Jingle All the Way by David Cody Weiss & Bobbi J. G. Weiss

Author:David Cody Weiss & Bobbi J. G. Weiss [Weiss, David Cody & Weiss, Bobbi J. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Juvenile Fiction, Christmas, Movie Novelization, Comedy
ISBN: 9780671004262
Google: HLZF-q2fxrUC
Amazon: 0671004263
Publisher: Minstrel Books
Published: 1996-12-15T06:00:00+00:00

The sight of the run-down diner at the foot of the bridge ended Howard's worrying about how bad his morning had been. Instead, he started worrying about how he was going to explain all of this — or any of it — to his family.

Howard pushed the Suburban clumsily into a parking slot and stepped into the vestibule of the diner where the pay phone was. He dropped a coin in the slot and waited for the phone to ring. To his surprise, it was answered almost immediately.

“Hello?”

Howard's face automatically broke into a cheery smile. “Jamie! How are you doing, buddy?”

“Dad!” answered Jamie in an excited voice. “Hi! I knew you'd call!”

“Listen, let me talk to Mom.”

“You can't.”

“Why not?”

“She's next door with Ted.”

“She's what?”

“Listen, Dad. Are you on your way? 'Cause the parade's gonna start soon.”

“Jamie. Go get your mother, please.”

“Well, are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Coming home soon.”

“Yes. Immediately. Now, please get your mother.”

“ 'Cause, Dad, before you left you promised you were gonna be at the parade. And you haven't been here all day, so you can't miss it!”

“Jamie, please —”

“ 'Cause when someone makes a promise, they definitely should keep it. You know, it's like Turbo Man says, ‘Always keep your promises if you wanna keep your friends —’ ”

“Enough!” shouted Howard, losing patience. “Enough with the Turbo Man, okay! I've had it up to here with Turbo Man! If there's anyone I don't want advice from right now, it's Turbo Man! Now get your mother!”

Silence filled the phone line. Howard exhaled deeply and slowly and tried again. “Aww, Jamie,” he said contritely. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to —”

Jamie's voice sobbed as he answered. “Wh-what would you know about keeping a promise, anyway? You never keep your promises. You never do anything you say you're gonna do! Ever!”

Click.

That did it. Exhausted, Howard leaned his head against the phone as he hung up the receiver. After a moment, he shuffled over to the counter of the diner and slumped down on a chrome-and-cracked-plastic stool. The waitress took one look and slid a cup of coffee in front of him. “There you go, hon,” she said. “Warm you up.”

Howard looked at her numbly. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He raised the cup up, not drinking yet.

“Cheers,” said someone next to Howard, holding out a coffee cup. Howard automatically clinked cups before turning to see who he was toasting with. His eyes widened in shock. “You…”

Myron the mailman smiled and sipped his coffee. “Any luck with the doll?”

A dozen answers flashed through Howard's mind, but he rejected them all and settled for a simple "Nan.”

“Me, neither,” said Myron with a sigh.

Howard sighed as well. As odd as he was, Myron was probably the only person Howard knew who could understand his frustration over the stupid Turbo Man affair. He found himself unburdening his woes. “So I couldn't find the kid a doll. Does that make me a bad father?” He thought for a moment. “No — yelling at him for no good reason. That makes me a bad father ”

Myron downed the rest of his cup and motioned for a refill.

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