Good Night

They were dirt poor. It was understood that Christmas gifts were for the children, but there were no gifts to be had. His income came from cleaning toilets at the town bus station. It was part-time, and what little he earned went for food and kerosene. Their only fortune in life was to own the roof over their heads, such as it was, thanks to her father who eked out a living as a farmer. After her father died, the property had been "acquired" by the Power Company, with the help of the local government, Mayor Jennings, for pennies on the dollar. Everyone in town knew the Jackson's had gotten a raw deal, but nothing could be done about it.


Mother was a subdued person, not wont to raise her voice above a whisper. If she sat still you'd never know there was anyone in the room. She did her best to make meals out of nearly nothing, and patch clothing that was so threadbare they would hardly hold a stitch. She did what she could. Carrie had an older sister of 16, who was dying to "break out", as 16 year olds do. School brought her nothing but the taunts and jeers of the other students, who would often make Elizabeth cry, hating her very existence. Erin, who used to be her best friend had joined with other girls, and become Beth's nemesis. She would always clean herself up before getting home, but her 8 year old "little sister" knew very well what the story was. Her mother would say, "Your clothes are clean! You should be proud." Yeah, Mom, you know the story. It was a teenage thing.

Carrie always felt that she needed very little to keep herself happy. It was a good thing, since she had very little to choose from. She would get most of the presents, since they were all hand-me downs from her older sister, 'Beth. From time to time Carrie heard whimpers at night from her older sister, and sometimes her mother. She was wise beyond her years, and never cried, even as a baby. That fact so worried her mother, that she was taken to the Hospital to find out why. The trip was futile, and the expense caused her father to "raise Hell" that evening. "There wasn't no money to waste on stupidity!", he would say. But Carrie was a thinker. She knew she could solve problems, if only she had a "friend" to help her.

Dawn crept in with eyes closed, as no one stirred to the first finger tap on the front door. A following, hearty knock, managed to rouse them all. Father, first to the door, stood with his children, facing the man. He stood nearly six feet tall, and was dressed in an overcoat, fedora, scarf and gloves. He carried a rather large box. Christmas Day would not be so bad after all. "Donations for Needy Families" had found their way to the Jackson's door. A ham and trimmings would be the fare for the evening, and a gift to end all gifts, Carrie could not restrain her delight at the doll she received. It was used, with a bit of dried food on it, but she loved it. Carrie, after all, had a "friend"!

She would love and cherish her friend, and she was sure her friend felt the same. There was an unusual sort of "attraction" between them. Carrie knew, now, that she could solve problems.

Elizabeth's world was humbled further by the passing of her mother. Her father was shattered, Carrie stoic. The girls did odd jobs to earn enough for food, as their crushed father, tearing, sat staring at the floor, the last place he saw his beloved. Things had to get better and Carrie would see to it. After a trip to the library, she managed to get her older sister a "full-time" job in the "stacks", as the previous girl had died a violent death. Not much was ever said in town about it. Her former friend Erin continued her cruelty by appearing at the library, simply to make Beth's life miserable. Carrie hated to see her sister in such a bad position, but they had to eat. She went to sleep telling her new-found friend her troubles.

A new day found Beth at the library, and Carrie in school, as a rumor flew wildly among the students. Erin Moran was found nailed to the cross in front of St. Barnabas' Church. Two days later, Mayor Jennings, while posing for a photo-op with his 'beloved' Power Company, was treated to some stray voltage by the power lines, that "fried 'im where he stood!".

A week had passed and father would not eat. Carrie took her friend to bed and shared her thoughts with him. The following day Carrie tried her best to console her older sister, telling her, "Daddy's with Mommy now. They'll both be happy.". After the neighbors left the house, and the mountain of food behind, the girls were not hungry, busied themselves with "putting away" the food, and went to bed.

Carrie, as usual confided in her "best friend", making plans for the future. They spoke for almost an hour and finally began to tire. She leaned over to give him a kiss saying, "Good night, Chuckie!".