Part Three

It was Christmas Eve.

Edna stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom fussing over her appearance. She only had one nice dress to wear. She was self-conscious over the fact that her dress was out of style. There was just not enough money to buy a new one. With Earl insisting on driving her everywhere, Edna no longer had the freedom to go thrift shopping. Yard sales were not a frequent event at the trailer park.

Edna also noticed that the dress was slightly too big. She tied the sash tighter around her. She was happy to have lost some weight, but she did not look healthy. There were dark circles under her eyes. Edna felt exhausted to the very bone. She would have loved to stay home alone while Earl fulfilled his family duties, but he'd pitched a big fit when she even suggested it.

"No way Edna! Iff'n I gotta go, Yer goin' too!"

Earl came up behind her while she was frowning at her reflection.

"Move" he said brusquely, pushing her to one side. He grabbed a brush from the dresser and ran it quickly through his gray hair.

Earl was wearing the argyle sweater his mother had given him the year before. He also had on a pair of freshly pressed pants and his dress shoes. Even dressed up Earl's appearance did not make Edna swoon as it once had. She was envious that it was easier for him to make himself look so good, while nothing she did made a difference.

"We'd better get this over with." Earl tossed the brush back on the dresser. He glanced over disapprovingly at Edna as she applied some lipstick. "Ain't nothin' ya kin do is gonna do any good, woman. Ya look like a cow no matter what ya wear. Now hurry up."

Edna stole a look at Earl's underwear dresser. She wondered when he would give her the necklace. She couldn't imagine he would give it to her in front of his family. She blinked back the tears Earl's hurtful comment caused her. She still could not love Earl after all he said and done to her over the years, but she did want that necklace. She deserved it! It would be nice to have something new.

Edna gathered the brightly colored packages from the kitchen table.

"Earl can you grab the pumpkin bread?"

"That's what this crap 'spost ta be?" Earl grumbled, stuffing it in a plastic grocery sack.

Edna cast a longing look at the worn old couch in the living room. She'd love nothing more than to curl up on it with a blanket and watch old Christmas movies. Instead she had Earl's family to deal with. She was grateful Christmas only came once a year.

They made the trip to Earl's brother's house in a grim silence. Neither looked forward to the event, but Earl seemed to feel obligated to go. When ever Edna did try to say something to lighten the mood, Earl would turn up the music ignoring her. He held his beer between his legs. The rest of the six pack was in the back seat. Edna decided to look out the window. She watched the scenery fly by. She stifled a sudden wild desire to leap from the car. When had she lost control over her own life? She wanted to run far away from Earl. She wanted to enjoy life, do things, and go places. The bright neon lights of all the shops, stores, and restaurants beckoned her like a moth to a flame.

Earl pulled their old clunker into his brother's driveway. The houses in this neighborhood looked alike. The were all a tasteful beige color and mostly made of windows. Edna could see Judith's tree lights sparkling from behind the lacy curtains in her living room.

She thought that if she ever had the money to buy a fancy home, she wouldn't live in a structured neighborhood like 'Lakewood Manor'. She'd invest in more land and have a house that was structurally sound. The houses looked big and pretty from the outside, but Edna could tell that they were actually cheaply manufactured. The houses all had very tiny stamp size yards and were built too close together. Edna reckoned that Judith and her next door neighbor could shake hands from their kitchen windows.

"Quit gawkin' around and look alive, Edna." Earl growled at her, snapping off his twangy country music. "Let's get this over with."

Both Stu and Judith's cars were in the drive way. Earl's mother's old Cadillac was also in the drive. Edna didn't know who the Chevy Lumina belonged to.

"Hey Bro!" Stuart slapped Earl heartily on the back. Like Earl he also held a beer in his hand. The only difference was that his was not a Old Milwaukee. Stu like to drink German imports. "Merry Christmas!"

"Hey Judith" Stu bellowed for his wife. "Get Earl a real beer will ya?"

Stu did not seem to notice Edna at all. He took Earl's jacket and lead him into the living room.

"The family's all here this Christmas, Earl. Old Maddie's just dying ta see ya."

The Lincoln belonged to Stu and Earl's sister Maddie. She was the one who got Edna her job. Edna knew she would have either a new husband, boyfriend, or fiancee' in tow. It was easy to loose track with Maddie's romantic relationships. The woman had been married and divorced eight times since Edna met her. She wondered if any of Maddie's kids were here.

Judith came striding from the living room. She cast Edna one of her extreme looks of dislike.

"Get that coat off Edna, and join us in the family room. I'll take those bags."

She held the plastic shopping bags as if she had wet fingernails.

"What are these for anyway?"

"They're gifts for every one." Edna felt her face flaming. Judith was such a hateful snob. She always made Edna feel like she was an unwanted charity case. "I also brought pumpkin bread."

After Edna had hung up her coat, she forced herself to walk into the living room after Judith. She felt a bit like a Christian going into an arena full of vicious lions. No one noticed her at first. They were all busy talking among themselves.

Earl was situated on the couch with a new beer in hand, next to his brother. Maddie was sharing a chair with an older gentleman. It was hard to see what he really looked like because she was draped over him and clinging to him like a vine. In her free hand was a scotch and soda. By the redness of her face and the sentimental tears in her eyes, Edna knew it was not her first drink of the evening. Earl's mother May, was sitting in the chair closest to the fire place. She scowled up at Edna as she came in.

"Don't you look like shit." she greeted.

"Hello May," Edna took one of the folding chairs, Judith had set out. She was used to May's rude comments. They never phased her anymore. "How have you been?"

"Been better." May grunted.

Judith gingerly opened Edna's shopping bag and began to place the small gifts under the tree. Edna just noticed Tiffany, Stu and Judith's daughter pouting behind the tree.

"Whoopee!" Tiffany grumbled. "More dollar store bargains from Aunt Edna. I can hardly wait to open mine. Will I get a candle or cheap little figurine this year? I don't think I can handle the suspense."

"Now Tiffany," Judith reprimanded with a smirk. "That's not nice."

"Know mines a candle." May laughed. "Gives me a candle every year. Got 'em all over my house taken up space."

Tiffany rolled her insolent heavily lined eyes, Edna's way. Stu and Judith had Tiffany late in life and spoiled her rotten. There was not a child prettier, smarter, or as wonderful to this family then Tiffany. Edna always thought she was an unbearable brat. She was worse since she became a teenager. Edna could not believe that Judith allowed the girl to dress like a tramp. She wished she could grab Tiffany by the hair and scour off all the make up caked on her face.

"Isn't that the same dress you wore last year, Aunt Edna?"

Edna felt her face flush again.

"Shit!" May cackled. "She's worn that same dress every year since I known her. Except that time she wore that polka dot number."

"It's her Sunday go to meetin' dress." Earl decided to join in.

"Edna!" Maddie shrieked, seeming to notice Edna for the first time. "I ain't seen ya in ages. Wondered if you and Earl were still livin' together. Still workin' at the mail house?"

"Yes, I'm still there."

"I thought you had that little hamburger job." May always forgot the Edna wasn't a waitress anymore.

"I quit that job almost twenty years ago." Edna informed May through gritted teeth.

"Made her quit." Earl told them. "Wanted her to get a respectable job iff'n she was goin' ta live with me."

"Respectable!" Maddie screamed with laughter. "The place was a hell hole. I didn't last there a year. That's where I met that jerk, Clem. No, it was Stan I met there."

A muffled sound came from the man underneath Maddie.

"What's that Honey Pie? Oh, ya haven't been introduced." She uncoiled herself from her beau a bit so he could speak. Edna felt sorry for him as Maddie was no light weight.

"Edna this my fiancee' Ed. Ed this is Edna, Earl's girlfriend."

"Pleased to meet you." Ed greeted her after he took a gulp of fresh air. He was a little bald man with ill fitting dentures.

"Ed owns the car lot on the corner of Tenth and Main." Maddie bragged holding out her hand for Edna to see. On her finger was a huge gaudy rock of cubic zirconia . "He also owns all the U Wash It's in town. We're getting hitched on Valentine's Day. When are you and Earl ever gonna get married?"

"He's got to get divorced first." May cut in nastily, "Though why buy the cow when he get's the milk free?"

"Cow being the key word." Tiffany stage whispered to her mother.

Edna put up with their attacks in quiet misery. She had lost the ability to speak up for herself long ago. Earl never defended her. He seemed to enjoy aiming the negative attention on her. Perhaps to keep it off himself.

Dinner was a dismal affair. Earl's family never believed in flavoring their food with any spice but salt. Judith hated onions so the food always tasted like bland sawdust in Edna's mouth.

It was finally time to exchange gifts. Edna felt her spirits rise a little. After the gift giving the family usually called it a night. She also hoped Earl might give her the necklace now.

"The Catfish Haven!" Stu had opened the envelope with Edna's gift certificate. "Why thank you, little brother. I ain't had a decent plate of catfish in a long time."

Unlike the rest of the family, Stu never seemed to notice or acknowledge Edna 's existence.

"That is probably the best gift you ever gave me. Thank you Earl."

"Wer'nt nothin'" Earl seemed pleased with his older brother's praise. "Thank ya fer the after shave."

Judith and Tiffany exchanged looks of disgust behind Stu's back.

"Catfish." Tiffany wrinkled her nose, speaking for them both. "Yuck."

"Earl never get's anything good like that for me. " May muttered. "All I get is these damn dollar store candles every year since he took up with Edna."

"Thank you Edna for the candy." Maddie smiled graciously at Edna. Edna always carried an extra gift or two just in case Maddie showed up. "Ed has a real sweet tooth. I would have gotten you something too, but I wasn't sure if you and Earl were still together."

"That's all right." Edna mumbled, as Earl opened yet another gift from his mother.

So far Earl had gotten socks, underwear, pants, two new shirts, a pair of sneakers, and a nice warm jacket from his mother. Stu had given him a bottle of Jack Daniels and the shaving set. Maddie gave him a cassette tape entitled 'The Best of Country Music's Greatest Hits'.

"Here." Tiffany thrust a round soft package into Edna's lap. "This is yours."

Edna might have retorted earlier that all she ever got from May were dish towels, but this package was heavier that cloth towels.

Curious, she opened it. In the middle of a bunch of dishtowels with a tacky grinning pear motif was a huge bottle of Milk of Magnesia.

"Earl told me you've been feeling poorly lately." May explained. "I expect your just not regular."

May believed constipation to be the root of every medical aliment, even a skinned knee.

"Thank you, May." Edna quickly wrapped the towels back over the bottle. Everyone else sniggered. Earl laughed loudest of all.

"You can use those dish towels to clean that trailer." May lectured. "The last time I was over there, the place was a pig sty. You know my Earl has allergies. I don't know how he survives with all that clutter around."

"Wow!" Tiffany spoke in mock awe, as she opened her gift. "Aunt Edna and Uncle Earl got me a stationary set." she threw it on the pile of her other gifts. She had a mountain of gifts to open. Her favorite had been the plasma television to hang up on her bedroom wall.

"I've saved the best for last." Stu grinned at his wife and daughter. He pulled the sheet from a huge box that had been sitting in the corner. "I've got us a new top of the line computer."

"Like it's about time." Tiffany snarled. "That old one was so slow."

Edna knew she wasn't truly surprised, because she had seen her peek under the sheet before dinner was called. Judith smiled a huge fake smile.

"Wonderful, Stu. We really needed a new computer."

"We get ta have the old one." Earl told Edna. "Din't I tell ya, this was gonna be a good Christmas?"

"What would you know about computers?" Tiffany asked nastily.

Edna didn't relish the idea of getting Stu and Judith's cast offs, but she was excited about the thought of a computer. She had always been intrigued by computers.

"I know a bit." Edna told her. She had played around a bit on one of her sister's computers. It had been fun playing games on it.

"I don't even know much about computers." Judith snorted haughtily.

"It's not hard once you just sit down and play with it a bit." Stu told Earl. It's still in the den. We'll take her apart when your ready to leave. Judith find Earl a box for the little extras and the software."

Edna could hardly wait to go home now. She had just the spot for it in the small dining room. Earl's father's old desk was in there. It would look really smart to have a computer sitting on it. Edna followed Stu and Earl into the den and watched them take it apart.

There were no end of things you could do on a computer. She could play with it while Earl watched television at night.

Edna was so excited over the prospect of getting a computer, she almost forgot all about the necklace.