Over the years I've written several short vignettes about different Christmas' in my life. Beginning today and going through Christmas, I'll periodically post them in no particular order. Today's vignette takes place in 1957.
I also want to say Happy Birthday to my son, Anthony. Today he's 37. Ooooold Man!
Christmas 1957. I was eight years old. That was the year of the Bride Doll and also the year I discovered the truth about Santa Claus. I lived in a very small town called Hayden, Arizona. At that time, there was a general store in the center of town near the elementary school. Each afternoon on the way home from school, I would rush inside and check out The Bride Doll.
The Bride Doll was the most important dream of my young life. She was two feet tall dressed in a bride dress composed of layer upon layer of white lace. She had short curly blonde hair and a veil. The display box was high up on a shelf so that you could see her the minute you entered the store.
Every afternoon, I rushed inside to check that she was still there. At the time, I don’t think I realized that the store would naturally have more than one in stock. I was sure that as long as The Bride Doll was in the store on Christmas Eve, then Santa would bring me my dearest wish…The Bride Doll.
One afternoon as I trotted down the sidewalk after school, I saw my mother standing by our car in front of the store. Now in those days, kids did not ride in the front seat. The front seat was reserved for grown ups. So when my mother asked if I wanted a ride home, I naturally yanked open the back door even as my mother yelled, “No!”
And lo and behold, there was The Bride Doll on the back seat.
I was dumbfounded. What was The Bride Doll doing in my car? It says much about innocence of that era that it never even occurred to me that my mother had bought it. All I could think was, “Why did Santa bring my doll when it wasn’t even Christmas?”
Well, we rode home in silence. Then, my mother took me by the hand and led me into the kitchen where we proceeded to have milk and cookies while she explained how Moms and Dads were Santa’s helpers. It was vague enough that it took me two more years to finally get it. She explained that my brothers didn’t know about how Moms and Dads helped Santa so I would have to pretend to be surprised.
Pretending and having secrets was almost as exciting as knowing that The Bride Doll would be mine on Christmas Day. I dragged that poor doll around for years. As a matter of fact, fifty years later, she’s still stashed in my spare room. I’m afraid that she’s a bit worse for the wear, but my granddaughters still love her anyway. Her bride dress is long gone. At the moment she has a sailor dress. I keep thinking that I’ll find time to make her a new dress but I haven’t done it yet.
A little over two years later, my mother died. I wonder what she’s thinking now as she peeks down from Heaven? Is she shaking her head over that bedraggled dolly? Probably so.
The picture is my mom and grandpa, now gone many years. Oh, and that's me clutching my Bride Doll.
Anny
Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.
Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books.
There will be three lucky winners.
The prizes –1st prize--6 books
2nd prize--4 books
3rd prize--2 books
All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.
Tune in on December the 6th for complete details!
Fun, right?
Well, let's see... Where did Amarinda leave us on the Saga?
“I could kill you for that but I won’t.” The woman leered at her. “I have been given the task of taking you to Yum Cha.”
Emmeline stiffened in horror. Yum Cha was knife throwing Tibetan anarchist who had vowed to kill her for saving the life of high Chieftain. “I’m not going.”
“It’s not optional, short arse.”
Emmeline calculated her chances of successfully fighting Merle at dead zero. Bribery, however was a distinct possibility. Merle could really use a pair of shoes and a complete make-over. Really, look at those filthy feet and purple toenails were so passé.
“So, Merle,” Emmeline said craftily. “How would you like a make-over? Maybe a new pair of shoes. Some slimming clothes…”
“Why?” Merle asked point blank.
“Well, don’t you want to look your best? I always think that the better you look, the easier it is to win friends and influence people.” Emmeline’s eyes darted around as she looked for the darned peeler. Surely Merle hadn’t smashed the peeler!
Merle noticed the wandering eyes right off the bat. “What are you looking for?” she asked suspiciously.
“Oh, I just thought maybe there was something of Zoltan’s lying around. You know a little memento of the lying rat.”
Lifting her foot up, Merle plucked a metal object from her big toe. “This is all there is,” she observed before tossing the bent peeler to Emmeline. “Now can we get back to this make-over business? How do you propose to do this?”
“Well, we’ll have to go to Hong Kong, of course. They have the best tailors in the business. I’m thinking that you might want a warm red rinse on the hair. Nice and bright and it’ll give your face some color—”
“Hold it right there, sister. First we’ll go see Yum Cha. Then, we’ll go to Hong Kong. For one thing, my sister, Beryl will want to come with us. She likes to go new places and see new things.”
“But—” Emmeline started to object.
“Nope. Yum Cha has a proposition for you. Actually, thats the reason I had to get rid of your man. He would have really been in the way. Yum Cha don’t go for none of them men-ages, you know?”
