enlightened blackout

8/3/2019 Enlightened Blackout

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1998 W. D. Kennedy 41 Birch Road Malvern, PA 19355 610-695-9419 [email protected]

he waves of time lap

endlessly on the shores

of Yellow Springs, thetown in Conestoga

County where people trace their

bloodline back to those Colonial

times. With such overlapping

ancestry, the whine of sibling

rivalries can easily ferment into abitterly choking vinegar.

At Christmas time, Chester Chinkup doesnt have to go out

very far on the family tree limbs to find the source of hisirritation. The tension between he and his brother Charles had

bubbled beneath their adolescence until Coach Buck Barksdale

held tryouts for the high school basketball team. He surveyed

the crop of upperclassmen who won only four of twenty games

the prior year and decided that if he was going to lose that

many games, hed just as soon do so with younger kids who

might actually get better. He cut all his returning letterman,

including Chet, who had been the leading scorer, and filled the

roster with hotshot underclassmen like Chets little brother

Chaz. Somehow, that young team managed to win sixteengames.

All that was over thirty years ago, but Chet never forgave

his brother for being the better player. To younger brother

Chaz came a string of success -- a basketball scholarship, a

foreign study grant, graduate school, and a job on Wall Street

as an investment banker. Not that Chet has anything to be

ashamed of. Hes got a responsible job at the Wheelworks,

served as a volunteer fireman, and he was elected Mayor last

T

Bill Kenned


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year. But even after all this time, Chet is still sensitive about

his brothers accomplishments.

Jealousy is bad for your soul and worse for your reputation,

and so Chet hides his resentment, but every now and then it

oozes out, like that Saturday when his wife Charlotteinterrupted his breakfast by announcing, Chet, come look at

who Katies got on the Today Show! Its Chaz! Come see!

Chet lowered the newspaper to see an amateur video clip of

Chaz hurdling a police barrier, rushing into a burning Boston

restaurant, and carrying out fallen patrons. The camera caughthim going in three times, retrieving five people before the

firefighters arrived. Chaz was crowned a hero, a courageous

champion immune to flame, undaunted by the urban apathy

that infected dozens of idle bystanders. And then there he was

in the television studio, not a strand of his blonde hair out of

place, smiling with his capped teeth, all gussied-up in a double-

breasted suit.

It really was nothing, Chaz told Katie, explaining he had

been a volunteer firefighter in his youth.

Yeah, mumbled Chet, you were an associate volunteer

while I was junior fire chief.

What was that? Charlotte asked.

Nothing, he answered glumly.

Oh my goodness! she interrupted. Did you hear that,

Chet? In Boston, theyre calling him a hero!

Chet shoved away from the kitchen table and slammed the

door behind him. Hero, he growled. Hah! Chaz didnt do

nothing that no one else from Yellow Springs wouldnt ha

done if they were there, only none of us would be caught dead

in a place like that because who would want to live in such a

God-forsaken city in the first place? With all this hullabaloo,

Chet thought, Chazs head will be swollen like a pregnant

blowfish come time for the family Christmas gathering.

Maybe it was Chaz heroics that motivated Chet to finally

erect his holiday lighting display that year. In the past, his arrayof lights had grown from a few multi-colored strands into a

gaudy glare of 25,000 bulbs draped over trees, shrubs, mounted

on the roof, arranged in the shape of a Nativity, and spelling

out words of clashing Christmas themes like Ho, Ho, Ho and

He Is Born. The power company warned Chet that he

strained the electrical supply, and some neighbors complained

about the increased traffic on their street from tourists who

went out of their way to see the light show, but Chet paid his

neighbors no never mind; the display was his mark of

distinction. Its what he does -- its part of who he is. And its acultural asset to the community! People count on me having

these lights every year! Its what makes Yellow Springs

Yellow Springs!

So far that year, however, Chet hadnt been able to build

his display. An early snow squall grew into a late Autumn

blizzard, and all of Conestoga County had been draped under a

foot of frozen snow since Thanksgiving. Then a freezing rain

lacquered the land. Tall birch trees bent into strained arches,

power lines sagged, and roads became skating rinks.

With such community distress, Mayor Chinkup hadnt had

any time to worry about his lighting display. But the attention

Chaz commanded on national television fixed Chets resolve.

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor common sense was going

to keep Chet from setting up his display. God had said, Let

there be light, and Chester Chinkup was going to provide it!

He worked all that Saturday in that gray, bitter cold, drilling

through the ice and sledge-hammering support posts through


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snow. As an icy, rainy, hail fell, Chet kept plugging. By dusk,

he was ready for the grand illumination. He called Charlotte

and his daughter Chelsey outside as he waited by the master

control.

You ready to be amazed? he joked proudly. One, two,three! He threw the switch, and instantly the entire yard was

aglow. The Chinkups were briefly blinded by the brilliance, but

then, just as suddenly, the lights flickered. A moment later

darkness flooded them.

Chet! What happened? Charlotte cried.

Dont worry -- it must just be a circuit breaker. Ill just

....

Chets voice trailed off as he realized the whole

neighborhood was darkened. Even the street light down at the

corner was out. Oh, no, he thought. Ive finally done it. I

must have blown out a transformer!

The Chinkups carefully retreated in the house. Chet used

his cell phone to call the power company. Charlotte overheard

Chet say, Oh, really?, that bad, huh? and, think itll get

worse before it gets better? Then in the glow of candlelight,

Chet told his family, The whole countys blacked out. Lines

have been going down all over the place in the last hour. Our

street was one of the last to go. Power company thinks thewires just had too much ice on them; the storm this afternoon

was the final straw.

Throughout the county, the magnitude of the problem was

beginning to dawn in the darkness. Downed utility lines were

draped like garlands and you could hear trees caked in ice

crashing into homes and roads. There was no electricity, no

light, and no heat. Luckily, Chet thought proudly, I made a

Disaster Council to react to such emergencies.

By the next morning, the Disaster Council had few options.

With sub-freezing temperatures and bitter winds, people

couldnt stay in their frigid homes. The Council implemented

Operation Census: to ensure that everyone was safe, deputized

volunteers would contact each family, border, tenant, andresident in the affected area. Anyone in jeopardy would beevacuated to the Millard Fillmore Education Campus -- a

modern name for the ancient secondary school. Fillmore had a

strong back-up generator.

Some people went to stay with family outside the county,

but most Yellow Springers didnt have any unaffected

relatives. Soon village-dwellers, folks in the rolling hillsides,

workers from the river valley, and farmers in the hinterlands all

converged at the Fillmore Campus. Chaos reigned as evacuees

arrived disoriented and anxious, but soon the infrastructure ofthe temporary society was in place. Classrooms, labs, and

shops were converted into sleeping centers, and the word

homeroom took on new meaning. Chet assigned groups to

different rooms depending on the size of their extended family.

The legion of Oxthorns and Swenchs filled the entire

mathematics and science wing, while the relatively few

Flegelhoffers and Brubakers shared the teachers lounge. Chetconverted the multi-purpose gymna-cafe-torium into a dining

hall on one half and then used office partitions to divide the

remainder into living units.

Initially, an air of survival and mutual support pervaded the

hallways. Were all in this together, people thought. Kids ran

around the hallways, and adults joked about old high school

memories. There were enough mats, blankets, and sleeping

bags for everyone and sufficient food for generous portions.

Outside the boys and girls locker rooms, Chet posted a


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schedule for bathing, and he opened the library as a grown-ups

only lounge.

Over the next few days, however, the mood darkened. The

weather changed from bad to worse to Ive never seen it this

bad before. A potent blend of discontentment and dirtylaundry made the shelter feel cramped, crowded, stale, and

depressing. Late-comers straggled in, further crowding the

bursting building.

Chet managed the crisis from Principal Percy Trilcheks

office. To conserve resources and provide equal opportunity,he rationed food and restricted activities, but many viewed his

edicts as miserly, oppressive, and dictatorial. Chets periodic

public address broadcasts of the power companys pessimistic

reports were greeted with jeers. Density and idleness were

fertile soil for boredom and irritation, and all the arguments

wound up in Chets lap. Vegetarians blanched at the cafeteria

fare. Smokers fought for a place to light up. Career women

criticized stay-at-home moms about rambunctious

preschoolers. Executives chafed at businesses closed, and

laborers worried about missed production goals. Thrown in

with all their family in tight quarters, adults lapsed into the

immature roles of their youth. Cousins, siblings, parents, and

children of all ages struggled to find their place in the hierarchy

of the conglomerated family units.

By Christmas Eve day, the reservoir of patience among

residents of the Hotel Fillmore was dry. Children whined

with the anticipation of a Christmas that parents knew they

couldnt provide. Rod Gruber donned his Santa costume and

marching throughout the campus, and little ones joyfully

mistook him for the real Santa Claus, but teens greeted him

with peer-induced derision, and even some grown-ups mocked

him. Carol Marilee wanted her church choir to go room-to-

room with seasonal anthems, but Seymore Saynoe told her to

stop bothering people.

After dinner, around the time that, ordinarily, people would

have been leaving their homes for the Christmas Eve services,

Chet went on the loudspeaker to announce more bad news. Ijust got off the phone with the power company, he began. All

they can say is, he paused, knowing everyone in the building

knew what would come next, that theyre working on it.

Theres no word on when electricity will be restored.

As Chet set down the microphone and flicked off the publicaddress switch, he heard the groans and protests from the

refugees gathered outside the office. He stepped into the hall

and saw Reese Ripzenhort angrily charging his direction.

Chinkup?!? You can't hide from me! I wont be kidnapped

here for Christmas!

Chet was in no mood for Reeses ravings, so he quickly

grabbed the closest passer-by he could find. "Stop by later,

Reese," he said, hauling a startled Godfrey Swench into his

office. "Right now, I have an appointment."

The Methodist pastor was surprised to be absconded by the

Mayor, but he understood the desire to avoid an angry

Ripzenhort. "Reese was on our Ministry Board for four years,"

Godfrey commiserated, "so I know all about his tirades."

Shutting the office door, Chet explained, "It wouldn't be so

bad if it were just him, but the complainers have worn a trench

in the office carpet." Wearily, he leaned against the narrow

desk ledge in front of the communications console. "It sure

doesnt seem like Christmas around here, does it?

Actually, Godfrey answered, Ive just been thinking that

this is quite an accurate Christmas.


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What are you talking about? There arent any decorations

or presents. I put on holiday music and people threatened me

about church-and-state! All through the building, folks are

wedged tighter than sardines in shrink wrap."

Godfrey nodded, "And they resent having to be here in thefirst place."

"Right! Let's not forget that," Chet laughed cynically. "No,

this isn't Christmas. Christmas is angels coming to shepherds

on a peaceful, starry night. Its a cute, little baby wrapped in

blankets and snuggling on the hay. It's peace on earth, goodwill to men. It's not being forced to leave your home and

huddle together in temporary housing with all of your relatives,

some of whom," he added, thinking about his brother yet-to-

arrive brother Chaz, "are best tolerated at a distance."

Oh really?, Godfrey countered. Dont you Remember

how Luke begins his Christmas story? It starts with a

government. And there came forth a decree from Caesar

Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. It was a

government that people didnt like and didnt trust. Sound

familiar? he asked with a kind smile.

Chet chuckled, I guess thats how folks feel about me.

And just like youve done here, Caesar made everyone

make an arduous journey from their homes. Youve putextended families into common homerooms. Back then,

extended families all convened in their ancestral hometown.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were to squeezed into

tiny Bethlehem, just like all the descendants of Rebecca

Oxthorn Swench are shoehorned into the second floor here.

Chet defended himself, Well, I may be no Mayor

LaGuardia, but Im no tyrant either. I havent corralled people

here on a whim.

Im not saying you have. In fact, from the perspective of

protecting people, theres no question you did the right thing.

Just as, Im sure, Caesar Augustus thought he had his reasons

for wanting to register citizens in his Jewish province. But

having good reasons doesnt make people resent the situationany less.

Chet conceded the point. Nodding at what lay beyond the

office walls, he sighed, "It's overwhelming, isnt it? We got

parents yelling at kids to stop that, daytime talk-show hosts

babbling from the televisions, and prepubescant boys shouting

holiday songs with rudely altered lyrics. There are balls

bouncing, frisbees flying, and laptops whirring. It's a clamor of

sounds, songs, words, and cried. It's stale coffee, refried beans,

soggy hot dogs, burned toast, smeared peanut butter, and dirty

laundry."

Godfrey laughed, And that's why I think this is like the

first Christmas in Bethlehem. The backdrop to Jesus birth isnt

rustic simplicity, but rather the din of familial chaos. You

know, I love Franz Grubers poetic song, but I doubt very

much that Jesus was born on a silent night. Lukes account

suggests Mary and Joseph were surrounded by relatives --

well-meaning, opinionated, pushy, nosy kinfolk.

Parenthetically, Pastor Swench added, Did you know that

some scholars believe Jesus had younger siblings? Howd youlike to be the brother of the Perfect Son?

According to many people, Chet grinned, I am. Then

he wondered, Say if God could have chosen to arrive at any

place at any time, whyd he choose to come as a baby at a

compulsory family reunion in an overcrowded village?

Godfrey shrugged. Just as we are all children of Him, He

became a child of us. And why the focus on the family? Maybe


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because God is love and forgiveness, and He knew that the first

place we experience love and forgiveness is in the family.

Switching gears, he said, You know, sometimes I think that

the family reunion is the 'barking dog' of the Biblical Christmas

story.""Theres no barking dog in the Bible," Chet protested.

"That's exactly the point! Godfrey read Chets confusion.

You're no Sherlock Holmes fan, are you? Conan Doyle had

Holmes solve The Adventure of Silver Blaze by noting the

poignant absence of a barking dog when you would haveexpected one to be there. In Bethlehem, with Joseph and Mary

nesting on the branches of the family tree, isnt it curious who

had the faith and vision to perceive the presence of God in the

newborn? It wasnt his family! It was a rag-tag squad of

uneducated shepherds working the graveyard shift on the

bottom-most rung of the economic ladder. And later, in the

Temple, it was a geriatric stranger who beheld the infant and

recognized the face of God. 'I can die in peace', he says,

'because I have seen in this baby the salvation of my people.'"

Chet joked, "Maybe all the relatives were too busy trying to

figure out which side of the family hed be like.

"Maybe," Godfrey laughed, "but it's a warning to me,

nonetheless."

"A warning?"

"Yes . In a situation like we have here, all holed up as we

are, it would be so easy for us to slip into the ruts of familiar

and negative family roles. You know -- one child is the

'responsible one', the other is the 'clown', or one is the good-

looking one, and the other has all the brains. One is the

accomplished adventurer, and the other is the timid

underachiever. Look at us -- were stuck in a high school. What

better place for pigeon-holing and stereotyping? And yet if we

do that, then just like the people in Bethlehem, we will miss the

presence of God in our midst, the 'Emmanuel'. So to answer

your question, I think thats why God arrived in the hubbub of

a family gathering. Its because the family is where lovebegins.

Godfrey was silent for a moment. Now he felt guilty about

his resentment of Chet and his heroics. He thought, I should

have been the first to telephone him and say how proud I am of

him, but instead I shrunk into petty jealousy. Finally, he spoke,

quietly confessing, I think I forgot that. I forgot that family

means more than just my wife and daughter. Shoot, its

practically everyone here in the building.

Godfrey nodded. My Christmas prayer is that we don't let

the familiarity of where we are and who were with block our

appreciation of the coming of the Christ child.

Suddenly, the emergency lights powered by the backup

generator flickered. Then they came on again -- along with the

computers in the office, and the desk lamp which had been

dark since the blackout began. Chet sprang from his perch on

the communications console, so startled by the return of

electricity that he didn't notice he had been leaning against the

microphone switch. He had unknowingly flicked it on when he

began his conversation with Godfrey Swench, and everyprivate word they spoke had been broadcast throughout the

entire campus.

Chet rushed to the hallway and saw the lights ablaze. He

could hear a growing swell throughout the building. There was

applause, laughter, and even random hugging as power surged

through the building. He called the utility company, then

flipped on the loudspeaker to declare that the juice is back on!

You can all go home. Our long ordeal is over!"


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Chet returned to the hallways, expecting to be overrun by

the exodus, but instead, he found them empty. He was uneasy

as he approached the gymna-cafe-torium. The lights were off

and the room was still packed. Then in that dense darkness,

came the strum of a single guitar gently playing "Silent Night".Softly, the assembly began to sing along. Friends, neighbors,competitors, adversaries, siblings, and children raised their

voices in peaceful homage to the baby of Bethlehem.

No one went home that Christmas Eve. All of Yellow

Springs stayed there in the cramped Campus quarters.

Tomorrow, they could all go home and find the presents they

had wrapped waiting to be opened and enjoyed. But for one

night, one holy night, families celebrated the miraculous

presence of God.

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