The Christmas Stocking

"Are you excited?" Jane asked her friend Renée during recess.

"About what?" Renée asked her, pushing the merry-go-round and jumping on beside Jane.

"Didn't you sign up for the Christmas drawing?"

"That big stocking full of toys? No. It's just a bunch of junk the merchants couldn't sell so they donated it to the town for the Christmas party."

"It is not! They get it all ready before shopping even starts. I saw it. There are a lot of neat toys in there. The sign up boxes are in all the stores. I've hit about five of them."

"Oh, what would you do with all those toys anyway?" Renée asked her.

"I don't know. I only really want the Dress Up Doll. It has all the accessories."

"They have a Dress Up Doll? Okay, that would be nice." She suddenly looked sad. "I think it's almost time to go inside. Besides, I'm getting cold." Renée climbed off the merry-go-round.

Jane looked at her friend. Her coat was missing a few buttons and was very thin and too tight. Her blue jeans were short and well worn. Jane cocked her head to one side, but said nothing. She removed her own gloves and then took her friend's cold hand in her warm one and walked back to the building.

At lunch Renée opened her bag and looked inside. She pulled out the half-sandwich of peanut butter and jelly and opened her carton of milk. She ate the sandwich slowly and sipped her milk.

Jane checked her own lunch and found her favorite sandwich, carrot sticks, an apple, and a couple cookies. Embarrassed, she pulled her lunch out of the bag and opened her own milk. "I don't know what my mom was thinking," she said suddenly. "I can't eat all of this, especially since we only have a half-hour." She handed the apple and a cookie to Renée. "Help me eat it, will you?"

Renée smiled and gratefully accepted the offering. "Thanks," she said biting the apple.

After school Jane waved to her friend as Renée got onto the bus. "Mom," she asked from the back seat of her mother's car. "Why did Renée start riding the bus?"

"I don't know honey. Did you ask her?"

"No. She hasn't been over to play in a long time either. Can we go by and ask her mother if it's okay for her to come over after school tomorrow?"

"Oh, I can call her and ask that." Her mother dialed the house number while she waited her turn to pull out of the school driveway. "Well, it says the phone is no longer in service. Maybe they decided to use just their cell phones. A lot of people do that these days." She tried the cell number but got the same message. "Maybe they changed it," she said. "We'll drop by."

As they neared Renée's house they noticed a sign in the yard. 'Foreclosed'.

"Mom, what does that sign mean?" Jane asked.

"It means the house is for sale," her mother said. "I'll try again later. I don't see their car."

A few days later at the town Christmas celebration Jane and Renée sat on their fathers' shoulders waiting for the big announcement as to who had won the Christmas stocking. Their mothers stood back chatting quietly. When Jane's name was called she jumped so hard she nearly knocked her father over. She jumped up and down clapping her hands. Renée smiled and ran up to the podium with her to help her drag it back to her father.

Jane fell asleep in the car but woke up when she heard her parents talking in low voices.

"I spoke with Renée's mother," her mother said. "It's so sad. Her husband lost his job and could only find work at one those fast-food restaurants. She looked but didn't find any better and they have to work opposite shifts so someone is there when Renée gets home. They couldn't make the mortgage and lost the house and had to move into an apartment they can barely afford. They had to sell the second car because they couldn't make the payments anymore."

Jane cried quietly in the back seat as her father agreed.

Jane pulled the prized items from the giant stocking she had won. She sat with the doll and the accessories in her lap and stared at it. She sighed and got up and found a box they would all fit into and then wrapped it with Santa Claus wrapping paper.

Jane's mother sat on the sofa in front of the Christmas tree reading as Jane placed the large box on the coffee table. Her mother looked at her curiously when Jane slid the box across the table toward her.

"Mom, can we sneak this over to Renée's house? I don't think she'll get anything else this year."

Her mother wiped away a tear. "Is that the new Dress Up Doll?" She continued when Jane only nodded. "Now, why would you want to sneak that over? I'm sure she'd like knowing it was from you."

Jane shook her head. "I don't think she wants me to know she isn't at her house anymore."

"Oh, you heard Daddy and me talking last night, didn't you?"

Jane nodded. "And Mom? You know that new coat you and Daddy bought for me, the one that's still too big?"

"Yes," her mother replied.

"Well, my old one still fits me really well, and Renée's doesn't fit and it's worn out and she's cold all the time. May I give her my new one and my spare gloves? I know it would fit her. She's bigger than I am a little bit."

Her mother hugged her daughter. "Sure. Why don't we go wrap it? We can take it over there tonight. What are you going to do with the rest of the toys? I noticed you already have most of the games and some of the toys are for little boys."

"I've been thinking about that too," Jane said. "I heard there is a homeless shelter in town now. Is it all right if we take them over there? They'll know who to give them to."

"You are so smart for a seven-year-old. Of course we can do that. We'll drop them off when we go to Renée's. I have a surprise for you," her mother said.

"What is it!" Jane asked excited again.

"I asked Jane's mom if they would come over for Christmas dinner day after tomorrow. They don't have any family in the area and they can't go to them. She said yes."

"Yeah!" Jane shouted. "But act surprised when Renée tells about the doll and the coat," she said seriously.

"Oh, of course I will. Go find a box for that coat now will you? I'm just going to call Daddy and tell him what we're up to. I think he's going to be a little late tonight. Maybe we can stop and get chicken on the way home."

Jane ran to her room to get her new coat and gloves and a big box.

Christmas morning Jane ran to see if Santa had eaten all his cookies and drank his milk. She smiled at the empty dishes and then ran to the tree. A large box wrapped in shiny silver paper with a big red ribbon caught her eye. There was a card taped to the box with her name on it.

Smiling she read the card. "To the sweetest little girl I know. Love, Santa." Her eyes grew wide as she ripped the paper off the box and found inside a Dress Up Doll and all the accessories. "How did he know?" she squealed hugging the doll.