Chapter 2
1009 Words
Wanda brightened at the word snack.
Myrtle said, “Come on, Miles. You probably need a snack, too, after putting that tree together.”
Miles looked a bit wary as he followed them into the kitchen. “Have you been baking?”
“Hmm?” asked Myrtle. “Oh, you mean the snacks? No, I’ve just been the lucky recipient of other people’s efforts. Apparently, the town of Bradley is trying to cut back on sweets. Red has had folks bringing by cookies, brownies, and whatnot by the station. He appreciates the gesture, but is worried about his own waistline. He’s brought most of them to me. It’s the only redeeming thing he’s done lately.”
Miles, looking more cheerful, sat with Wanda at the kitchen table. Myrtle had pulled out what looked like a vintage crocheted tablecloth in red, green, and white and placed it over the round table. She handed them Christmas plates and then loaded containers of goodies in front of them.
“The fudge is especially good,” said Myrtle. “I’d probably stay away from the fruitcake. The cake is far too thick and the nuts are rather odd.”
Wanda and Miles exchanged looks at the thought of Myrtle as a food critic. However, they obediently avoided the problematic fruitcake.
“Now Wanda, please tell us—are you here for a visit? To warn us about something the Sight has indicated? Or maybe you need some sort of help?”
Wanda swallowed down the entire Christmas cookie she’d put in her mouth. As she did, she seemed to be considering how to answer. “I sorta do need help. But it’s not a real big deal.”
“Of course it is! If you need help, we’re here for you,” said Myrtle stoutly.
Miles unconsciously put a hand to his wallet, as if he could feel it getting lighter.
Wanda took a deep breath. “It’s jest that Dan is gonna spend Christmas with our cousin, Rumsey. ‘Course, he’s my cousin, too, but I jest don’t like him.”
“Then we don’t like Rumsey either,” said Myrtle immediately.
Wanda warmed to her subject. “Rumsey and Dan will drink too much, start singin’, and will be obnoxious.”
“That doesn’t sound like Christmas to me,” said Miles. “That sounds rather like a mead hall bash.”
Wanda looked as if she wasn’t entirely sure what Miles was talking about. But she gave a nod of her head, just the same.
Myrtle frowned. “Well, you simply can’t be at home by yourself for Christmas. How awful that would be. You know you’re welcome to stay here in that tiny little guest room of mine. I just need to clear it out. It’s been something of a staging area for me for that wedding we’re going to tonight. I have clothes all over the place.”
“I can clean it up,” said Wanda quickly, wanting to make herself as useful as possible.
“Of course you won’t! You’re my guest. Cleaning up is outside of a guest’s purview. Now, the only trouble is that Miles and I can’t bring you along to that wedding tonight. Neither of us got a ‘plus one’ on our invitation.”
Miles said rather regretfully, “People seem to think that we’re beyond dating age.”
Myrtle said, “In my case, they’d be correct. I’m still not entirely sure how you wangled an invitation to this wedding to begin with. The bride is my hairdresser and we’ve been friendly, so that’s how I’m on the list. But how are you on there?”
Miles said glumly, “The groom is part of my chess club. He asked me in person if I could come and I wasn’t mentally agile enough to come up with an excuse not to.”
“Don’t wanna go to no wedding, anyway,” said Wanda quickly. “Ain’t brought nuthin’ to wear.” She paused for a minute, looking concerned. “Maybe you shouldn’t go, neither.”
Myrtle peered at her. “Is there a reason we shouldn’t go?”
“Might be.” Wanda looked uncomfortable.
Miles said, “The problem is that we’ve already RSVPed to the event, and it’s mere hours away. They have a place for us at the table and have figured out how much food and beverage we might consume.”
“Miles is right,” said Myrtle with a sigh. “We should go to the wedding. It’s a pity, because now I’m in the mood to play cards with Wanda. Playing cards would be far superior to eating wedding cake, which is so often either too sweet or too bland. But since going is now a foregone conclusion, I suppose we should focus on more important things. Such as: do you have an overnight bag, Wanda? I can’t help but notice that you don’t seem to have anything with you.”
Wanda looked down at her plate. “Didn’t want to make you feel you had to take me in.”
“Then we’ll need to swing by your house and pick up some things for you,” said Myrtle.
Miles grimaced a bit. There was no “swinging by” Wanda’s house. Instead, it was quite a voyage into the country on an old, unmaintained highway with treacherous potholes yawning from the road at every turn.
Wanda demurred, perhaps having seen Miles wince. “I could jest wash this every day.” She pointed down to a well-worn sweater and some rather disreputable-looking jeans.
Now it was time for Myrtle to wince. “If you don’t want to go back home, let’s go shopping. It can be my Christmas present to you.”
Wanda seemed a bit alarmed at this proclamation by Myrtle. “Don’t want you to spend money.”
“It’s Christmas! But I’m on a strict budget, so don’t worry. It’ll be the consignment shop and the dollar store.”
- Writer
