It was Thursday, the morning of Thanksgiving.
As it had been every year, there would be a special dinner at the Sunshine Girls Home. The girls were in the kitchen preparing the food. Sandy was peeling potatoes at the table in the middle of the room. Opposite her, Celeste was busy chopping all manner of ingredients for the turkey stuffing. At the stove, wearing an apron, was Momma Lois, cooking cranberry sauce. And on her usual high chair, Petra quietly watched the television.
Sandy noted the onions and the mushrooms and the celery that Celeste was working with. "Momma, have we the turkey?"
"Not yet, child," Momma Lois answered without turning around.
Sandy stopped peeling and trained her eyes on her guardian's back. "No turkey for Thanksgiving?" Turkey had always been something that she had looked forward to. It made the dinner extra special, giving it a taste of prosperity. It took her away from her mundane existence, into a life of luxury, even if it were only for a single meal.
Petra too sensed something was wrong and turned to Momma Lois for an answer.
"We don't have a whole turkey," Momma Lois replied, "We do have sliced turkey from the grocer."
"But Momma, having sliced turkey just isn't like Thanksgiving," Sandy complained.
"Don't worry, child, someone always donates a turkey on Thanksgiving."
Sandy sighed and turned to watch Celeste chop. "It really isn't stuffing if there isn't a turkey to stuff, is it?" she grumbled.
Celeste smiled but said nothing.
They continued working. As she did her share, Sandy would occasionally steal glances at the morning cartoon on the television. Or she would start a short conversation with Celeste. She would talk about her hopes, gossip about people or share a joke. She stayed clear of topics on school lest she be asked about her homework.
Sandy still had not started on her homework yet.
There was the distant tune of the telephone. "Momma, phone," Celeste informed her guardian. Teenagers' hearing were better than middle-aged adults'.
Momma Lois asked Celeste to watch the stove as she went to answer the phone.
Most of the time, phone calls were for the middle-aged woman. Once, there was one for Celeste from her part-time job. Juneida, however, received her calls on her very own handphone - that rich orphan!
A minute later, Momma Lois returned with the portable handset, with her hand covering the mouthpiece. She threw her head back, widened her eyes and announced gravely in a low voice, "We have the turkey."
The girls cheered. Petra too took her eyes off the television to join in the celebration with raised hands and childish laughter.
Momma Lois took her hand off the handset's mouthpiece and directed it towards the cheering. Then she spoke to the phone, "Hear that? You made the girls very happy." She left the kitchen still speaking into the phone.
"We're going to have turkey." Celeste poked Sandy's hand. "You should be happy!"
Sandy smiled. "I am."
Then Momma Lois returned to the kitchen.
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