Simpler Times

COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

By Charles D. Williams, M.D., FACR, FAAP (“Pedro”)

Preparations for Christmas started way-a-head of time in Simpler Times. We saved some cotton from the fields so there would be snow beneath the tree. We didn’t know what snow looked like anyhow. There was the collection of chewing gum wrappers from Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gum all year so silver icicles could be cut and strung on the tree. We kept our eyes opened all year for the perfect pine or cedar tree in the back field hoping it would be just right when school let out for Christmas.

One day in October 1948 Pedro headed over to the back field to check on the tree which had been picked out earlier. It was pitch-black dark when he got back and Mama was upset and had worried herself sick. Mama said, “Pedro, if you ever go off again and stay till dark without telling me, you’re goin’ to have to live with the Consequences.” Mary Alice, my younger sister, quickly responded and said, “Mama, if Pedro goes to live with the Consequences, I’ll git to have the room all by myself.” Mama then said that she might send both of us off to live with the Consequences.

Before we knew it Christmas was about to be upon us. Dad had taken an extra job butchering some hogs and we had hoped there would be some extra money for some play purties. Mama had already started cookin’ our favorite cakes – German Chocolate cake, Ice-box Fruit cake and Lemon-Cheese cake. We stayed busy lickin’ empty bowls after each cookin’.

Finally the Christmas tree was all set up in the front room. The house had three rooms. The front room served as the kids’ room and the living room. The middle room was where Mama and Daddy slept and the back room was the kitchen. Some folks called this a shotgun house. We called it home. We had the good fortune of having the Christmas tree in our room (the front room) and many kids weren’t that lucky.

This was the purtiest tree in all Colquitt County. We had spent two whole days stringin’ up popcorn to rope around the tree. Icicles were hung and the cotton was placed under the tree. Mary Alice started drawing a picture to hang on the wall by the tree. Pedro asked her what picture she was drawing. She replied, “A picture of God for Christmas.” Pedro told her that we didn’t know what God looked like. Mary Alice then said, “We do now.” Mary Alice then wrote “God” underneath the picture so we could recognize him. Pearlie and Willie dropped by later to see the tree and Willie said that it was the purtiest tree he had ever seen. We knew he was telling the truth. He then saw the picture hanging on the wall and asked Mary Alice if she and Pedro were Christians. Mary Alice replied, “No. We’re Baptists.” Pedro joined in and said, “Mama and Daddy are Baptists, Grandma’s a Baptist, all my kinfolks are Baptists…nobody’s goin’ to make a Christian out of me.”

On Christmas Eve it was hard getting to sleep with the moon shining through the window on the star on top of the tree made from a Prince Albert tobacco can turned wrong side out.

This was the most beautiful sight and happiest moment there ever was. The next morning there were nuts, oranges and a real Hopalong Cassidy cap gun for Pedro and some nuts, oranges and a Raggedy Ann doll with a blanket for Mary Alice.

There we were. Me, Mary Alice, Mama, Daddy, and Grandma all gathered together. I look back and think Pedro was the luckiest person in the whole-wide world, and he was. I wish we could go back and we could all be gathered together one more time. Maybe, just maybe, Grandma and Mama might be looking down and saying Pedro remembered us at Christmas in Simpler Times.

Reprinted with author permission from Simpler Times.

Dr. Williams’ sequel book, More Simpler Times, can be purchased from the Capital Medical Society. All proceeds from the book are donated to the Capital Medical Society Foundation’s We Care Network program. The total sales from his books have raised over $39,000 for the CMS Foundation’s We Care Network.