“Take my hand anyway,” Margaret told him.
He watched her for a second, then slid his hand over hers. She uncurled her hand and let the rose pearl roll into his.
He looked at it, then at her.
She smiled. “Merry Christmas.”
He grinned, tossed it in the air, and caught it. With a wink, he took her arm. Together, they joined the children at the tree.
Margaret glanced up. Muddy sat in a dark corner as if he wasn’t certain he was wanted.
She whispered in Theodore’s ear, and the boy went over and took Muddy’s hand. “Happy Christmas, Muddy.”
“Happy Christmas to you, master.”
Theodore pulled the genie over to the tree.
Gifts were plenty and as whimsical as Christmas itself. Hank took a long string and wound up the toy he’d made for Annabelle. It spun and whirred and popped, and she giggled and laughed and chased it wherever it chugged.
Theodore was Big Chief Catchum Grouper, a fishing Indian and Lydia, half young girl and half child, wore all her shell necklaces, hair ribbons, and combs and strutted like a grande dame as she carried her coconut doll in one hand and pulled Rebuttal along in the other.
Muddy had disappeared inside the bottle and after a few minutes came blasting out in a puff of red and green smoke.
“Look! Everyone! Muddy’s smoke changed colors,” Theodore said, pointing.
The smoke dissipated, and Muddy stood there, his arms filled with gifts.
And they had Christmas all over again.
A badminton set for Theodore, a hand organ for Lydia, a golden cup for Annabelle, and a lovely silver frame for Margaret along with the promise of a photograph with Muddy’s photographic equipment.
Then Muddy reached behind him, picked up something, and walked over to where Hank sat. The closer Muddy got, the more narrowed Hank’s gaze grew.
Margaret wondered what would happen between those two.
Muddy handed Hank a long package wrapped with old yellowed newspapers.
Hank grumbled something, then walked over to the tree. He picked up the only bundle still wrapped in banana leaves and walked back over. He shoved it in Muddy’s hands and said, “Here.”
And everyone stood around waiting for them to open the gifts.
They both sat staring at the gifts as if they were snakes.
Margaret looked from one to the other. “Merry Christmas to both of you.”
They looked at her, then back at the packages. “You go first,” Hank said.
“No. You first.” Muddy crossed his arms as stubbornly as Hank’s were crossed. They both looked at each other.
Margaret watched them. “I’ll count to three and you both can open them.”
They eyed each other, then nodded.
“One... two... three!”
Both sat there. A second later they muttered, “Chump.”
“If you two don’t open those gifts right now,” Margaret said, “I’m going to ask Theodore to play a two-hour concerto on the harmonica.”
