I picked the Daughter bird up from her trip to Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL
and she was all excited about getting her first tree for her new apartment.
She very much wanted to get an artificial tree from the locally owned Ace hardware
store that is within walking distance from her nest.
We had made several trips there for the Thanksgiving essentials
and they were SO nice to her.
She jumped out of my truck, talking about how it would be SO GREAT
not to have to clean up needles or remember to water
or haul it out to the trash after Christmas
and I marvelled at how much she has learned about holiday stress from watching ME
deal with trees over the years (ahem).
By the time I caught up to her, she was in the store,
announcing to EVERYBODY that she was here for her TREE
for her first apartment!
Amazingly, none of the frazzled people in line
were put off by her enthusiasm and the employees
all started asking her about her trip and how she liked her new place.
"Oh, I LOVE it", she exclaimed
"now about that TREE!"
They all kind of looked at the floor and started helping the other customers.
Somebody must have rung the magic Ace hardware
Helpful manager button, because she appeared Just Then
and asked Daughter bird if she could HELP her.
"Oh, YES! I'm here for my tree ma'am...remember we talked about it
before I left for my trip?"
The other customers had all been helped and had left the store.
Everybody gathered around to hear the manager say that it was too LATE,
they'd sold out of trees the week before.
"WHAT?" I could hear the panic rising in the Daughter bird's voice...
"but I want to buy it HERE at my helpful Hardware Store!"
Nobody laughed....they all looked as stricken as she did.
"welllll..." said the manager slowly, looking around
"can you afford twenty dollars for your tree?"
My Daughter looked to me
"can I Mom? Twenty dollars?
I nodded, trying not to get all teary and anxious myself.
"Well then, I think we can sell you that tree right THERE for twenty dollars,
how would that be?"
I'm sure the noise of my jaw dropping was audible,
but I don't remember it....
the fully assembled, pre-lit DISPLAY tree in the lovely urn?
The one that was well over eighty dollars when we last looked?
"Oh! That will be PERFECT ma'am. I have twenty dollars from my paycheck right here!"
The Daughter SKIPPED to the cash register.
The Manager's son carried the tree
(did I mention it was FULLY ASSEMBLED and PRE-LIT?)
out to my truck and then came back to load the box and the directions.
"Merry Christmas!" they all exclaimed as we drove out of sight....
I carried the tree into her mostly bare apartment and put it in the corner and plugged it in.
"isn't it the Most Beautiful TREE, ever?" she sighed happily....
"Now it really can be Christmas!"
yes, dear daughter.
the MOST beautiful.
ever.
Merry Christmas to all
and to ALL a
good night.
