Secret Ranger: Christmas in Paris

    Do you have a good enough signal for video? Fancis Bonnefoy walked slowly down the street, messaging his newest human friend via Skype mobile. Most of the people on the street around him wouldn’t have enough of a connection of manage a video call, but as a nation, he was always given a phone with a satellite hook up so that he could be reached at any time.

    Yeah, why? came the response. He smiled, sidestepping a smaller child that was running up to the fence that separated the walk way from the Seine. It was a few weeks before Christmas, so the walkway was packed. People were lined up on both sides of the river, all waiting with bated breath as the sun slowly dropped toward the horizon.

    Your Christmas present is just about ready  He was lucky enough that security knew him. He was allowed to move past the viewing line and into the elevator on the Eiffel Tower.

    Finally, you’ve been ranting for months Francis chuckled.
   
    So, how about that video call? The sun was nearly set, bathing the sky over head in dark red and throwing splotches of pink against the clouds that were rolling in. He could feel the first chill of snow in the air and smiled as his phone started ringing. He tapped the button to accept and then framed up the video so that only his face could be seen.

   “Bonjour.” The person on the other end of the line giggled.

   “Hello, Francis.” He smiled and waved, then looked out over the city.

   “I hope you enjoy.” And then he turned the camera around with a grin.

    The sun was dropping below the horizon finally, and night was quickly creeping in. But as the light from the sky began to drop, the light from the ground suddenly rose up. All over Paris, tiny dots of light began to spring to life. Some flickered like candles and others held still. Some were brightly colored and others were plain.

    The streets were soon alight, each one a river of street lights and illumination that poured from the windows of houses or the displays of shops. Francis walked slowly around the viewing platform of the Eiffel Tower, showing the view of his beloved city. He stopped on occasion to point out certain districts or a chapel or two. And he showed the Seine, smiling as the water threw back reflections of light from along the banks in tandem with the moonlight as it was slowly obscured by clouds.

   Francis got back in the elevator then, turning the camera back around. “Did you like the first part of your present?”

    “First part?”
 
   “Yes.” He stepped out of the elevator and turned the camera upward to show the inside of the Tower. “This is part two.”

    At a nod from him, the technicians flicked the switch and the Eiffel Tower came to life with lights. Francis said nothing for a long time, just smiled and walked around the inside to give the full view of the Tower. When he turned the camera back around, he was smiling softly, his eyes flickering with the memories of every other event for which the beloved tower was lit up.

    “Thank you…” came the awed response. “Thank you… and Merry Christmas.”

    “Joyeux Noël.”