Free Forever Country by Brenda Kennedy Page A

tries to show me with his hands how tall and
wide the tree is. He is wearing a red Santa’s hat, his cheeks are
rosy, and his smile lights up his green eyes.
    “ You’re welcome, Buddy. Did
you get it decorated?” I follow behind him into the
building.  
    “ Sure did with the
different color lights. It looks berry good.”  
    “ Good, I’m glad.” Savannah
Mae is standing at the doorway with her arms folded across her
chest. Our eyes meet and I can’t look away. Her long blond hair is
in a high ponytail. She is wearing jeans, a red and white flannel
shirt, and a pair of rubber duck boots graces her body. Nothing
fancy, but she sure does look good in it. As we approach the door,
she takes a step back.
    “ He’s a little excited
about the tree, I see.”  
    “ A little? He’s berry excited about the
tree,” she teases, using his own words.
    We quickly set the food out, and Pops and I
put the tree in the corner of the room. Sawyer Jackson helps and
scoots the boxes of decorations nearest the tree. I watch everyone
as they line up for their hot meal. It smells delicious. Savannah
Mae brought a large pot of white rice to go with the beef stew, and
some assorted cookies for dessert. As soon as the last person gets
their plate, we all fill our plates and sit down to eat. Just like
last week, there is plenty of food for everyone.
    I take the last seat; it’s beside Larry and
an older woman named Pearl. Pops and Momma are sitting across from
us. Everyone raves about the food and is very appreciative.
    “ I found some things lyin’
around the house I thought you might be able to use,” Momma says,
taking a bite of her rice and stew.  
    Pearl sits up a little
straighter. “Miss Nelly, you do so much for us already.” Her skin
is discolored and it almost looks transparent in some
places.  
    “ Oh, fiddlesticks. It’s not
much and there’s no sense in havin’ things just layin’ around the
house, when someone could be gettin’ some good use out of them.”
Even Momma tells a fib every now and then. She bought those items;
they weren’t just sitting around the house. Well, maybe she didn’t
tell a fib — after she bought them, they were sitting around the
house.
    “ Miss Nelly, we sure do
appreciate your kindness. You and Mr. Bud, you both are such good
people.”  
    Pops says, “God is very
good to us and in return, it’s only fair that we help others. We
can only do what He allows us to do.”  
    And just like that, it hits me. I know what I
need to do. We finish eating, clean up, and decorate the tree with
lights and ornaments. Savannah Mae and everyone sings Christmas
carols. It brings a smile to everyone’s face. A smile is still a
smile, no matter how temporary it is.
    “ Would you mind if I come
over tonight? I have an idea about the people who attend the
community supper, and I wanted to see what you thought,” I whisper
to Savannah Mae.
    She looks at me with
concern. “Is everything all right?”  
    “ It’s fine.” I scan the
room and watch Sawyer Jackson as Larry makes him a snowman from
balloons. “I just want to get your input on something, and see what
you thought.”  
    “ Sure, Sawyer Jackson goes
to bed at 8:00. You can come over whenever you want. You sure
you’re all right?”  
    “ I’m fine, I’ll see you
around 9:00.”  
    “ I’ll make some
coffee.”  
    I arrive at Savannah’s just
before 9:00. When I enter her house, I smell the coffee she
promised. The lights are dim, the fireplace has fresh logs burning,
and the tree is lit with all sorts of colorful
lights . A few
candles are lit on the stone mantel.
    I sit down and excitedly share my ideas with
Savannah Mae.
    “ Abel Lee, I mean no
disrespect, but where is this money comin’ from? You ain’t dealin’
no drugs, are ya?”  
    I hide the laugh that
threatens to come from deep down. “No, I don’t sell drugs and I’ve
never done drugs. I’m a retired boxer. I invested my money over