The Street Rat 204

“Ho-ho-ho,” Eddie bellowed as he tickled Alex and Tomas, waking them up on Christmas morning. 

They woke up giggling, not only from being tickled but also at seeing Eddie with a face full of a shaving cream beard standing above them. 

Maria groaned and pulled a pillow over her head as the boys giggled. Eddie raised his eyebrows at the boys and jerked his head toward their sister. All three jumped to wake Maria. 

“I’m up, I’m up.” 

Her voice was muffled by the pillow still over her head as Alex and Tomas rolled off, laughing. 

Maria sat up as Eddie wiped away the shaving cream from his face with a smile. She rolled her eyes and crawled out of bed, then walked across the bare room to the small bathroom. 

When she returned, they gathered around their Christmas ‘tree’, a big branch Eddie had found two days earlier with a few leaves still attached. Two plastic bags under the tree marked presents Eddie and Maria had been able to pick up for the boys. The tree itself was decorated with colorful flyers Maria had found being handed out on the street and that Tomas and Alex had helped cut into shapes. 

Maria pulled a box out from under the bed. It was one of the few belongings she had held onto since they started living on the streets, making it from the backpack to the motel. It was a small wooden box with wooden figures inside that had been given as a gift when she was born by a couple at the church her parents had raised them in. 

“This,” she started, lifting a figure and setting it down on the floor in front of her, “is Maria. This is her husband, José. This is the donkey that Maria rode in on.” 

She made a donkey sound that Tomas and Alex giggled at before she explained the rest of the nativity scene. 

The Delgados were devout Catholics. Rosa had them in Mass every week before she went away, and even though they couldn’t go currently, Maria made sure to read the Bible to Tomas and Alex at least once a week and sometimes more. The nativity story was one Maria held close, as Rosa would always recite it with them on Christmas morning. 

Eddie wasn’t too big on the idea of church. He wasn’t raised on it, and it didn’t much appeal to him now. But far be it from him to try and strip hope from those he loved. Hope was hard enough to come by out here, and even if he didn’t believe in God, he knew Maria kept Eddie in her prayers with the rest of them, and he certainly wouldn’t turn away any divine intervention made on his or the Delgados’ behalf.

Maria finished the story and bowed her head to lead her brothers in prayer. Eddie closed his eyes and lowered his head, too. It felt wrong to not do it. 

“Amen,” Maria said when she had finished. 

“Amen,” Tomas and Alex repeated. 

“Now, who wants gifts?” Maria smiled at the two. 

Both raised their hands and bounced. 

“Now,” Maria said as she grabbed the bags out from under the tree, “these won’t be as nice as the ones Mamá would get for us, but Eddie and I did our best. Alex, this one is for you.” She handed him a white plastic bag before handing Tomas a gray one. “And this one is for you.”

The two boys began opening their presents. Tomas worked to untie his bag while Alex just ripped his open. 

“A yo-yo!” Alex yelled, holding up his new toy for everyone to see.

“Do you like it?” Maria asked, rubbing his back. 

“Yes!” he yelled again, turning to give her a hug. “Gracias, Mia,” he said, his voice muffled in her shirt as she continued rubbing his back. 

“Para eso estamos.” She smiled down at him. 

Tomas had finally gotten the bag handles to untie, and he pulled out his present. 

“How did you know I’ve been wanting one?” he asked as he lifted a sketch book and a pack of pencils. 

“We’ve seen you drawing on the napkins and receipts at Sal’s,” Eddie laughed. “Figured you’d like something a bit easier to draw on.”

Tomas rushed his sister and joined Alex in a hug. 

“Get in here, Eddie,” Maria laughed as she hugged them back. “You’re part of this family, too.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Eddie wrapped his arms around them and tackled them to the ground, causing everyone to break into a fit of giggles. 

“Okay, okay,” Maria laughed, “we need to start getting ready to go to Frank and Alice’s.”

Tomas and Alex wrestled free of Eddie and raced to the bathroom. Eddie reached under the bed as Maria picked up the trash Tomas and Alex had left. 

“Merry Christmas, Maria,” he said as he handed her the bag. 

“We said we weren’t getting each other presents.”

“Technically, we just said we weren’t going to buy each other presents. And I didn’t. Open it.”

Maria opened the brown paper bag and reached inside of it. 

“Eddie,” she whispered as she pulled out the locket inside, “when did—where did you—how did you get this?”

“None of that is important. All that matters is I found it, and now you have it.”

“Eddie,” her voice caught as she looked down at the locket in her hand. “I love it.” 

She lowered her head onto Eddie’s shoulder and wrapped him in an embrace. 

“I thought you might.” He smiled and rubbed her back as she hugged him. 

“Are you okay, Mia?” Alex asked, putting a hand on Maria’s arm as Tomas rested his on Alex’s shoulders. 

“Yes, I’m okay,” Maria laughed, wiping away tears. “Eddie just found me the best Christmas present. It’s Mamá’s locket we had to sell a couple years back. He got it back and gave it to me. Now, are you two ready to go get lunch?”

“Yeah!” they both answered, bouncing as they waited for Maria and Eddie to finish getting ready. Maria took a moment to put the locket on and drop it down the front of her shirt.

“Grab your coats,” Maria told them as they all readied to walk out the door. 

The Christmas morning wind was freezing in Sanders as they hurried down the few blocks separating them from Frank and Alice’s. Gray mounds of snow the same shade as the Sanders sky lined the streets. By the time they arrived, each face had turned red from the cold. 

“Come in, come in,” Alice greeted them, warmth flooding their bodies as they walked into the house. 

The smell of cooked fish washed over them as they took their coats off.

“I’s jus abouts got the meal ready,” Frank called from the kitchen. “Make yerselves at home while you wait.” 

They followed Alice to the living room, where their two kids played. The oldest, Riley, was almost Alex’s age, while the younger one, Brandon, had just turned two a month earlier. Alex and Tomas walked over to play with their daughter, and Alice picked up the younger boy. 

“How has your Christmas morning been so far?” Alice asked as they got comfortable on the couch. 

“It’s been good,” Maria answered, smiling. “We did the nativity scene and the presents this morning. It was different doing it on our own this year, and I wasn’t able to get the boys as much as they’re used to, but I think everyone had a good time. Eddie found me a locket that had belonged to my mom that we had to sell a few years back, so I couldn’t ask for much more.” 

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Eddie.” 

“It was nothing.” Eddie looked at the kids playing on the ground as he answered. He usually loved being the center of attention, but not so much for this. 

A knock pounded at the door, and Alice rose. A moment later, she walked back in, followed by Archer. 

“What’s he doing here?” Maria asked, her holiday cheer vanishing from her voice as she stared at Eddie. 

He lifted his hands and raised his eyebrows as she glowered at him.

“I’s asked him to come,” Frank said as he brought a plate of food from the kitchen to set down on the dining room table. “It’s Christmas, after all, an’ I figured the more, the merrier! Alls of youse are invited to come to Mass with us tonight. Only if youse wants to, o’ course.”

“We’d love to join you,” Maria answered. 

“I brought some rolls,” Archer said, pulling a bag from behind his back and offering them to Frank. 

“That’s mighty kind of youse, Archer. I’ll puts ’em on the table. Nows, let’s eat while it’s still hot.”

They piled around the table and passed plates to each other as soon as Frank had finished saying grace. 

Snow fell outside the house as Sanders was quiet for once. 

The Street Rat continues with episode 205.

For more stories set in this world, buy The White Knight – out now! Subscribe below to be the first to know when new stories are released!