detail from: KRK Art dizajn

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH TESLA

 Maja Cvetkovic Sotirov (author)

Jelena Vitezovic (translation)

A little girl, lost in thought, sat next to a decorated oak tree in her grandparents’ living room, looking at the captivating, sparkly golden ornaments. She took one off and gently untied the thread from it. “Grandma really worked so hard”, she thought, “and put up her childhood Christmas decorations!” How much time, she wondered, Grandma had spent gathering chocolate candy wrappers, ironing them, golden side out, and wrapping walnuts and hazelnuts in them.

– Do you like them? – Grandma asked, while setting the table in the dining room.

– I do, but they look different – she fell silent for a moment, glancing at the corner of the room where the evergreen Christmas tree – a fir stood, covered with extravagant red ornaments.

– True, they sure look different – her grandmother smiled. – But they have the same purpose: they make children happy.

The girl was silent. She was toying with her Grandma’s old-style ornament. It seemed as if she was struggling with some troubling thoughts.

Again and again, she would glance at the Christmas fir, then back at her Grandma’s oak.

At that moment, somebody opened the living room door; it was Grandpa, bringing the homemade compote, the favorite one of every member of their family, from the cellar. His experienced, loving eyes immediately noticed that the little girl was seriously troubled by something.

– I’m sure you’ve already counted which tree has more decorations – he said to her in a cautious, but joyous voice.

– Grandpa – the tiny voice was filled with uncertainty. – Why is our Christmas not on the same day as in Magdalena’s or Helena’s house?

– Does that matter? – Grandma interrupted the little girl.

Grandpa gently signaled to his wife with his hand, to stop any premature questions and conclusions, so they would listen to their granddaughter. He sensed that this was really important to the little one.

– But, Grandpa, everybody in my class celebrates their Christmas in December, only we celebrate it in January – she looked away from Grandma’s Christmas ornament and raised her eyes, filled with confusion.

The gray-haired man smiled and sat down in the nearest armchair, and Grandma, although really busy with all the work that needed to be done for the holiday, joined them immediately. They were all silent for a minute or two, until Grandpa managed to decide whether it was time for a serious conversation or an encouraging tale.

Seeing the uncertainty in his grandchild’s eyes, he decided what to do.

– Do you remember, honey, when we read that book on Nikola Tesla? – he particularly accentuated the name of the great inventor.

– I do… But what does Tesla have to do with our two Christmas trees? – the little girl argued.

– Weeeell, you’ll see – he grinned widely, happily, getting ready for an interesting tale.

The little girl got up from her armchair and sat down in her Grandma’s lap, seeking the most comfortable position. She knew something unusual and interesting was to follow. Grandpa looked at his wife and granddaughter for another moment, with a smile in his eyes, and then he began his tale, in the night before the great holiday – a true story of two Christmases.

* * *

– It was a special winter in New York in 1894. The year was nearing the end, and Christmas holidays were slowly taking over this big city,just like Nikola Tesla suddenly took over the hearts of the people, various experts, but also inventors, after he lit up the World Fair with alternating current. And while the world pondered how to eliminate direct current, and light up the streets, houses and skyscrapers with the faster, alternating current, Nikola Tesla became so famous that the most prominent people of that time fought to be in his company.

He was called the leading electrical engineer, odes were written about him, his genius mind was praised, but, would you believe it, the “wondrous wizard”[6 was not thinking about glory, but new inventions instead.

It was precisely that same year when, during the Christmas holidays in New York, the famous assistant editor of the Century Magazine, Robert Underwood Johnson, invited Nikola Tesla to dinner, through a mutual friend. Dignified, but slightly exhausted, Tesla accepted the invitation, knowing that he wouldmeet interesting new people in the house of the powerful Mr. Johnson, and that they could help his inventions become a reality in this world, just like alternating current.

I do not know if it snowed that winter, I do not know what suit Nikola wore, perhaps a black, elegant one, with a bow-tie, but I do know for sure (from what I read) that Tesla was met at the door of the grand villa in New York but the entire Johnson family: Robert’s wife Katharine, Robert himself and their two children. A special energy, overflowing with friendship, sparked in the house of the famous editor. All the family members were thrilled by this truly well-educated inventor.

I believe that Tesla felt that; he talked about his journey through Europe and encounter with the famous scientist Crooks[7], and that same evening he received another invitation from the Johnsons: “Come be our guest at the Christmas dinner, on Christmas eve!”[8] But whose Christmas would Tesla then celebrate– his holiday was at a later date... The inventor politely thanked them and avoided a new invitation for Christmas dinner, explaining how devoted he was to his work and experiments.

Nikola Tesla knew, however, that it would not be nice to end a wonderful evening by declining the invitation to the Christmas feast, so instead he invited the famous New York family, that same evening, to his world of light. The Johnsons became witnesses of Tesla’s wondrous laboratory in New York, which was changing the history of science. Before their eyes, rays of light and colorful floating light shapes alternated, and they watched, amazed, as pipes and light-bulbs in Tesla’s hands would light up without wires or plugs. It was an evening of admiration, enjoyment, the evening when the Johnsons learned that Tesla’s Christmas was not on the same date as theirs.

Several days later, on January 6th, the day before our Christmas, Katharine Johnson sent Tesla a bouquet of flowers, with her best regards. Soon after, Tesla wrote to Katharine’s husband Robert:

“I have never received flowers before, and they produced upon me a curious effect. I must thank Mrs. Johnson for the beautiful flowers.”

The two Christmases were the time when a great friendship started between Nikola Tesla and the Johnson family: concerts, gala dinners, scientific endeavors and going to Delmonico’s became regular occasions for them to spend time together.

They say that Mr. Robert Johnson was fascinated with the inventor’s origins. He became interested in Serbian poetry as well, so the inventor Tesla began to translate verses of the famous Serbian poet Jovan Jovanović Zmaj for the Century Magazine. How wonderful was that – Nikola Tesla spoke about his origins through Christmas and Zmaj! He never felt unloved because he didn’t celebrate the same Christmas as the Johnsons.

Well, I do not know if it was snowing on Johnsons’ Christmas in December 1894, or if the snow covered the streets of the immense city of New York before Tesla’s Christmas on January 7th 1895, but I do know that after both these Christmases a lot of great and famous friends couldn’t wait to spend time with Nikola Tesla, in the house of the Johnsons. He wished to tell the world, through voices of influential people, of his latest inventions, which would make life simpler and more comfortable…

Here, imagine if we had a power cut now. Hm? – Grandpa suddenly fell silent.

“How did she take the story?”, he wondered.

And he could see just how much she enjoyed it, as her inquisitive eyes danced across fields of imagination.

Grandma didn’t move, she patiently sat with her granddaughter in her lap, waiting for the little one to speak up first. She was caressing her hair all the time.

– Mrs. Katharine Johnson sent flowers to Nikola Tesla before the Orthodox Christmas.Why? – Grandma and Grandpa looked at one another, smiling, how the flowers a lady sent to a gentleman remained the single most interesting detail among all to the child’s mind.

– Why did she send the flowers? – he repeated her granddaughter’s question, delaying the real answer.

– Because Mrs. Johnson knew how important it is to show respect and regard. Because it doesn’t matter when someone celebrates Christmas, it is important that people understand and respect one another – Grandpa continued, pleased.

The little girl was still thinking for a while, then she jumped from her Grandma’s lap, happy and flushed.

– But, but… Tesla’s Christmas is on the same day as my Christmas! – she exclaimed.

His heart overflowing, Grandpa got up from his armchair the same instant, pulled out a paper and a pen from the nearest drawer and quickly sketched a beautiful flower, then offered the paper to his granddaughter. The little girl jumpedup, and rushed towards her Grandpa.

– With my best regards, my child, my very best regards – he kissed his granddaughter’s forehead.

The little girl took the paper with the flower to the Christmas tree and placed it along the ornaments from her Grandma’s childhood. She was overwhelmed with pride of this unusual decoration, knowing that one day she would tell her own grandchildren about it in the night before Tesla’s Christmas.

[7] Sir W. Crooks lived and worked in London, he was a British physicist and chemist. He is known for his Crooks tube and sunglass lenses that completely block ultraviolet radiation.

[8]Seifer, Wizard, 135

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