4-Dec-2020
Welcome to today’s entry of Holiday Flash Fiction Friday!
Finally, something cute! Also a bit morbid, but that’s not my fault. Look at the tradition I had to work with!
Just because you don’t know what it is, doesn’t make it unimportant.
Today’s Flash Fiction Friday is brought to you by:
Taking one of the men playing around with the deep fryer (while trying to cook an additional “better” turkey) to the ER for 2nd and 3rd degree burns
The heirloom tatted ornament that has been dunked in sugar water, starched, and modge podged so many times it’s hard to tell what it originally was…(resembles an oblong Easter egg that’s been scrambled) but it’s been out for every Christmas since the oldest family member remembers, it’s tradition
and
Cranberry Jell-O salad
The plastic lining the carpet creaked, and Mia wrinkled her nose.
“Mia?” Grandpa asked.
Her mom had made her promise not to talk about the funny smell, so Mia turned away from her movie and smiled. “Hi, Grandpa.”
He smiled back, all the wrinkles in his face moving at once. It looked weird, but Mia liked it.
“Where is everyone?” The arm that rested on his cane trembled.
“The hospital.” Her mom had told her to tell Grandpa not to worry, but she didn’t want to lie to him. His eyes had been sad since Grandma had gone to heaven, and she didn’t want to make him more sad.
“Everyone?”
Mia nodded.
“They left you here?”
“To look after you,” Mia said with sincerity.
Grandpa chuckled. The air rumbled. Mia’s insides warmed. “Well, I’m glad you’re here to look after me.” He grunted and shuffled over to his walker—the one with the wheels and the seat that she liked to play on—and sat. He looked around, as if trying to gather clues about a mystery. Then he looked at Mia. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Well, I don’t know because I’m not allowed to be outside when the turkey is fraying.”
“Frying?”
“Yes.” Mia crossed her arms. “Mommy said Uncle Jasper burned himself and ruined the turkey and she took him and Aunt Lisa to the hospital.”
“Good thing we have another turkey,” Grandpa said. “Didn’t I tell you that deep frying wouldn’t work?”
Mia nodded. “I tried to tell them too, but no one listened.”
“Hmmm.” Grandpa used his feet to pull his rolling walker toward the back window. The plastic on the floor creaked again. “Looks like they left a mess.”
“That’s because the stuffing pan exploded in the kitchen and everyone else went to the hospital because they got glass in their skin.”
Grandpa turned toward Mia and met her eyes with his misty ones. “Exploded?”
“Yup. They told me not to go in the kitchen.” Mia pointed at the plate of crackers and cheese on the little table in front of her. “They said this food was safe but nothing else was and if I ate it I would get glass in my throat and it would rip through my esophagus and I would die.”
“Sounds like your brother talking.”
It had been her brother.
“What else did I miss?” Grandpa asked.
Mia motioned toward the front of the house. “Someone hit Uncle Jasper’s car with theirs.”
“Hmmm…sounds like we have a problem.”
“What problem?”
Grandpa stroked his chin before propelling himself toward the Christmas tree. Mia watched him go, torn between the show she’d seen a bunch of times and what Grandpa was looking for.
He was more interesting, so she stood and went to join him.
“Yes, I’d say we have a problem,” Grandpa said after a moment of inspection.
“What?” Mia took in the mismatched ornaments that were as old as Grandpa, the sparkling tinsel, the multi-colored lights, and the angel on the top.
“Looks like we’re missing an ornament.” He let out a grunt and headed toward the garage. “Come on, Mia, you’re going to have to get it for me.”
Mia’s stomach fluttered. She liked to help.
Grandpa got to the garage door, and Mia yanked it open for him. A blast of cold air made her shiver.
He pointed with his cane. “You see that red bin on the shelf over there?”
“Yes.”
“There should be some more ornaments in it. The one I want is in a small green box that looks like lace. Do you think you can climb up and get it for me?”
“Yes!” The bin was only on the second shelf. She’d climbed to the top the other day to get something for dad. Mia bounded down the stairs and over to the shelf. It only took her a moment to get to the bin and get it open.
It smelled like Grandpa, but also like Grandma. A lump rose in Mia’s throat as she saw some of the decorations she and Grandma had used last year.
“Do you see it?” Grandpa asked.
Mia gently set the lid aside and scooted the contents around.
“It’s green,” Grandpa said.
Mia hadn’t forgotten. A small corner of green lace peeked out from under a larger box. Mia licked her lips and extended her arm as far as it would go. Her fingers touched the small box, but slipped off.
“Mia?”
“I see it.” She made a face and reached again, imagining she was a super hero and could stretch. This time she got a grip and pulled. The contents of the bin shifted, but she was able to get what Grandpa wanted. “This?” She held it up.
“Good girl.”
Mia put the lid back on the bin and climbed down. Grandpa gave her a big smile. She returned it. He hadn’t smiled like that in a while. He stroked the box in his lap.
“What is it?” Mia asked.
Grandpa opened the lid and Mia moved close. He felt warm compared to the garage. Inside sat a white, oval…something.
“This, Mia, is our family’s good luck ornament.”
“That?” It was ugly. Like a little kid trying to draw with really big crayons.
“Yes. Your Grandma used to tell me that we had to hang it on the tree every year or bad things would happen.”
Mia’s eyes went wide. “Bad things did happen.”
“Exactly.”
Mia followed Grandpa back to the tree where he hung the ornament with his trembling hands. It was still ugly, but it looked like it belonged.
“Is there any food left?” Grandpa asked.
“The only safe things were in the fridge.”
Grandpa shuffled to the kitchen and used a broom to clear a path to the fridge. Mia stayed in the doorway. He looked at her. “How do you feel about cranberry Jell-O?”
She made a face.
“Yeah, me either. Let’s start with the pie, shall we?”
Holiday Flash Fiction Categories!
Tradition:
Decorating cookiesPicking out a Christmas Tree- Driving around looking at lights
- Staying up until midnight to hear the church bells ring
- Going into the woods to cut down your own tree
- Watching favorite holiday films
Taking one of the men playing around with the deep fryer (while trying to cook an additional “better” turkey) to the ER for 2nd and 3rd degree burn- PJ pictures on or near the stairs of all the kids Christmas morning
- The family sleeping around the Christmas tree the Friday before Christmas
Christmas stockings made by grandma
Object:
- A Rabid Snowman
ReindeerAn old nutcracker- Grandma’s crotched snowflakes
- Advent Calendar
Krampus’ switchThe heirloom tatted ornament that has been dunked in sugar water, starched, , and modge podged so many times it’s hard to tell what it originally was…(resembles an oblong Easter egg that’s been scrambled) but it’s been out for every Christmas since the oldest family member remembers, it’s tradition- Wooden Christmas signs bought at Ensign
- Christmas village on the fireplace
- Death Star tree-topper
Food:
- Gluten Free Gingerbread
FruitcakeCranberry Jell-o Salad- Homemade divinity
- Christmas crack chocolate
- Christmas Kibble (a cookie that looks like kibble)
Aspic SaladWild Rice- Raspberry cream cheese desert
- Christmas sugar cookies
