Chapter 4

Theodore stamped his boots by the door to shake the snow off and warm his toes.

"We're home, Dave!" he announced.

"Hi, boys! Did you get everything delivered?"

"Uh-huh."

"We had a delightful experience," Simon added, putting his gloves in his coat pockets.

"I made soup for dinner. I thought it would warm you up."

Theodore gave him a hug. "Thanks."

"Dave," Alvin walked over to him after everyone was gone, "I…um." He paused and looked around. "I'm sorry I put up a fuss about going. It wasn't so bad." He abruptly walked up the stairs.

Dave scratched his head. "I didn't think it would actually work. He didn't even ask about the contest. I'll tell him at dinner."

Alvin picked up his cellphone and called Brittany.

"Hello?" she answered in her sweet voice.

"Hey," Alvin said in a quiet voice that still possessed his suave demeanor around girls. "What do you have planned for Christmas Eve?"

"You should know what," she retorted. "You're going to meet us at the church, so we can watch Eleanor in the play. Then we'll come back to our house, eat dinner, sing a few carols, and open presents from each other."

"I know all that. I mean, beforehand. What are you doing?"

"Nothing." She sounded puzzled.

"Wrong!" Alvin smiled. "You're meeting me at the park at 2:00."

"Why?"

"Just be there. You won't want to miss it." He hung up the phone and started looking in the phone book. "Hello, Maud?"

"After we helped Mrs. Randolph find her glasses, we dropped the last bag off at Mr. Carson's house. He wasn't home." Theodore dipped the crust of bread into his broth.

"You did have quite an afternoon," Dave said. "I'm so proud of all of you for being such good neighbors. Helping each other is one thing that Christmas is all about."

"We certainly did that," Alvin remarked, proud of what they had accomplished.

After a moment's silence, Simon asked, "Did anything happen while we were gone?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I got a phone call from a Mr. Hector. He said something about winning first prize in a contest." Dave was having a difficult time controlling the excitement in his voice.

"Really?" Theodore exclaimed.

"We won?" Simon stood up.

Alvin grinned from ear to ear. "Congratulations, Simon! I knew your hard work would pay off."

Everyone stared in disbelief at Alvin.

"Well, he did a nice job, didn't he?"

They nodded, and Dave continued. "He stopped by the house while you were gone and gave me the cash prize. I put the envelope in my drawer."

"Great! Then we have just enough time to use it to shop for last minute Christmas presents, right Simon?"

"Right." Simon thought that he could buy Jeanette something else to go with the gift he was going to start making her after dinner.

Dave sighed. "Maybe Alvin hasn't changed."

It was Alvin's turn to wash the dishes, Theodore's turn to dry them, and Simon's turn to put them away. Dave decided he would wrap the last of their presents while they were preoccupied. Rodney, who was exhausted from his excursion, slept by the fireplace.

"Where do you want to go tomorrow to spend the money?" Theodore asked Alvin.

"I'm not exactly sure. Definitely the toy store. Oh, do you remember that computer store we went to last week?"

"Yes," Simon answered.

"I want to buy Dave that thing he wanted there."

"That was expensive, Alvin."

"I know, but I want to get it."

Theodore volunteered some of his money to help pay for it, and Simon did the same.

"So you'll come with me tomorrow?"

"Sure," Theodore answered.

Simon nodded. "I have a couple things to buy myself."

"Great! I want to buy something else for Brittany too." Alvin added sheepishly, "All I've bought her is a gift card."

"She would appreciate something more," Simon agreed.

The next day, Alvin woke up bright and early, dragging his brothers out of bed. They

grumbled about losing sleep, but after they saw Alvin's excitement, they could not say no to him. Simon suggested that they bring the wagon to bring their purchases home.

"We just need to learn how to drive," muttered Alvin. "That would solve everything."

The first place they shopped at was the toy store, and Alvin went straight to where they were displaying the Veloci-machine 5000.

"There's that beautiful skateboard."

"You're still getting it?" inquired Simon.

"You bet! It's not for me though."

"I thought that's what you wanted to buy with your money."

Alvin swallowed before explaining. "After what Samuel told us yesterday, I don't want it anymore. I don't care what I get. I want to use my money to do something good for once."

Bewildered, Theodore asked, "Then who's it for?"

"You'll see. Now help me pick out a few more toys. I want them cheaper, so I can buy as much as possible."

Theodore and Simon watched as he filled the cart with toys, talking happily about them as he did. Theodore tugged on Simon's sleeve and whispered something to Simon, who nodded his head.

"I need to go next door," Alvin said while they were in line.

Simon suggested, "Perhaps we should split up, Alvin, and meet back here in a couple hours."

"Sounds fine to me."

Alvin was able to finish most of his shopping at the mall. When they met up, they went to a couple stores in a shopping center nearby. Four hours passed before Alvin was satisfied with what he had bought.

"This is going to be a Christmas to remember!" he exclaimed.

"It most certainly will be." Simon tightly clutched the bag that had Jeanette's present in it.

"I think it's turning out to be a great Christmas already!" Theodore beamed as he stared at the glistening snow in front of them. "Do you have any money left, Simon?"

"Yes, plenty to save for a later occasion."

"What about you, Alvin?"

"$3.16."

"That didn't last long."

"No, but it was well-spent."

They walked passed a bell-ringer outside of a grocery store that was collecting money for Salvation Army. Simon put a ten-dollar bill in. Theodore emptied his pockets.

"All the change I have."

Alvin lingered. He dropped in three one-dollar bills, a dime, a nickel, and a penny.