December 4, 2019 – November is never too early for Christmas Music

In bold is the prompt for November 18, 2019 Writer’s group.

         It was a cloudy, cold night in November when, Gerry Hester phoned. That was over 30 years ago.

         She said, “Mam, Maw is taking Emily for a sleepover. I need to get Santa, can you help me?”

         “Sure,” I answered without hesitation understanding how difficult Gerry’s life was, divorced, raising a clinging six-year old daughter, then added, “It’s after 9 p.m.”

         “Walmart has extended hours now, I need to pick up my “lays-away” and can you hide it in your basement?”

         “Sure.”

         “Can you drive; my trunk is full of the rest of Christmas?”

         “Sure.”

         “I’ll be right over.”

         I hardly had time to find my car keys, pull on a wool blazer and warm scarf. Putting on lipstick, I announced to my husband,

         “Gerry and I are running out to do some shopping.”

         “At this hour,” he asked just as Gerry knocked on the door and popped into the living room.

         “Ho, Ho, Ho!”  Gerry announced wearing jingle bell bracelets and a plush velvet Santa hat.  She twirled and shimmed to give my husband the full effect of her bells.

         “Bah Humbug!” he laughed at her.

         Moments later, in the car, I cranked the heating knob to maximum and pushed the fan to full blast to take off the chill. 

         “While we are out can we pick up some groceries as I’m vertically challenged.”

         “What do you mean?”

         “All the fancy brands are on the top shelf and I get specialty items for Mom’s Christmas basket.”

         I asked, “I’ve been looking for those sugar cubes.  I can’t seem to find them anywhere.  I need them for my Christmas Tea Party.”

         “Harris Teeter is the only place in town that sells them – they stay open until 10:00.”

         Arriving at Harris Teeter a few minutes later, the automatic doors opened and closed behind us.

         “Christmas music already,” I mentioned and pulled out a cart glancing around, not another shopper was in sight.

         Gerry was in the spirit and she strolled down the first aisle shaking her jingle bell adorned wrists and singing embarrassingly loud along with the piped Christmas music,

         “. . . what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh . . .”

         “Come on, get in the spirit . . . .” she cajoled. I could only smile. We went up the next aisle and at the front of the store, I noticed the cashiers were standing around with no customers, giggling.

         “Let’s give them something to laugh about!” Gerry suggested, then twirled and danced and sang even louder.

         My decorum weakened, I joined in singing as she pointed to items on the tippy-top shelves, which I pulled down for her.

         By the next aisle, we noticed the music was louder, and the store manager wore a smile on his face.

         When we checked out the cashiers acted as if they were embarrassed for us – what for – we were in the Spirit even if they weren’t.

         At the next stop, Walmart, Gerry was just as festive standing in the lays-away queue.  Gerry sang along with the Christmas music as she jingled and chatted-up people she knew.

         Once the lays-aways was paid off, we maneuvered the massive, heavy box onto the top of a shopping cart.  Half way to the car, the shopping cart had a mind of its own and got away from us several feet.  We skipped ahead, captured the runaway shopping cart, and pulled it back to the car. Again, we maneuvered the massive, heavy box, this time into the trunk of my car from the runaway shopping cart. 

         Later, in the cloudy, cold November night, we struggled getting the awkward, heavy box out of the trunk and lugged it into my cellar with a gasping case of Christmas giggles, which made for an unforgettable Christmas memory.

         Can you think of a memorable Christmas memory?  Brush it off, enjoy it all over again in your mind – they never get old – do they?