Lilly's Christmas

Lilly’s Christmas

By Charles Prier

          My name is Lilly. I am an orphan girl 13 years old and live in a small mining town in Tennessee with the Foster family. You might think that makes me a foster daughter of the Fosters, but according to what Miss Agnes told the census taker, I am a servant. Perhaps that’s true, I do most of the chores around the house for Missis Foster and care for Jenna and Luke who are three and five years old. Missis Foster is a nice lady, but she is weak and sickly most of the time.

          This is not my first experience as a fosterling. I have lived with many families since my mother was sent to the asylum and my step daddy moved away. Some places, I stayed only a day, some just a week, maybe a little more. An old lady in a wheelchair that works for the county has tried very hard to find me a permanent new family. I have been with the Fosters longer than any of the other families.

          Mister Foster’s brother Mister Dale and his family live next door, and Miss Agnes, Mister Foster’s mother, lives in a cottage behind and between the families’ homes. The children are never allowed to enter Miss Agnes’ cottage. Mister Dale and his wife have a son, Roy, and a daughter, Maylene. Both are older than me, Roy is the oldest.

          Christmas is drawing near and Missis Foster has picked up a welcomed spark of energy. Luke and Jenna are talking about Santa Claus and what they want him to bring them.

          “Lilly will you help Jenna and me write letters to Santa Claus?” Luke asked.

          “I’m not very good at writing, Luke. Maybe you should ask Maylene to help you.” I said.

          “But how are you going to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?” Luke ask. Maybe Maylene will help you to.

          “No, Luke I don’t get gifts from Santa.”

          “Then you’ve been naughty, naughty. Should’ve been nice because Santa Claus knows.”
          Missis Foster said I could go to school three days a week. I tried it but found all the other kids much younger and smarter than me, I felt out of place. Besides, I can write my name and read enough.

         I don’t remember much about Christmases. Just extra work and lots of food, candy and fruit mostly. I do remember having a baby doll once, I had to leave it when I went away to a new family. It would be nice to have a new dress and maybe a brace for my hair. It will be fun watching Jenna and Luke on Christmas morning, they’re so cute and excited. I am lucky to be living with such nice people… except for old Miss Agnes.

          The week before Christmas, Mister Foster went into the attic and brought down a box of Christmas decorations. Roy went into the woods and brought back an Evergreen Christmas tree. It was almost perfect and smelled so fresh and pretty. Missis Foster asked Roy and Maylene to help with decorating. It was such fun, Christmas music was playing on the radio. I helped Missis Foster bake cookies. Roy made a stand for the Christmas tree and placed it in the corner of the living room–he sure is good looking … but quiet. Jenna, Luke and Maylene were laughing and singing to the music on the radio–until Miss Agnes came. Children seem to get on her nerves when they’re loud or having fun.

          The festivities continued all week. Mister and Missis Foster even made a trip into the next town to shop at the big store. They were gone almost all day. Roy came every day to check on the Christmas tree. He said he wanted to make sure the stand remained sturdy so the tree would not lean or fall over. I pretended he was coming to see me.

          Maylene came over several times that week. School was out for the holidays, and she said she got bored at her house. “I enjoy spending time with you, Jenna and Luke,” she said. I noticed she usually came over when Miss Agnes went to her house. I was glad Maylene came. Talking with her made me feel happy inside.

          Christmas Eve was hectic; Jenna and Luke were especially rambunctious. We had soup for supper and Miss Agnes went home right after supper. While I cleaned up, Missis Foster baked more cookies and made peanut butter and cracker sandwiches. “The church group will be coming by singing Christmas carols. We will make some hot cider and serve them these cookies and crackers,” she said.

          We all sat in the living room looking at the Christmas tree waiting on the carolers.

          “Daddy, we don’t have a chimney for Santa Claus to come down, how will he get in with our presents?” Luke asked.

          “We will have to leave the door unlocked,” said Mister Foster.

          “What if someone comes in and gets our presents before we get up in the morning?” Luke asked.

          “I always wait up for him to come and lock the door before I go to bed. Don’t worry.”

          “You mean he will come if you are not asleep?”

          “Yes, of course, I’m an adult; Santa does not care if I see him.”

          “The carolers are here!” Missis Foster said, as the sound of voices singing ‘O Come all Ye Faithful’ poured in from the front porch. Mister Foster opened the door, and the carolers began to crowd in while still singing. Jenna and Luke were wide-eyed and still even as the carolers sang another song about Christmas. I think I saw a tear in Mister Foster’s eye.

          Missis Foster greeted and served the carolers cookies and crackers. Mister Foster filled their cups with warm cider.

          After the carolers left, Missis Foster said it was time for the children to go to bed. I helped Jenna and Luke get ready for bed and sent them into tell the mother good night.

          Christmas morning Jenna and Luke are up early anxious to open the gifts that are now under the tree in the living room. Missis Foster insisted that they have breakfast and wait for Uncle Dale’s family to arrive before the gifts are opened. Miss Agnes has already arrived, so the children are trying to be calm and avoid getting on her nerves.

          Mister Dale and his family arrived, and I began to clean up the kitchen while the Fosters all started opening their presents in the living room. There was great festivity, laughter and comments, “just what I wanted!” Expressions of beauty and gratitude, “Oh, how lovely, thank you,” everyone sounded so happy. Then Roy came into the kitchen and asked me to come into the living room.

          Someone said, “there’s one more gift under the tree.”

          “It’s mine,” shouted Jenna.

          “No it’s mine,” said Luke

          Kneeling next to the tree, Maylene said, “no it is Lilly’s.” She picked it up and handed it to me.

          Roy pointed to a chair and said, “sit down and open it.” Everyone was quiet, I could feel them looking at me and I could hardly breathe. I tried not to tear the pretty paper as I opened the gift.

          “Oh, how pretty,” said Missis Foster. It was a pretty dress, and it was just what I wanted. I never thought I would get one.

          “You have to try it on,” said Maylene. “Come on.” She took my hand and led me to the bedroom.

          It was a very pretty dress. It was just like one I saw Maylene wear. I pretended it wasn’t the same dress and that she and I had one just alike. It fit me nicely. Maylene fluffed my hair with a brush, took the brace from her hair, and put it in mine.

          “Now, let’s go show them how pretty you are,” she said.

          They were all looking at me, Mister Dale whistled. Roy had a big grin, and his eyes sparkled. Missis Foster smiled and said, “Oh, how pretty,” for the fifteenth time that morning.

          Jenna and Luke came over and hugged me and I think I even saw a slight smile on Miss Agnes’ lips.

          Oh, what a Merry, Merry Christmas!