WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Fifty

Sam McCulloch headed back up Main Street toward his car. He scanned across the street at some changes in town. The movie theater was being converted into a community center for the visual and performing arts. The newspaper office was now an internet café; the son of the former editor was based out of it and reported on town board and committee meetings in a blog which was totally advertiser-supported. Next to the internet café was Roy's, a candy and sweets store every kid had stopped at going to and from elementary and middle school for the past fifty years. Behind it were the rear of the new supermarket and the front of a new firehouse. The fire department was serviced only by local volunteers; in addition to school bus drivers, town highway workers and area businessmen, the firefighters and EMT personnel included the wife of the police chief, a rabbi, and his son Drew.

Just as he was thinking of Drew, Sam saw Kyle Rosenberg in front of the bakery. Kyle told him that he had just come from a meeting with Drew and that Kyle would be drawing up preliminary architectural plans for the company expansion. That pleased Sam. He had always liked Kyle since he was in high school. Kyle had been an outstanding soccer player and before then, one of Julia's third-grade students before Julia went on an extended maternity leave once Annie was born. When Julia later returned to teaching, she had had Kyle's twins in her class.

Kyle had just picked up two pies and was trying to get out of town early before the rush since his family was going to Boston to be with his wife's relatives. They were expecting over forty people for Thanksgiving, Kyle said, "It'll be a zoo. But fun." He then quoted Bob Dylan, "Too much confusion. I can't get no relief." To which Sam immediately recognized the source as "All Along the Watchtower."

As Sam continued toward his car, he stopped in briefly at the flower store. It always smelled so good when he opened the door. Faith Benedetto was on the phone behind the counter. Her mother and brother were busy in the back workshop putting together arrangements, pulling asters, chrysanthemums and roses from long shipment boxes. There were flower petals and stems scattered on the worktable and floor. The Benedetto family had owned that flower shop for over sixty years, as well as a nursery outside of town, on the road to Hudsonville.

Sam could see that they were all a little crazy. "I won't bother you, Faith," Sam said. He took a pen from his pocket and wrote something on a blank card on the counter.

Faith covered the phone. "Your order will be a morning delivery tomorrow, Sam. Hope that's okay with you and Julia," she answered.

"Someone should be there. It'll be fine. Thanks, Faith."

"We've got the table arrangement and the six corsages. Just like last year."

"I'll need seven this year and one of them should be a small wrist corsage. It's for the baby. And put a dozen mixed roses with that too, if you would, Faith." Sam then handed her the card he had just written. "That's to go with the roses."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." She returned to her phone call as Sam waved to Faith's mother and brother, mouthing to them, "Happy Thanksgiving."

Sam exited the flower shop and arrived at his car. He put the bag with the wine on the floor in the back and placed the small bag with his prescription on the front seat. He then looked past the oak tree in front of the post office and headed toward the butcher.

Mauro Militano saw Sam coming through his storefront window; Mauro was a big man, having been a high school linebacker. "I saw you park your car, Sam," Mauro said as he stood behind a front counter when Sam entered. "I got everything ready for you. A fresh, not frozen, free-range, thirty-pound turkey."

Mauro showed Sam the turkey.

"Looks delicious. Thank you."

"It'll be delicious once Mrs. McCulloch cooks it," Mauro said as he ripped an ample sheet of butcher paper from a large roll and then wrapped the turkey in it. The store was clean, with a hint of ammonia near the display cases, but the air was thick and cool. Two assistants worked in the back, one was hammering and pounding while the other trimmed steak fat with a standing meatband saw.

"Anything else, Sam?"

"That should do it, Mauro. Thank you. You must be pretty busy," Sam remarked, handing Mauro his credit card.

"Not so much with Thanksgiving, but with Christmas and Hanukkah. Lots of orders for then. It seems like Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday. 'Let's get through this meal so we can go shopping and then start to get ready for Christmas.' It's not the way it should be, but it's the way it is. 'Halloween's over. Time for Santa Claus.'"

"Well, the Christmas parade on Sunday does push ahead the seasons around here."

"See my windows, Sam. I got pictures of big turkeys and Pilgrims. For me, Thanksgiving is the holiday I never want to forget. It's the one that brings families and friends together. We need to enjoy what time we have together since it usually doesn't happen often enough," Mauro said. "I put up my Santa and menorah in the window on Saturday. Just before the parade so everything's ready by then."

As Mauro handed Sam his credit card and watched him sign a receipt, he said that his son Nicholas would be in the parade this year as part of a float with the high school homecoming court on it. Nicholas had been voted Homecoming King. Mauro couldn't hide his pride in that very well. He told Sam that he was helping to put together the float which was on a flatbed truck provided by Castlebury Garage. "The kids are supposed to do it, but it's usually us parents who do all the work, while they have all the fun riding in the parade. I take that back, Sam. Gina and I really are having fun with all this. We're putting some of the holiday lawn decorations on the float. You should see my garage."

"I'll be sure to see it on Sunday. The float, not the garage," Sam said, correcting himself. "We'll be there with the grandchildren. I remember a few years ago when Julia and I had to help out when Ben was in the parade. Mauro, you would've thought it was decorating for the Macy's parade or the Rose Bowl."

"I know what you're saying, Sam. I'll make sure Nicholas waves to you."

"Thanks, Mauro. But first things first," Sam said, taking a heavy bag Mauro handed him. "Happy Thanksgiving, Mauro, to you and Gina and the kids."

"Same to you and yours, Sam."

Sam exited the butcher shop, put the turkey on the backseat of his car and then felt his pockets for his key fob. He touched his digital camera in the front pocket of his suede coat. He had almost forgot why he came into town in the first place. He looked up Main Street past the intersection with Chestnut Street; across the street from a branch bank was Castlebury Camera. He headed to see Helen and Bob Lundgren. He and Julia had helped see them through every parent's worst nightmare.