. All Scort could think of was his last remaining bucks he had in his pocket and how little that would be for drinks in the city. 

“ alright buddy, you know as well I do, we need to get a move on, we got places to go people to see!” Scort heard inside his ear as he felt a smack across his lobe coming from his little cockroach companion Cardone. 

“ Why do we do this Cardone, be broke only to be more broke going out?” Scort ask, in a sensarity that could only come from one regretting the amount of booze spending he did the past week, which made him regret the one in front of his face. 

“ Well my friend, a wise man once said, which is cheaper rent or a pint?” Cardone chirped. “ Now come on man, I’m freezing my tits off here.

“ You have no tits Cardone, you're a roach” Scort said with his jaw bouncing off the face of the table. 

Scorts eyes glanced over at Cardone attempting to climb his way up the side of the perspired glass only to slide down leaving little roach tracks on the side of the mug. 

“ Now don’t mind if I help myself with the rest of this fine beverage” Cardone said with a huff as his little leg kicked in a struggle to plop himself inside the mug of beer. Scort picked up the glass and threw it back, sending Cardone on his back upon the table.

“ Yeah, let's go.” Scort said, holding his hand out for Cardone to make his way to his shoulder. 

The air outside was nippy, yet dry.Texas weather typically doesn’t lend itself to a wet winter. The ring of bells from the passing pedicab really brought the holiday spirit to an already busy street that only rattled with the sound pavement punching tires and car horns. Scort pulled out the last fifteen dollars he had crumbled in his pocket, he stretched them flat  in his hands and pondered how long they would last throughout the night.

“ So what’s so special about this place” Scort asked

“ O, you're going to Love it pal, it has lights!” Cardone’s words sparkled with joy, his hands waving in the air, displaying all the wonder the bar would have with only two little mandibles.

“ I’m sure I will mi amigo, I’m sure I will,” Scort responded, still rubbing the two bills in his hands hoping they would breed another dollar. “Which way?” Mumbled out Scort. 

“ that way!” Cardone commanded as he stuck one foot out and pointed it as if a captain of a ship. Scort looked out to a forked path. One would take them down the side of the highway, just a short skip where it would eventually get them to the Christmas bar, and the other was the direction Cardone was pointing. Scort immediately regretted asking Cardone the Question, for he unfortunately already knew the way. But couldn’t deny Cardone who still stood erect in his commander's position repeating “ Onward Steed!” As he pointed in the direction of a small path that would take them down to the side of the lake. 

Regardless of wrong or right ways, it’s the season of surprises Scort meditated to himself as he let Cardone lead the way down a long pavement hill, leading them into a running trail by the banks of the lake. Mist hovered gracefully on top of the body of water, its icy glimmer wisped around with angelic delight. 

“ hey where y’all going!?” A raccoon said, popping his head from the side of the bank, waving a hotdog in his paw.

“ To the Christmas Bar!” Cardone said in his best Santa Claus impersonation. 

“ awww! Christmas bar!” The raccoon yelled,” I heard they have lights!” 

“ They do!” Cardone yelled back. 

And the two continued on their way down the trail letting the spirit of Christmas fill them with every step, but even the Christmas spirit becomes weary after an hour of walking. Soon the two friends were far from the water, and only could see construction every which way.

“ awww and I hope you're ready for all the magical concoctions they have there Scort! I heard of one that I was told I had to try, it’s called Malort!” Cardone lavishly stated ending his hour long rant about the Christmas bar.

“ how much further do we have to go!?” Scort exhaustively said as they approached a highway underpass. 

The underpass was filled with those that had no home to call their own, no apartment to lay their heads. A tinseled town made of trash, bike wheels as clocks, and tarps as roofs, without a single chimney for Santa to shimmy down to deliver presents this season. 

Scort and Cardone from beyond the sculpted homes heard what could be singing, big voices, chiming together as one O,The weather outside was frightful but the fire was so Delightful joyfully sang out load from in the little shack homestead. 

Scort and Cardone stealthily encroached upon a tent that they could watch behind. A man dawning a green beanie and carrying a large blanket emerged from inside the little town, the people in this homeless village gathering around a small limpy tree, missing all of its leaves at the center of their gathering. 

“ a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God said, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth… peace, and goodwill towards men!” The man yelled, his voice in the cold air, every syllable could be seen. From the last condensational breath that left the man’s mouth a party erupted in the midst of the cold day. A half naked man jingling a milk carton ran around erratically in a shamanic display. Neighbors of the little village pulled together what food, drink and consumables they had to share amongst one another passing all from hand to hand. A large unpractical makeshift horn was pulled out from one of the tents, and its owner blew forth through the end with all their might, it wasn’t music but it was joyous and fit the scene of the season that was unfolding in front of Scort and Cardones eyes. 

Scort never thought there could be such marryment in such a state as they were in. Feeling the fifteen dollars in his pocket  gave him a relief of what little he had, but each of those two bills had a little more weight then they did when leaving the bar as before. Now watching the Christmas celebration bursting before his eyes, seeing those with so little, yet with so much. 

Scott and Cardone then left the homeless village with their spirits high, one might say they floated, lifted by angels as if they could fly. Yet their feet were on the ground, taking in the cold Christmas air. It's a brisk reminder that they were almost there. The little Christmas bar, just down the way. Where their friends would be celebrating this special day. 

“ Holy shit, I never knew there could be so much construction” Scort blurted out loud looking at the wall of construction on each side of them forcing them into a one way path. 

“ Ok pal, I have a confession to make…. I don’t think I know where we are going anymore” Cardone

Scorts air poured out into the sky,Breathing in a sigh of relief “ I know Cardone…I know” 

At that moment dawn started to break and the last wink of the sun casted itself in glorious splendor across the city skyline, its light ripples across every pane of the giant skyscrapers that held themselves so high above all the citizens of the city. The light casted itself as a beacon for the two friends that could feel the evening's festivities take hold on their thoughts. 

Cardone in an aura of confidence pointed straight towards the dawn's path leading them forward exclaiming “ That way!” 

“ Well.. that was convenient,” Scort replied. 

“ yes…yes it was,” Cardone modestly added. 

The two shuffled on their way letting the excitement of their destination fill their bodies with the Christmas urge to sing a carol or two,yet even with the cold nipping at Scorts fingertips something more seemed to put a hindrance to his holiday spirit, and that was the two bills in his pocket rubbing together like two lovers in a tent on a cold windy night. How long will they last me he thought as he could feel Cardone break into a jig as they came into eye sight of the Christmas bar. It’s shabby furnishings of tensile and multicolored lights, a Santa Claus sign with a written speech bubble sign calling everyone a hoe as they entered and little elf’s hanging from the ceiling that danced for you when you went to take a piss.It was a Beacon of cheer for all to hear, for as Scort and Cardone approached they could hear the almost Christmas time music ringing from inside. 

The two Friends passed through a galley of food trucks breathing in the cold air, the smell from the multicultural food made Cardone and Scort seemingly float into the bar. The two blew in through the door, the cold merry wind almost pushing them in as a holiday greeter. In Front of their face hung a giant marquee sign listing off various, and precarious cocktails Deck the halls:twenty dollars, You’ll shoot your eye out shot:fourteen dollars, Grinch punch:seventeen dollars, and finally moldy fruit cake shot with below it read contains molort. Cordon jumped with excitement with his little buggy legs bouncing almost to his antennas until we read the price below “ more than you can afford”  crushing the little heart of Cardone in its beat. Fortunately punctuated at the bottom of the sign read  “draft:Coors banquet three dollars and fifty scents”.

“ I’ll take a Coors banquet” Scort ordered handing a five dollar bill when behind them yelled “Scort!” As his friends who missed him going in had commandeered a bench outside in the Galley of Food trucks. Scort looked down as he received his change  “eleven fifty” he said to himself as his hand grasped the cold glass bottle. His friends greeted him with open arms and yelled his name which to him was the best Christmas present one could ask for. They cheered, they clinked, they talked about how wonderful Christmas in the city was.the city light blinking over them like the eyes of parents watching their kids opening gifts on Christmas Day. Scort across from him watched a marshmallow devolve away inside his friends spiked hot cocoa, and in a way so did his money troubles. He looked at the smiling faces of those that came together in some weird, drunk final supper. 

Amidst the cheer, across the street at a dreary quick stop a homeless man stumbled around aimlessly until collapsing upon his rump right outside the front glass walls. His head hung low, his clothing in tatters, and his beard bedazzled with snot. Scort looked at the man, his few hills and a scent still floating around in his pocket. He looked back at his friends, their smiling faces, clothes on their backs, drinks in their hands. The man across the street cast shadows on this cold Christmas night. 

“ Poor guy,” Cardone reflected, rubbing the back of his thorax. 

Scort stood and jogged across the street, coming to the man whose head was bobbing on top of his hunched shoulders. 

“ Hey man?” Scort asked his breath expelling into the air. The man's head hung low with no response 

“ uh” scort huffed out.

“ say merry Christmas!” Cardone blurted into the ear of Scort.

“ hey..um Merry Christmas?” Scort said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the remaining bills he had left.

The man's head lifted, his swollen eyes widened at the sight. His hand shakily lifted itself up accepting the gift. Scort then walked back across the street, thinking of the Christmas meal eleven dollars would bring. Sitting back with his friends surrounding him, looking at his quarter of beer left, and only fifty scents in his pocket he kept picturing the randomly assorted Christmas feast the man would take part in, a feast comprised of a medley of gas station convenience food, hot dog with all the fixing, corn nuts and a candy bar, possibly a soda thrown in there.

“ Yeah, that would be perfect.” Scort whispered to himself, as he turned his head to watch the man come to his feet and stumble into the quick mart. 

“ You did good pal,” Cardone assured. 

 “ Thank man.” Scort responded,putting back the last of his beer.

The man then came back out of the gas station, but not holding food of nourishment, O no, the man came barring a lottery ticket that he stretched off, shook his head and promptly threw it on the ground and walked away. The lottery ticket blew away with the wind and Scorts head dropped in disappointment. 

“ I could of just bought myself another beer” Scort moaned. 

“ It's ok, pale, you can’t ever control what people do with the gifts we give them, all you can have is good intention and that is what the season is all about,” Cordone said, patting Scort on his head. 

A clink was heard in front of Scorts head that might as well have been the sleigh bells from the song. Scort looked up to see a cold beer shimmering lights within its golden contents. 

“Merry Christmas man!” Scorts Friend said holding his own beer up in a cheers. 

“ Merry Christmas man!” Scort said smiling, tipping his beer in a salute. 

Scort looked around to see all the smiling faces, red as Rudolph's nose from the cold, yet that didn’t bring any of them down, it was the season to be jolly and even more important the season of kindness and giving in the city.  

     By: J.C Mills