My Christmas short story, "Boxing Day"

 A sequel to O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi" originally written way back in 1995ish when I was a member of the GNYAM writer's group. I always wondered why no one suggested this particular resolution to the quandry created by Henry. As I got older, I understood. 

It was selected for publication in the Southwest Writer's newsletter, Sage and can be found at https://www.southwestwriters.com/sage-challenge-results-november-2024/. Just scroll down to the very last item. 😂 Or read it below. 

Boxing Day

The weak, gray light of a winter dawn slid down the narrow passage between the tenement houses as Jim Young opened his eyes. He took a deep breath. Was that bacon? How had Della managed to afford bacon two days in a row? First for Christmas morning and now for the day after? She was a marvel, that young wife of his!

He threw back the covers and, shivering in the cold, washed quickly in the icy water from the pitcher on the washstand. He pulled on his clothes and, bending down to peer in the mirror, slicked his hair back. He smiled wryly at the jeweled combs lying on the top of the dresser next to the brush that Della no longer needed for her once beautiful hair. He shook his head as he tucked the platinum fob chain into the empty watch pocket of his vest and went into the kitchen.

“Oh, Jim, you’re up, my darling,” Della spun around and danced over, throwing her arms around his neck. He returned the hug and added a kiss.

“Something smells good, my sweet,” he smiled down at her, his hands on her waist. “Bacon twice in one week?”

“Oh, I know how you love it, and I still had that eighty-seven cents left from selling my hair,” she paused and brushed a hand sadly across her cropped head, then smiled bravely. “What else could I do but buy my dearest his favorite breakfast! Now, sit down while I serve you.”

Jim sat and Della poured coffee for him, then placed a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast in front of him.

“Eggs, too? And butter on the toast?” Jim exclaimed. “Such riches!”

Della smiled again as she sat across from him, her plate of food before her. What if her pile of eggs was smaller and she had only one slice of bacon and no butter to her bread? Her Jim was happy and that was better than butter.

Jim took a forkful of eggs and bacon, followed by a bite of toast and a swig of coffee.

“The very best eggs and bacon I’ve ever eaten. What’s your secret, my angel?”

“Why, they’re made with love, sweetheart!” Della beamed at him.

Jim finished his food, then sat back, sipping his coffee and watching as Della tidied the kitchen.

“Well,” he said, setting his cup on the table. “I guess I’d better be off to work. This isn’t England where people get Boxing Day as a holiday as well as Christmas.”

Della followed him into the main room and helped him on with his old coat. He held his hat awkwardly in his hands.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you, honey,” he said.

“Yes, my beloved?”

“Well … it’s about those combs I got you for your hair…”

Della’s eyes narrowed and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. “Yes, what about the combs?”

“Well … I wondered if maybe … well, if maybe I could return them to the jeweler and get the money back and get my watch out of hock.” Jim spoke in a rush, as Della’s eyes grew wide with astonishment.

“You want to do WHAT?” she demanded.

“Well, it’s not like you can use them right now, but I could use the watch with the chain that you got me, and isn’t that what you want, my dearest darling?” Jim hurried through his justification, backing slowly toward the door, as Della began breathing harshly through her nose.

“I know your hair grows awfully fast,” he continued, feeling for the doorknob behind his back, “but it will still be months before you can use them and by that time I’ll have saved up the money and I could buy the combs …”

Della cut him off. “You want them back?!” she snarled as she turned to the dresser and snatched up the combs, then advanced toward him, waving her first under his nose. “The only decent things you’ve ever given me and you want them BACK? My mother was right! I should never have married you!”

Jim heard this last as he slipped out the door and closed it behind him. He had only taken a few steps when it flew open and Della appeared in doorway, her arm raised above her head.

“You want them?” she shrieked. “They’re yours!” She flung her arm forward and the combs flew out of her hand and landed on the hallway floor in front of him. She stepped back into the apartment and slammed the door.

Jim stood staring at the door for a moment, then slowly bent down and picked up the combs. He looked at them in his hand and was relieved to see that they were undamaged. He sighed gratefully as he slipped them into his pocket and headed down the hall to the stairwell.

Videos of Fred Harvey History Weekend presentations are now available!

 Videos of all of the presentations can be found at https://fredharvey.info/fredtv/

This includes mine (of course), "El Navajo and Gallup : The Tribal, Railroad, and Harvey Culture Crossroads" by Matt Kluge, "The Appropriate Challenge : From Fred Harvey's Indian Room to the Contemporary Clash" by Lucy Fowler Williams, "The Bully Saga of Teddy and Fred" by Justin Riner, "How the Railroad and the Fred Harvey Company forever Changed Navajo Weaving" by Laura Webster with demonstration of Navajo weaving by Brenda Spencer, and others.

As most of you know, I have spent the past 20 years presenting at conferences several times a year. I can honestly say that this was the most responsive audience I've ever spoken to and that the other presenters among the most engaged and engaging.  The presenters and the members of the audience are there for the love of the topic, not to earn points toward tenure -- which is not to say that academics do not love their topics, but there's always that pressure to meet the critique of peer reviewers and to present yourself as the expert in your niche. I will say that the various Popular/American Culture conferences come close, but even there, the audience feels bound to ask probing questions that are intended as much to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic as to clarify some point or expand on the presentation. FredHeads just want to know more! And if they do have knowledge of the topic, they want to share it with everyone. 

Now -- what has Prudence been up to lately? Well, my writing group has critiqued the entire manuscript of my second novel, French Toast a la Santa Fe. I'm putting it aside while I wait for Fried Chicken Castaneda to hit the shelves sometime in the Spring. The publisher is working on the cover as I type (!). I'm as eager as you are to see what the final design is!

And I've begun the third novel, "Cold Vicyssoise Cream." The spell checker tells me that's misspelled -- but that's how Fred Harvey spelled it! It's set in Albuquerque, while Prudence is hanging out until time to head to Santa Fe for the Couriers training. She literally stumbles across the dead body of a vaudeville acrobat. I am immersed in the world of vaudeville, which was breathing its last gasps in 1929, in creating a whole slew of suspects, and in dragging red herrings through the story. I've written the first 9,000 words, so only 61,000 left to go 😂 And I STILL don't know "who dunnit!" But I have my suspicions. 

As I noted before, the 1929 Albuquerque city directory has provided me with a wealth of information that is adding authenticity -- the names of tourist courts, cafes, theaters, and their owners and managers. The names of the chief of police and the police court judge. The fact that there WAS such a thing as a "police court" and that it had its own judge. The location of the original city hall, which has apparently been torn down. 

Ebay has proved, once again, a source of contemporary post cards of buildings and street scenes in full color, including the original city hall. And the Albuquerque Museum has digitized photographs and menus for some of those cafes. Unfortunately, the Mecca cafe was not among them, so I've moved them to the Liberty Cafe. Yes, the oldest menu I can find is from 1946, but it's close enough. This isn't a documentary! 

https://albuquerque.emuseum.com/objects/121176/liberty-cafe-and-cocktail-lounge-menu 

Obviously, they weren't serving cocktails -- at least, they weren't including them on the menu -- in 1929. 

Did you know that sauerkraut juice was once a popular beverage served at diners and cafes and sold in grocery stores? And look at that caviar and onion sandwich! What really surprises me is all of the seafood on the menu. Was it frozen? Or, worse, canned? I can't imagine that it was fresh -- although, the AT&SF was getting fresh seafood from California through to the Harvey Houses along the line, so ... who knows?  

Unexpectedly, the back page of the menu reveals more exotic options and get a load of that thunderbird emblem!

Anyone have any idea what the difference is between the Mexican "Spaghetti with Chile" and the Italian "Spaghetti, Chile con Carne?"

An afternoon with the microfilm of the Albuquerque Journal for January 1 1929 provided me with the names of movies being shown at the KiMo and the Sunshine and Pastime theaters, as well as the information that the KiMo really wasn't presenting vaudeville shows by 1929, but the Sunshine was. Also the addresses of these establishments as well as their admission fees. And an ad with menu for the Pekin Cafe -- not sure whether I will use that or not, but I have it if I want it. It was what you might call a "fusion" cafe -- American and Americanized Chinese. And an ad for the "just opened Coney Island Sandwich Shop." I wonder when it became the "Coney Island Cafe?" It bills itself as the " most up-to-date cafeteria and sandwich shop in New Mexico." And the proprietors were Greek.  

Back to the city directory for the names of the owners and managers -- and some further information about the theaters and restaurants, which I shall not divulge here. 

A browse through the Internet to learn that "Coney Island Sandwich" was, in fact, a hot dog with various condiments, such as onions and pickle relish. It varied with the location. And they were selling for 5 cents! I wonder what Prudence will have on hers? 

Once I work out what the precise dates of the story are -- or even "close enough" -- I'll be back at the library getting more precise info on films and shows. And looking up the Pekin Cafe in the city directory.