SOUNDTRACK:
[READ: December 6, 2023] “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie”
This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar. This is my sixth time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition! Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.
The 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individual short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond. Now in its ninth year, the SSAC is back to once again bring readers a deluxe, peppermint-fresh collection of 25 short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.
The author of this story was Beryl Bainbridge. Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.
It’s December 6. Beryl Bainbridge, a five-time Booker Prize nominee, died in 2010.
This story is set two weeks before Christmas. Angela Bisson feels awkward about giving her cleaning lady, Mrs Henderson money for Christmas, so she gives her six tickets to a performance of Peter Pan at the newly reopened Empire Theatre. It should be noted that Mrs Henderson had never felt degraded when accepting money.
Mr Henderson mocks that it’s just what they needed.
Mrs Henderson says the children will love it. Their adult son Alec, who loves to tease his father by calling him Charlie instead of Charles, tries to explain Peter Pan to his parents–it’s allegorical, he says “God Almighty,” says his father.
Mrs Henderson told her husband not to go with them if he wouldn’t enjoy it, but there was no way he was NOT enjoying the Christmas gift. The whole thing gave him indigestion. (more…)
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