The Gift Giver

The new oddball is class is about to give third-grader Gracie Gimbler some of the most horrifying gifts she's ever received. But with a little patience and an open heart, Gracie is about to learn that gifts aren't always what they seem.

 

THE GIFT GIVER

By

Paul-Anthony Navarro

 

Gracie Gimbler winced as her mother tugged at her shiny, gold hair. “I don’t know how you manage to get so many knots in your hair in the span of eight hours,” said her mother. “You know that’s the best pillow money can buy?”

“I don’t know how.”

When her mother finished with the brush, Gracie handed her the blue ribbons.

“Those are getting a little worn,” said her mother as she reached into the vanity. “Wouldn’t you rather wear the pink ones?”

“But Daddy gave me these.” Her mother took a breath and put the pink ribbons back in the drawer.

 

***

 

Gracie liked the sound her patent leather shoes made as they clicked and clacked on the wooden walkway leading up to the school. Occasionally she would skip, using her mother’s hand for balance. “Stop that, Gracie. You’ll trip and get your dress dirty.” Gracie quickly halted and walked the rest of the way soberly.

“Hello, Gracie.”

“Good morning, Miss Trickle,” answered Gracie as she smiled broadly.

“I can’t wait to hear your report on zebras today.”

“We were working on it until very late,” said Gracie’s mother.

“Well, Gracie has always been one of my best students. I’m sure she’ll do a wonderful job.”

Gracie took her lunchbox from her mother’s grasp and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Hi, Gracie…Hello, Gracie…Come talk to us, Gracie,” could be heard coming from all corners of the hall as Gracie entered the school.

 

***

 

Gracie sat down in her front row seat exactly two minutes before the final bell. She lifted the lid of her desk and put two, newly sharpened pencils in her tray and took out the two dull pencils. She placed the dull ones in the corner of her lunchbox, anchored by her thermos. She made sure that her dress laid flat on her seat so as to minimize the wrinkles and then waited patiently for class to begin.

The rest of the children raced to their seats as the bell rang but Rufus Minly didn’t take his usual seat at Gracie’s side.

“Yes, Gracie,” called Miss Trickle to Gracie’s raised hand.

“Where’s Rufus?”

“His mother called and he’ll be out sick today.”

Gracie suddenly got a glimpse of the perfect day. The desks in the classroom were all connected two by two, but with Rufus gone there would be no dirty shoes kicking into her stockings under the table, no flavorless bubblegum being slipped under her desk, and no ugly faces being made while Miss Trickle’s back is turned. Gracie took her lunch box off of the floor and smiled as she placed it gently on the chair beside her.

“I know all of you have been very anxious to give your reports,” Miss Trickle started. “Do I have any volunteers?”

Gracie’s hand shot up and as she looked around the room, she realized hers was the only hand raised.

“Well, thank you Gracie. You may take the podium.”

Gracie stood up and brushed the creases out of her dress. She walked to the podium and swung her ponytails extra hard to command the attention of the room. She opened up her folder and took a deep breath. “Zebras….”

The back door of the classroom swung open. The children gasped at the sight of the gaunt woman with the sunken eyes. “It’s the old witch, Matilda Parker,” the whispers scattered across the room like a bag of dropped marbles. The old woman lived alone on the outskirts of town, came to the store only once a month for supplies, and never uttered an unnecessary word to anyone. What else could the children think?

“May I help you?” asked Miss Trickle.

“My niece is to begin school here today.”

“Your niece?” A girl’s head slowly peered out from behind the slender figure.

“Come out, child,” ordered Mrs. Parker. The girl stepped to the side. She was almost an exact replica of the so-called witch, but just one quarter the size. She had Matilda’s flat and narrow frame, the same stringy, black hair, and even sunken, lifeless eyes. “This is her. She’s been registered. She has her own lunch.” The girl raised her brown bag to show the teacher.

“What’s her name?” asked Miss Trickle.

“Her name’s Liesel. Liesel Lurchin.”

“Welcome, Liesel. We’re glad to have you in our class. What do we say to our new student, class?”

“Welcome to our classroom, Liesel. We’re going to be great friends,” said the class. But, there was no heart in it. Everyone could see that the girl was like her aunt. Different. Mysterious. Maybe even a witch.

“I’ll be back,” said Matilda unceremoniously before she turned and walked out.

“Well, Liesel. Why don’t you come sit up front in Rufus’ seat and we’ll find you a permanent seat later. Miss Trickle led Liesel to Rufus’ seat and Gracie rushed to grab her lunchbox, not wanting the stranger to touch it. “Thank you, Gracie. It’s very nice of you to move your things,” said Miss Trickle.

Gracie went on to give her speech about zebras. It was the best she had ever done, she thought. Her resources were accurate, her illustrations utterly artistic, and her delivery was flawless. But no one paid any attention. Every student watched the new girl out of the corner of their eye, waiting for her to do something fantastically evil, or at least something out of the ordinary.

 

***

 

Just before the final school bell, Miss Trickle pulled Gracie aside. “You did a wonderful job today, Gracie. I was wondering if you’d do me a favor, since your report is finished.”

“Did I get an A?” she asked.

“Of course. I never knew zebras were so fascinating.”

Gracie beamed. “What can I do to help?”

“I would like you to help Liesel get started on her project. She’s going to need a good friend to help her through these first few weeks and I don’t know of anyone who’d make a better helper than you.”

Gracie forced a smile onto her face. “I’ll help in any way I can.”

“Good girl. I’m going to talk to Mrs. Parker and arrange things with your mother, and then maybe she can go to your house tonight. Won’t that be nice?”

“I’ll help in any way I can,” Gracie repeated.

Miss Trickle huddled with Mrs. Parker and Gracie’s mother and they all quietly discussed the issue at hand. Liesel stood behind her aunt and clung to the woman’s skirt while Gracie stood at full attention at her mother’s side. Occasionally Liesel would peek out from behind her aunt and the two girls’ eyes would meet causing Liesel to dodge back under cover.

“Wonderful, then it’s settled,” said Miss Trickle.

Gracie’s nails reflexively dug into her mother’s thigh, “Owe! Gracie, what’s the matter with you?”

 

***

 

A heavy knock came at the door. Gracie and her mother went to the door where Mrs. Parker stood with her niece at her side. “I will be back in one and a half hours.” She put Liesel’s hand in Gracie’s mother’s hand and walked away.

“Well,” said Gracie’s mother. “Would you like something to eat, Liesel?” Liesel nodded her head. “Gracie, why don’t you take Liesel to the kitchen table and get started. I’ll bring you two a snack.”

“Yes, Momma.”

Gracie led Liesel to the table where Gracie had boxes of crayons, markers, different colored pencils, all sorts of paper, rulers, and a complete set of The Illustrated Encyclopedia for Children. Liesel’s eyes grew large and she slowly reached for a crayon.

“Do you know what color you want?”

Liesel shook her head.

“Do you have something to color on?”

Liesel shook her head.

“Do you know what you want to color?”

Liesel shook her head.

“Then don’t touch the crayons.”

Gracie sat down and grabbed a single piece of paper and a newly sharpened pencil. “Sit.” Liesel climbed into the nearest chair. “What do you want to do your report on?” Liesel simply looked down. “You have to tell me if I’m going to help you. What animals do you like best?” Gracie began to grow impatient. “Lions? Bears? Lizards?”

“I like c-c-cats,” said Liesel.

“C-c-cats? Well I never met a cat I liked. You can’t think of anything better than that? Use your imagination. What about an eagle or a pterodactyl? You know what a pterodactyl is, don’t you?”

Liesel shook her head.

“Well I don’t know how I’m supposed to help you if the only thing you can come up with is a c-c-cat. I’ll just have to choose for you.”

Gracie began to look through her stack of encyclopedias for a suitable subject when a raised voice came from the other room. Both girls looked up and could see Gracie’s mother shouting into the phone. “It’s no big deal,” said Gracie. “It’s just my dad.” Gracie continued to sift through the pages and finally slammed her finger down on a picture. “There it is! A sloth. It’s just perfect for you.”

“Wh-wh-wh….”

“What’s a sloth? It’s an animal that moves slowly and likes to hide in the dark.” Gracie’s mother walked into the room with a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk. “There you go girls.”

“Are you alright, Momma?”

“Don’t be silly, I’m fine.” Gracie’s mother sniffled and turned away quickly. “You girls eat your cookies and do your work, now.”

Gracie twisted her pencil in her hand until it broke. She then looked over at Liesel and saw those sunken eyes staring at her. “Don’t look at me.”

 

***

 

Gracie walked into the classroom two minutes before the bell rang and found Liesel already in Rufus’ seat. “Hmf.” She approached the front row and the click and clack of her patent leather shoes caught Liesel’s ear. Liesel turned and watched Gracie as she approached. “You know, Rufus’ is probably going to be back today so you’ll have to take another…. Ahhh!”

Gracie’s scream brought the other children and Miss Trickle rushing into the room. “Gracie, what’s the matter?” asked Miss Trickle. Gracie pointed a shaky finger toward her chair on which stood a petrified feline—back arched, tale up, teeth in a perpetual hiss. “What is this?”

“It’s that girl,” said Gracie. “She brought it in to scare me.”

“Is it real?” asked Stevie Piper.

“It’s stuffed, like they do with a dear head,” said Mary Winters.

“Liesel,” said Miss Trickle. “We don’t bring in dead animals to class.”

“She’s horrible,” cried Gracie.

“That will be enough, Gracie. Liesel, please remove that cat from the school room.”

Liesel picked up the dead animal and placed it outside. Rufus remained sick for another day, so Gracie spent the day shuffling in her seat and trying to avoid the terrifying gaze of her new desk partner.

 

***

 

After school, Gracie sat on the stoops of the school, retying the blue ribbons in her hair.

“Is your mother late?” asked Miss Trickle.

“No. My daddy’s picking me up today,” Gracie said with a great big smile.

“I have to finish some work inside if you’d like to wait in the classroom?”

“No thanks.”

Slowly the herd of children thinned as parents shuffled their young off to home until only Gracie and Liesel remained.

“What are you looking at?” asked Gracie.

Liesel looked down at the ground.

Gracie waited for what seemed like an eternity, especially with the horrid little girl standing just a few feet away. Gracie just knew she was being watched. She could feel those dark eyes on the back of her neck.

“Haven’t you got something better to do?”

“My auntie w-w-will be late,” replied Liesel.

“She’s probably busy casting spells.” Liesel walked inside the classroom, but watched Gracie from the window.

Gracie’s mother finally walked up to the school. “Your father has urgent business.”

“But Daddy promised to….”

“I know. But some things can’t be helped. He really wanted to come.” Gracie’s eye’s filled with tears as her mother led her away.

 

***

 

The next morning, Gracie found Liesel sitting in Rufus’ seat once again. Gracie waited in the back of the room for the other children to come in with the bell, assuming there was safety in numbers. When the bell finally rang, she walked slowly toward her seat, eying the strange little girl all the way. Finding nothing on, under, or around her desk, Gracie finally sat down.

“Quiet please,” said Miss Trickle. “Today we’re going find out all about the history of our town, so I want everyone to take out their notepads.”

“Ahhh!”

“Gracie, what’s the matter?”

Gracie stood with her eyes wide and her uvula wiggling in the back of her throat. “There’s a dead man in my desk!”

“A what?” Miss Trickle walked over to Gracie’s desk and lifted the lid. Inside was surely a photograph of a dead man with pale face, and dressed in his Sunday best.

“Did someone put this in Gracie’s desk?” Miss Trickle demanded of the class.

“She did it!” said Gracie. “She wants to see me go crazy.”

“Liesel, did you put this photograph in Gracie’s desk?”

Liesel looked down at the ground and nodded her head. Miss Trickle handed Liesel the picture and took her by the shoulder. “I want you to sit on the bench in the back of the room and we’ll talk about this at recess.”

“She’s evil. Evil!”

“That will be enough, Gracie.”

 

***

 

The children rushed out to recess at their usual time, but Liesel remained in the room. Miss Trickle sat next to the girl on the back bench. “I want to talk to you about this picture. It wasn’t very nice of you to put it in Gracie’s desk. Do you want to tell me why you did it?”

There was a ruckus outside the window and children began to shout. Miss Trickle looked outside to find Stevie Piper and Mike Zane locked in mortal combat next to the drinking fountain. “I’ll be right back,” said Miss Trickle. “You stay right there.”

Liesel stood on the bench and watched the incident from the window. Miss Trickle had a hard time pulling the boys apart and eventually had to take them by the ears to the principal’s office. Gracie and Mary Winters came over to the drinking fountain and Liesel crouched down to avoid being seen, but she could hear the girls as if they were right next to her.

“We’re going to pick him up today. We’ve got him all picked out,” said Mary.

“I wish I could have a puppy,” said Gracie.

“I thought your dad was going to get you one.”

“My mother said they’re messy and they give her allergies.”

“What’s an allergy?”

“Something parents make up so you don’t get a puppy.”

The girls got their drink and ran back to play with the others. Liesel hopped off of the bench and looked around the room. She looked in closets and under desks but couldn’t find just the right thing. She finally saw it sitting on top of Miss Trickle’s desk, a jar. She rushed over and emptied all the pencils and pens and then began to investigate the corners of the classroom.

The recess bell rang and Liesel rushed back to her desk, tucking the jar under her seat. All the children shuffled back in, huffing and puffing and sharing laughter. Gracie finally took her seat and was surprised to see Liesel back at Rufus’ desk.

“I told you not to look at me,” said Gracie.

Liesel reached under her chair, pulled out the jar and held it in front of Gracie’s face. Gracie screamed so loud that Mary Winters tripped and Cindy Abbers had to cover her ears. Miss Trickle ran back into the room followed by the secretary and the vice principal. Gracie ran into Miss Trickles arms.

“What’s the matter?”

Gracie pointed to Liesel who was still holding the jar out into the air. Miss Trickle walked up to the front of the room and studied the jar. “Is that my pencil jar?” she said as she grabbed it from Liesel’s hand. “Young lady, what gives you the right to….Ahhh!” Miss Trickle held the jar out as far away from her face as she could, for glaring at her from the other side of the glass was a big, hairy, eight-legged beast with more eyes than she cared to count. “Liesel!” said Miss Trickle. Liesel knew she had crossed a line and ran out the door.

 

***

 

After school, Gracie found herself, along with her mother and Miss Trickle, sitting with Mrs. Parker on the bench at the back of the classroom.

“I apologize for the actions of my niece and that she has caused some trouble.”

“It’s more than trouble,” said Gracie’s mother. “That girl has purposefully terrorized my sweet, little Gracie. I think expulsion is entirely necessary.”

“I don’t think we need to go that far,” said Miss Trickle.

“I know people on the school board. This is completely outrageous behavior and it needs to be dealt with harshly.”

“What exactly did my little niece do?” asked Mrs. Parker.

Miss Trickle pulled out the offending items and placed them on a nearby desk. “Liesel purposefully placed these things in and around Gracie’s desk to scare her.” Mrs. Parker examined the items in question and the old woman’s eyes began to water. “What is it?” asked Miss. Trickle.

“My niece, she came to me because her parents, my brother and his wife, recently passed away in a fire. Liesel was only able to save a few things. This old stuffed cat used to be hers. Waddles, I believe his name was. She was so sad when he died so my brother, being a taxidermist, preserved the cat for her.”

“Well, what about the picture of the dead man?” asked Gracie’s mother.

“This? He’s not dead. My brother hated having his picture taken so the only time we could get a photo of him was when he was asleep. I have an album full of pictures and my dear brother is asleep in every one! This picture used to sit at her bedside.”

“But the spider…,” added Miss Trickle.

“The spider? I don’t know. She asked me for a cat but I told her my allergies would be aggravated, so the girl collects spiders. It seemed harmless enough.”

“She must have heard me when I said I couldn’t have a puppy,” said Gracie.

Mrs. Parker bent her long and rusted frame all the way over until she met with Gracie eye to eye. “These things that my dear Liesel has given to you, they are the most prized possessions in her life. If you don’t want them, I can understand, but it would seem a shame to give up such gifts.” Mrs. Parker stood up and walked towards the door. “Am I needed any longer? I must find my niece.”

“I think we’re done here,” said Miss Trickle.

Mrs. Parker walked out the door. Gracie walked up to the stuffed Waddles and stroked his back. “Can I keep him Momma?”

 

***

 

Gracie opened up her desk and replaced her two dull pencils with two newly sharpened ones, placing the dull pencils in the corner of her lunch box anchored by the thermos. She heard the children begin to yell outside and could not mistake the husky, wheezy laughter of Rufus Minly. She stood up on the bench in the back of the class and brushed the hair out of her face to see Liesel trapped in Rufus’ shadow. Rufus held Liesel’s brown paper lunch bag in his pudgy fist. “What’s the n-n-new girl gonna do, c-c-cry?”

Gracie rushed outside and stood between Rufus and Liesel. “Rufus Minly, you give that back!”

“And what are you gonna do about….” Gracie’s petite fist landed squarely on Rufus’ jaw. The boy fell onto his back and began to cry. Gracie saw Miss Trickle turn her head and cover her mouth.

Gracie grabbed Liesel by the hand and led her into the classroom, sitting her down in Rufus’ seat. “If he so much as looks at you, you tell me.”

The morning bell rang and all the children came running into the classroom.

“Miss Trickle, that girl’s in my seat,” said Rufus. Liesel began to scoot off the chair and Gracie reached over and held her hand.

“Just sit on the back bench for now, Rufus,” said Miss Trickle. “We’ll figure something else out this afternoon.” Miss Trickle grabbed a book off the shelf and stood in front of the class. “Alright, class. We’re going to continue with the history of our town today so take out your notes.

Gracie opened her desk and encouraged Liesel to do the same. Liesel lifted the lid and inside was a small box. “Open it,” whispered Gracie. Liesel opened up the box and inside were two pretty, blue ribbons. “They’re for your hair,” said Gracie.

Liesel smiled.

Reviews

[A sea person]

Thank you for submitting this to my contest! Sorry it took so long for me to get around to reading it! :)

Great job!

v.r.
a-sea-person

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Congratulations for winning the Heart-Warming-Christmas Contest!

Sal

[LSS]

Very nice touching story, brought a tear to my eyes. Our normal assumptions often cloud our sound reasons and don't allow for any questions as to why others do what they do. This not only makes that non judgmental point but also reminds of our duties.
LSS

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

I loved this story. You caught my interest from the beginning and held it to the end. Very well done.

Author: Nancy Lee Shrader

[hhoosh]

Loved it!
I don't know if you wrote this to have a children's-theme, but for me it did. I really like the simple wording, and the actions seem almost cartoon-ish and go along perfectly with the story.
I loved Gracie! Her little smug and puffy attitude is displayed perfectly and really displays the characteristics of a stuck-up little girl who does, though, have many other things on her mind and reason behind her grumpiness.
Liesel was my favorite though. She's not weird, she's not crude, she's not cliche. She is Liesel, and she is lovely.

I really did not find any flaws with this. The narrative was perfect, the characters were fantastic, the mystery of Gracie's parents is fine how it is, and the setting's were simple but vivid.

Honestly, great job. You clearly have a craft of your own.

nice read, i really enjoyed it
-ST