By Sarah Beauregard and Johannie Dufour / Translated by Katya Teague
Once upon a time, in the town of Mount Christmas, a couple from the big city had recently arrived. They’d come to visit a relative who lived at the local retirement home. Courtney and Lewis were in a great mood as they walked up to the reception desk at the Mount Christmas Motel.
The pair talked excitedly with the clerk as he looked for their reservation. When he handed Lewis the keycard, he advised that the couple write down “D-8” since the room number wasn’t written on the card. Then, he wished them a pleasant stay.
The tourists thanked the clerk and went to park their car in front of their room. Carrying a heavy suitcase, Lewis was just about to slide the keycard through the slot when the door opened to reveal a young woman holding a baby.
“Que faites-vous à ma porte, monsieur?” she asked in French, sounding confused.
“Uh… sorry, I don’t speak French,” Lewis stammered.
“This is our room,” Courtney said slowly and clearly. She pointed to the keycard and then to the number on the door. “Uhm, notre place,” she tried.
The French woman shook her head as she pulled on a pair of boots. Wrapping a blanket around herself and the baby, she stepped outside and closed the door. Using her own magnetic keycard, she unlocked the door without a problem.
The woman closed the door again and looked at Lewis, pointing to the card in his hands. Lewis understood, but when he inserted his keycard, the door wouldn’t budge.
“Ma chambre,” said the young woman, smiling.
“I still don’t understand,” Lewis muttered.
Just then, a bright red bird landed on Courtney’s suitcase. It was Octave, the magical cardinal who watched over Mount Christmas. Since the bird spoke several languages, he offered to translate.
With Octave’s help, the French woman introduced herself as Sandrine. She explained that when she heard a car pull up outside, she thought it was her husband, Laurent, who’d gone to buy milk. This had been their room for the last three days, she added.
Lewis and Courtney confirmed that they’d also been assigned to room B-8. Perhaps the motel had made a mistake and rented the room twice. Leaving the luggage at the door, the group headed to the reception desk to find out what was going on.
“B-8?” the clerk said incredulously after Lewis explained the problem. “Sir, I think you misunderstood. Your room is D-8.”
Embarrassed, the couple apologized to Sandrine, who laughed and said it wasn’t a big deal. They thanked Octave for his help and returned to B-8. Sandrine waved from the door as Lewis and Courtney got back in their car and drove over to the right room.
The next day, the couple headed to the retirement home where Courtney’s grandmother lived. They found her playing cards with another elderly woman, a young man holding a baby and… Sandrine!
Surprised, the French woman greeted the couple and explained to her husband that these were the people she’d met the day before.
“What a coincidence that our grandmothers are friends,” exclaimed Laurent, who spoke English since his grandmother, whom he’d come to visit, grew up in the area.
“Wow, what are the chances?” Courtney shook her head in wonder.
The newcomers joined the group, and they all enjoyed each other’s company so much that they decided to celebrate Christmas together.
