Thanksgiving

She sort of shuffled in unannounced with her hair tucked under a beanie. The family was gathered in the kitchen either helping or watching all of the cooking happen.

"There are too many people in this kitchen," said Grandma with disgust. "I can't focus on my gravy!" The room quietly filtered a bit as people moved slowly into the small dining area adjacent to the kitchen. She entered the kitchen removing her beanie but after the bellowing cry of Grandma, inched away. Her blond, almost white hair fell on to her shoulders as her innocent childish eyes focused toward the food. She was holding something in her palm gently. Mom had given her a savvy death glare that spoke loud and clear telling the little girl to back up. Aunt Lily was working her spells on the mashed potatoes as Uncle Larry carved the turkey with ultimate care. From across the room Grandpa looked on in disgust.

"Oh now how do you expect us to even eat that, you've cut it in to shreds."

Uncle Larry held in his ultimate anger for Grandpa, but thought the most ugly thoughts in his mind. How 'bout your brains in shreds Gramps? He knew he was an awful person, but no one else really did. Uncle Larry continued on the turkey taking his sinful thoughts out on the bird. He wasn't really angry, he just was tired, and badly wanted to eat. Yeah, he was starving, that's all. But Uncle Larry knew deep down in his heart that the reason he held so much angst against poor Grandpa was because Grandpa had beaten him in an arm wrestling match four Thanksgiving's ago. Uncle Larry took the challenge as a way to have fun with his Father-in-law, until mid way through the match when the competitive spirits of both of the men got the best of them. Grandpa won the match in the end and hardly ever mentions it because he knows Larry is very aware he lost to an eighty two year old man.

Whatever, he thought. Doesn't matter, it was a long time ago and I would take him now since I started playing handball at Bally's. Yea, handball is demanding. C'mon Gramps. He caught himself staring at Grandpa for an irregular amount of time and went back to the turkey. His concentration was broken when the little girl in the beanie, his daughter May, made this announcement:

"I want to give a gift to everyone because I am so thankful." Her child-like words filled the family with pleasure. This is something you want to happen on Thanksgiving. The children always tell the truth, they are so honest and loving. Yes, this is beautiful, we should capture this moment. Dad reached for his camera in a very sly, but quick fashion.

"Everyone in this family have been so sweet to me, and I want to give everyone this gift before we eat." She was such a sweetie. Mom whispered something like, "how precious," to Grandma as Grandma stirred the gravy. Before anyone could say anything to her, the child's hands opened and an enormous frog leapt from her palm and on to the counter. Aunt Lily let out a shriek as the young boys laughed and little May ran for the living room. The adventurous reptile took bounds from the turkey to the cranberries and over to the salad making his final leap into the gravy Grandma had been stirring so tenderly.

"Kill it!" screamed Grandma, and Uncle Larry ran over with the electronic knife. He stuck the knife in the gravy which sent an electrical shock through his body causing the frog to make a sort of supernatural jump into Grandma's cleavage. Uncle Larry hit the floor with such immense power that little cousin Alexia levitated just for a moment. Grandma threw her shirt off screaming for help and ordering Mom to call 911. The entire room flew in to a panic except for Grandpa who was laughing hysterically. He was the only one who found humor in the situation and couldn't do anything because of his surrender to his laughter.

The frog was now on the ground and it was May who came back in to the room after hearing the thud of Uncle Larry. She scooped up the frog and began to head for the door. But on her way out she slipped, there was a small leaf that made its way in the house and her feet flew out from under her. The surprise of the fall loosened her grip and the frog was once again loose. It was Dad who decided to take charge of this situation. He had never been one for heroic acts, but seemed to be the only man left for the job of killing this beast. He ran for the frog and chased it toward the door. It was beginning to escape but thought, he must kill it, and took off his slipper. It all happened in slow motion in his memory: taking off the slipper, throwing it over-hand like a baseball or a hatchet straight for the reptile which was hopping away. It was a perfect shot. except for the fact that little May was just getting up at the time of his release. The slipper pummeled her in the back of the head causing her to fall once again to the floor as the frog leapt out the front door and down the steps.

They wouldn't let the frog ruin their Thanksgiving. It couldn't happen. And once the family literally came to, it was Dad who said grace. His first Thanksgiving grace, awarded to him for his valiant efforts of saving the meal. They threw out the gravy and the potatoes, but decided to keep the turkey and the cranberries because it was all they had of it. As Dad prayed Grandpa caught the eye of little May who was smiling from ear to ear. He winked at her and then shut his eyes slowly. She knew she had done something special, and even after the spankings she was about to get, she decided that it was worth it. Her childish mind told her so, and came to the conclusion that Thanksgiving maybe wasn't so bad after all.