Chapter 17 #2
Tripp didn’t lead the group, but Ivy was right behind him so that she would be in a good position for reading. When all the singers were in place, Tripp was lucky enough to only be a few yards from Willa Rose.
She helped several of the little children onto the sleigh and then stood in front of the carousel.
“Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Spanish Fort Christmas program and potluck dinner. We are so glad to see a full congregation today. We are fortunate to have the carnival folks staying on the grounds and helping us with decorations, singing, and pure old elbow grease in getting this program ready. They were gracious enough to stay a couple of extra days to lend us their carousel and animals as well as their singing voices today. Let’s give them all a big hand. ”
She waited for the applause to end and then went on. “The growth of any community depends on the next generation, so let’s hear it this time for our children who will begin the program with their songs.”
She handed the microphone to Bo, who touched a button on a karaoke machine in front of the carousel, and the music to “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” began.
Willa Rose sat down on a chair off to the side and expected echoes to resound off the walls of the barn when the singing started.
But to her surprise, the place had fairly decent acoustics.
As soon as that song ended, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” started.
The kids were warmed up by then, and several of them began to wiggle their heads and bodies to the tune.
When that song ended, the older children got off the carousel and helped the younger ones down from the sleigh.
Then Bo led them in “Little Snowflake” and some simple choreography.
The little girl who had worried about not knowing the words did her own dance, spinning and twirling.
When the music stopped, Bo smiled at the audience.
“Let’s give our littles another big hand.
They’ve done a great job, especially considering that they haven’t had much practice. ”
When the folks stopped clapping, Willa Rose stood up again and took the microphone. “A while back, I made the mistake of calling Miz Bernie an elderly person. I won’t ever do that again.”
That brought on several chuckles.
“So, that said, the next part of the program is presented to you by our fabulous adults who are coming down the aisle right now. They look like they are ready to give us a show, so I’m going to sit down and watch with the rest of you.”
Well said , Tripp thought with a smile. The first lesson I learned was to be careful what you say to Aunt Bernie.
All the senior citizens wearing choir robes came in slowly from the back of the barn, some using walkers, a couple in wheelchairs, and the rest leaning on canes.
“Maybe I wasn’t wrong when I called them elderly.” Willa Rose chuckled.
An even dozen of them—six men and an equal number of women—finally made it to the front and lined up in front of the carousel and sleigh.
Bernie’s voice carried through the barn when she said, “Be careful who you call such blasphemous names, young lady. We might have wrinkles, but we’ve still got the Christmas spirit.”
“Then show us,” Willa Rose teased.
The familiar old stripper music started, and with shaking hands, the folks began to unzip the robes. Tripp glanced down at the next song and could not believe that Bernie would have actually led her posse in the Ray Stevens song “Santa Claus Is Watching You.”
Tripp locked eyes with Willa Rose, and it was evident they were both thinking the same thing. Surely Bernie had not run this by Endora and Parker.
The senior citizens twirled the robes around their heads a couple of times and then tossed them to the side.
They all wore red sequin vests, but Bernie had gone a step further and had on matching pants.
As the music started, they pulled Santa hats from their pockets and put them on.
Then they started a high-kicking routine that would have put all Las Vegas dancers to shame.
Tripp was so speechless that he couldn’t open his mouth to sing until after the first chorus. If that was their lead-in, then it was downright scary what would come next. At the end, each of the gentlemen kneeled with a lady on a knee.
And they aren’t even out of breath, Tripp thought.
The second song started with someone ringing a doorbell, and then “Redneck 12 Days of Christmas,” in true Jeff Foxworthy style started.
They tossed their Santa hats on top of the robes lying on the floor and picked up flannel shirts and quickly donned them.
They didn’t even change the lyrics about twelve packs of beer and so much chewing tobacco, which surprised Tripp, but then again—like he told Ivy—this was a community program.
He would have bet dollars to cow patties that Parker would have nixed that song if it had been in the church.
But when he looked out over the crowd, Parker was laughing as hard as everyone else.
At the end of that presentation, the seniors all threw off their flannel shirts and put on reindeer antlers just as the old Chuck Berry song “Run, Rudolph, Run” started.
Folks were really getting into the spirit of fun and began to clap in time with the music.
Bernie led the group in the running man dance and the rest of the choreography.
Those who probably didn’t get the moves down right, rode the carousel ponies and waved at the audience.
At the end of the hilarious production, the whole group held hands and took a deep bow.
They put their robes and Santa hats back on, got a firm hold on walkers and canes, and shuffled out of the barn.
Willa Rose took the microphone from Bo and said, “I’m as close to speechless as I’ve ever been.
I kept looking for lightning streaks to come shooting through the roof, but evidently since this is a community program and we aren’t in church this Sunday morning…
” She let the sentence hang while the people gave the group a standing ovation.
“But now,” she said when the place was quiet again, “it’s time to get serious.
Ivy will deliver a reading to take our minds to the real meaning of Christmas, and then we’ll hear some songs from the live manger scene.
We’ve often seen plaques and even pillows embroidered with ‘Jesus is the reason for the season.’ Well, now is the time to remember that. ”
Ivy took a step forward and hopped up on the seat of the sleigh. Willa Rose handed her the microphone, and she pointed toward the curtained-off area. “Please look to your right and enjoy our live nativity scene while I read.”
Luna and Shane played Mary and Joseph, and their son, Garrett, was in the manger.
The wise men stood in front of the kneeling camel, Clyde.
The shepherds, each with their staff, had places in the pen with the sheep, goats, and even the potbellied pig lying in the corner with his snout pressed against the wire fence.
Tripp held the laughter inside when he saw Pansy sitting on the outside of the pen with her snout against Porky’s.
Both pigs looked like little statues while the group sang, “Mary, Did You Know” and “O Holy Night.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including Tripp’s, when the last song, “The Manger,” ended.
Pansy didn’t even stir when the curtains were closed.
“And that brings our program to an end,” Ivy said. “Thank you for coming out today. The potluck dinner is ready in the house, and then I understand that Santa Claus was seen coming this way, but first Parker wants to say a few words.”
Parker made his way down the center aisle.
“I’m grateful to see everyone out for the traditional program—or maybe I should just say ‘program,’ since part of this one wasn’t what we normally have in the church.
But I’ve got to admit, Bernie and her posse sure lifted our spirits, and that’s what these programs are supposed to do.
” He chuckled. “I want to announce that we will begin to have our services right here in this barn next Sunday morning at the regular time. Hopefully, the church will be put back together soon, and we will appreciate any help all y’all can lend to make that possible.
It will take a lot of elbow grease to get the job done.
Just get with Knox Callahan if you have a Saturday or even a few hours to donate to the project.
Could we please close with a word of prayer before we go into the house for food and fellowship? ”
As soon as he heard “Amen,” Tripp closed the distance between him and Willa Rose. “You were amazing,” he said.
“It went off well, but like I told Mary Jane, the whole thing has been a team effort. I was shocked out of my mind at Bernie’s performance. We have misjudged that woman. She is a force to deal with.”
“Amen to that,” Tripp agreed. “But she does keep her word, so after tomorrow we don’t have to worry about her hanging mistletoe on our front porches.”
“Doing what?”
“She has these little subtle ways of telling a person that she is not going to give up on finding a mate for them.” Tripp told Willa Rose about finding the mistletoe on his porch. “I’m sure she meant it for kissing a woman, but I took it as a miracle that I met Hank less than an hour later.”
“If a little sprig of that stuff can make miracles, I’ll hang one on my porch,” Willa Rose said.
“And what would you wish for?”
“That I could have the five sons that Yasmin predicted when she looked into my future,” Willa Rose answered.
“Forget about what happens tomorrow or even next year,” Tripp said and headed up the center aisle. “Let’s talk about the here and now. Someone brought a whole slow cooker full of chicken and dressing to the potluck, and I want to get in on it before it’s all gone.”
She fell into step beside him. “You need to practice your lines before tomorrow evening.”
“I wasn’t trying to be romantic and cheat on Melissa,” he said.
“If you want a second date with Melanie—not Melissa—you should remember her name,” Willa Rose scolded.
“If you want to get through the evening with…” Tripp paused and tried to remember the man’s name, but it wouldn’t come to mind. “Whatever his name is, you should try to keep the arguing to a minimum.”
Willa Rose grabbed Tripp’s arm and jerked him to a stop. She raised up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him—passionately, long and lingering. When it ended, she took a step back.
“That settles it. I’m telling ‘whatever his name is’ that I have cheated on him and the relationship is over,” she teased.
Tripp was speechless for a split second and then he began to laugh. Willa Rose looped her arm in his and giggled. “You can tell Melissa or whatever her name is the same thing, or you can beg her forgiveness and ask for a second chance.”
“Did you only kiss me to have a reason not to go out with Zachary?”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s his name. I’ll have to remember that and not call him ‘Whatever.’”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Tripp said.
“I’ll have to think about that and get back to you with an answer.”