A Few More Reindeer

by Beth Alexander Walsh

Bea sat at her small kitchen table while her daughter, June, put her groceries away. It was a far cry from the large farmhouse table that commanded her old kitchen. Her life had become an endless stream of downsizing since her husband had died three years ago. A four- bedroom house full of furniture pared down to a lonely single bed in her bedroom and whatever else would fit into her senior living apartment with the remaining split up between June, her grandchildren and the Salvation Army. The only new item in the apartment was the large TV that her son-in-law attached to the wall to compliment her new life in her new home. Bea, however, saw her new home as the last stepping stone between her old home and a nursing facility or death. She hoped it would be the latter. The new TV, however, turned out to be a great idea. It was how she kept track of time. Good Morning America with breakfast, Kelly and Ryan while she did her dishes, and those God-awful women on The View after she washed up, dressed and made her bed. She dozed during soap operas awakening in time for Judge Judy until dinner, which consisted of whatever June had purchased and stocked in her fridge on Saturdays.

     “Do you want me to put your laundry away? Mom?”

Bea looked up at her daughter trying to decide about laundry. She used to do all this stuff…laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning.  June had offered to help until she got settled, which was eight months ago.

     “No, just leave it on the couch. I’ll take care of it. “Bea replied, knowing she had until the following Saturday to complete the job.

     “I saw a Girl Scout troop in the activity room downstairs setting up to make Christmas ornaments with the residents on my way up here. Do you want to go down and check it out?”

 Bea frowned.

     “Why would I want to make ornaments when I don’t even have a Christmas tree!”

      “You have some decorations in your storage locker downstairs along with a table top tree. I could help you bring everything up today,” June urged.

       “The decorations are a waste of time and effort. No one is going to see them.”

June studied her mother and knew it was futile to argue. She collected the dirty laundry from the hamper along with the reusable grocery bags.

     “At least walk me downstairs to my car to get some fresh air. You can get your mail on the way back.”

Bea grunted and pulled herself up from the table, while her daughter grabbed both their coats from the front closet. She then stood silent in the elevator as her daughter talked about Christmas shopping and new recipes and work parties. She buttoned her coat against the wind in the parking lot as she followed her daughter to the car. June kissed her mother goodbye and promised to call the next day. Bea went back inside to the row of mailboxes outside of the activity room. She shuffled through several days of mail, dropping the unwanted into the recycling bin nearby. A small girl in a white shirt, jeans and a Brownie vest came bustling her way.

     “Hi. I’m Zoey Jordan with Brownie Troop 14. Would you like to do some crafts with us?”

     Bea looked down at the girl’s vest ambitiously covered in badges.

     “No thank you. I need to get back up to my apartment.”

 Zoey held up a candy cane dressed as a reindeer with pipe cleaner antlers, googly eyes and a pompom red nose.

    “Well, you can take this to put on your tree.”

     “No, thank you,” Bea replied, “I don’t have a tree.”

     “Oh! Do you have a menorah?” Zoey asked eagerly.

     “No. I’m not Jewish. I just don’t have a Christmas tree.”

      “What’s your name?” Zoey asked and Bea pondered where this conversation was going.

      “My name is Bea.”  Zoey’s eyes widened.

      “Like a bumble bee?”

       “Bea is short for Beatrice.”  Zoey seemed satisfied with that answer.

       “Okay Bea. I’m going to get my mom to see if we can get you a Christmas tree.”

Zoey ran into the activity room before she could answer, so Bea bolted for the elevator hoping to escape the little Brownie.

She probably needs to earn a ‘Helping Old People” badge, Bea thought as she kept pushing the elevator button willing the doors to open.

    “Bea?”

Bea turned to see a tall woman with curly brown hair and eyes to match. She was the adult version of the Brownie standing next to her.

     “Zoey tells me you’re in need of a Christmas tree. We have an extra table top tree that we could give you. I’m Marilyn Jordan by the way.”

Bea reluctantly shook her hand.

     “I really don’t need a tree. In fact, I already have one in my locker in the basement. It’s such a bother to put up and no one is really going to see it anyway.”

     “We’ll help you put it up!!” Zoey announced eagerly.

The elevator doors opened and Marilyn guided Bea in as Zoey pressed the button to the basement.

     “I really don’t want to bother you both. Don’t you have to get back to the activity room?”

     “We were almost done.” Marilyn replied, “It’s no bother at all, besides, what is Christmas without a Christmas tree?”

Bea sighed as they all exited the elevator and made their way to her locker. She now knew that Zoey’s impudence was genetic. She fit the key into the lock and opened the door. In front were an aluminum folding chair for the summer and a foldable cart for carrying groceries and laundry, both of which had yet to be used. She pulled them out and Marilyn and Zoey busied themselves retrieving every box marked Xmas. Zoey then pulled out a candy cane shaped object encased in bubble wrap.

     “What’s this?” she asked.

Bea took the object and carefully pulled the bubble wrap away unveiling an elaborate pinecone wall decoration in the shape of a candy cane with a red and gold bow attached to the neck of the cane.

     “That’s lovely!” Marilyn exclaimed. “Did you make that?”

      “Yes, about 40 years ago. My daughter helped me find the pinecones.” Bea smiled at the memory.

They loaded up the cart and headed to the second floor where Bea’s apartment was located. The elevator doors opened to find Bea’s neighbor Alice in the hallway. Alice looked down at the pine cone candy cane resting in Zoey’s arms.

     “That’s beautiful!” Alice gushed as she entered the elevator. “You’re sure to win the decorated door contest with that.”

     “Oh, I’m not entering any contest.” Bea replied

     “You’re automatically entered if you have something on your door.” Alice waved as the doors closed.

Marilyn and Zoey followed Bea into the apartment and set to work. The Christmas tree was up in minutes, plugged in and ready to decorate. Bea wrapped the tree stand with a multicolored quilted skirt. She then opened a box and pulled out a ceramic lighted tree she had made as a teenager in ceramics class and placed it on her kitchen counter. Next came out two holiday throw pillows which she arranged on the couch. Zoey placed a square box on the kitchen table and looked at Bea for permission to open. Bea smiled and nodded, and Zoey pulled the lid off the box.

   “WOW!” she cried.

Inside the box were a dozen delicate antique glass ornaments. There were bells, and spheres of all sizes and color as well as a long vintage tree topper. Zoey was particularly enamored of an ornament that was in the shape of a child’s face wearing a red hood.

   “That’s my favorite too.” Bea said,” Would you like to find a spot for it?”

Zoey carefully took the ornament and placed it front and center. They quickly placed the rest of the ornaments on the tree and Zoey added her candy cane reindeer last.

    “You need a few more reindeer. I have some downstairs.” Zoey said.

They attached the pine cone decoration to Bea’s door and headed down to the activity room where the troop had finished and were cleaning up. Zoey handed her 3 more candy canes.

   “Merry Christmas Bea!”

   “Thank you, Zoey. Merry Christmas to you too.”

Bea gave them both a hug and watched them walk away. As Bea left the activity center a woman with a clipboard stopped her at the door.

    “You’re Bea Sanders in 207, right?”

    “Yes.”

    “I’m Janet the activities coordinator. I hear you’re a contender for the door decorating contest.”

Bea was nonplussed over the rate at which news traveled in the building. The beehive of busybodies had spread the word in less than an hour.

    “Oh, I’m sure there are better decorations than mine.”

    “I’m so glad I caught up to you. I would love to sign you up for our cookie swap this Thursday at 2.”

     “Oh, I don’t think that would…

    “It is such fun and I bet you have a great family recipe to share.” Janet interrupted.

     “Well I don’t have any ingredients in my kitchen to make something and my daughter…”

     “That’s no problem, you can just sign up to take the bus on Monday at 10 a.m. to the grocery store. I’ll sign you up for now, and if you change your mind you can let me know.” Janet smiled as she turned to her next cookie swap victim.

Bea went to the elevator before anyone else could stop her. She had enough of pushy people for one day. She stopped at her apartment door and admired the decoration that she had not seen in three years. She smiled with pride at the thought of being a contest contender. Once in the apartment, she made herself a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table gazing at her small tree. The lights became brighter as the afternoon sunlight waned, casting a glow on the hanging glass orbs, while the heads of the candy cane reindeers peeked out of the branches. She reached for the calendar on the table along with a pen and scribbled in the Monday square.

Grocery Bus 10 a.m.