A Gift Forever by Diane Craver

Author:Diane Craver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Diane Craver
Published: 2013-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Grandma Fogle’s Visit

Decorating our Christmas tree had always been one of my favorite traditions, partially because we usually did it on Daddy’s birthday, December fifteenth. We were happy Carl was home again for this family celebration and could stay through Christmas Day.

Tree decorating was planned for later in the day, so after church and dinner we went ice skating on our pond. Gail, Carl, and James wore ice skates, which were higher than mine. My skates stopped at the ankles.

“These look like baby skates,” I complained to Gail.

Gail laughed. “I don’t think babies skate. Just be thankful you have skates. I don’t think I had any at your age.”

As Gail skated quickly toward James, I glanced back at Kathy sitting on a big sled, waiting for Carl to pull her on the ice. I prayed under my breath, “Please heal Kathy’s leg soon so she can skate with us.” Pulling my warm cap over my ears, I added, “If You could, remind Santa to bring me skates that go above my ankles.”

Carl pulled Kathy steadily on the sled, and I turned happily to skate with them. The others went too fast around the pond.

“Hi, peanut,” Carl said. “Your cheeks are really rosy.”

“Carl, do you think Grandma Fogle will bring us presents today?” Grandma Fogle, our only living grandparent was visiting her sister Louise, who lived twenty minutes from us. Both women were coming to our house later in the afternoon.

Although Grandma Fogle was not the warmest grandmother, I loved the story about her feistiness in speaking her mind to my Grandpa. Unfortunately, he didn’t show up at the church to marry her while she waited at the altar, and she was pregnant with my daddy. Days later, Grandpa went to Grandma and said he was now ready to marry her. Good old Grandma told him, “You had your chance.”

Grandma seldom gave us presents, and we heard why several times from her. “Your poor old grandma doesn’t have any money. Robert’s medical bills ate up the little savings we had.”

Robert had been her husband and father of their three children. No one pointed out to her that before he died from cancer, she grudgingly gave us an occasional pair of socks per child and calendars through the years. I remembered one opened box of Fanny Farmer candy with a few pieces of candy missing. We figured Grandma got hungry and ate them before she gave it as a Christmas gift.

We went twice a year to Indiana to see her and Daddy’s three siblings. Even though he never grew up in the same house with them, he maintained a relationship with the two half-brothers and one half-sister.

“I hope not,” Carl answered. “She’ll act like she’s doing us a big favor.”

“Since it’s Dad’s birthday,” Kathy said, “I hope she brings a gift for him.”

Carl shrugged. “She might not remember it’s his birthday. I don’t remember her ever sending a card or anything.”

Kathy said thoughtfully, “Debby, don’t expect anything from Grandma Fogle. I wouldn’t be surprised if Daddy paid her to visit.

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