Miss Emma’s Christmas Party

On Monday as Rob came in the door from school his mother called him into the kitchen. "Miss Emma called and said on Saturday she wanted the Christmas rooms opened, cleaned, and setup for the party on the 24th. She also said Mitch McCray won't be back from Vietnam in time, so you will be in charge this year.

I nodded, while happily thinking of being in charge. Mom said "This will leave you three workers short. You can hire others for the regular fees and work schedules."

Later that afternoon after my chores I called my girlfriend, Lily, and asked her if she would like to work with me getting ready for a Christmas party, while later attending it as servers and helpers. We all would have to return the 27th to clean up and store everything till the next year. I explained that this was the high point of the season's functions in Runnels.

She lived about fifteen miles away, but because of recent school district consolidations we both were attending the same high school for our senior year. So she had never heard about the party before. After briefly explaining about the work and party she agreed.

Before she hung up I asked her brother Bud, who was currently my best friend, if he and, Gina, his girlfriend would want to help me too. He called me back thirty minutes later excepting for both of them. He also said he would bring everyone to Miss Emma's house.

Saturday morning I let myself into the unlocked backdoor and got the key from the rack in the kitchen. Going back out the door and locking it on my way out, then going to front porch to wait for everyone to show up.

They all did by ten minutes to ten. I told the newbies I would clarify everything before we went to work after we were inside. .

As I unlocked the front door I saw about 15 small sealed boxes neatly stacked along the entrance hall. There was a binder lying on top of them that I picked up as I passed.

We all walked quietly thru the large house till we came to a pair of huge floor to ceiling doors of aged darkened oak closed with a six inch by four inch ornate padlock. I stopped everyone outside before opening the doors and asked the twelve people assembled to take a seat. After they seated themselves on the floor I explained, "The Christmas rooms are entirely setup and have been that way for many years. We are hired to clean, mop, dust, straighten all the rooms and set it up for the party on the 24th.

The Christmas tree is already setup, lighted, with all the ornaments in its own six-sided cubical in the center of the bay window. It was a nine foot tall artificial tree imported from Germany over 20 years age. We need to carefully plug it in, check the lights, ornaments, and garland. The spider webs are NOT to overly disturbed. Miss Emma's family thinks the webs were really Angel Hair.

After everything else is ready we would put up the stockings around the rooms per the chart in the book I just picked up. This is one of the most important things we'll do today for Miss Emma.

I asked if there were any questions, but had none.

I removed the padlock and slide the doors open into the walls. The room was really a double ballroom with four bathrooms, a coat check room, plus a banquet style bar area. I opened the two janitor closets and everyone started working. All of us being Iowa farm kids that was enough instructions.

The other boys and I unclamped the cover around the tree and carried the sides outside and stored them in the converted barn insuring Miss. Emma's car could be parked inside too. We returned with two ladders to work on the tree. We cleaned around the bottom of the tree after I inspected that there wasn't any damage from the year's entrapment. Three of the returnee workers started the delicate work of cleaning the tree.

We worked till 4:30 cleaning. Except for a lunch break when a local café delivered that days "Blue Plate Special" of bowls of thick beef stew, hot corn bread with pots of coffee and hot chocolate we worked non-stop.

When we quit everything glowed and smelt of lemon oil. Everyone cleaned themselves up and assembled in front of the fourteen foot long fireplace that had stacked cedar logs in it.

After cleaning up myself I had opened a hidden closet, removed the 187 small boxes from the shelves and put them with the 15 boxes from the entrance hall in front of the fireplace. After everyone was where I cut open one of the new boxes. There was a stocking holder with a plate made by a local blacksmith artisan that covered a shelf and a simple hand decorated stocking, which said "Bertie Jamison". I looked up the name in the book. Walked over and placed it in the correct spot on the narrow eight inch shelf, which encircled the walls of the first ball room, slipping the nail in the angled hole at the back to secure it, before hanging the stocking. "This is what I need each of you to do with these boxes, except with the eight with gold ribbons that I must hang. We removed the pages of the binder and laid them out so everyone could use them to put each boxes contents in the right spot.

I took my own sheet and started on the fireplace. From left to right they were:

Jessie Nicole Pleather "Baby Girl" "Beloved" Kerry George Becky Brightman-Cole Martha Brightman "Mother" Franklin Brightman "Daddy" Jamison Brightman Beloved Cameron Pleather Lt. James K. George.

As I placed almost the last stocking Miss Emma came in. She was a little slender aged whirlwind of a woman in a gray checked dress long hair twisted in a bun on the back of her head. She talked to everyone, kissed their cheek and thanked them for helping as she inspected everything. Before she left again a few minutes later she clapped with glee at us and the way the room looked.

After we put everything away, lit the electrified candles in the lower panes of the bay window and the Christmas tree rotating lights we were done for the day. As we left for the day I paid everyone their pay for the entire three days of work for the Christmas party, per the Brightman family tradition.

The four of us went Specie's Diner to have burgers and shakes. While we were waiting for our orders I tried to explain that "The Brightman's built a factory in Runnels after the First World War and employed a large percentage of the local population. Every year they would hold a Christmas party at their house for most everyone in the area. About five years after the Korean War the items they manufactured were no longer required so slowly the factory closed as the workers found other jobs. But the Christmas party was and is still held for the leaders, workers, and friends of the Brightman's.

The party has about 400 attendees yearly with the number increasing yearly. It is a catered by three of the local cafes working together for one night and the bars are closed to be there too. The helpers of the party are often invited to attend after they move on to other jobs."

After eating and talking for an hour they were excited about the party. I got to drive Lily home afterwards, but our goodbyes were cut short by the falling snow.

The night of the party everyone showed up early and we re-inspected everything quickly. At about 6:45 the party goers started showing up right after the bars were setup and manned. The buffet readied for the serving later.

As the partiers arrived, each with their decorated bundles, they started mingling with the other attendees.

At 7:30 Miss Emma swept into the room and welcomed everyone and mingled till at 7:50 she looked for me and nodded. I when out the back of the ballrooms going to Miss Emma's study returning with the cart she had loaded earlier.

She said "It's time to welcome our other family and friends. Moving along the fire place she placed each of urns in their proper places, and everyone else placed their urns onto their spots too. I heard and saw Lily's and Gina's shocked sight of the urns.

As this was going on I heard the front door open and close after which the McCray's entered the ballroom carrying two bundles. They announced tearfully that Mitch had made it home in time for the party. Mr. McCray and I quickly placed the Christmas stocking holder, the sock saying "PFC Mitch McCray, US Army" and his urn.

Afterwards Miss Emma said" Let us pray and give thanks for all of us, our families, friends and departed loved ones being together this Christmas."