Six-year-old Darry Curtis had one thought on his mind, Miss. Kate. Miss. Kate was his Sunday School teacher, she had curly dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and was tall. Darry always made sure to include this in his description to his father, his mother was a tall woman and he figured his father would appreciate this characteristic in his own crush.
At Sunday School Darry volunteered (almost every week!) to wipe the blackboard and clean the tables. Miss. Kate would kneel down and pat his head, Darry didn't like people patting his head, but he made an exception for Miss. Kate, and she would tell him he was a good boy. Except she just didn't tell him that, she would look right into his eyes and her words dripping like caramel on an apple, made him smile, "why Darry, I don't know what I would do without you. You're going to make some lady a very lucky woman someday."
Then she would laugh, she sounded like a bird. Darry didn't understand what was so funny. His mom told him if he didn't understand something he should ask (politely) that it be repeated, but Darry didn't want Miss. Kate to think he was dumb, so he gave her a shy smile and murmured 'yes 'm.'
Darry went to church with his mother and two younger brothers, his father rarely attended because he said he had to work, but there were days like this cold Sunday when Darry saw his father in his grey sweat pants and shirt, sitting at the kitchen table, moving the dial to find the perfect radio station.
Darry wished he could stay home with his dad, only the thought of Miss. Kate's smile prevented him from throwing a tantrum and insisting on staying home, well that, and the spanking he would have received.
His three-year-old brother Soda was in the toddler group at church where they finger painted and sang Jesus Loves Me. Darry was in the six and seven-year-old group where they did artwork with yarn and sang Father Abraham. His youngest brother Ponyboy babbled with the other babies in the nursery.
Darry did his best to be helpful to Miss. Kate and by extension, the other children in his class. He helpfully pointed out to Lisa that Jesus's robe was blue, "like in my drawing," and certainly not purple polka dot.
Lisa merely continued to draw her purple polka dots, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in studied concentration.
Darry didn't like it when people didn't follow the rules, he pushed his own paper in her face, "see Lisa, I made Jesus's robe blue, like in the picture," he pointed to a picture on the wall they were instructed to copy, it showed a smiling Jesus surrounded by children of different colors wearing a BLUE robe; and back down to his own drawing.
Darry was very proud that he did not go out of the lines once, unlike Lisa. "Now, do it like me."
His mother taught him that he should help people.
But Lisa simply grabbed the orange crayon and added zig-zags to the robe. She stuck her tongue out at him. Darry stuck his tongue back out at her.
He noted with glee that Miss. Kate after pouring the orange drink and organizing the ants on the log for snack time was heading back to the table.
Darry folded his hands, now Lisa was sure to get it!
When Miss. Kate came to Darry's drawing she nodded and smiled, "nice job Darry, great job staying in the lines." Her words felt like cotton candy in his mouth. He was about to warn Miss. Kate that not everyone was doing such a good job staying in the lines when Miss. Kate picked up Lisa's drawing.
Darry hid a snicker, this was going to be good! "Lisa, this is a magnificent drawing!" Darry felt his cheeks grow red and his shoulders hunch with envy. Miss. Kate never said that his drawing was magnificent, in fact Darry didn't remember Miss. Kate ever saying that anything about him was magnificent.
Darry stood up, maybe Miss. Kate hurt her eyes, maybe she couldn't see how Lisa had messed up, "she colored Jesus's robe orange and purple…polka dotted! That ain't what it was like. Make her do it again, Miss. Kate." Darry knew he sounded like he was whining but it wasn't fair, he followed the rules and Lisa didn't.
Lisa looked down at her drawing and for a second she looked like she might cry, Darry felt his stomach move up and then down, like at the last drop at a roller coaster.
Miss. Kate peered right down into Darry's face, "were you there?" She did not look very nice, she certainly did not look like she thought he was magnificent.
Taken aback, Darry looked at his Sunday school shoes, "no, ma'am."
Despite the scolding Darry's crush on Miss. Kate only grew. Poor lady didn't even know that Jesus only wore a blue robe! Darry figured she needed his help.
Darry's least favorite part of Sunday school was Bible quiz time. The questions Miss. Kate asked were too easy, even stupid babies like Ponyboy could get her questions right, Darry thought. Worst of all, Miss. Kate wouldn't let Darry answer all the questions even though he was the smartest kid in the class.
Miss. Kate looked at Teddy, trying to coax out an answer out of his numbskull brain, her eyes were wide and gentle.
Teddy was in Darry's class in school and was not very bright. Darry knew this because Teddy was in the blue-jays reading group while Darry was in the sparrow reading group, and everyone knew that the blue-jays were the slow readers.
The question was easy, "I had a coat of many colors, who am I?"
Jesus Christ, Darry thought, as he rested his chin in his palm, his legs swinging underneath the chair, this was a no brainer.
"Sorry", he whispered when his feet accidently hit Mary-Ellen's ankles.
But Teddy struggled. Miss. Kate looked at him with encouragement and Darry couldn't remember Miss. Kate ever looking at him with encouragement, not even after he memorized the most verses out of all the kids in his class.
But Teddy just stuttered, 'uh, um,' this was too much, Darry stood up and shouted "it was Joseph! Joseph! Jesus!" He smacked his palm to his forehead.
Darry knew that sometimes when he said Jesus he got smiles and pats on the head, like when his class put on a play for the parents; but there were other times when saying Jesus only got you a hard pat on the bottom.
This was a pat on the bottom version.
Some of the kids looked amused, others scared and horrified, most just stared slack-jawed. But Miss. Kate's brown eyes narrowed until they looked like caterpillars, "Darry, stay after class." Her voice sounded like she swallowed a lump of ice.
Darry knew he was going to get it. Darry didn't even pay attention to the rest of the quiz, he eyed the wooden paddle with a heart carved into the handle. Already, he could feel his bottom ache, and if his mom and dad found out, well, Darry wouldn't be able to sit for a week.
Worst of all his dad would forbid him from watching The Lone Ranger that evening.
He hated Teddy and Lisa so much he could feel his toes curl up.
"Darry," Miss. Kate began when the other children left, "I know you're almost eight years old and it's hard being in a class with younger children, maybe we can make an exception and move you into the eight-year olds group."
Darry shook his head, "I'm six," to prove it he showed off his two missing front teeth. Miss. Kate touched her chest with surprise, "you're only six?"
Darry grinned again. "But I'm gonna be seven in a few days." He hoped that would impress Miss. Kate.
Miss. Kate put her finger to her chin, like she was thinking, she eyed Darry a few times.
Miss. Kate got down so she was an eye level with Darry, "I'll make a deal with you, I won't give you a paddling if you agree to be in the Christmas pageant, we need more shepherds."
Miss. Kate smiled at him, and golly, was she pretty. Darry grinned he would give a great, no, a magnificent performance and Miss. Kate would realize that her heart belonged to Darry, and that Jesus wore a blue robe.
Darry Curtis was determined to be the best shepherd he could be. There was a little boy, Timmy Shepard in the four and five-year olds class. He caused a lot of trouble. Timmy always wore a plaid suit to Sunday School and a black bow-tie. While he waited with Miss. Kate for his mom Darry watched Timmy run through the hallways, knocking down books and pictures. Down went a picture of Noah's Ark, down went a picture of Pastor Jones, down went a bulletin advertising a Ladies Luncheon.
Darry had never seen a kid dress so nicely misbehave so much. He decided to look otherwise for inspiration.
Pastor Jones had a wide grin on his face as he opened the classroom door, but when he saw Darry he looked surprised, "oh, hello there, um, Darrel. Hello, Miss. Kate, I uh, wanted to make sure the windows are working properly."
Miss. Kate's face turned pink and she stammered like Teddy, "yes, Pastor Jones, thank you."
Darry was surprised, he had no idea there were any problems with the windows, if he did he would try to fix them for Miss. Kate.
"That was a lovely sermon you gave, Pastor. I know Darry enjoyed it, didn't you?"
Darry did not enjoy it, Pastor Jones' sermons bored Darry even though the kids only had to listen to 15 minutes before they went to Sunday School. But with Miss. Kate smiling at him with such warmth he nodded, "yes, Pastor Jones, it was real neat."
He hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for lying to a pastor.
It turned out Darry wasn't the only actor in the family, Soda would play a lamb and Darry thought that was silly there was nothing 'lamb' like about his hyper little brother.
But Pony, Pony was cast as the baby Jesus. Even Darry was impressed, and a bit envious. After all what was being a shepherd compared to being the star of the show? Darry, holding Soda's hand in the parking lot, looked at his gurgling baby brother, he sure didn't look like no messiah.
His mom called Darry her "little thespian." When he got home, Darry asked his father what a thespian was, his dad said it was a person with too much time on their hands. Darry didn't get it.
Soda sat in front of the mirror practicing making 'lamb' sounds, which to Darry's eyes looked and sounded awful lot like a dog.
Soda wanted to know if lambs bite people, Darry shrugged. He wasn't completely sure but he guessed so.
At play rehearsal his mom told Darry to watch Soda, "I'm trusting you Darry." Then she looked up at her mischievous lamb hopping across the stage like a frog and making ribbet noises, "good luck."
At one-point Mary laid the baby Jesus in the cradle. Their mom was in the wings in case Pony caused any trouble, along with Mrs. Shepard with Cornelius, Mrs. Hayes with Stevie, Mrs. Gordon with Geneva and Mrs. Parker with Roger, all potential Jesus should Pony cry and fuss too much.
At one-point Mary laid the baby Jesus in the crib. Pony was awake, but he didn't make a sound. Darry thought his brother did a very good job. Mary looked down at baby Jesus with awe and Pony cooed. Then Soda, lying next to another lamb reached out a bit Mary in the ankle.
AHHH! She screamed. The other little lamb started to cry, so too did all of the babies backstage, so too, Darry thought, did Miss. Kate, who massaged her temples and looked up at the ceiling and then back down at the floor. Only Pony remained completely passive, his only display of emotion, a tiny smile.
"Soda!" Darry yanked his brother's hand, while Mrs. Curtis ran on stage, "why you do that?"
" Cuz I'm a LAMB!" Soda put his hands up like claws and made grrr noise.
Darry stepped back, in case Soda decided to bite at his ankle.
Soda was kicked out of the play. But all people could talk about was Pony. Even in rehearsal it was agreed that Pony was by far the best baby Jesus the East Side Tulsa Methodist Church had ever seen. Pony was a quiet baby and Darry thought he looked very serious for a little baby. Sometimes his baby brother reminded Darry of an old man.
But Pony never fussed or cried, he just sat perched in his cradle, watching the audience with an intense interest.
Even though Soda was kicked out he still attended rehearsals, sitting in Mrs. Curtis's lap on some occasion, wandering backstage in others.
Soda was three and he talked a lot. Darry couldn't understand much of what Soda said, but sometimes he spoke real clear. Soda also loved to tattle. Darry knew this because Soda told everyone at rehearsal that Darry took two cookies instead of just one. But darn, Darry couldn't help it! He was hungry and he loved chocolate chip cookies.
Sometimes, Soda was a real pest.
The Christmas pageant was set for Christmas Eve. The weekend before Mrs. Mathews and the other mothers on costume committee finished sewing up the costumes. Darry looked at his outfit and was mortified.
A dress! They wanted him to wear a dress! It was brown with red and green stripes and it reminded Darry of the Christmas fruitcake his Aunt Lucy sent to the family. Darry wanted to cry. He wanted to be a shepherd so he could impress Miss. Kate and now everyone would laugh at him.
He tried to talk to his dad, surely, he would help out. "They're making me wear a dress!" But his dad just chuckled, "that's a robe son, not a dress."
So Darry tried another tact, he knew his father hated Aunt Lucy's fruitcakes and Darrel Sr. ate everything. "It makes me look like a fruitcake."
Darrel stood up so fast Darry's head snapped up. He pushed the kitchen chair he was sitting on towards the table and got right in Darry's face, "boy, if you say that again, I'm gonna tan your hide good."
Darry nodded, wow Daddy must really hate Aunt Lucy's fruitcakes.
Two days before the play Grandpa Schmidt took a bad fall. Grandpa Schmidt lived in Kansas he was old, and blind in one eye. Darry couldn't remember what he looked like, but he remembered he had cinnamon candy for Darry when he visited last year.
Darry's mom cried into her husband's arms when she found out about Grandpa Schmidt.
Darry could hear his parents talk in low voices something about a stroke. His mom cried even harder and Darry tried to make her laugh by telling a knock knock joke he heard:
"knock, knock, who's there?
Orange
Orange who?
Orange you glad to see me?"
Darry laughed, and his mom tried to smile but her eyes were puffy and red.
One night before the play his dad sat in Darry's room and explained that Grandpa Schmidt was very sick.
"Is he gonna die?" Darry had never known anyone who died before, at least, not that he could remember.
Darrel put his arms around his son's shoulders and squeezed, "I'm afraid so, son."
"Oh." Darry felt bad he wished he could make Grandpa Schmidt get better. Everyone in Darry's house was sad, and even Soda burst into tears when he saw his mom crying. This made Darry feel guilty, he didn't cry at all about Grandpa Schmidt even though his stomach felt funny just thinking about him.
Soda wanted to know why Daddy kissed Mommy on the lips, did she have an owie? Darry explained that when people are married they kiss each other, that's how babies are made.
Soda always asked a lot of dumb questions.
His parents decided to visit Grandpa Schmidt which meant that they couldn't take the boys to the play. Mrs. Mathews offered to babysit the boys and take them to the play.
In Mrs. Mathews' driveway Darry's mom put his arms around him, "be good. Do everything Mrs. Mathews tell you too, and look after your brothers. They're your responsibility." She kissed him and told him again to behave.
Soda wanted to know where his parents were going even though his parents already told him. Darry didn't want to make his brother sad about Grandpa Schmidt so he told Soda that they were visiting Santa and they would come back with presents.
"They're picking up your toys from the North Pole."
Soda's face lit up. Darry knew it was wrong to lie, but he hoped it was okay just this once.
Darry's mom promised him that Santa would still deliever the toys on Christmas morning, but still, Darry looked up at the sky with concern.
He hoped Santa wouldn't mind him telling a fib. That line about Santa knowing if he was 'naughty or nice' sent shivers down Darry's spine.
Mr. Mathews sat in the corner and drank a lot of whiskey. So too did Mrs. Mathews. But she was still nice and funny, Mr. Mathews with his scruffy chin whiskers and yellow mustard eyes scared Darry and Darry spent the entire time keeping an eye out for Soda and Pony.
Mr. and Mrs. Mathews had a little boy named Keith who was an even bigger pest than Soda.
There sure were a lot of people in the audience Darry thought as he peeked from behind the curtain. He wasn't nervous exactly, but it did feel like a bunch of goldfish were swimming inside his stomach.
He saw Mrs. Mathews, Soda and Keith in the front row next to Pastor Jones and his wife.
The play on stage went off without a hitch. Unfortunately the same could not be said about the drama below. Keith and Timmy started to rough house each other, with Soda cheering them on. At one-point Mrs. Mathews ran after Keith, leaving Soda stretched out across three folding chairs.
With Keith gone, Soda started to pay attention to the play. He shouted out to all of his friends and clapped very loudly when Darry came on stage. He again, told everyone that Darry ate two cookies when he should only eat one, and Darry's face turned red when everyone, even Pastor and Mrs. Jones chuckled.
Soda told everyone that Connie, Soda's fellow lamb, was not good at sharing. Some people laughed, but not as much as before. Darry glared at Soda, "shut up!" he hissed. Gee, where was Mrs. Mathews?
But Soda only waved to his brother.
The woman who played Mary had to drop out of the play because her daughter came down with the chicken pox. Miss. Kate played Mary. Darry thought Miss. Kate looked beautiful in her dress and robe, and he noted that she had on a blue robe.
He looked at her with admiration, and he almost forgot his one line, "now, a Christ Child is born."
Soda cheered and clapped when a stage hand opened the curtain and placed Pony in his cradle.
The audience began to murmur, the baby looked straight into their eyes.
Soda told everyone that Pony was his brother, and once again, the audience chuckled and smiled at him. Darry didn't understand how nobody cared that Soda kept on interrupting the play.
Everything was going good, perfect even, until Soda stood up and shouted that he saw Pastor Jones and Miss. Kate kissing and that they were 'halfing' a baby. Soda cheered. He loved his own baby brother, so he wanted to share the good news with everyone.
Before anyone could say anything, or move, or think, Pastor Jones reached across and slapped Soda in the face. Miss. Kate ran off stage, this time she really was crying. Mrs. Jones sat frozen. And Darry Curtis leaped for Pastor Jones. With all his might, which quite impressive for a six-year-old, he punched Pastor Jones. "You don't touch my brother!"
Soda who had been crying and looking woebegone gave Darry a small grin, "yeah."
The audience members were agast. One of the church elders pulled Darry off Pastor Jones. Pastor Jones started to shake and stammer, he tried to sing "Jesus Loves Me" while his wife still sat frozen in her chair.
Soda who knew the song started to sing loudly, drowning out Pastor Jones who ran out of the auditorium.
Joseph twitched, the other shepherds ran backstage to their mothers, the wise men collapsed in hysterics. Half of the audience was still in shock, the other half was mumbling and grumbling, a few went after Pastor Jones.
One lady tried to talk to Mrs. Jones, putting her arms around her.
The only person not running around, in hysterics, or in a state of shock was the green-grey eyed baby Jesus who only smiled out at the audience.
A/N: Merry Christmas Eve Eve. ;)
S.E. Hinton owns
Some background info: 'fruitcake' was occasionally used as a slur against gay men. Mr. Curtis has a gay brother, hence his reaction to Darry accidently using that term.
Yes, Cornelius Shepard. ;)