The Secondary Visits

The Secondary Visits

     Jacob traipsed through the city under the bright morning sun. The citizens were in great spirits on this Christmas day, but Jacob felt dragged down. The weight he carried always felt heavier in cheery company. He tried to avoid people as they passed. They couldn't touch him of course, but the living rarely enjoyed the presence of a cursed spirit.
     It was rare for people to see spirits anyway, but sunlight made it impossible for some reason. Jacob wasn't sure if he liked that or not. It made his heart even heavier to be reminded how alone he was in his travels. Today though, he was relieved that his presence was less likely to be sensed. He was pleased to harden his solitude if it meant lightening the general mood of others. It was a brand new feeling no doubt brought by the his actions the previous evening. Any pleasure was welcome in his eternal torture.
     As he turned the next corner, Jacob noticed a child. Neither the age nor the sex of the child could be determined, but one thing was certain: it was looking right at him. Jacob looked behind to see who must be behind him. He saw no one. The child approached. It's hair was bright and billowy in the sun and wind; it looked almost like flames. And then it spoke to him.
    "My apologies, Jacob. We may have been spurned by your friend, but you? You were spurned by us. Your partner was offered cheer but denied himself of it. You never had such a choice. We abandoned you and never taught you to give. We very well may have led you to your doom. And yet, you gave your only friend the only thing you had to offer. For that and my crimes, I reward you with this."
     Jacob watched in astonishment as the child reached up to his ghostly face and yanked his bandage off. Amazingly, his jaw stayed in place.  Jacob couldn't decide what not to believe: the fact he could be seen and touched or that he was given a small amount relief. As soon as the cloth was removed, the child's own jaw drooped as his once did. The child disappeared before he could say anything.
     Jacob knew not who the child could be, but he was certain that he should have. Was it a real child, a emotion spirit, another ghost? He walked on again as his curse demanded. But what trouble was a curse when his face was whole again? He trudged on until he noticed another face that seemed to be able to see him.
     The second face was bearded and belonged to a man of great size. A foot taller than any man near him, the man should certainly garner much attention. But no, the folk who passed him paid him no heed. They did seem to grow more cheerful when they did pass. The man was wearing a great fur cloak and approached Jacob with a great smile.
     "Jacob, my man," the giant bellowed. "You've done me a great service. I am often cheered by the newfound joy of the miserable on my day, but to have it happen to such a miserly curmudgeon! Such a service to turn me toward him! I may be more about giving than taking, but I believe you deserve to have something taken. That pace! I'll have that. Go ahead then, stop walking."
    The man kept walking on, but Jacob stopped. Jacob finally stopped. He was so overcome with relief, he could dance. But he didn't. He didn't have to move. While others might have jumped with joy, Jacob did the one thing he had been longing for; he lied down. He may have still had his chains, but he was lying down.
     As he lied there in the street, he felt a presence approaching. A hooded figure stood over him. Jacob was certain he should know this person as he should have known the last two. It took a long time for the figure to speak, but he sounded familiar when he did.
    "It is not in my nature to speak, but you seem unwilling to move what I would show you. You've done us a great service, Jacob Marley. You've shined light on poor forgotten Past. You gave a generous present to Present. And to me, dreaded Yet to Come, you gave hope. All this, you did to protect Ebenezer Scrooge from your own cursed after life. You are not the Jacob Marley who was buried with one mourner. And with that, I give you the same gift you gave me."
   The figure gathered all of Jacob's chains in its arms and pointed at the links bound to his wrists.
    "Do you see this Marley? There are chinks in your chains. There is nothing that can break these binds. Nothing but sacrifice. You endured the pain of stopping your travels so that another might not suffer them. That weakened your chains enough so that I might do this."
    The figure gave a mighty heave and broke off Jacob's weighted bonds. Such relief Jacob had never known. He stood abruptly as the chains bound themselves to the figure. Why would anyone take on such a curse?
     "What are you doing," Jacob exclaimed. " those heavy chains bind their bearer to the earth. You are stuck here. Never free to go where spirits should. I built those chains with my own greed, I chose to travel when I turned away others, and I loosened my own jaw by my own accord. Why would you spirits take such burdens?"
     "Because they are gifts," the figure explained. "Gifts are returned by more gifts. What is more, these are not burdens for ones such as us. Past may have a loose jaw, but the past can be forgotten so that shall be. Present is now doomed to walk for the rest of his eternity, which will last another 16 hours. And I may have to bear these chains, but I am the future and no one future is certain. Go now, Marley, and embrace your death."
     The figure vanished, and Jacob was left to do as he pleased.