STAVE 5: THE END OF IT

He awoke the next morning in his own bed. Yes! The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make adjustments and improvements in!

"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. " Scrooge swore to himself, as he scrambled out of bed. "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Telecommuting be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees! "

He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would barely raise above a whisper. He had been sobbing violently in his conflicts with the Spirits, and his face was wet with tears.

"I don't know what to do. " cried Scrooge, suddenly laughing and crying in the same breath. "I am as light as a feather, as happy as an angel, as merry as a schoolboy, and as giddy as a young lover. A merry Christmas to everybody. A happy New Year to the world. "

For a man who had been out of practice for so many years, he had a splendid laugh, the father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs.

"I don't know what day of the month it is. " said Scrooge. "I don't know how long I've been among the Spirits. I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Never mind. I don't care. I know exactly what I’ll do. "

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. A clear, bright, jovial, stirring day greeted him.

"What's today. " cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy walking nearby.

"Today. " replied the boy. "Why, it’s Christmas Day! "

"It's Christmas Day. " said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. "

"Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner. " Scrooge inquired again, of the young boy.

"I should hope I do, " replied the lad.

"An intelligent boy. " said Scrooge. "A remarkable boy. Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there -- Not the little prize Turkey: The big one. "

"What, the one as big as me? " returned the boy.

"What a delightful boy. " said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, as big as you, my fine fellow. "

"It's hanging there now, " replied the boy.

"That’s wonderful. " said Scrooge. "Please go and buy it for me. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you half-a-crown. "

The boy was off like a shot.

"I'll send it to Bon Cratchit's. " laughed Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and smiling as if his face would split. "He won't know who sent it. It’ll be such a merry gift for them. Why, it's twice the size of Tiny Tim! "

The boy was back in less than five minutes, and Scrooge paid him off, and arranged the purchase and delivery of the bird. Then he dressed himself in his best, and went out into the streets.

Everywhere he went, he saw people carrying laptop computers, carrying briefcases, and using cellular telephones to accomplish their work from wherever they happened to be. He had never dreamed that any walk could give him so much insight into better ways to get things done at Scrooge & Marley.

After hours of interesting observations and wonderful new ideas, he headed for his nephew's house.

"Why bless my soul. " cried Fred, " who's that. "

"It's I. Your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred. "

Let him in! Fred almost shook his arm off. Within five minutes Scrooge felt completely at home. His niece looked quite beautiful, and the room was filling Scrooge with a wonderful sense of comfort and happiness!

Scrooge arrived early at his office next morning. He wanted to be there first, and catch Bob Cratchit coming late. And he did it; yes! The clock showed a full eighteen and a half minutes after nine before Bob snuck in, his hat off, diving for his desk as if he were trying to overtake nine o'clock.

"Hallo. " growled Scrooge, in his accustomed voice, as near as he could feign it. "What do you mean by coming here at this time of day. "

"I am very sorry, sir, " said Bob. "Traffic made me unavoidably late. "

"Oh it did, eh? " scowled Scrooge, as best he could. "Yes. We must do something about that. Yes we must! Step this way, Mr. Cratchit, if you please. "

"It's only once a year, sir, " pleaded Bob. "It won’t happen again. I was enjoying my time with Tiny Tim yesterday, sir, and I forgot there might be extra traffic on the streets this morning. "

" I'll tell you what, Mr. Cratchit, " said Scrooge, with as stern a voice as he could pretend to. 'I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore, " he continued, leaping from his stool, and giving Bob a playful dig in the waistcoat; " I am about to make you a Telecommuter! "

Bob seemed not to hear him.

"Yes, Bob, " said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "Yes, I’m going to let you work from home at least two days a week, and more if Tiny Tim needs you. We'll discuss the details this very afternoon, I promise you. "

Scrooge was better than his word. He gave all of his employees training and support so they, too, could become telecommuters, and he helped Tiny Tim learn to use the Internet to see and experience wonderful people, places and things that would have been more difficult for him to visit in person.

Within a year, Scrooge became as good a friend, as good a businessman, and as good a man as anyone in the entire city. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and laughed with them; for he was wise enough to know that some would always be blind to the new and better ways of doing things, and he was quite satisfied to know that he himself had discovered the advantages of Telecommuting before it was too late.

Scrooge had no further visits from the Spirits, after that, but enjoy his life and his work a great deal, always looking for ways to improve what he and his employees were doing, particularly when there were few if any disadvantages to making the change.

Afterwards; it was always said of him that he knew how to manage well, if any one did. And as Tiny Tim observed to the end of his long, happy life:

God bless Us, Every One!

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