Free Pink Flamingoed by Steve Demaree

daily time
of prayer together. The second week brought a new member to the group. Kathy
happily announced that Jim did not have to work any more until early January.
Jim had learned a long time ago, that unless a businessman had a problem, he
did not want to look at a salesman so close to Christmas. Jim happily obliged.
     
    +++
     
    A week or so before Christmas the Conklin’s phone
rang.
    “I’ll get it,” Harry said. “Hello.”
    “Dad.”
    “Rachel! Hey, Ethel, get on the extension! It’s
Rachel!”
    “Hi, honey,” Ethel said, as she picked up the phone.
    “Hi, Mom. I love you two.”
    “We love you, too,” Harry and Ethel said in unison.
    “I just have a minute, but let me tell you the reason
I called. As you know, I’m sorry that I won’t be able to come home for
Christmas again this year, but I’ll only have a couple of days off from work
and that’s just not enough time to come and see you.”
    “We understand, honey.”
    “I promise you that I’ll get home sometime next
summer, although I imagine it’ll be late summer before I can get there. But
when I do come, I’ll be able to stay a week or two, so it’ll give us a chance
to make up for lost time.”
    “That would be wonderful, dear.”
    “In the meantime, I promise I’ll do a better job of
keeping in touch. To help us stay in touch, there should be three packages
arriving tomorrow. They’re your Christmas presents. I’ll call you back in a day
or two and explain. I need to run now, but I promise I’ll call you back in a
day or two and we’ll talk longer. I love you!”
    “We love you, too.”
    Harry and Ethel hung up the phones and Ethel came into
the den where Harry was sitting. Both were happy to hear from their daughter,
but both were sad that, once again, they would not be able to spend Christmas
with her.
    “What do you suppose she’s sending us?” Harry asked.
    “Oh, I don’t know, Harry, but pretty soon we’ll know,
and we’ll get to talk to Rachel again.”
    “That’s the good part, honey,” Harry said, as he stood
up and hugged his wife.
     
    +++
     
    The next day, the UPS man delivered three boxes to
Harry and Ethel. He sat them just inside the door, right by the living room
window, where Harry would be sure to see them anytime he looked in that
direction. A note taped to the top said, “Please read before opening any box.”
    Eager to find out what the note said, Harry got some
scissors, cut away the tape, opened the envelope, and sighed.
    “What does it say?” Ethel asked.
    “It says, ‘Please do not open any present until I
call,’ and it is signed ‘Love, Rachel.’”
    “Well, I guess we have to wait for Rachel’s phone
call.”
     
    +++
     
    It was late morning when the UPS man delivered the
three boxes. When Rachel had not called by dinnertime, Harry, impatient to know
what their daughter had sent them, said, “What if she doesn’t call tonight?”
    “Then, I guess we have to wait until she does,” Ethel
responded.
    “What if she gets hit by a bus?” Harry asked.
    “Harry! How dare you think like that!”
    “I’m sorry,” Harry said dejectedly. “Wonder which one
of us gets two presents? None of the boxes say whose present it is.”
    Ethel shook her head and said, “We’ll find out soon
enough, Harry. Just be patient.”
    Dinner came and dinner went. Harry even lowered the
sound on the TV when Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy came
on. He did not want to miss Rachel’s phone call. As soon as Jeopardy ended,
Harry turned and studied the boxes, to no avail. Just as Harry was about to
give up hope and go to bed, the phone rang.
    “Maybe it’s Rachel!” Harry said, lunging for the phone
like a teenage girl infatuated with some boy.
    “Hello, Rachel!”
    “How did you know it was me, Dad?”
    “Well, you said you’d call. Ethel, it’s her!”
    Ethel picked up the extension.
    “Hi, dear. How are you doing?”
    “Busy, but pretty good. How are both of you?”
    “Well, your dad is the