I finally made Starsky shun relentless holiday commercialism. That’s one reason why we spend our Christmases together in the last place you’d expect – the Bay City Prison.
We arrive there on Christmas Day; make fools of ourselves, dressed as cowboys or Elvis, whatever Starsky wrangles for us. I play the out of tune piano. Starsky does his thing, passing around retro candy and gum. He makes them remember themselves as kids, talking about the lights, the trees, their mom’s cookies or sometimes snow when they’re from back east. If there’s a child inside them, Starsky unlocks it, even in the prison rec room.
For a long time, we viewed that place as a pit too nice for the dangerous scum we hunted and sent there. We had pain, physical and heart wise, as a constant reminder why those in that room were the enemy to be feared. Any charity that was once in our nature dried up and got blown away with Terry, Jackson and a hundred others. By the time Lionel got killed, we had trouble offering kindness to anyone, even each other.
But things change.
Starsky finally made me sentimental about Christmas. He made me remember exactly how it felt when I was a kid; the lights, the trees, and the anticipation that something wonderful was going to happen. It didn’t matter what I had done before or what had been done to me. He lived and loved me still.
That’s the other reason we spend our Christmases together with those in jail. All that euphoric sentimentalism made me a bit loopy and sort of brave. We were done being cops, that made it simpler. The counselor suggested that Starsky’s healing process should include a certain amount of forgiveness. Of course, Starsky had to show off, forgiving this one and that one until he forgave them all. When he asked me to go with him to visit the inmates on Christmas, I went gladly, fearlessly singing Feliz Navidad, Elvis style.
It turned out to be a good thing for both of us to do on Christmas. He stays away from shopping, mostly. I don’t complain, much.
On the drive home, we’re usually quiet, glad to be away from the fluorescent lights and cement walls. I think it’s our time to let the cares of the world fade away. As soon as we’ve both let go of the noise, we listen for each other, not with our ears, but with our hearts, open and ready for something wonderful. Always, I hear him clearly.
for a horrible moment I thought they’d gone ‘bad’. forgiveness Starsky style with Hutch learning to enjoy Xmas again. Very nice
Ha! You thought they’d “gone bad”. No, like in the Monopoly game, they were “just visiting”.
Oh, that was lovely! I loved the line about their charity getting blown away with Terry, Jackson, etc. And then the line about having trouble offering kindness…even to each other. So much said in such a small couple of lines. Really nice, marian!
Thanks duluth.
Nice idea! A perfect place for them to spend the holiday. “Starsky had to show off, forgiving this one and that one until he forgave them all.” ?
Thanks Spencer. I think Starsky would admit to it, he likes to show off occasionally.
Good work here. I could see this happening easily. Thank you.
Thanks Kat. So many possibilities after SR. It’s fun to imagine this sort of happy scene.
Aw, this is lovely! I really like this vision of where they might be, post-SR. And your descriptions of who and how they were before manage to be really quite heart-wrenching in just a couple of lines.
Thanks Calliatra. It’s nice to imagine them happy after SR.
I think my heart just grew two sizes. Thank you for this 🙂
Thanks for the sweet comment, Exbex.
Sweet–and they’re giving back to a community that needs help.
Thanks Dawn. Even after SR, I like to think of them as still helping people.
This is such a gorgeous view of post SR! I’m so glad we have talented writers to make up for the S4 weirdness…
My fave lines have already been mentioned so I’ll just say “thank you” for this lovely story.
Yes, S4 had lots of pain and “weirdness”. Thank you for your kind words.
You’ve always come up with really beautiful surprises into our guys uniqueness. This Christmas celebration, after SR, shows the warmth in their souls not just towards each other but for others as well. It’s really nice, Marian! Thank you so much !
Thanks Samudee. I like the way you put it. “Warmth in their souls not just toward each other but for others as well”
Thank you. I have been to visit a brother in prison at Christmas. I would not have thought to visit otherwise. We go Christmas caroling at hospitals and nursing homes. Thanks for an unusual place to practice love and kindness.
Thanks Elaine. It’s nice to think of them still together and still practicing love and kindness after SR.
What a wonderful idea to have for a story, Marian, and then to be able to write it so well, is great! It absolutely sang with realism; you captured both perfectly. And the pic chosen ain’t bad either Thanks for your lovely gift to all of us.
Thanks Pat. Yes, the pic is wonderful! It was a gift to me from the Advent Calendar Elves. Thanks guys – it’s great!
The idea of Starsky doing Elvis always makes me laugh.
Me too. It would have been quite interesting.
What a beautiful, wonderful surprise! Beautifully written in a perfect voice for a post SR Hutch. Just lovely!
Thanks Taass.
This is the most original concept for a Christmas story I have encountered, Marianrose!
What a wonderful way to transform the Scrooge in Hutch to singing my favorite Christmas song like Elvis! I was just in my local Walmart singing with Jose Feliciano and bopping down the aisles this afternoon. It’s the only Christmas song I like. Most holiday songs make me cry. I read your story and it warmed my heart. Thanks for the new mental images of S&H I will now get every time I hear that song.
These words were gems:
Starsky finally made me sentimental about Christmas. He made me remember exactly how it felt when I was a kid; the lights, the trees, and the anticipation that something wonderful was going to happen. It didn’t matter what I had done before or what had been done to me. He lived and loved me still.
Starsky could make feel better. But how you wrote that was profound. Very moving.
This story goes into my READ EVERY CHRISTMAS file.
Appreciatively,
Ursula Angstrom
Thank you Ursula. It makes me smile to think that you would remember this when you hear that song.
Aww, so sweet. Lovely original idea for a Christmas story. So Starsky, so them. Thank you for a heart warming story.
Thanks so much.
Aw…lovely and nice!!!
Very well done!!!
;D
Thanks Bee
Absolutely brilliant! There’s been so much pain around for both of them, that reading something like this, them finally make peace with life, with themselves, with each other, is really beautiful. You write Hutch’s POV wonderfully! Thank you!
Thank you. I like idea of peace in their lives very much.
So very lovely, Marianrose. The line “By the time Lionel got killed, we had trouble offering kindness to anyone, even each other,” brought tears to my eyes.
What an original idea for a Christmas story.
Your comment means a lot to me. Thank you very much.
One of the downfalls of being one of the last to post, is there everyone else has all ready said what I would have said. So I will just say “DITTO!!” and thank you!
Sorry for the late posting. I finally got some days off in a row and get to run through all the days I missed.
Thank you. I’m in exactly the same boat. I’m still reading the final days of the calendar (and enjoying them all).
Oh man, M-R, this was such a different and original take on an x-mas story and I loved it. Great work. 🙂
Thanks much. At Christmas, I always like to think of them happy and together and brimming with love.