Thanksgiving
(a.k.a., Delicious Food Day!)
Daddy and Mama arose early on
Thanksgiving morning. She and several of the church ladies had spent most of
the previous afternoon decorating the house. I must admit, it looked beautiful with
the Christmas tree twinkling in the corner, the large golden bells with big red
bows adorning the fireplace mantel, and greenery everywhere. They had set up a
manger scene on a table in front of the living room window. I had overheard
Mama tell one of the ladies, “This should be front and center. After all, we
are celebrating Christ’s birth, so He should have the most prominent place in
the room.” The figures glowed with inner lighting, and there was even a star
and an angel with the scene.
I had never
seen so many pretty, twinkling lights. The house smelled like cedar, the
greenery wreaths adorned with red velvet bows and holly, and happy Christmas
music played softly in the background as everyone scurried around to get the
house ready for Thanksgiving.
“Philip, oh how I hope Mom likes the
coat I made her! I wrapped it last week and put it in the hall closet. Will you
bring it in here for me, please?” And I suppose she’ll drag out my hat and
coat, too. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think Mama really thinks I look
handsome in them, so I’ll just put up with all the laughter. Besides, Papa will
be here, and he loves me so much I think I can handle the situation, I suppose.
The first to arrive were Kurt and
Bethany. She exclaimed, “Oh Holly, your big tummy is so cute!”
Mama hugged her. “You wouldn’t think
so if you had to carry it around for a while.” Bethany said she had made a
chocolate cake with cherry filling between the layers, since their mom loved
chocolate so much. Mama rubbed her tummy and licked her lips in anticipation,
since she loved chocolate, too. Bethany asked where she should put cake, and
Mama told her to put it on the counter in the center. “After all, today is her birthday,
and we don’t want her to feel like an afterthought. Thanksgiving should come in
second today.”
As Bethany complied, Mama told her
to come into the hall so she could show her something. Here goes. My reputation is now ruined for life.
