by Joy Redmond
Wanda often asked, “Why don’t you accept the men’s offers to go out on a real date and have a nice dinner and take in a movie?”
Mandy cut her a sideways glance and said, “There’s no point in starting a relationship with a man. I come with too much baggage.”
“What’s that got to do with it? We all have baggage. There’s a good man out there who’d accept your baggage and love you to pieces.”
Mandy chuckled. “A few hours with Kati and her smart mouth would chase off the devil! I don’t want to start something I can’t finish. I admit, there’s a couple men that I’d like to get closer to, but I won’t. Why open up my heart just to get it stomped on? If I don’t allow them in, then I can’t get hurt. Maybe when I’m sixty or seventy.”
“By then they’ll either be taken or dead,” Wanda said, and shook her head.
“Probably,” Mandy answered. “In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy the dancing and being held closely and that’ll do for me.”
“Your life,” Wanda answered.
“I don’t see it changing for a long time. But I’m fine. They’ll only be home with me for a little while, then they’ll leave and have their own lives. Then maybe I’ll want to find a man. Then maybe not. I don’t have much luck with men. The ones I’ve had kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. Except my one true love, she thought, then pushed him out of her mind. Don’t even think about him. It only hurts.
Christmas was drawing near and Tony called and said that he wouldn’t be coming home. He was working and he didn’t want to take a week off and lose his job. Mandy understood, but Christmas wasn’t going to be the same without her son. A bit of darkness descended on her soul, but then she thought about the houseful that she would have, and she smiled to herself. It was going to be a nice Christmas even if her son could not make it. But still, Mandy had a tear in her heart.
She was trying to keep her spirits up about the situation when the phone rang again. “Hello.”
“Hey, Sis. How’s it going?”
Mandy screamed, “Lee!” and she wondered if she had burst her brother’s ear drum. “Things are great. Where are you?”
“That’s what I was calling to tell you. I’m stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.”
“Fort Stewart!” Mandy yelled again. “That’s not that far from me. When are you going to come down and see me?”
“That’s what else I called to talk to you about. Me and Maylee were wondering if you and the kids would like to come up and have Christmas with us.”
Mandy was speechless, but then she found her voice, “I’d love to! And you’ll get to meet your great-niece. I’m a grandma. Can you believe that?”
“Get out of here! You’re not old enough to be a grandma.”
“Tell that to Kati. She made me a grandma at age thirty-eight. The baby’s name is Tina. She’s almost a year old and she’s already walking, getting into everything, and I’m sure she’ll go through your house like a white tornado. I call her the Tasmanian Devil. Tony won’t be with us. He has a job and he won’t be able to make it down. But the girls will be thrilled to see Uncle Lee and Aunt Maylee, and of course, their cousins, Teddy and Jimmy.”
“That’s great. When can we expect you?”
“We can be there on the twenty-third and we’ll leave the twenty-sixth. How does that sound?”
“Perfect! And wait until you meet our new dog. He’s a teacup Chihuahua. His name is Killer!” Lee laughed.
Mandy held her sides as she pictured a dog so tiny she could hold it in the palm of her hand and calling him Killer. “Only you would come up with a name like that for a Chihuahua. Thanks for the invite. Give my love to Maylee and the boys. We’ll see you in a week. Love you, Bro.”
“Love you too, Sis.”
Mandy hung up the phone, danced a small jig, her heart pounding with joy. She hadn’t spent a Christmas with either of her brothers since 1951. Daddy had brought her, Don, and Lee to Mammaw and Pappaw’s on Christmas Day and left them. The next day, they all went to different homes, never to be together again. How she wished that Don and his family could be there with them this year. Tears stung her eyes as she wondered if she and her two brothers would ever have another Christmas together.
Mandy made the trip to Fort Stewart in six hours. She and the girls sang Christmas carols and Tina slept most of the way. She pulled into the driveway and her body trembled in anticipation of seeing Lee and his family. Just as she stepped out of the car, Lee opened the front door and ran to her. As usual, he scooped his sister into his arms and swung her around in the air. He stood her on the ground, then grabbed the girls and they got a whirl, including Tina, who squealed with glee.
They all went inside and Mandy couldn’t believe how much Teddy and Jimmy had grown, and how they were the spitting image of Lee. Maylee still looked the same, and Mandy loved to listen to her talk. She still spoke broken English, but her hand gestures said it all.
Later that evening, after dinner and a few glasses of eggnog, Lee got out two decks of cards and six spoons. He put them on the table and said, “Who’s up for a game of spoons?”
Mandy said, “We don’t know how to play but we’re willing to learn. We love games.”
Teddy said, “It’s fun, but you have to be careful or you’ll get your hand broke when you reach for a spoon and another player tries to grab it before you do.”
“Let the games begin,” Mandy said, and they all took a seat around the table.
After two games, they were ready to take a break. Just as Mandy pushed back her chair, there was a knock on the back door. She watched as Lee went to the door, opened it, and then said, “Well, hello, Gill. Come in. You can meet my sister and her family.”
Gill stepped into the kitchen and Mandy’s breath caught in her throat. Gill was the most handsome man she had seen in years. She guessed him to be about six feet tall. He was thin and he had the most beautiful sky blue eyes she’d ever seen, which accented his honey-blond hair.
“Gill, this is Mandy, my sister. Mandy, this is Jordon Gillman, but everybody calls him Gill.”
Gill extended his hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Mandy.”
Mandy slipped her hand into his and the instant she touched his smooth skin, she felt a tingle run up her arm. “Oh,” she said as she drew her hand back. “Static electricity.”
Gill gave her a strange look but didn’t say anything.
Okay, he didn’t feel the tingle. It wasn’t static electricity. What the heck was it? Maybe I’ve had too much eggnog.
“Have a seat,” Lee said, as he motioned to a chair. I made my special eggnog. I’ll pour you a glass. Sis, do you want one more?”
Mandy sat down in the chair beside Gill. “No thanks, I’ve had plenty. I’ll take a glass of ice water,” she said, and she felt hypnotized by the nearness of Gill, until she looked at his left hand and saw a wedding band. She felt the swelling of her heart deflate as if it was a popped balloon. Stop acting like a moonstruck teenager, she told herself.
Gill drank down the tasty beverage, then stood and said, “Thanks for the nog, Lee. It was special as only you can fix it. I can’t stay. I just came by to say Merry Christmas, and return your tools. I put them in the tool shed.”
Mandy stood, ready to leave the room and go see if Kati needed help with Tina.
Gill turned toward Mandy. “It was nice meeting you.” He held open his arms. “Do you give hugs?”
“Sure!” Mandy said. She reached up and put her arms around Gill’s neck and he wrapped his strong arms around her body and drew her close. Mandy felt electric tingles run through her entire body. Just as she was pulling away, she heard a loud buzz, then felt something hit her head. She jumped and slapped at the side of her head. She watched in disbelief as a large palmetto bug ran across the floor. “Good golly, Miss Molly!” she said as she stepped back.
Gill laughed. “It’s just a palmetto bug. You have to get used to them in Georgia. They won’t hurt you.”
“We ha
ve them in Florida too. But I’ve never seen one that size, and I’ve never been attacked by one. Jeez.” She rubbed the side of her head as if she were making sure there was only one. The buzzing sound was still ringing in her ear.
Maylee said, “We no have bugs in house. We get house sprayed. I never see them.” She looked at Lee. “How that big bug get in house?”
Lee laughed. “They get in from time to time. There’s no way to kill them all. Sis always did draw flies, now she’s drawing palmetto bugs.” He laughed harder. “It’s just a damn bug. And it’s gone. You silly women can calm down.”
“I sure hope it’s gone,” Mandy said, as she turned and left the kitchen.
After Tina and Abbie were in bed for the night, and Kati and her cousins were in the living room snooping under the Christmas tree and picking up presents, shaking them and trying to guess what was in the boxes, Mandy went into TV room, where she found Lee flipping through channels.
“There’s never a damn thing on TV,” Lee said. “I don’t even know why I have one.” He turned off the set. “So, tell me all about what’s been going on with you and yours since we last talked. And before you start bitching, I know it’s been over two years since I’ve called or written. I called Uncle Carl and asked how to get in touch with you. Two tours in Vietnam made me a different person. I’m not the social nut that I used to be. Even Maylee says she doesn’t know me. She says she wants me to go back to Nam and bring her real husband back.” Lee hung his head, wiped his eyes, and said, “I wish I could.”
Mandy had no idea what to say to his comment. She sat down on the couch and Killer jumped into her lap. As she patted the tiny dog, she gave Lee the highlights of her life for the past two years. They talked until midnight, then they hugged and kissed each other goodnight.
The next day, Kati took Tina outside to play. Abbie held Killer and mourned for Fluffy. Lee’s boys went off with friends to play basketball. Mandy and Maylee spent the day in the kitchen, baking pies, cakes, and a large ham. They laughed as they listened to Lee yell at the TV while he watched a football game.
“He think they hear him,” Maylee said. “Sometime he jump out chair and cuss referee.”
After they had eaten grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for the evening meal, Lee brought out the spoons and cards. “Who wants to get a broken hand tonight?”
They all played spoons, then the kids wanted to open one present before going to bed.
“Only one,” Lee said. “You boys do this every year. One, you hear me!”
Everyone opened one present. Mandy could tell by the oohs and aahs that came from everyone that she had done well picking out what she thought would make them happy.
The next morning the entire household was up early and the children headed for the Christmas tree. After all the presents had been opened, Maylee said, “Everybody eat fruit for breakfast. That hold you till I say big Christmas dinner ready. And stay out kitchen till I say ready to eat. K?”
When everybody was seated at the table, Lee yelled, “Catch!” as he threw oranges, apples and bananas. Then he set a gallon of milk on the table along with six glasses. “Everybody hurry up and get out of the kitchen before Maylee starts throwing knives.” He laughed and they all laughed with him.
Mandy sniffed the air as Christmas dinner cooked. The house was filled with the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg and spices, and in the background, Christmas music played. Mandy closed her eyes and took in everything going around her, from the smells to the sounds of her family.
Later, as they sat around the table eating the wonderful Christmas dinner, Mandy could barely swallow as a knot formed in her throat. The sight of her children surrounded by their uncle, aunt, and cousins was more than she could believe. Joy filled her heart to the point it was almost painful. She missed Tony, but being with her other loved ones filled the void, somewhat.
That night, Lee dragged out picture albums and for the next three hours, Mandy and her children were able to share his family’s life that they never knew about.
When it was bedtime, they all hugged, kissed, and in unison said, “Merry Christmas!”
Mandy hugged Lee again. “Thanks for making this one of the best Christmases of my life.”
Lee hugged his sister but he didn’t say a word. After he hugged her, he tucked his head and headed down the hallway. Mandy saw him wipe his eyes. She wiped her eyes too. Hers were tears of joy and she hoped his were joyful tears too.
The next morning, it was a tearful goodbye, but Lee promised that he and his family would be coming to Florida soon. Mandy and the children got into the car. Mandy backed out of the driveway and her heart was at peace. They all waved until Mandy turned the corner and headed for the main highway.
You didn’t make your presence known, Mama, but I could feel you with us. I love you. Merry Christmas in heaven. Give Evan a big hug and kiss from me.
Suddenly, the car filled with the sweet aroma of roses. Mandy thought she was the only one who could smell it until she heard Kati and Abbie sniffing.
“Where’s that smell coming from, Mama?” Kati and Abbie ask at the same time.
“From heaven. Grandma Rachel is sending us a Christmas present.”
“I’ve heard you talk about Grandma sending you roses all my life. I just thought you were making it up,” Kati said.
“What do you think now?” Mandy asked, and smiled.
“Do you think Pappaw was the Phantom Farter?” Abbie asked, her eyes wide.
“It’s the kind of thing he’d do, but he stopped farting right after we arrived in Florida. However, a few other things have happened and I’ve wondered if it was Daddy, but we never know what spirit is visiting. The only one that I’m sure about is Mama. Only Mama sends roses.”
By the time Mandy had finished her sentence the sweet smell of roses had dissipated.
“Thank you, Mama. Come back soon,” Mandy said.
“Thank you, Grandma,” Kati and Abbie said.
They sang Christmas carols all the way back home. It had been a perfect Christmas. One that Mandy would cherish for the rest of her life.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A few days later, Mandy was still walking on air and reveling in the joy of Christmas and wondering what the New Year was going to bring, and Amos was weighing heavily on her mind. One evening, she was walking past the phone and the loud ring startled her. She picked up the receiver. “Hello.”
She grabbed her heart when she heard Amos’s voice. They talked at length and it was so good to hear from him. He filled her in about Jillian. She had gotten married soon after she moved to Texas and though he missed her, he was happy she had a good husband and he had a good job working in the oil fields. Then he broke the sad news. His mother had passed away the previous month.
“I’m so sorry, Amos. You’ve had two big losses. But at least Jillian will come back for visits from time to time and you can go visit her.”
Amos didn’t say anything for a long moment, and Mandy thought he had hung up when he said, “I really would love to see you just one more time.” He paused again, as if he was trying to find the right words. “Is there any way you can fly up for New Years? That’s all I’m asking.”
Tears welled as Mandy listened to his sad voice. “I’ll see what I can arrange and I’ll call you later,” she said.
“I’ll be waiting for the call. I still love you, girl. I always will.”
“I know, Amos. I’ll be in touch. You take care.” Mandy hung up the phone. She took a deep breath. Did she need to go see him? Was that why he had been on her mind so strongly?
She thought about bringing in the year of 1982 with Amos but something else tugged at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to go back to Missouri. She called Delta Airlines and got a red-eye flight at an affordable price. Her flight would leave Tampa at 3 am, December 31st.
Mandy called Amos and gave him the time and flight number. “I’ll be in St. Louis waiting for you. Thank you for coming.
This is going to be a great start for a new year. This means more to me than I can express.”
“We’ll bring it the new year right. See you soon,” Mandy said.
Mandy made arrangements for Abbie to stay with Wanda.
“Kati will just have to stay home and take care of her baby.” She wondered how Kati would deal with having to take full responsibility for Tina, since Mandy had done all the mothering while Kati ran wild ever since she had been back home.
Mandy was surprised as a tingle ran through her body as she thought about seeing Amos. “Just three more days,” she whispered.
Amos was waiting at the gate and when he caught sight of Mandy, he pushed his way through the crowd, grabbed her in a bear hug and swung her in the air. She had to catch her breath as he swung her high and then she giggled. She had to admit it felt wonderful being back in his arms, even if it was for just the weekend. They left the airport holding hands, stopped at a restaurant, ate a steak dinner, then drove to Cape Girardeau.
Amos kept pulling Mandy close to him as he drove. “We aren’t going to worry about seatbelts. We’re going to act like teenagers and snuggle together, with my right arm around your shoulders. Remember those days?” He chuckled in the way that Mandy had always loved and she had missed.
“I remember. We’ll be teenagers all weekend. So, what are the plans for tonight?”
“I’d like to go the Elks Club. We spent many nights at the Elks when we first started dating. It seems fitting. And when I was there with you, I felt so carefree and happy.”
When they got to Amos’s house, Mandy called Effy. She answered the phone sounding as if she was still half asleep.
“Hey, girl. Whatcha doing tonight?” Mandy asked with a giggle.
“Mandy?” Effy said, as if her ears were deceiving her. “I’m working, but I’ll be at the Elks tonight. I sure wish you were here. Many of our old friends from the Holiday Inn will be there. My drinking buddies follow me wherever I work. I’ve been working at the Elks for three months. I make better tips because the drinks are cheaper. So, what’s going on with you? I heard that Kati and Tina came back to Florida. Are ya’ll having a party?”
