[Originally sent out December 2021 in 24 Days of Christmas Newsletter, with plot synopses for Hallmark-style holiday movies that I’d like to see.]
Christina, a corporate lawyer, doesn’t have time for holidays. She’s busy closing one of the largest M&A deals of the year. If she gets through this one, she’ll make partner, which she cares about way more than HAVING a partner because she’s a busy career girl.
There’s only one thing holding up this deal (besides the Secretary of State office staff’s vacation schedule, lol) – a dumb bureaucratic snag about needing a certificate of title for a building the client owns. Christina’s busy managing this deal, but the only way to get around this is to travel to the town where the building is located, and get the paperwork from the town clerk. The lead partner doesn’t trust anyone else with this task, so Christina belts up her trenchcoat, straps on her pumps, and heads to Podunk.
During the long drive, she multitasks, barking commands into her cell phone and dictating to her secretary. In the middle she accidentally picks up a phone call from her mom. “No, mom, I won’t be home for the holidays,” she says. “Don’t you know I have to make partner? I don’t have time for Christmas.” She sighs. “Yes, Mom. I remember how much I loved the Christmas spirit when I was a little girl. But I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m a busy career woman.” Her face softens. “Merry Christmas to you too, Mom. Love you.” But she shouldn’t be talking to her mom because she’s distracted and nearly crashes into a tractor in front of her.
The handsome farmer in the tractor usually has a twinkle in his eye, but he’s grumpy because this city slicker nearly caused an accident. “That’s why we don’t need city slickers around here,” he says to his horse, who is riding next to him in the passenger seat of the tractor. “Neigh,” says the horse. “Neigh!!!” He was injured in the accident! The farmer shakes his fist at Christina, who has just parked her Miata.
Christina gets out of her car, looking around in distaste at Main Street which basically just has piles of hay and a small post office. After she’s taken two steps, her high heel sinks into a pile of horse dung. Welcome to Podunk. But Christina doesn’t care, busy career girl that she is. She’s going to get this deal closed and make partner!
She marches off to Town Hall. “I’m here for the Certificate of Title for 309 Elm,” she says. “Oh, are you now,” drawls the town clerk. “Before getting down to business, let’s get you set up at our hotel.” “I won’t be staying,” says Christina. “I just need the certificate.” “Well, you’ll have to wait for Jim to get back.” “Fine,” says Christina. She pops in her ear buds and sits staring at her phone, catching up on her lawyer emails. The clerk tries to talk to her but she waves the clerk away because she is too important to talk to her.
After an hour, the clerk walks out. Christina follows her and says, “Excuse me!”
“Yes?” said the clerk.
“Can I get some service around here? Where’s Jim?”
“Well, he’s a little busy right now,” says the clerk. “Said he nearly got into a car accident and he needs to take care of his horse. The horse is real finicky so Jim won’t be here the rest of the day.”
“Are you serious?” exclaims Christina. “Somebody needs to show you country folks how to get things done around here. Where can I find Jim?”
“Well, he lives at 300 Elm,” says the clerk, “but I wouldn’t—”
“Watch me,” says Christina, striding out. She gets a call from the partner on the way to the car. “I’m on it,” she says.
Christina goes to the farm and demands the Certificate of Title from Jim. “I don’t care about your horse,” she says. But it turns out it’s not a horse, it’s a horse GHOST. “Then how did it get injured in the accident?” she asks.
“I don’t have to explain nothing to you,” snaps Jim. “It’s Christmas Eve, Horse is in danger, and it’s your fault.”
“Look, all I need is the Certificate of Title, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You city slickers are all the same,” snarls Jim. The horse ghost neighs and takes a step toward Christina, who recoils in fear. “You don’t have to worry,” says Jim, rolling his eyes. “He’ll pass right through you.” But the horse takes another step and nuzzles its face against Christina’s shoulder. “He’s corporeal for you,” says Jim in wonder. “He’s usually only solid for me.”
Jim needs to stay up all night taking care of the horse. The partner calls again, asking about the certificate. Christina decides to help Jim with the horse because the quicker the horse recovers, the quicker he can get back to work to obtain the Certificate of Title for her building.
“This ghost horse is real important to me,” says Jim. “He’s the ghost of a horse I had as a small child. That horse was a descendant of Rudolf.”
“Who’s Rudolf?” Christina asks.
“The reindeer?” says Jim. “Man, you city slickers really don’t know nothin’.”
“But he doesn’t have any antlers,” says Christina.
Jim spits a seed in disgust. But when he sees Christina caress Horse’s ghost mane, he grudgingly admits to himself that this city slicker might be all right after all.
In the middle of the night, as they tend the horse ghost together, Christina looks up at the stars. “I didn’t know there were so many,” she says.
“Ain’t you never looked at the night sky before?” he asks.
“I’m usually working,” she admits. “All I see is the ceiling of my luxury office.”
“You must really love your job,” he says.
She looks into his eyes and says, “Yes. Love.”
Horse starts to jerk and whinny. “Horse!” says Jim. “This happens every Christmas on account of his missing antlers. I’ve got to get him his special ghost medicine. But I can’t leave him like this!”
“Go,” says Christina. “I’ll stay with him.”
Will Horse survive and teach Christina the meaning of Christmas? Find out tomorrow in the conclusion of… THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT!
24 Days of Christmas
Next: The Holiday Spirit, Part 2
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