A Heavenly Christmas: A Day In The Life 

Ostara walked through the warehouse.  She had never seen so many toys all in one place.  This should have been a happy place, but the toys were still locked in their prisons of cardboard and tape.  She read each set of boxes as she passed.  Dolls, trains, rocking horses; each box was carefully labeled with the kind of toy and how many there were.  Ostara watched as Andy read his list and pulled the great boxes to load on the trucks.  She sat upon a container labeled "teddy bears” and watched as the men all worked.  Box upon box were stacked upon something she heard Andy call a "skid" and then the skid was transferred onto a truck. 

 

She had expected Nick to spend his day in the office, but he came out and loaded skids with his employees.  In spite of the chill, all the men had their shirtsleeves rolled up and were sweating with the effort of lifting heavy boxes.  They all worked hard only speaking when necessary.  "Boy!" thought Ostara, "I had no idea toys could be such hard work!"  As she watched throughout the morning, she began to think of the warehouse as "Santa's Sweatshop". 

 

At noon one of the men stretched and declared "Lunch!" in a loud voice.  Nick stopped in mid lift. 

 

"What did you say?"  His voice sounded strangely dangerous.  Ostara was stunned into listening.  The employees were silent.  "It is lunch when I say its lunch.  Not before.  Unless you are planning to stay late by yourself to finish these loads, I strongly suggest you keep working."  Nick did not speak loud, but his voice carried to every employee in the warehouse. 

 

Andy was the first to move.  "Look man, I don't know about anyone else, but I need a bathroom break at least.  How about 15 and then we can get on it?  Of course it is up to you Nick, I mean, you are the boss, man."  There was no doubt to anyone, even Ostara, that Andy was making a point to the other employees while trying to placate Nick.

 

Nick realized he was being an ass, but he was also tired of staying an extra 3 hours each night to get the trucks completed.  Still 15 minutes wasn't too much to ask for.  "Make it 30," Nick capitulated.  "If we all hit it hard after a 30 minute break, we may actually get out of here on time."  The air relaxed as the workers realized the moment had passed.  They hurried out before Nick could change his mind.  Nick continued to load the skids.  Andy looked at him and shook his head.  Nick ignored him and kept working. 

 

Ostara watched as Nick worked.  She watched while his face grew darker with the rise of the laughter from the break room.  She watched as the sweat dripped into his eyes.  She watched as they burned and watered.  Then, with the sight of an angel, she saw the tear that was pain of heart. 

 

She floated down to rest as close to him as she could get without him noticing her.  She saw determination overcome the shadow of pain as Nick redoubled his efforts.  She shook her head beginning to understanding why he pushed so hard.  Ostara leaned her chin in her hand and tapped one finger against her cheek.  Little things.  She needed to start with little things to brighten his day.  An overhead light popped as the idea came to her.  Nick swore.  Ostara rushed to the break room to whisper her plan to Andy.

 

"Hey, it looks like everyone's done," Nick could hear Andy's voice.  "How about we hit it a little early...might make the afternoon a little more bearable."  Nick stopped and looked toward the break room.  He heard the chairs scrape against the floor as the employees came back to join him in his work.  Nick didn't say a word, but he didn't fuss either.  It was a start.

 

Once again everyone worked in virtual silence.  After only 2 hours Nick looked up in surprise.  He had picked up the clipboard to pull the last load, but it wasn't there.  In fact, the guys were already loading it onto the last truck.  Everyone stole a tentative glance at him.  Nick looked around and headed into his office.  The employees looked at one another and shrugged.  Ostara looked at poor Andy.  By now she realized he would be the one to venture into the lion's den.  She hurried ahead of him to see if she could help.

 

In the office, Nick was compiling orders for the next day.  As soon as Andy entered the office Nick handed him the sheets.  "Here.  They aren't completed, but start pulling these for tomorrow." 

 

Andy sat down across the desk.  Nick looked at him.  "Problem?"

 

"You could say that."  Nick leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.  Andy swallowed; that was never a good sign.  "See, here's the thing:  we cut our lunch short so we could get out of here on time.  We all busted our humps, even Jim and you know how lazy he can be.  Well, we got done with today's loads, and now you want to start on tomorrow's?  Well, it's just that...I mean don't you think that's..."

 

"It's not fair."

 

Andy's face lit up.  It seemed he was getting somewhere for a change.  "Yeah, that's it.  After all, we got today's work done.  Why can't we head out?  Maybe get some extra shopping done.  You know how it is...?"

 

Nick leaned forward.  "No, Andy, I don't know how it is.  All I know is that each day our loads are going to get bigger and bigger and we'll be lucky to get it all pulled and loaded on time.  And that doesn't count the loads coming in.  We've got two that are still coming in tonight?  Who's going to unload those and have them ready so we can pull tomorrow?  I'll tell you.  It'll be me.  While you are all out shopping for your families, I'll be here doing your work.  And when it comes to pay, do you think those guys out there aren't going to complain when their hours are short.  And at this time of year too!  No.  No way am I going to let them go early only to hear them bitch about it on payday."

 

Andy and Ostara looked at Nick.  Unfortunately he made sense.  Andy slowly got up from his chair and, with head bent defeated, he shuffled out to tell the guys to get back to work.  Ostara followed him out as well.  She had no sense of defeat, however she had the beginnings of a thought and she needed some space to clarify it.

 

At four o'clock sharp, Nick stepped out of his office.  Everyone was working, but the speed and intensity which they displayed after lunch was gone.  Still, they had half of tomorrow's loads pulled.  They'd see then that he wasn't just a jerk.  Their day would be a little bit lighter because he was "mean".  "Head 'em up and move 'em out!" Nick shouted.  He watched as faces lit up around him.  Half an hour early wouldn't break anyone's bank.  He turned and re-entered his office.  He had no interest in the cheerful banter that would surround the time clock.

 

Ostara watched with a smile the employees as they clocked out and left.  Yes, Nick would take to her suggestion quite well.  He was on the verge of it anyway.  It wouldn't take much to convince him it was his idea.  Well, really it was, Ostara had just refined it a bit.  She went to his car and got settled in for the enjoyable ride home.