1
Danny could not believe his eyes. He had won. He had blankin’ won.
He leapt out from in front of his computer and danced in his cubicle with his fists raised above his fists.
He heard a chorus of sighs and tsks from the cubicles around him and quickly sat down. He didn’t need anybody sticking a head in and finding him on eBay at work. He clicked on the “print” button, turned off the computer screen and bolted down the aisle to the community printer to pick up his sheet before it fully exited the machine. Giving the sheet of paper a quick kiss, he ambled back to his desk, full of self-congratulations.
2
“Wow, a Curt Gibson autographed jersey. I am soooo jealous.” Ed put the paper down on the table and concentrated on finishing his Big Mac.
Danny put the paper back in front of his friend’s face. “You should be jealous. This is from the 84 World Series. Probably the one he wore when he hit the home run to win the game.”
“Yeah, you’re right. After all, he did wear over 50 shirts that day. It gets hot in Detroit in October.”
“It’s been authenticated, I wouldn’t have spent $400.00 if I wasn’t sure it was the real thing.”
After swallowing his last bite, Ed said, “Ok, ok. Why are you telling me this?”
“Look here, I’m having it sent to your apartment. Is that the right address?”
“Sure, but why me?”
“Because, your wife doesn’t know my wife. She won’t immediately get on the phone and tell her about it.”
“Why the big secret? I’m sure you didn’t buy old Curt here for Jenny for Christmas.” Ed looked up from the picture of the baseball jersey and stared straight at his friend. “And where did you get $400.00 to blow on this. Is that the secret?”
“Never mind, just let me know when it comes in and I’ll buy lunch.”
3
About a week later, Ed dropped a carefully wrapped package on Danny’s desk. “You owe me. The old lady thinks I’m ordering porn off the Internet. Lunch today and tomorrow.”
4
Danny could hardly keep his eyes on the road. He kept looking down at the jersey – Curt Gibson’s jersey – lying on the passenger seat. He had been at the game – the greatest game ever played in Detroit Tiger history. He had seen Gibby, hobbling to the plate on two injured knees, It was a desperation play, if he didn’t hit a home run, he would never make it to first base safely. And hit a home run he did. Fists pumping, he half ran, half limped around the bases. And Danny Marcus had been there. And now Danny Marcus owned a signed Kurt Gibson Detroit Tiger Greatest Game Ever Played Jersey.
Danny’s grandfather had worked for the Tiger baseball team as a locker room custodian for almost 25 years before he retired in the late sixties. His legacy, which had been passed down to his father and then to Danny was three signed baseball jerseys from the three greatest players to wear the “Olde English D”, Rocky Colavito, Al Kaline, and Norm Cash. One day, those three jerseys would be hung with pride in his rec room (still many years off, since Danny didn’t even own a house yet). And now he had a Gibson to add to the collection.
Over the years, he had received many offers to sell the jerseys, many for thousands of dollars. As much as he could have used the money, he never thought twice about selling. Well, he had considered selling once. Last Christmas, his first Christmas as a married man. A married man with very little money to buy gifts for a new wife. But this Christmas was different. Jenny had a part time job, one car has paid for, and he had saved enough to buy that Calfalon pot and pan set that she had talked about last spring. (And she thinks I don’t listen to her.)
Then the jersey showed up on eBay. He was tapped out, but he bid anyway. Everytime he placed a higher bid, the joy of possible winning was matched by the agony of knowing he couldn’t pay for it. Ed suggested that he just sell something else that he didn’t need anymore. But Danny couldn’t find anything in the back bedroom that he could bear to part with, even for Curt. Then he found the box of dishes. The mysterious box of dishes.
5
When they had combined their two sets of belongings, many items were put into the second bedroom of their new apartment to be sifted through later. A box marked “Flowered dishes” had intrigued Danny.
“That’s just some old dishes.”
“Well, let’s get them out and use them.”
“No, there too old. And there isn’t a complete set. Just put them over there. I’ll find someplace to put them.”
Jenny placed the box in her old Girl Scout sleeping bag and placed them on the floor in a corner. And that’s where Danny had found them, under the skis, a Scrabble game and a storage bag of summer clothes.
6
He remembered that one of the gals at work, Darlene, he thought, had sold a set of
dishes on eBay for a couple hundred dollars. Jenny’s might be worth that much. She must not want them. We never use them. Who knows, I might get more than I need and I can give her the balance.
He took the box to work, scanned the markings on the bottom of one of the plates and wrote up a listing. “Three large plates, three small plates, three bowls. Marked ‘Lenox 1937’.” The bids came in fast and furious. He had made over $900. Just enough for Curt, a CD system for his car, and a little left over for Jenny.
7
On Christmas morning, Danny had regressed over 30 years. He couldn’t wait to go downstairs and unwrap Curt. But Jenny had this crazy idea about looking good for each other before starting the holiday. So Curt had showered and shaved, and was impatiently waiting for Jenny to finish fixing her hair. Eventually, wearing their brand new holiday flannel pajamas, they went downstairs to open their Christmas gifts.
Jenny went first. A sweater set from her Mom in Florida. Cash from her Father in Arizona. Picture frames from her sister. A really ugly Japanese figurine from her favorite uncle who traveled the world with Exxon. And a big box of Calafalon pots and pans from her loving husband (that got a suprisingly unenthusiastic reaction). And another box that read “To Jenny from Danny.”
Jenny put the box in her lap. “I saw these in that giant antique center by the mall.” She said. “I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been looking for these for years, So I traded . . .”
Danny stopped listening. Jenny had opened the box and removed one large flowered plate, one small flowered plate and one flowered bowl. And he was sure that if he turned one over it would say “Lenox 1937.”
“. . . and this china is the only thing that Grandma was able to save. So I really have you to thank for this. I’m going to go get the rest of the set.” Jenny jumped up, kissed Danny on the forehead and headed to the back bedroom.
8
In the 13 seconds between this kiss on his forehead and Jenny calling out “Have you seen the box marked “flowered dishes”. Danny had figured it out. Jenny had said “. . . traded your old baseball shirts from the back bedroom. You never wear them, so I thought you wouldn’t mind.” Danny picked up the brightly wrapped Curt Gibson autographed Detroit Tigers jersey and walked slowly to the back bedroom.
9
Years later, the property manager at Oaken Acres Apartment Village, still tells the story of the big Christmas morning fight when he shows 2C.
Merry Christmas
Danny could not believe his eyes. He had won. He had blankin’ won.
He leapt out from in front of his computer and danced in his cubicle with his fists raised above his fists.
He heard a chorus of sighs and tsks from the cubicles around him and quickly sat down. He didn’t need anybody sticking a head in and finding him on eBay at work. He clicked on the “print” button, turned off the computer screen and bolted down the aisle to the community printer to pick up his sheet before it fully exited the machine. Giving the sheet of paper a quick kiss, he ambled back to his desk, full of self-congratulations.
2
“Wow, a Curt Gibson autographed jersey. I am soooo jealous.” Ed put the paper down on the table and concentrated on finishing his Big Mac.
Danny put the paper back in front of his friend’s face. “You should be jealous. This is from the 84 World Series. Probably the one he wore when he hit the home run to win the game.”
“Yeah, you’re right. After all, he did wear over 50 shirts that day. It gets hot in Detroit in October.”
“It’s been authenticated, I wouldn’t have spent $400.00 if I wasn’t sure it was the real thing.”
After swallowing his last bite, Ed said, “Ok, ok. Why are you telling me this?”
“Look here, I’m having it sent to your apartment. Is that the right address?”
“Sure, but why me?”
“Because, your wife doesn’t know my wife. She won’t immediately get on the phone and tell her about it.”
“Why the big secret? I’m sure you didn’t buy old Curt here for Jenny for Christmas.” Ed looked up from the picture of the baseball jersey and stared straight at his friend. “And where did you get $400.00 to blow on this. Is that the secret?”
“Never mind, just let me know when it comes in and I’ll buy lunch.”
3
About a week later, Ed dropped a carefully wrapped package on Danny’s desk. “You owe me. The old lady thinks I’m ordering porn off the Internet. Lunch today and tomorrow.”
4
Danny could hardly keep his eyes on the road. He kept looking down at the jersey – Curt Gibson’s jersey – lying on the passenger seat. He had been at the game – the greatest game ever played in Detroit Tiger history. He had seen Gibby, hobbling to the plate on two injured knees, It was a desperation play, if he didn’t hit a home run, he would never make it to first base safely. And hit a home run he did. Fists pumping, he half ran, half limped around the bases. And Danny Marcus had been there. And now Danny Marcus owned a signed Kurt Gibson Detroit Tiger Greatest Game Ever Played Jersey.
Danny’s grandfather had worked for the Tiger baseball team as a locker room custodian for almost 25 years before he retired in the late sixties. His legacy, which had been passed down to his father and then to Danny was three signed baseball jerseys from the three greatest players to wear the “Olde English D”, Rocky Colavito, Al Kaline, and Norm Cash. One day, those three jerseys would be hung with pride in his rec room (still many years off, since Danny didn’t even own a house yet). And now he had a Gibson to add to the collection.
Over the years, he had received many offers to sell the jerseys, many for thousands of dollars. As much as he could have used the money, he never thought twice about selling. Well, he had considered selling once. Last Christmas, his first Christmas as a married man. A married man with very little money to buy gifts for a new wife. But this Christmas was different. Jenny had a part time job, one car has paid for, and he had saved enough to buy that Calfalon pot and pan set that she had talked about last spring. (And she thinks I don’t listen to her.)
Then the jersey showed up on eBay. He was tapped out, but he bid anyway. Everytime he placed a higher bid, the joy of possible winning was matched by the agony of knowing he couldn’t pay for it. Ed suggested that he just sell something else that he didn’t need anymore. But Danny couldn’t find anything in the back bedroom that he could bear to part with, even for Curt. Then he found the box of dishes. The mysterious box of dishes.
5
When they had combined their two sets of belongings, many items were put into the second bedroom of their new apartment to be sifted through later. A box marked “Flowered dishes” had intrigued Danny.
“That’s just some old dishes.”
“Well, let’s get them out and use them.”
“No, there too old. And there isn’t a complete set. Just put them over there. I’ll find someplace to put them.”
Jenny placed the box in her old Girl Scout sleeping bag and placed them on the floor in a corner. And that’s where Danny had found them, under the skis, a Scrabble game and a storage bag of summer clothes.
6
He remembered that one of the gals at work, Darlene, he thought, had sold a set of
dishes on eBay for a couple hundred dollars. Jenny’s might be worth that much. She must not want them. We never use them. Who knows, I might get more than I need and I can give her the balance.
He took the box to work, scanned the markings on the bottom of one of the plates and wrote up a listing. “Three large plates, three small plates, three bowls. Marked ‘Lenox 1937’.” The bids came in fast and furious. He had made over $900. Just enough for Curt, a CD system for his car, and a little left over for Jenny.
7
On Christmas morning, Danny had regressed over 30 years. He couldn’t wait to go downstairs and unwrap Curt. But Jenny had this crazy idea about looking good for each other before starting the holiday. So Curt had showered and shaved, and was impatiently waiting for Jenny to finish fixing her hair. Eventually, wearing their brand new holiday flannel pajamas, they went downstairs to open their Christmas gifts.
Jenny went first. A sweater set from her Mom in Florida. Cash from her Father in Arizona. Picture frames from her sister. A really ugly Japanese figurine from her favorite uncle who traveled the world with Exxon. And a big box of Calafalon pots and pans from her loving husband (that got a suprisingly unenthusiastic reaction). And another box that read “To Jenny from Danny.”
Jenny put the box in her lap. “I saw these in that giant antique center by the mall.” She said. “I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been looking for these for years, So I traded . . .”
Danny stopped listening. Jenny had opened the box and removed one large flowered plate, one small flowered plate and one flowered bowl. And he was sure that if he turned one over it would say “Lenox 1937.”
“. . . and this china is the only thing that Grandma was able to save. So I really have you to thank for this. I’m going to go get the rest of the set.” Jenny jumped up, kissed Danny on the forehead and headed to the back bedroom.
8
In the 13 seconds between this kiss on his forehead and Jenny calling out “Have you seen the box marked “flowered dishes”. Danny had figured it out. Jenny had said “. . . traded your old baseball shirts from the back bedroom. You never wear them, so I thought you wouldn’t mind.” Danny picked up the brightly wrapped Curt Gibson autographed Detroit Tigers jersey and walked slowly to the back bedroom.
9
Years later, the property manager at Oaken Acres Apartment Village, still tells the story of the big Christmas morning fight when he shows 2C.
Merry Christmas
The greatest gift my parents gave me was my love of reading. O. Henry was one of my favorite authors, because of the surprize endings to his short stories. My favorite story was "The Gifts of the Magi," In this tale written around the turn of the century, our heroine sells her beautiful long black hair to buy a chain for her husband's pocket watch as a Christmas present. Con Christmas morning, she learns that he sold his watch to buy her a set of tortoise-shell combs that she had been admiring in a store front for months.
Shortly after mailing my 2004 homage to Charles Dickens, I began thinking about this story. A radio interview with Sparty anderson and Curt Gibson was the last inspiration I needed, the story was completed in July. And, yes, I am a Detroit Tiger fan; no, I do not own any jerseys.
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