Beauty and the Beast [A modern day tale] - Chapter 168：New Years Eve (164)

Bella wore a dark blue starry night ball gown. Her hair was tied up with diamond accents in her hair.

Zane’s cummerbund and bowtie matched her dress, with diamond cufflinks.

They were ready for the mayor’s party.

Betty wore a yellow and white Ball gown. Her hair was long and flowing.

Oliver’s Tuxedo had the basic white cummerbund and bowtie and his cufflinks were gold.

Sally wore a light blue maternity ball gown and her husband wore his military dress blues.

Bert’s was dressed in a Tuxedo with a black cummerbund and tie. And Lily wore her police dress uniform.

Babs and David stayed at Home with the kids.

Everyone was excited to attend the Ball and the money that would be raised for the hospital.

Dinner, then dancing. Everyone was on cloud nine.

At midnight everyone was given a glass of champagne or mocktails champagne and the count down began.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

2

1

Noice rang out and people kissed.

Happy New Years

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!

and surely I’ll be mine !

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,

and pu’d the gowans fine ;

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,

sin auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,

frae morning sun till dine ;

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

sin auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!

and gie’s a hand o’ thine !

And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,

for auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

Just as the music finished Sally double over in pain.

Mike picked her up and Bella and Zane rushed her to the hospital. It was still to early to have the baby so they rushed.

While she was being seen by the doctor Bella called Josh and George and him rushed over to sit and wait leaving Angela and Ben home with the kids and grandpa.

After about an hour Mike came out and said there was a problem and they were taking Sally in for a C-Section. He then went to get scrubbed up so he could be with his wife.

It wasn’t long before mike came out dressed in scrubs with a big smile.

“Peyton Allen 5 lbs 2 oz 18.5 inches. He will need to be put in an incubator for a while but is doing fine. He is the first baby of the New Year.” Mike said.

Everyone was relieved. Zane pulled Bella over and kissed her. “Please try not to pull any surprise like the others have. I don’t think I could take it.”

“I’ll try.” She said leaning into his chest and looking up.

Josh made the call home to let them know about the baby.

After everyone left Mike stood at the nursery window staring at his tiny son. This was going to be a great year.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇

Bella changed into her night cloths first then as Zane was showering she read.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ THE CAPTURE OF FATHER TIME cont.

“Then I ought to win a life-saving medal by keeping you tied up,” said Jim. “Some folks will live this much longer.”

“But they won’t know it,” said Father Time, with a sad smile; “so it will do them no good. You may as well untie me at once.”

“No,” said Jim, with a determined air. “I may never capture you again; so I’ll hold you for awhile and see how the world wags without you.”

Then he swung the old man, bound as he was, upon the back of the butcher’s horse, and, getting into the saddle himself, started back toward town, one hand holding his prisoner and the other guiding the reins.

When he reached the road his eye fell on a strange tableau. A horse and buggy stood in the middle of the road, the horse in the act of trotting, with his head held high and two legs in the air, but perfectly motionless. In the buggy a man and a woman were seated; but had they been turned into stone they could not have been more still and stiff.

“There’s no Time for them!” sighed the old man. “Won’t you let me go now?”

“Not yet,” replied the boy. He rode on until he reached the city, where all the people stood in exactly the same positions they were in when Jim lassoed Father Time.

Stopping in front of a big dry goods store, the boy hitched his horse and went in. The clerks were measuring out goods and showing patterns to the rows of customers in front of them, but everyone seemed suddenly to have become a statue.

There was something very unpleasant in this scene, and a cold shiver began to run up and down Jim’s back; so he hurried out again.

On the edge of the sidewalk sat a poor, crippled beggar, holding out his hat, and beside him stood a prosperous-looking gentleman who was about to drop a penny into the beggar’s hat.

Jim knew this gentleman to be very rich but rather stingy, so he ventured to run his hand into the man’s pocket and take out his purse, in which was a $20 gold piece. This glittering coin he put in the gentleman’s fingers instead of the penny and then restored the purse to the rich man’s pocket. “That donation will surprise him when he comes to life,” thought the boy.

He mounted the horse again and rode up the street. As he passed the shop of his friend, the butcher, he noticed several pieces of meat hanging outside.

“I’m afraid that meat’ll spoil,” he remarked.

“It takes Time to spoil meat,” answered the old man.

This struck Jim as being queer, but true. “It seems Time meddles with everything,” said he.

“Yes; you’ve made a prisoner of the most important personage in the world,” groaned the old man; “and you haven’t enough sense to let him go again.”