Read The Christmas Pearl Online
Authors: Dorothea Benton Frank
Tags: #Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Contemporary
“It’s magnificent,” Barbara said. “Isn’t it?”
“It’s beyond words…” Lynette said.
“What happened to my…” Camille said.
“Family room,” Barbara said. “Like the White House? We can have more than one tree, sweetheart, can’t we?” Using her cane with all the poise of a queen,
she knelt by the gifts and started handing them up to Cleland. “Want to help me, dear?”
“Absolutely! Here, George! This is for you! Camille? This is for you…”
All the packages were distributed, opened, and everyone shivered with surprise. Beyond the requisite bathrobes, slippers, sweaters, and books, there were mysterious gifts for every member of the family. Barbara received a beautiful pearl-and-diamond ring from Cleland that he had no memory of purchasing. Barbara gave Cleland pearl-and-diamond tuxedo studs and cuff links that she claimed never to have seen. In addition to doll clothes and accessories, Teddie received a page of stick-on earrings that, when applied, made her ears appear to be pierced. Lynette and George, who were sitting on the sofa holding hands, saw the disappointment in her face.
“Come here, sugar,” Lynette said to her. “Daddy just said if you want to pierce your ears next summer, it’s okay with him.”
“Really?”
“Yep, I just want you to be old enough to take care of them, that’s all. If you want your ears pierced…ah, what the heck? Come here.”
Teddie crawled up on to Lynette’s lap. George produced a satin pouch from his pocket, handing it to Teddie.
“I couldn’t tell you where these came from. They were in my jacket pocket after church. They were just
there
…strangest thing…”
Teddie dumped the contents of the pouch into her palm, shrieking with excitement.
“Pearls! Oh, Daddy!”
She hugged his neck so tight I thought he might choke. But he did not.
He said, “A young woman has to have a little bit of jewelry, right? Promise me not to grow up too fast…”
Teddie kissed her father on the cheek and then Lynette too.
“Promise! Keep these for me, okay, Mama? I gotta go play with Jackie!”
Jackie was the name of the new and highly coveted doll. It appeared that for the moment Teddie was more than satisfied to be treated as a little girl.
The gifts of pearls continued. Lynette received a strand of white baroque pearls. Camille opened a double strand of smaller cultured ones. George and Grayson opened wristwatches with mother-of-pearl faces and leather straps. I found mother-of-pearl eyeglasses for me and a beautiful coffee-table book about pearls. I was the only one who was not surprised besides Barbara, who had come to accept that anything was possible. In fact, we were
all
coming to accept that anything was possible.
In addition to the simple laptop for Andrew and a basic photo printer and digital camera for Teddie, a last minute ingenious gift from Barbara to encourage collaboration, there was a signed first edition of John Steinbeck’s
The Pearl
for Andrew that came with special instructions on a card.
It read:
Andrew, This is a priceless possession. You will have to give it to your parents for safekeeping. Read it together with your whole family. There’s a lesson in here for everyone. Merry Christmas! Santa.
“Dinner is on the table,” Pearl said from the doorway of the living room.
“Then let’s go!” Barbara said, leaning on the cane to rise from her chair.
I put my arm around her for extra support. “What in the world did you say to Cleland?” I whispered to her. “He’s a changed man!”
“I told him if he wanted me to wipe his drool when he was an old man, he had better be nice to me
now
!”
“That’s all?” Cleland had been whipped into shape with the threat of poor geriatric care? I didn’t believe it! Did
I
drool? Heaven forbid!
“Honestly? I forgave him for everything. I told him that I loved him with my whole heart, that I always had and always would.”
“Mercy! What happened?”
“You won’t believe this. He started to cry. He said
he thought he had hurt me so badly that I would never love him again.”
“And?”
“I told him the past was in the past, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life making him happy. I suggested he do the same for me. So we called a truce. You know what?”
“What?”
“He told me he thought I was beautiful. Do you know when the last time was that he used that word in reference to me?”
“Oh, my darling girl! When was the last time you were this confident and happy?”
“Touché!”
Barbara gave me a little squeeze around my shoulder. We went into the dining room together to have our Christmas dinner.
This time Cleland’s offering of grace was heartfelt and everyone bowed their heads sincerely. There were so many miraculous things that had occurred, it was impossible not to become emotional.
Pearl sliced the meat and served the dishes. To my surprise, my precious Andrew got up and went over to the Bible. In our family, it was understood that once you were seated for a meal, you did not leave the table without permission. Everyone, or at least it seemed that everyone, stopped and took notice. Was Andrew
going to read aloud? The day had gone so well! I didn’t want him to be humiliated or for the mood of reunion to be eclipsed by his reading problems.
“Come back to the table, sweetheart,” I said.
“In just a minute,” he said. “
Listen!
This is
exactly
what they read in church today.” My great-grandson, that sweet child who had suffered so much ridicule, proceeded to read in perfectly enunciated English the following verse.
“‘And the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people; for today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you; you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men of good will.’
How cool is that? This book matches the one in church!”
We were astonished for many reasons, mostly because for the first time we were witnesses to Andrew reading without one stutter or error. Camille jumped up, broke into tears, grabbing him by the shoulders.
“That was simply beautiful, son! Simply beautiful!”
Grayson lifted him in the air and deposited him back in his seat. He kissed the top of Andrew’s head. “Well done, Andrew. I am so proud of you I could just burst my buttons!”
Even Grayson choked up and a tear or two escaped.
Everyone held up their glass in recognition of Andrew’s accomplishment, saying something complimentary. I caught Pearl’s eye.
“That was a little something extra from me,” she whispered as she put my plate in front of me. “That boy’s gonna be fine from now on! He’s my favorite.”
“We
are
all going to be all right,” Camille said.
“Honey?” Barbara said. “All anybody in this life wants beyond good health and enough money to live is love and respect. I don’t know about you…”
“We’ve got plenty of everything to go around,” George said, finishing her thought.
Cleland chimed in with, “Yes, we certainly do.”
You might imagine that everyone ate their dinner, relishing every single bite, and you would be right. As soon as they could be excused, the children went back to their Christmas toys. I could see them from where I sat. They were getting along better than they ever had.
The adults lingered at the table, talking about how important this Christmas had been, how glad they were that they had all aired their differences and confessed to one another. Most importantly, how grateful they were to one another to have been given another chance. I looked up to see Pearl in her red coat with her suitcase in hand. She put her finger to her lips,
asking me to be quiet. She slipped out to the hall. I saw her say something to the children, who got up and followed her. I watched the children’s faces, their expressions as awestruck as my own, as Pearl walked straight into the hall mirror and disappeared. They ran to the mirror, touching it. My tears began to flow. I got up from my chair and went to them. They were quivering with doubt and fear.
“Gigi? Did you see that?”
“Yes, I did.” I was glad that they had seen what I had known for a long time, but I was also burdened with incredible sadness to know my friend was gone.
“How?” Teddie said. “How did it happen? It’s not possible! Is it?”
“Well now, let’s think about it…isn’t Christmas a charmed time, when anything is possible?”
“Why are you crying, Gigi?” Andrew said.
“Because Pearl was the best friend I ever had in my whole life. She was.”
I knew there would be rounds of discussions. Barbara would accept Pearl’s arrival and the report of her departure because she had seen what Pearl could do. Cleland would want to hear the story again and again, and instead of a cocktail, he might opt for decaffeinated coffee for the recitation. Camille would commit herself to a stint in a rehabilitation program, from fear if nothing else. She didn’t want some ghost coming
back to get her! George would be incredulous but then say something like
Anything’s possible in this crazy family.
We would all laugh at that. Grayson would say he had seen things like that all his life, that most people just wouldn’t know a miracle was happening to them if it bit them on the nose! And Lynette? Our country girl, Lynette, would sum it all up with something like
Anything that could bring us all back together again can’t be a bad thing!
They were all correct.
I went to bed that night as tired as if I had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Holding Fred’s picture in my hands, I kissed it and pressed it to my chest. I would see him soon enough. There was no reason to rush my demise, as things around here were finally worth living for.
I slept hard. Without warning, Pearl’s face came into view.
“So, tell old Pearl. How was your Christmas?” she said.
“Fabulous, thanks to you, old friend! I miss you already!”
“I’m always just a thought away, Ms. Theodora. Just a thought away. Don’t worry about that.”
“Well? Did you get your wings?”
“Hmmph. Don’t know yet. I think I shouldn’t have used so much Gullah magic or drunk up all that brandy.”
“What does that mean, Pearl?”
“It means you fools better
watch
yourselves or I might just come back!”
“I would love it if you did…”
Smiling and wagging her finger at me, she faded away. I drifted into a blissful state of rest, thinking how wonderful it was that everyone I loved was only a thought away. I could live with that. I could live
for
it, too.
The following recipes are from my family, notably our mother, Dorothea Blanchard, whose exit prompted a career change for me. However, it is my sister, Lynn Benton Bagnal, who truly makes these goodies every single year. No one has ever used her fruitcake as a football.
Mint Julep
Crush leaves and let stand in syrup. Put into a cold, silver julep cup or glass and add crushed ice. Pour in whiskey. Stir, not touching the glass, and add sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
YIELDS
1
GLASS
Sugar Syrup
Melt in saucepan. Syrup can be stored in a Mason jar in refrigerator.
Breakfast Casserole
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, butter the bread with the softened butter and put aside.
In a skillet, melt the ½ cup butter and sauté the mushrooms and onions over medium heat until tender (6 to 8 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Cook the sausage meat in same skillet breaking up the meat in small pieces as cooking. In a greased shallow casserole, layer 6 slices of bread mushroom mixture, sausage meat, and cheese. Repeat layers ending with the cheese.
In mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, mustards, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and
1
/
8
teaspoon pepper. Pour over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Before baking, sprinkle parsley over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until sides bubble.
Serve immediately with a fruit salad and bread.
SERVES
6
TO
8
Cheese Straws
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream butter and cheese with salt and pepper. Add sifted flour. Put in cookie press or chill, and then roll thin. Cut with 1-to 1½-inch round cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Sprinkle with cayenne to taste. Remove from baking sheets before they are cold. May be stored in tightly covered container.
YIELDS ABOUT
100
Fruited and Glazed Ham
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice bottom of ham so it will lie flat in pan. Gently remove brown skin from ham. Score the fat and lean of the ham with a knife and garnish with cloves. Mix mustard, sugar, flour, preserves,
1
/
8
cup of juice from the pineapple slices, and
1
/
8
cup of juice from the cherries
in a saucepan over low heat until thickened somewhat. Spoon the sauce over ham. Decorate ham with pineapples, placing a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, holding in place with a toothpick. Bake for one hour, basting occasionally with any remaining sauce. Remove toothpicks before slicing.
Red Rice
Fry bacon and remove from pan, reserving grease; sauté onions in 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add tomato paste, water, salt, sugar, and peppers. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until mixture measures 2 cups. Cool to room temperature.
Add mixture to rice in top section of rice steamer or a Dutch oven. Cover. Add 3 table
spoons bacon grease; steam for 30 minutes, then add crumbled bacon, and loosen rice with a fork. Add more liquid if necessary. Cook 30 to 45 minutes longer.
SERVES
6
TO
8
Biscuits
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Measure flour into a large bowl. Add salt. Divide shortening or butter into pieces and scatter on top of flour. Work pieces into flour with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips until pieces are about the size of BBs. Make a hole in the center of the dough and pour in milk or buttermilk. Dough may be sticky. This is okay!
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for two or three strokes. Add a
little flour if necessary to handle dough. Using a light touch, pat or roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Chill.
Cut with floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, leaving as little dough between cuts as possible. Gather remaining dough and reroll one time. Discard scraps remaining after second cutting. Place biscuits on baking sheet with sides touching for soft biscuits, or close together but not touching for crispier sides. Brush with egg-white mixture.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops of biscuits are golden brown.
Serve hot out of the oven.
YIELDS
12
BISCUITS
She-Crab Soup
Put half-and-half in top of a double boiler with nutmeg and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes at simmer. Steam should rise from milk, but not boil. Then add butter and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Thicken with cracker crumbs;
season with salt and pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add crabmeat.
Allow to stand on back of stove for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Just before serving, add sherry. This same soup can be made with shrimp, which should be ground.
SERVES
6
Shrimp Creole
Coarsely chop onions, green pepper, and celery and sauté in bacon drippings until translucent. Coarsely chop quart can of tomatoes. Add tomatoes, sugar, and paste to sautéed mixture. Let this mixture simmer slowly to a thick consistency for 30 to 45
minutes. Add salt and pepper. Five minutes before serving, add cooked shrimp.
This should be served over cooked long-grain white rice. Creole seasoning salt may be substituted for salt and pepper.
SERVES
6
TO
8
Fondant
Beat egg white slightly and add water, chocolate, vanilla, and enough sugar to make fondant take shape. Roll into small balls and put half a nut on each, pressing down slightly.
YIELDS ABOUT
3
TO
4
DOZEN
Light Fruitcake
You may add an additional cup of fruit, i.e., orange peel, dates, or coconut.
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Make a brown paper liner for a 10-inch tube pan or two loaf pans. Grease both sides and fit into pan(s). Cut and grease both sides of a top for pan(s).
Cream butter and sugar. Stir in extracts. Beat egg yolks and stir into mix. Fold 1½ cups sifted flour into mixture.
Combine fruits and nuts in a large bowl; dredge with the remaining flour (½ cup) and coat well. Fold this mixture into batter, gently. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Cover. Place cake in oven over a pan of water.
Bake for 2½ to 3 hours or until the cake tests done. Remove from oven, take off cover, and pour ¼ cup of brandy over cake. When cakes are cool, remove from pan and carefully remove
papers. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and store in airtight container for three weeks prior to serving. Store in refrigerator, opening once or twice to spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of brandy over cake in order to keep moist.
YIELDS
24
SLICES
Sands
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and water. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans. Form into rolls as large as your thumb. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned, on a greased cookie sheet.
Sift half a box of powdered sugar into a paper bag. While cookies are still warm, shake in the bag to coat. Let cool and store in a covered tin.
YIELDS
3
TO
4
DOZEN
Rum Balls
Combine vanilla wafers, sugar, 1½ cups chopped pecans, and cocoa. Add corn syrup and rum. Mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll half in fine granulated sugar and the rest in the remaining chopped pecans. Do not bake.
YIELDS
3
DOZEN
Nut Cake
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Generously grease a tube pan with Crisco and lightly flour.
Sift flour three times and set aside. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat only until each disappears. Blend in 1 cup flour followed by ½ cup whipping cream. Repeat with 1 cup flour then ½ cup whipping cream. Add 1 cup flour. Coat
pecans with remaining ½ cup flour. Carefully fold pecans into batter. Fold in vanilla and lemon extracts.
Add batter to pan, level it, and knock bottom of pan on the edge of the counter, once, to get out the air bubbles. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it’s medium brown on top and
begins to pull away from the sides of the pan
.
*
Remove from oven. Wait 10 minutes and invert on a cake plate. Do not cover until cool to touch.