Irish 5/6: A Happy Christmas at Last. ISRC-CB-GWT-26-00309

[Male] After that kiss, I hurried home, With a secret behind the magic ring. The chairman's wife had led me to a jeweller, Where two very different dreams would spring. A ruby ring with diamonds shining, A sapphire saved for a different day. I bought them both, but kept one hidden— The wedding ring I could not yet give away. The sapphire was a promise of friendship, For the months that would keep us apart. The ruby was a dream of a wedding, A hope I kept deep in my heart. I told the chairman's wife what I intended; She understood more than words could say. To her and her husband, I was almost a son— And she hoped love would find its way. [Female] The next day, she noticed my sapphire ring; The chairman's wife let the secret unfold. I thought it was only a token of friendship, A keepsake to treasure when winter grew cold. I never knew of the ruby he had hidden, Or the wedding he dreamed of someday. My heart felt lighter, my hopes grew stronger— Perhaps love was finding its way. [Duet] When the wind turns cold, let the kind heart guide, Let love be the strength that we keep inside. Through the trials ahead, through the miles apart, A little act of kindness can open a heart. When the road seems long and the stars burn bright, Someone may turn the darkness into light. [Female] Then came the news of a career-making interview: Forty-two applicants, two places to win. I ironed his shirt and bought him a blazer, Helped him look ready to walk in. I trimmed his hair and stood there beside him, Though tension was written all over his face. He hardly spoke as the days counted down; The future seemed hanging in the balance. [Female] Ten days before Christmas, he called with the news: He'd made the final round at last! In February, he'd meet them at their own site— Houston or Sarnia, a future moving fast. They needed someone to reduce sulfur In the oil and gas that powered the land. At last I understood his long nights of working: He was building a future with his own hands. [ Male] But my professor kept delaying my graduation, As if my hard work could wait forever. The chairman stepped in and made his decision: "He will earn his doctorate in good time— You cannot hold him back forever." [Male] Once more, I faced a lonely Christmas, While you went home to Owen Sound. Then Montreal waited for you after the holiday, And silence settled all around. Your minister father saw your sadness As he drove you home that day.

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