you need to be there. Let’s move.”
There were several vehicles in line in front of the Stacys’ home, all familiar. Arlie and Lula Mae rode in their truck in the very front, with Welby and Alma following a couple of cars back. The show was as flashy as expected. Santa and his sleigh flew toward the chimney, held in place with thin wire fastened to nearby trees. Rudolph’s nose glowed red as a cherry, and the reindeer danced and swayed with every gust of wind. Dozens of brightly colored bulbs blinked on and off, while “O Holy Night” played through a small loudspeaker on the porch.
“What do you think of that, Vee?” Virgil turned to the back seat, where Vee looked glumly out the window on the other side.
“Neat. Can we go now?” Vee, it seemed, was unimpressed. Apparently something else he inherited from his father.
Welby and Alma were settled in their usual spot near the aisle when the Osgoods entered, Alma dressed in a red suit with her Christmas hat, and Welby in a crisp white shirt and a fashionable knit tie. In addition to her purse, Alma held a small leatherette case. Welby motioned to the Osgoods to join them.
“Alma brought her Brownie to get some snapshots of Vee.” Welby grinned. “He’s going to do a great job tonight!”
Mavine beamed. “Vee’s really looking forward to it.”
Virgil truly hoped his wife was right. But it seemed to him that Vee was most certainly not looking forward to it. He was dreading it, with fear and trembling. Their son would be playing Wise Man #2 this year and would have to carry a little filigreed jewelry box atop Mavine’s white embroidered couch pillow. His costume consisted of Virgil’s old flannel robe and a crown made out of shirt cardboard and gold wrapping paper. All these things had been stuffed into the paper bag along with a pair of squeaky brown flip-flops from Welgo. Vee would also have to sing “We Three Kings,” with the right words like in the hymnal, not the ones Mavine had caught him and Frank Prewitt singing about smoking on a loaded cigar. Besides, old Toler was keeping a sharp eye on the boys from his music stand near the choir loft.
In a way, Vee was lucky. Virgil had seen the script Veehad brought home. Frank had been tapped to play Joseph opposite his younger sister Darlene’s Mary, and so would have to be the one holding Baby Jesus, played by Darlene’s Betsy Wetsy doll wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Reverend Caudill had arrived in time to pray with the children, whom he found ready and waiting in the vestibule. Surprisingly, they were all there.
And not surprisingly, he could hear them arguing by the time he took his seat at the side of the platform. He surveyed his congregation and sighed, content to see nearly his entire church family gathered together this holy night. And as he looked toward the entryway, where the costumed cast had convened, a bit of movement to one side caught his eye. A young couple, almost concealed by the shadow of the balcony, slipped in and found seats in the back row. He recognized neither of them. Visitors? But he had little time to ponder this, as the music began and all eyes were drawn to a slight commotion in the doorway to the vestibule.
“Stop poking me, Vee.”
“I’m not poking you, Frank. That’s your cue.”
Toler was waving his hands in time with the music. They were up to the part about the Virgin when Frank, as Joseph, finally came through the door with Darlene in tow. She had missed her cue as well —probably flirting with Vee like she did on Sunday mornings. Fortunately, she’d remembered the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Reverend Caudill’s eyeswere drawn to the young woman he’d seen come in; she wore an angelic smile and placed a hand over her midsection as she watched the holy family climb the steps to where the iconic Christmas scene awaited.
Mavine’s magazine rack served as an acceptable manger and was filled with Arlie’s straw. Mrs. Crutcher was
There were several vehicles in line in front of the Stacys’ home, all familiar. Arlie and Lula Mae rode in their truck in the very front, with Welby and Alma following a couple of cars back. The show was as flashy as expected. Santa and his sleigh flew toward the chimney, held in place with thin wire fastened to nearby trees. Rudolph’s nose glowed red as a cherry, and the reindeer danced and swayed with every gust of wind. Dozens of brightly colored bulbs blinked on and off, while “O Holy Night” played through a small loudspeaker on the porch.
“What do you think of that, Vee?” Virgil turned to the back seat, where Vee looked glumly out the window on the other side.
“Neat. Can we go now?” Vee, it seemed, was unimpressed. Apparently something else he inherited from his father.
Welby and Alma were settled in their usual spot near the aisle when the Osgoods entered, Alma dressed in a red suit with her Christmas hat, and Welby in a crisp white shirt and a fashionable knit tie. In addition to her purse, Alma held a small leatherette case. Welby motioned to the Osgoods to join them.
“Alma brought her Brownie to get some snapshots of Vee.” Welby grinned. “He’s going to do a great job tonight!”
Mavine beamed. “Vee’s really looking forward to it.”
Virgil truly hoped his wife was right. But it seemed to him that Vee was most certainly not looking forward to it. He was dreading it, with fear and trembling. Their son would be playing Wise Man #2 this year and would have to carry a little filigreed jewelry box atop Mavine’s white embroidered couch pillow. His costume consisted of Virgil’s old flannel robe and a crown made out of shirt cardboard and gold wrapping paper. All these things had been stuffed into the paper bag along with a pair of squeaky brown flip-flops from Welgo. Vee would also have to sing “We Three Kings,” with the right words like in the hymnal, not the ones Mavine had caught him and Frank Prewitt singing about smoking on a loaded cigar. Besides, old Toler was keeping a sharp eye on the boys from his music stand near the choir loft.
In a way, Vee was lucky. Virgil had seen the script Veehad brought home. Frank had been tapped to play Joseph opposite his younger sister Darlene’s Mary, and so would have to be the one holding Baby Jesus, played by Darlene’s Betsy Wetsy doll wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Reverend Caudill had arrived in time to pray with the children, whom he found ready and waiting in the vestibule. Surprisingly, they were all there.
And not surprisingly, he could hear them arguing by the time he took his seat at the side of the platform. He surveyed his congregation and sighed, content to see nearly his entire church family gathered together this holy night. And as he looked toward the entryway, where the costumed cast had convened, a bit of movement to one side caught his eye. A young couple, almost concealed by the shadow of the balcony, slipped in and found seats in the back row. He recognized neither of them. Visitors? But he had little time to ponder this, as the music began and all eyes were drawn to a slight commotion in the doorway to the vestibule.
“Stop poking me, Vee.”
“I’m not poking you, Frank. That’s your cue.”
Toler was waving his hands in time with the music. They were up to the part about the Virgin when Frank, as Joseph, finally came through the door with Darlene in tow. She had missed her cue as well —probably flirting with Vee like she did on Sunday mornings. Fortunately, she’d remembered the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Reverend Caudill’s eyeswere drawn to the young woman he’d seen come in; she wore an angelic smile and placed a hand over her midsection as she watched the holy family climb the steps to where the iconic Christmas scene awaited.
Mavine’s magazine rack served as an acceptable manger and was filled with Arlie’s straw. Mrs. Crutcher was
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