Petra the Small Ch. 04

"Honey, your Momma is here in a nice bus. Were bringing her right up to the door."

Petra asked the DJ to give her a mike and turn up the sound.

"People, people. My Momma just arrived. The bus will pull right up to the door. We want her to sit at this table." She pointed. "And let's be quiet until she arrives, OK?"

The barn got quiet and people moved to the sides making a path for Momma. The white bus stopped right in front and the driver began assisting the old folks off the bus. First off was Margreta whose face was bright and beaming. She focused in on Petra and they walked toward each other. The crowd watched for a few steps when a child's voice was heard, breaking the silence.

"Happy Birthday to you..."

All the people in the barn began to sing. They didn't sing softly or slowly. They sang in joy and happiness. They were sharing in the joy and happiness of the two tiny women standing hugging in the middle of the barn. When the last words were sung everyone clapped and cheered.

Petra was afraid to let go of her mother. Not because her mother was old and frail, because she was overcome with the love and joy coming to them from all sides. Margreta held on too, savoring another hug from the daughter she had missed for so long.

Tom stood near the entrance to the barn. Tears fell from his face, unnoticed. His eyes were focused on Petra and Momma. He no longer thought of Margreta as anything except Momma.

The song ended and Harvey stood beside Tom and put his arm around Tom's shoulders.

"Almost too much to take in isn't it?"

Tom looked at his friend, his brother and said, "My heart and my soul are very full."

"We'll take care of the parking. You go be with Petra and Momma." He let go and turned, walking back out to the outside. Tom walked through the crowd and then helped get Momma and Petra to the seats of honor. No one needed to tell anyone what to do next, but the DJ did. He announced that it was time to eat! People picked up plates and plastic tools and attacked the hundreds of homemade casseroles, salads, vegetables, ethnic dishes, fried, baked and bar-b-qued chicken, pork and beef. Sabrina brought Momma a plate and a plate for Petra. Emma brought a bigger plate for Tom.

All during dinner people stopped by and thanked Momma for inviting them to her party, thanked Petra for sharing her joy with everyone, and gave Petra and Momma presents. Momma took a gift, thanked the giver and unwrapped it. Her eyes were like the eyes of a young child at their first big Christmas.

After the present was open she said to the giver: "Honey, I so appreciate the way you say I love you. I really don't need anything. Would it be OK with you if we find a family or a person that needs this and they can keep it for me?" The folks never said "No." In the course of the next two hours Momma and Petra unwrapped over a hundred gifts. The DJ brought Petra a microphone and Petra called for all the other ninth of September birthdays to come forward. There were eleven of them. Each was told to pick four gifts from the gifts that Momma and Petra had unwrapped. Then Petra and Momma conferred and Petra called for all the September birthdays to come up. Somehow there were exactly enough presents for each September birthday to take home two gifts. There was one present left. It had been hidden under the table by Tom. He brought it out and handed it to Momma.

The family gathered around as did all the people who lived with Momma. She tore the paper and discovered two 8x10 picture frames. One held a picture of Momma at the moment she first saw Petra in the living room of her home. The other was a picture of both women hugging that first time.

Tears fell from hundreds of eyes and Petra and Momma led the rain fall. Hugs happened all over the barn and the DJ made it a stronger moment. He started playing a song, "Lovin' Arms" sung by the Dixie Chicks. Couples danced. Couples held each other and sang along. Couples kissed and cried and told each other they loved each other. Tom moved to sit between Petra and Momma. He hugged them and told them both he loved them.

When the song ended the DJ announced that it was time for clean up. He told people to save their forks as the best was still to come. All the plates and trash were taken out to the dumpster by the trash can load. In less than ten minutes dinner for four hundred was cleaned up. All the serving dishes were back in the vehicles that they came in and Petra and Momma were escorted to the tables where the birthday cakes were lined up. All the people with birthdays on the ninth came forward and each cut their cake for family, friends and new friends to eat. The DJ thanked the baker for his fine work. Happy Birthday was sung again. One large candle was put in Momma's cake and the birthday people gathered and together they blew out the candle.

The DJ played dance music outside until about one in the morning. When he finally stopped playing he was invited to spend the night in the camper on a pick up owned by a single woman who had been in town three months and up until this night didn't know anyone very well.

When the dancing had started Momma took Tom by the hand and pulled him outside. She danced one slow song with him, kissed him on the cheek and told both he and Petra it was time for her and her friends to go home. The bus was brought to the door and the residents of the McMillan Assisted Living home got aboard. The director stood by the door to the bus. She helped some of her people get aboard. Some were holding hands as they walked to the bus. All carried tissues. As the bus pulled away people waved and called out to them.

Tom and Petra danced and held each other whether there was music or not. Eventually they sat down.

"Honey, what you did tonight was create a miracle."

"I don't see how I did much of anything. Everyone came together. Everyone did this."

"You and Momma were what we needed to pull it all together. Did you feel the energy in here all night?"

"It felt really good to me. I don't know about everyone."

Sabrina, Buck, and Jerry walked up. Jenny ran to catch up. She snuggled into Jerry and they all pulled up chairs and sat with Petra and Tom.

Jerry spoke first: "Final count was a hundred and ninety seven vehicles. The best estimate on the people was just over four hundred."

Jenny said, "Best estimate is three hundred thousand kisses in five hours. Not bad for a small town in New Mexico."

Buck spoke, slowly. "I'm glad I was here to see this. If I had heard about it sitting in jail I wouldn't have believed it." Sabrina hugged him.

"I'm glad you were here too. I love you Buck!"

"I love you too Sabrina." He paused, looking at each of the family sitting around him. "I love every one of you."

"I think Momma had a good birthday."

"You think!?" Everyone laughed. They talked for a little while longer and then Petra got up and started picking up the little bit that hadn't been picked up before people left. Jerry stopped her.

"You and Tom go home. I have a crew coming in at noon to restore Gilbert and Emma's farm back to working order." Hugs and kisses were shared and everyone went home.