Odd Turkey Out.A Story by Judy A young girls memory of a Thanksgiving day.
Odd Turkey Out by Judy M. Crouse It was Thanksgiving Day in Rosy Hall and a full day of cooking, setting the dining room table and last minute housework had began. Lily’s mother would have her special thanksgiving apron on, which she handmade. The table would be set for at least twelve people. She pulled out all the stops for this meal! The antique crystal goblets, china, bone dishes, individual crystal “salt” dishes, sterling silver serving casserole dishes and the sterling silverware, with the huge tea service. All this was set upon an antique tablecloth embellished with fine embroidery and hand tatted lace that Lily’s grandmother Olive had made. In the kitchen the table would be set for the younger children. Lily would be delegated to helping set the table and last minute dusting. Her brother, Robert, would have nothing to do, of course. Usually he was out playing with his best buddy Carl. Lily’s father would depart around one p.m. driving to Baltimore in his gleaming black nine passenger 1951 Cadillac Limo to pick up her grandparents, John and Olive and Aunt Vivian and Uncle Howard. Their cousins, The Lambie’s would sometimes join us, John and Gertrude with their children, Lois, Emma Jean, Jack, and John Junior. They lived in Hamilton and it was a long drive for them to undertake. Rosy Hall was thirty miles from their home. Then the Rittenhouse tribe would show up. Uncle Ashby, Aunt Wynn, they weren’t really related to Lily’s family (Ashby was her father best friend from childhood) and their children, Monique, Lorna, John, Curtis, Mark and Wren. Monique was a few years older then Lily and was always the sophisticated young woman. On this particular holiday Lily was thirteen. John was Lily’s bothers age eight years old, and Wren was just beginning to walk. By the time everyone was seated at the table it would be getting dark. The table would be lighted by two six candle standing candelabra’s. Lily’s mother, Corinne would have candles (red of course) in silver candlesticks on the buffet server, and in every niche and corner of the room. The heat from the blazing candles was hot enough to keep the furnace from kicking on until well after midnight. All the food, Aunt Wynn’s famous rolls and deserts were on the table. The only thing missing was the turkey. Corinne always presented the turkey herself. After everyone would say grace, she would proudly walk into the dining room with the golden brown twenty-five pound turkey displayed on a fine bone china serving platter. Lily was in the kitchen with her mother and they could hear everyone chatting and laughing, Corinne proceeded to place this huge heavy platter into Lily’s hands. “You can take the turkey out for me; I want to get these rolls out of the oven and served while they are hot.” She told me. “There you go, they are waiting.” Lily struggled with the heavy platter and she almost made it. As she walked from the kitchen and into the dinning room her foot caught the edge of the Persian rug. Lily lost my balance and the turkey flew off the platter. It continued in slow motion skittering across the carpet and slamming into the French doors at the end of the table, right next to her father. She was horrified frozen in time. Everyone was staring at the turkey on the floor in disbelieve. Corinne, never skipping a beat said, “That’s okay. Lilly, just get him back on the platter and out to the kitchen. We will bring in the other turkey. “ © 2011 JudyReviews
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