Twenty-eight

Kendall

“So tomorrow’s the big night,” said Kendall in a flat voice. She and Megan and Lelani were sitting around the dining room table. They’d just finished dinner—a mishmash of leftovers and Kendall’s sorry attempt to make macaroni and cheese from a box. Now Megan wanted them to discuss the Christmas Eve party as well as make a guest list, which Kendall thought was a little ridiculous.

“Who do we know is coming for sure?” asked Megan as she picked up a pen.

“Besides Nana, who said she plans to be here, I don’t have anyone to put on the list. Everyone I invited seems to have other plans,” admitted Kendall. Okay, she didn’t admit that she’d lost all interest in this party. But at least she was trying to be a good sport for Megan’s and Lelani’s sakes.

“I invited Mr. Green, who would like to come, as well as a couple others from work, although they haven’t confirmed yet,” said Lelani. “And, oh yeah, a shoplifter named Frances.”

“A shoplifter?” Kendall felt alarmed. “You’ve invited a thief to my home?”

“She’s a sweet lady. She’d never stolen anything before, and she didn’t even steal anything today. She just needs a friend.”

“I invited Mrs. Fowler,” said Megan, “one of my clients who’s alone at Christmas.”

“I didn’t invite Gil yet,” said Lelani, “or reinvite him. But I will.”

“What about Anna?” asked Kendall. “I left her a message, but she hasn’t called back.”

“I don’t know what’s up with her,” said Lelani. “But I don’t think we can count on her coming to the party, if that’s what you mean.”

Kendall frowned. What she really wanted to know was whether she could she count on Anna to pay her January rent. More and more Kendall felt like she was on a sinking ship, steadily going down. Losing Anna’s rent money wasn’t going to help. Besides this, she had no idea what she’d tell her parents. So far, she’d held her mother at bay by acting mysterious. But that couldn’t last forever.

“There’s this homeless woman I see on my way to work every day,” said Megan, “I was thinking of inviting her.”

“Are you serious?” Kendall couldn’t believe this. “Shoplifters and homeless people—you have got to be kidding.”

Megan shrugged. “Maybe I’ll just invite her to the mission on Christmas Day. I’m helping to serve dinner there.”

“Why do you want to do that?” asked Kendall. All she could imagine was dirty, smelly people lined up for a free handout. Of course, she realized that at the rate she was going, she might be eating there too before long.

“Because it’s a good thing to do,” said Megan.

“And you are such a good girl to do it,” said Kendall. “Maybe Santa will put something extra special in your stocking.”

Megan sort of rolled her eyes, but didn’t respond.

“So is that all of our guests?” Lelani frowned. “Doesn’t seem like much.”

“Let’s see,” said Megan. “There’s Nana, Mr. Green, the shoplifter lady, Mrs. Fowler, and possibly Gil—counting us, that makes a whopping total of eight.”

“Wow,” said Kendall sarcastically. “We’re gonna rock the house.”

They all just sat there looking at each other.

“Oh, come on,” said Lelani. “It’s not that bad.”

“And maybe we can all be on the lookout for others to ask,” said Megan.

“Like more homeless people and shoplifters,” suggested Kendall.

“It reminds me of a parable.”

“Huh?” Kendall frowned. “A pair of what?”

“A parable, a story that Jesus told.”

“Go for it,” said Lelani.

“Well, a wealthy guy is throwing this big party and he invites all his important friends to come, but no one shows up.”

“Some friends,” said Kendall. She had friends like that herself.

“So, he sends his servants out to ask other people to come, not just important ones, but they don’t come either.”

“Maybe the guy throwing the party is a big jerk,” suggested Kendall. “And no one really likes him.”

Megan frowned. “I’m not sure about that. Anyway, the guy then sends his servants out to the streets to find street people, you know, like homeless people and shoplifters and down-and-outers.”

“And?” Lelani leaned forward with interest.

“And they came.”

“So?” said Kendall.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” asked Lelani.

“It means that the people on the streets really appreciated being invited, because they were down on their luck and they liked getting a good meal,” said Megan.

“So we should go invite street people to our party?” asked Kendall.

“No, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying this situation reminded me of that parable.”

“But what does it mean?” persisted Lelani.

“The parable?” Megan seemed to consider this. “Well, I think it means that God has really great things in store for us—like the best party ever—but maybe it’s just the people who realize they’re poor and needy and hungry who will have the sense to come to his party.”

“Wow,” said Lelani. “That actually makes sense.”

“It does?” Kendall frowned. It didn’t really make sense to her. “Are you saying that God only likes poor, needy people?” Of course, even as she said this, she couldn’t deny that not only was she poor and needy, she was going down.

“God loves everyone,” said Megan. “But it means that we have to realize we need God—that we’re like poor, homeless people without him—and then we get to go to his party.”

Lelani nodded. “That’s cool.”

“But back to our party,” said Megan. “How about if we all do what we can to think of other people to invite. Sometimes people change their minds at the last minute.”

So they all agreed, but Kendall knew for a fact she was not inviting anyone. How could she? Her friends would think she’d lost her mind if they showed up here to find shoplifters, homeless people, and old ladies. No, it was better to just get this thing over with. When no one was looking, she would spike the eggnog and pour brandy over the fruitcake.