Part Seven/End

The girls had been told to gather in the main foyer at 5:30pm and most of them were already there and waiting long before the appointed time. To see them all dressed up and made up made for a wonderful contrast to seeing them in mission gear all the time or in ‘relaxing’ clothes at home. The dresses ranged from floor length to mini’s and left everyone comparing and expressing admiration.

Kristen and Scott made their way to the front of the group and held up their hands. Once they all realized that their attention was needed, things started to quiet down and they faced the front. "Okay gang, as soon as everyone is here we will be taking the wagons and heading to the dance area. You can start by getting your coats on so that as soon as we have a full load we can get the first group going on their way."

Before long the first group was loaded onto the wagons. Mark had put a full cover on the hay wagons and instead of hay for seating there were upholstered bench seats along each side. Mark and Scott helped the ladies up into the wagon and soon they were on their way. The trail led past the chalets and up a short trail where what seemed to be an old barn was standing. The snow had stopped earlier but the clouds were gathering again in the sky obscuring the waning moon. It was still fairly bright out with the snow covering the trees and the trail was also well lit with lanterns set out at intervals. Scott and Kristen had thought of everything.

North was one of the first ones out of the wagon and to enter the barn. She had visited the barn on her last visit and from what she had remembered there was no way they could have the dance here. When she stepped over the threshold her breath was taken away. The scene before her was utterly breathtaking.

They had taken the old barn and had turned it into a wonderful dance hall. Garlands were hung from the rafters and poinsettias, of every color, lined the walls. Along one wall was a bar with 3 attending men and it was decorated with old farming implements that had been painted white. Long tables had been set up along another wall and on those were centerpieces of ice sculpted into polar bears. They were going to be having a hot buffet for dinner that night.

Also from the rafters North could see netting hung with hundreds and hundreds of balloons ready to be dropped at midnight. Tables had been put up around the room and they were set up with snow white lace table cloths with red and green runners on them and at each place setting was a ‘cracker’ and small gift. Music was wafting through the barn from speakers set strategically up in the rafters.

"So North, what do you think of the old barn now?" Scott asked as he and Kristen moved to her side.

"Scott this is marvelous. I love what you did to this."

"See North, I told you I can keep a secret too." Kristen said smiling. "Actually we have you to thank for the idea."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Remember when we took you on a tour of this place last summer and we showed you the barn? Well, you made a comment back then about how this would make a nice dance barn. We took your idea and actually did something with it."

"Well, you certainly did a great job of it. This is exactly how I had envisioned it. Mind you I thought it would take a lot more time to get it cleaned up from what it was."

Scott held out his arms to both of the girls. "Come on, let’s go find our table and get settled. As you can also see we invited a few of our other close friends for the evening. Lucky for us we know quite a few single men so the girls shouldn’t be too lonely for dance partners tonight. I think with all the excitement that went on today that the girls should be ready for dinner. I know I am more than ready!"

**

Scott had been right. The girls had been too busy to eat much at lunchtime and when they saw the first platters come out to the buffet table you could see their eyes light up. Before long everyone had found their place and table by table they were sent up to fill their plates. There were smoked hams, Cornish hens, fresh steamed vegetables, rice, potatoes, smoked salmon and other delicacies from which to choose.

Dinner done, the tables were pushed along the walls to make more room for dancing. Don, not being able to bring his wife, asked Andrea for the first dance. Eugene, whose wife had twisted her ankle that afternoon while skiing, asked North for the first dance. They were old friends by now having met both previous times that she had been there to visit. The single men soon found dance partners amongst the girls and the floor was soon crowded with dancers.

Everyone was having such a good time that they didn't realize how late it had been getting. When Scott went up to the microphone to announce that the countdown to midnight would commence in 5 minutes they were shocked. They had been too busy enjoying themselves to notice.

"10" Scott shouted and the others joined in as he continued the countdown.

"3"

"2"

"1" As he shouted out the last second he pressed a button that was on the wall and the back doors, by the Christmas tree, opened up to reveal that it had started to snow in earnest now. It was a breathtaking scene right out of one of North's favorite movies, "White Christmas", only this time it was New Years Eve.

"Happy New Year." Everyone shouted as they turned to hug and kiss one another.

The End