A Foreigner for Christmas

Once upon a foggy Christmas Eve, the sea fog rolling in from the Gulf was impossible to navigate. All airplanes were to remain on the ground and mariners were receiving a marine warning from the National Weather Service for all vessels to remain in port. A light onshore breeze began creeping in the early afternoon and soon became the breath of the fog that was moving steadily onshore. Within a few minutes, every building on the beach was in the heart of the cloud and after an hour, the entire island was under the spell of rare winter weather. Many of the veterans of Marco winters were in awe of the impenetrable gloom that was blocking the pale orb of the sun, and when the light in the sky began to vanish - with a sunset no one could see - a Marco Beach Girl began closing the welcome center of the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce.

Just as Vicki Lynn was beginning to turn out the lights and make a last sweep around the office, the visitor’s bell at the door began to jingle and there upon the threshold, was a young woman with a short dark haircut, an odd mismatch of clothing, and a large backpack with regional patches from just about everywhere in Europe.

“Hello, I am looking for help… and, perhaps, some visitor information.” the young woman began in halting English.

“Of course,” Vicki Lynn answered, “How can I help you? How could you even find our office in this fog?”

“Oh, someone gave me a ride.” The reply was optimistic. “I wanted to see Marco Island. I have heard so much about this. I am hitchhiking from Miami and now to Key West. My name is Heike. I am traveling to America alone. I am just arriving from Germany. I arrived today.”

Vicki placed her hands on her hips and leveled her gaze. “You plan on hitchhiking to Key West now?” The Marco Beach Girl began to shake her head. “In the dark? In this fog? On Christmas Eve?”

“Yes,” was the hesitant but steadfast answer from the beautiful girl with the black pixie haircut.

“No!” Vicki Lynn began, and her arms were now crossed. “There is no way I am letting you go out in the fog alone, in the dark, on Christmas Eve, and no way am I letting you hitchhike to Key West. You could be run over. No one can see anything in this gloom and there will be no traffic now to give you a ride. Hitchhiking is dangerous. You are a beautiful young woman. I cannot let you hitchhike anywhere. Please!”

“I must go to Key West.” Heike continued. “I have read about camping places there. I do not have much money for expensive hotels.”

“Then, it’s settled,” Vicki Lynn began to finish turning out the lights in the office. “You cannot hitchhike, so I am taking you home with me. You will be our guest for Christmas!”

“But you do not know me.” The girl with the heavy backpack was protesting and beginning to shake her head. “I am a stranger here and a foreigner,” she said. “How can this be possible?”

“We will go now.” Vicki Lynn was pointing through the fog to her car.” My husband and I have been to Germany,” she said, “Everyone was nice to us there. Now it is my turn. Welcome to Marco Island!”

When the Marco Beach Boy came home, Vicki Lynn was busy in the kitchen. Christmas carols were playing, the smell of something wonderful was on the stove, but the bathroom door was leaking steam and the shower was running.

“Who’s in the shower,” was the only question possible on a foggy and dark Christmas Eve.

Vicki Lynn laughed, “Merry Christmas Eve! I brought us a German girl home for Christmas!”

After the explanation about the young woman traveling alone, hitchhiking, camping, and all alone for Christmas on a budget, Heike came out of the guestroom shortly before dinner and was obviously dressed in the best clothing her backpack had to offer. 

After a holiday feast and well into the very foggy Marco Christmas Eve, Heike told her story. She was from Leipzi, formerly communist East Germany and her father was a semi-truck driver who on rare occasions, crossed the border into West Germany.

On the religious holidays the communists did not celebrate, Heike’s family would save for a special meal and listen as her father told stories about the friendly people from the west and about the exotic tropical places the people of Eastern Europe fantasized about. Marco it seems was always alongside Key West in most of the stories. To the people of the former Soviet Union and East Germany all of south Florida was like heaven on earth with palm trees. 

About midnight when Heike was fast asleep, the Marco Beach Boy and Girl began to play Santa Claus. There was plenty of wrapping paper and just about every trinket embossed with the name of Marco Island was soon in a wrapped Christmas package and waiting under the Christmas tree.

When Heike awoke and suddenly understood the presents were for her and that she was welcome to stay the entire two weeks of her vacation with the Marco Beach Girl and Boy her tears of happiness were almost unstoppable.

During the next week and into the New Year, Heike became part of the family. Vicki Lynn taught her the wily makeup tricks of young women in Southwest Florida and took her shopping to buy her first bikini. Before traveling back to the newly unified Germany, Heike made the daylong trip to visit Key West on the Key West Express.

Heike keeps in touch to this day, not as a foreigner and not as a stranger, but as a gift that made a special arrival on a very foggy Marco Christmas Eve.