if you haven't got a turkey leg

The sound was squeeky and you could tell the record player had a worn
needle, but the song, "If you haven't got a turkey leg, then God Bless
you Gentlemen, God Bless you" was playing.

When it ended, small brown hands reached over and started it over
again, and the sound of this little Indian boys voice carried the song
through the three room house. He sat and smiled as he heard the song
again as if he had never heard it before. There was amile there and he
ran into the kitchen where his mother was cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
He looked large eyes at the oven and said, I get the rumstick. His
mother said, I don't know if you can eat it, it is hard to eat, and
there are things in it that might get stuck in your throat. His smile
vanished and he just stood there, thinking what to say.


He went into the room where the beds were and started the record again
and layed on the bed looking up. There were stars up there and it was
midday, they sparked against the night sky and he could see them.


He said, I wish I could be up there with those stars. His sister looked
at him and said, those aren't stars, ther're just nails in the ceiling.
Their father because the house was cold had put black roofing felt
paper all over the ceiling and walls to keep it warm and had used
roofing nails to hold it down. If you squinted your eyes, you could see
the stars, too.


I don't care, they are there. I want the turkey leg, cuz it's my turn.
He looked at his sister and his eyes were cross eyed a little but they
shined brightly at the thought of having a turkey all to himself. Years
ago a childhood sickness made him that way and he was not as fast as
some, when he walked he seemed to stagger, but the family did not
notice anymore, he was just the little brother.


Dad came home, he had to work today but got a break for a little bit to
come home and eat. He brought a pie from the Brokeshoulder family and
some sage. He took a plate and lighted the sage and took it from room
to room to clear the air. A Zenith tv, which was just brand new, bought
on time from Harpers Furniture down the street showed the parade from
somewhere back East.


There were big floats and lots of people standing in the background as
the tv people talked about the parade. The little boy rolled off the
bed and ended up in front of the tv, it was black and white but you
could see the parade really good from there. He stood up and walked
around to the back. His father said, what are you doing back there? The
little boy said, I want to see the floats, how do I get in to go see
them.


It is magic, you have to stand in front of the tv and watch it happen,
if you don't stand in front of it you can't see it. The boy went back
to his spot right in the middle in front of the tv and watched the
parade.


His father liked the same song and he played the record again, and the
little boy went into the kitchen again and said with a soulful look in
his large brown eyes, Is it done? Can I have the turkey leg? His mother
looked at him and touched him, she called him Baby Cheeks cuz his
cheeks were big and soft. I guess it is up to your Daddy. He took off
into the other room and said, Daddy, Daddy can I have the turkey leg.
The song was playing in the background. His father was fixing the
Indian dance outfits for the boarding school kids at teh Indian dorm.
He taught them how to dance and the program was Saturday nite for the
nursing home folks. He stopped and looked at his son. I guess so, your
getting to be a big boy now.


It was as if Christmas had come and he danced around, so happy the
turkey leg was his. He ran around the house and washed his hands and
sat at his place at the table waiting for the food to come.


Time to eat, he heard and he was ready. His mom brought the turkey out
and set it on the table. All the family sat down and his father told
him he could say the prayer. He said I don't know how to say it. His
father told him, just tell the Lord your happy about Thanksgiving and
thank him. The little boy put his hands together bowed his bushy head
and said...


Thanks God for the turkey and Thanksgiving. Thank you for the turkey
and I wish those who don't have a turkey leg today be blessed because
they don't have one. Help us to be good people and help Dad with his
sore back and mom when she goes to clean rooms. Help my brothers and
sisters treat me nice and that the snow will come soon and we get what
we want for Christmas. AAAAAmen.


His mother put the turkey leg on his plate and it was the best
Thanksgiving in the whole world...
rustywire