Life’s Expectations

Is This Really For Me

Grace also noticed another Christmas tree,this one just had red ribbons and clear lights on it.She sat and ate as they all conversed happily.She got herself some of the cream corn and fresh homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers on the table.

“So,why is this stuff separate?”Andy asked,motioning to the cream corn,tomatoes,cucumbers,corn on the cob,butter fried squash and fried okra.

“Because this is all from our first harvest,we gathered this morning.”Grace smiled,before Miss Kay could answer.And Miss Kay nodded.

“Oh wow,then I must get some of everything. I’m going to be full as a tick.”Andy said rubbing his tummy and they all laughed.

“May I get dessert?”Grace asked and they all nodded,laughing at each other.Grace walked to the table,it was full of sweets.There was rice krispy treats,chocolate fudge,cookies of all kinds,chocolate cake,pumpkin pie and peanut butter balls.

She got one of each and sat down.Miss Kay looked at her,shaking her head.

“Now you save what you can’t eat and don’t eat too much.You’re going to get sick.I have fresh strawberry ice cream for that cake,if you want.”Miss Kay finished.Grace nodded and began to eat.

After they were all stuffed,they sat around the tree.It glowed bright with the coming night,as did all the twinkling lights.Holly sat and handed Grace another gift.

“More?!”Grace asked loudly.

“Every Christmas tree needs presents.But we can give them to another kid.”Miss Kay said and Grace quickly took the gift shaking her head.She unwrapped the box,inside was a Christmas movie,Christmas socks and popcorn.

“My family loved watching Christmas movies together,but this was the only one I could find.But I love Rudolph.We got in our night clothes and Christmas socks,while our mom made Christmas popcorn.”she said excitedly.

Grace looked at the movie cover,as Miss Kay handed her a wicker basket that had a red ribbon tying the lid down.She opened it to reveal all of Claira Bells pretty dresses and a tea set,it was Al Miss Kay had left.Grace hugged her Mawmaw tightly.She was pulling them out one by one.Daisy handed her another box to unwrap.Grace took it and did just that,inside was white feed sacks,an orange marker,a black marker,a red scarf,a top hat and a stack of newspapers.

Grace looked confused as well as Miss Kay and Andy did.Holly knew and got a huge smile on her face.

“Well,in the south it barely snows and never Christmas Day.So,our mommas would give us this snowman kit.Well not with such a stylish hat though.We may have had a wool cap for him.”Daisy explained.

Next Andy got up and handed Grace his box.Grace opened it excitedly.It had a different Christmas mug for each of them,a jar of hot chocolate mix,a jar of marshmallows and four candles.Andy then gave her a log that had four holes cut into it and a flat bottom.

“This needs adult help.Ok?”he said.Graced nodded placing it on the table and putting each candle in.

“This is the actual Yule log my family passed down for generations.I never had kids,so I had nobody to pass it to.”Andy explained.

They all sat while Andy brought out spoons another log and hot water.He let Grace put in the cocoa mix and he added the hot water.Then Andy lit the Yule log and cut into the other log.To Grace’s surprise and delight it was a cake.Andy passed out the cake.They sat for awhile admiring the lights.

Holly and Daisy helped Grace make her snowman.They sat it beside the tree,then started on the paper chain.But Holly got a stapler instead of the glue.Each person was handed six pieces of paper,three of each color and a pencil.They put their wishes on the back an stapled them all together.It made a fairly long chain,that Holly hung in the hallway.

“Oh one more surprise kiddo.”Andy told Grace,as they all walked around to the front of the house.Holly lead Grace while covering her eyes.When they got to the front out on the sidewalk,Holly removed her hand.The house was lit with so many Christmas lights.There were more Christmas figures in the front yard.And on the porch she finally noticed the Happy Birthday sign and cake on the front porch.They all began to sing and Grace tried to join in,until they sang her name.

She began to cry.

“You thought we forgot,didn’t you?”Daisy asked

Grace nodded her head rushing onto the porch.She sat at the table beside the cake,smiling.

“Thank you.But I don’t want any right now.”Grace said holding her tummy and they all laughed,nodding their heads.Holly and Daisy brought everything inside,while Grace brought her birthday sign in.They all went back out to the back porch to sit.Grace played with Claira Bell on the outdoor rug.

“You’re not afraid she will break it?”Daisy asked Miss Kay.

“No,she isn’t porcelain it is a hard plastic rubber compound.She is supposed to be unbreakable.My parents saved all year for her.She was my only bought present that year.She was very expensive back then.My momma made everything else I got that year.And my papa made a cradle.It was my favorite Christmas,until the next year.When we started the tea party tradition.”Miss Kay said fondly.

They were all relaxed and almost asleep,when someone knocked at the front door.Miss Kay went to see who it was.She opened the door to a small group of people.

“May I help you?”Miss Kay asked.

“We hope so.Is Gracey here?” one of the women asked.

“Holly,come here please.”Miss Kay yelled down the hallway.

Holly came quickly,very concerned.

“Do you know any of these people?”Miss Kay asked her.

“Oh,hello.Yes mam,they come into my shop all the time.They live across the street Miss Kay.”Holly told her.

“And we live next door, to your right.”the man told her and Holly went to get Grace.

As Grace walked down the hallway,they all began to sing Silent Night.When Grace reached the door,one of the ladies handed her a basket of gingerbread cookies.The other handed her a red and white gingham clothe sack.Grace peeked inside,it was twine a bunch of tiny clothes pins and red ribbon.

“That is for you to hang your Christmas cards from.You can hang it wherever you want.”she told Grace,but Grace began to frown.

“What’s wrong honey?”the lady asked her.

“I don’t get cards.”Grace said.

“Are you sure?Maybe you should look in the mailbox.”the man told her,as Miss Kay and Holly looked concerned and confused.

Grace walked out to the mailbox and opened it.She was so surprised and excited to see it was full.She grabbed it all with a huge smile and ran to the front porch.She plopped on the porch and started opening the cards.Miss Kay and Holly mouthed a thank you to them and they all nodded.

“Don’t be alarmed if you get more visitors.”the younger blonde told them.

“By the way Miss Kay this is Honey,she lives next door with Alex.”The young man tipped his head with a smile.”And this is Evanjoline she lives across the street.”Holly said and the older woman took Miss Kay’s hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

“Well,Merry Christmas.Yall have a fabulous night.”Evanjoline said heading back across the street.And the young couple waved and also headed home.

They all gathered the cards and went into the livingroom.Miss Kay’s stairs were in her livingroom and Holly thought the banister was the perfect place to hang the cards.She tied the twine to the banister and clipped on the clothes pins.They hung all the cards.

They sat in the livingroom while Holly popped the popcorn for their movie time.As they all settled in another knock to the front door sounded through the house.They got up to answer it together.Miss Kay opened the door and another small group started to sing.They sang Holey Night and the two women handed Grace gifts,one in a bag the other in a box.Grace sat on the porch to open them.The bag had a beautiful Christmas book,that looked homemade.The box she unwrapped and it held a square wicker basket with handles.She opened it and it was full of stickers,glue,scissors,pens,markers,Christmas material pieces,buttons,bells and hand dyed paper tied with some bakers twine.She thanked them as they retreated down the street still singing.Holly took the book and her and the others looked at it.It was a scrapbook.

“This is a scrapbook for Christmas and I suppose the art kit is to use with the book.That was super sweet of them all.”Holly said as they sat and watched the movie.Grace loved it and fell asleep as the credits rolled.