The Missy Kitty doll and the Norelco Shaver

In the previous installments, I learned of Mom’s plan to play a trick on Dad with his present; I bought last minute presents for Mom  and Dad; and we enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner of lutefisk and lefse.

After dinner, I helped Mom clear the table, and then we joined Dad in the living room. He was already asleep in his rocking chair, with his toothpick sticking out between his lips.  

“Wake up, Bill, time to open the presents!”  

He straightened up in the chair. Mom sat on the hassock, with me in her lap, and we started to sing. “Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright...”  

There was a mist about Daddy’s eyes, but when we finished singing he asked, “Who gets that big box?”  

“That’s for you, Daddy, from Momma.”  

“Must be a case of Great Falls,” he mused. 

Mom picked up the big box and set it in front of Dad. Then it was my job to play Santa’s elf. I went through the presents, one by one, putting them in piles, one for each of us. As always, mine was the biggest.  Although I wanted so much to rip into my pile, I wanted to watch Dad open his big box even more.

Mom handed me one of the boxes in my pile; it wasn’t very big. “Open this one while your father opens his.” 

“I wanna watch Daddy,” I pouted, but I started to open my box slowly. 

Dad opened his box and pulled out some crumpled newspapers, and then a large doll in an old fashioned dress. “What the hell?  he demanded, looking at Mom.  

I looked up from opening my box, and shouted in anger, “A Miss Kitty doll!  Daddy, that’s my present.” Miss Kitty was the beautiful woman on Gunsmoke.

I looked at Mom for support, but she just laughed and pointed at my small box, saying, “No, that’s yours. Open it.”  

I started to cry. I had really wanted a Miss Kitty doll. My neighbor, Linda Sue, was getting one (she peeked in her presents), and I didn’t want to be left out.  “But, Momma!” I protested, while tearing the paper off my present, then lifting the lid off the box inside. A Norelco shaver. 

“Momma, you made a mistake! Daddy, this shaver is for you. That’s my doll.” 

But he was sitting back in his chair with Miss Kitty cradled in his arms like a baby.  “No, Honey, this doll is for me.” He had a silly grin on his face.  

I was so mad, but all I could do was cry.  “My doll!” I stamped my feet.  “Give it me!” 

I had totally forgotten my huge pile of unopened presents. I picked up my present for Dad and threw it into his lap, along with the Norelco shaver. I did the same with Mom’s present, then ran to my room to brood and cry in private. 

After some time, Mom came to my room and sat on my bed. “Come back to the living room, Sugar, and open the rest of your presents. 

I looked up at her, my eyes still wet with tears. She was wearing the agate necklace; it’s golden colors looked so nice with her red-blond hair.  

“I love my necklace, sugar. You know how much I like agates.” 

I nodded, unable to speak. Everything was so confused inside my head.  

“Come on now,” she said, and walked out the door.  

I lay there a little while and then followed. Dad was asleep in his chair, his toothpick laying on the table next to him. Miss Kitty was back in the box. “Can I hold her, Momma?”  

“Open your other presents first.”

I got some socks, a pair of mittens, a sweater from Aunt Ida that she had knit herself, and some clothes for a tall doll. I looked up at Mom with hope in my heart.  

“Yes, I made them for Miss Kitty.”  

I ran to her and gave her a big hug. “Thank you, Momma.”  

Just then, Dad woke up and reached into the big box. “Here, you better keep her, and I’ll keep the shaver,” he said, handing Miss Kitty to me. 

As I grabbed my doll, I noticed an unopened present in his lap.  “Daddy, you didn’t open your present from me!”  

“That’s because I was waiting for you.”  He tore off the paper and pulled out the keychain from its box.  “What’s this?” he asked, grinning.

It’s a keychain, Daddy.  Let me show you how it works.”