Adelaide's Gift - Part 3

Rita sat across the worn dining table in her family’s cramped apartment. Her arms were folded and her eyebrows furrowed as she glared across the table at Addie. “What are you so happy about?”

Addie reached up and touched her cheeks, which were raised in a broad smile. “I’m going to get my due for being bad: coal from Santa.”

“You want to get in trouble?” Rita scratched the back of her neck. “Really?”

“When you do something bad, you ought to accept your punishment.” I’ve done it! I’ll get coal tonight for sure!

“So, you think you’re better than me?” Rita asked.

“No, I’m worse than you.” Addie rubbed her hands together, both out of excitement and to warm them up. “I’m going to get what’s due to me.”

Rita tilted her head. “I never want to get in trouble. And I thought you were always good?”

“Not always.” Addie's cheeks were sore from grinning. “I slapped you, didn’t I?”

“I suppose…” Rita wrinkled her nose, staring at the table.

“I’ll take the entire blame. Tell your mom it was all me, and I’ll definitely get a pile of coal from Santa.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Rita crossed her arms again and slumped in her chair, tapping her toes.

“What?” Addie wanted to ask more, but the door to the apartment creaked open and Mrs. Rollins returned.

“Well, your mother wasn’t home, so you’re going to wait here until she returns so we can discuss your punishment.”

Addie put her smile away and nodded. “I’ll wait.”

Rita narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. “Mom, I have something to say.”

“Are you hurt?” Her mother held out a comforting hand. “Did Addie hurt you?”

Rita pulled away. “No, I hurt her.”

Mrs. Rollins froze, hand extended. “What?”

“The fight was my fault,” Rita said. “I was teasing her and getting in her face. It’s my fault.”

Mrs. Rollins furrowed her eyebrows, thinking. She put a hand on her chin. She turned away and began to pace the kitchen.

Addie’s eyes widened. She leaned over to whisper to Rita. “What are you doing?”

“I’m being a good person, like you said.”

“Please, you have to let me get in trouble.” There was a lump in her throat. “You can’t—”

Mrs. Rollins faced her daughter. Addie snapped her mouth shut. “So, you’re the one that started this?” She leaned in close.

Rita nodded slowly. “I provoked her, so I will take the blame.”

“You’ve never caused trouble before.” Mrs. Rollins looked over at Addie. “What’s going on here?”

“Yes, I have.” Rita’s head dropped. “I pick on the younger kids all the time, even Glenn. Especially Glenn.”

“Rita?” Her mother knelt down. “Are you telling the truth?”

Rita nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I thought that being the oldest meant I had to be in charge. So, I make them do what I want.” She swallowed hard. “But Addie showed me that I was wrong. If I’m going to be the oldest, I need to take responsibility for my actions.”

“Rita…” Addie begged.

“I guess you ought to go to your room,” Mrs. Rollins said. “And stay there until tomorrow. You’re lucky I don’t take your Christmas presents back.”

Rita nodded. “Can I apologize to Addie?”

Mrs. Rollins smiled gently. “That would be a nice thing to do. But you still have to go to your room.”

Rita grabbed Addie's hands. “I’m sorry I’ve been so mean to you guys. I promise I’ll make it up to you and Glenn and everyone else.”

“Why didn’t you let me take the blame?”

“Because I need to start being accountable.” Rita pushed the chair back. “Thank you for helping me see that.”

Addie tried to follow Rita, but Mrs. Rollins pushed her out the door.

“I’m sorry about this Addie. Tell your mom hi.” She slammed the apartment door shut and Addie was alone on the landing.

Not wanting to sit in her cold apartment alone, Addie returned to Old Man Beasley’s chair. She slumped down, her face scrunched into a sneer. Her breaths were heavy and ragged. Her eyes were cold and distant.

Frigid blasts of cold spiraled around the lobby every time the door opened. Neighbors greeted her and wished her a Merry Christmas, but Addie ignored them. She refused to even give them a grunt of acknowledgement.

Old Man Beasley came in. “Addie, are you waiting for your mom? You’ll catch a cold sitting that close to the door.”

“My apartment’s colder.” She huffed and slouched lower in the chair, nearly sliding off.

“You ought to put more coal on the fire.”

“Don’t have any.”

Old Man Beasley flinched. His hands tugged at the top button of his coat. “I talked with my son, like you said I ought to. You were right. I needed to be more loving and accepting.”

“Great.” Addie rolled her eyes. Of course her stupid advice worked out well for him.

He pulled his hat down tight, and headed back out. He must’ve forgotten something he wanted to do before the shops closed in a few hours.

Addie was not left in silence for long. Mrs. Norma soon came bustling through the door, carrying a few bags, but many less than before. “Addie! I wanted to say thank you. I’d been so preoccupied with myself, I hadn’t even gotten my husband a gift.”

“I just wanted to be bad,” Addie said.

“Bad?” Mrs. Norma held the bags against her heart. “Why would you want to be bad?”

“I wanted to get us coal.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “And since I don’t have any money, I thought I’d get on the naughty list and Santa would bring me some and then my parents would be warm, but I can’t even be mean right and… ugh…”

Mrs. Norma wrapped her a warm hug. Addie cried into the shoulder of her coat. She felt all of her hopes leaving her. Her chest heaved as she sobbed and wrapped her arms as far around Mrs. Norma’s waist as she could.

After a minute, the tears stopped. She felt drained, but calm. She pulled away, wiping her eye with the back of her hand. “Thanks.”

“No problem, dear.” Mrs. Norma went upstairs, but was back a minute later, heading out the door.

“Where are you going?” Addie asked.

“I thought of one more gift to get.” She was gone, a blast of glacial air freezing the tears to Addie’s cheeks.

Addie sniffled and slid from the chair. She plodded up the stairs and to her dark apartment. Everyone else seemed set to have a good Christmas. But she had failed.