kindergarten class was busy cutting out paper snowflakes to decorate their classroom. The boys went to public school, so there was an effort to make everything as inclusive as possible. All the students at school would participate in the “Winter Wonderland School Concert,” singing Hanukah and Kwanzaa songs as well as Christmas (secular, of course) favorites. They’d enjoy a “holiday” classroom party and then the whole school would go on “Winter Break.”
Meanwhile, Kazu’s third grade class was working in paper mache. It was a messy project, with shredded newspaper and gooey paste covering every desk. As the students worked, what would be santas, snowmen, stars, and trees begin to take shape.
“What are you making, Kaz?” his friend, Ben, asked him.
“An angel. For my mom. She loves them!”
“I’m making a candy cane,” Ben said, wrapping sticky sheets of newspaper around a bent wire clothes hanger. “That’s not too Christmasy is it?”
Kazu looked up from the plastic bottle that served as the base for his angel. “I don’t think so. It’s just candy.”
Ben looked relived. “Good. Because, you know, we’re Jewish.”
“You celebrate for eight days, right?”
“Yup.” Ben nodded.
“Do you get a present every day?”
“Uh huh.”
“Lucky,” Kazu mumbled.
“Some of them are boring presents, like socks,” Ben assured his best friend.
Kaz nodded. “We get dumb stuff like that for Christmas too.”
Across town, Dina greeted Eli as he entered the coffee house. He wore shorts even though it was cold out. Still, he had the hood of his jacket pulled over his head. He carried his skateboard under his arm as he slowly shuffled in.
“Are you on your way to the rink?” she asked, making him a Depth Charge.
“After my day job,” Eli told her. “Better make it a double, Dina.”
Dina smiled and added another shot of espresso.
“You work two jobs?” Yusuf asked.
“Yeah, man. The rink is just seasonal, but it came at the right time. My lady’s expecting.” A tired smile lit up his face.
“Congratulations!” Dina and Yusuf exclaimed at the same time.
“Thanks!” Eli beamed. “We just got our own place. We’ve been couch surfing with friends for a while.”
“When’s the baby due?” Dina asked.
“In about two weeks, right before Christmas, but Estela is ready now. She’s looking kind of uncomfortable.”
“I’ve been there,” Dina said. “Twice.”
“You women have my respect.” Eli held his hand up in a wave, heading for the door. “Alright, ya’ all take care!”
Dan watched from his seat at the window as the young man dropped his skateboard to the sidewalk and waited for the light to change. When it turned green, he pushed off and headed through the crosswalk, balancing his coffee cup. Suddenly Dan was on his feet crying out and Dina heard the sickening squeal of brakes, car horns, and screaming. Yusuf ran out the door and into the street, but Dina felt frozen as she watched the scene in terror.
To be continued December 10...
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