Read Online A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg - Free Book Online Page B

with the white tablecloths had centerpieces decorated with sprigs of fresh holly and pinecones that had been dipped in either shellac or gold or silver paint and sprinkled with glitter. On the pine walls, huge red paper bells hung from twisted red and green crepe paper that wrapped around the room, interspersed with pictures of the nativity. Oswald sat next to Betty’s mother and Betty sat on the other side and about halfway through dinner the old lady punched him in the ribs and said, “Ask me what time it is.”
    “OK,” he said. “What time is it?”
    “Half past kissing time; time to kiss again!” she said, then screamed with laughter and continued to repeat it over and over until Betty had to get up and take her home. It seems Miss Alma had gotten into the leaded eggnog.
    Oswald had just dropped whipped cream from the sweet potato pie all down the front of his tie when Dottie Nivens, the president of the association, made an announcement. “Before we start the program this evening, we have a first-time visitor with us tonight and I would like for him to stand up and tell us a little bit about himself.” Everyone clapped and they all turned around and smiled at him and sat waiting for him to speak.
    Oswald’s ears turned as red as the bells on the wall. Frances, seeing how uncomfortable he was, quickly stood up and said, “Keep your seat, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Campbell is my guest tonight, and I can tell you he came all the way down here from Chicago to get away from bad old cold weather and to spend the winter with us and maybe longer, if we don’t run him off with all our crazy doings.” They all laughed. “So welcome to the community, Mr. Campbell.” They all clapped again and he made an attempt at a nod.
    The program for the evening was a reading of “ ’Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Dottie Nivens, an unfortunate selection for a woman with a lisp, followed by a solo rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” played on the musical saw, and ending with a visit from Santa Claus, who came in the room with a large sack thrown over his shoulder.
    Santa sat in the front and called out the names of the children in the room, and one by one each went up for their present. Oswald noticed that when they got back to the table and opened their packages, they all seemed to like what they got. After everyone had received gifts, Santa Claus stood up and said, “Well, that’s all, boys and girls.” But then, as he lifted his sack, he pretended to find just one more present. “Oh, wait a minute,” he said. “Here’s another one.” He read the card, looked out, and asked, “Is there a little boy here named Oswald T. Campbell?” Everybody laughed and pointed. “Come on up, Oswald,” said Santa. When he got there Oswald saw it was Claude Underwood under the beard, who asked, “Have you been a good boy?” Oswald laughed and said he had, received his present, and went back to his seat.
    The evening ended with the lighting of the tree. As soon as everyone was outside they all mashed together in a large clump, and Oswald found himself in the middle. He could not help but think about the photo in the old hotel brochure of those thirty people standing under a rosebush. People in Alabama must love to stand around in clumps. Butch Mannich was stationed in the doorway. When the children, standing over to the side mashed together in their own smaller clump, started singing “O Christmas Tree,” he switched on the lights and they all applauded.
    After it was over, Oswald walked home with Frances and Mildred. He told them the most amazing thing about the evening to him, besides all the food, was that all the kids seemed to love their presents. He said he almost never liked what he had gotten for Christmas. They smiled and explained that the reason they were all so pleased was because each year Dottie Nivens, the postmistress, opened the letters they had written to Santa Claus and told their parents exactly