Alex Harris 00 - Armed

the leftovers would make it that far. It would be more in your father’s style to throw everything out. ‘Less to do,’ he would say,” Mom sighed as she wrapped yet another plate piled high with turkey.
    “I guess. But it doesn’t seem fair.”
    “There. Finished. Now if you girls don’t mind, I’m going to go and put my feet up.” Mom untied her apron and hung it in the pantry.
    I decided a nap might be just what I needed and went in search of a comfortable spot.
    “Harry, it’s going to revolutionize the dentistry profession. A root canal with absolutely no pain,” Michael said from the den, and I thought better of going in there. Once my brother-in-law got started on the newest technology in his field, he could go on forever. Bloody gauze and spit sinks would be the next topics.
    Not wanting to go up to my room, I returned to the kitchen.
    “Can an Eskimo be a vegetarian?”
    “What?” I looked at my sister with total bewilderment, not for the first time in our lives.
    “I said, can an Eskimo be a vegetarian? I thought they lived on seal blubber and stuff.”
    “I haven’t a clue. Why are you asking such a thing?” I walked over and placed a hand on Samantha’s forehead just in case she had something contagious.
    “No reason. I’m just looking at this geography book Santa brought Kendall and well, Alaska looks awfully...white, don’t you think?” She pointed to a picture of the state.
    “I hope you never volunteer your services over at the grammar school when they’re studying the fifty states.”
    “I’m not going to let this Eskimo thing go until I find out.”
    Henry walked into the kitchen “Where do we live?” he asked, looking at the book and taking a chair between us.
    I pulled the book over and started to flip past the various states. I stopped when I came to California.
    “This isn’t Connecticut,” Henry said.
    “I know. I’m just looking. I’d like to go to San Francisco.”
    “We stopped off there and spent a few days on our way to Hawaii,” Sam said. “I liked going over the Golden Gate and looking out to the Pacific. I know we have the Atlantic right at our doorstep, but it looks different. It took my breath away to be there. I think I could live there except for all the brush fires, earthquakes, floods, and people.”
    Henry tried to turn the page, but I pushed his little hand away gently. “Wait a second, Honey.” I bent my head closer to the book.
    “What are you looking at?” Sam asked, popping another cookie into her mouth. “What am I doing? I’m not going to have any room for pie. Henry, put these cookies over there on the counter.” Sam handed her son the plate but not before she grabbed one more.
    I sat back. “Do you know there’s a Redding in Northern California?”
    “So?”
    “Mrs. Scott came from Northern California.”
    Sam threw up her hands and repeated her question.
    “It’s just that I think someone over at Poupée comes from Redding, Connecticut.”
    “Well, lots of states have cities named the same. Take Springfield for example. I think every state has one. And there’s even a Manhattan in Kansas, maybe it’s Missouri. I think you should change into the red pant suit Mom and Dad gave you.”
    “Why should I change…and stop eating? I can’t believe you have any room left inside.”
    “Isn’t John coming over?”
    “Yes, he is. What I’m wearing is just fine. Though my new pantsuit is gorgeous.”
    “I helped Mom pick it out,” Sam said proudly.
    “I’m almost positive someone at Poupée is from Redding.”
    “Well, so what? What does that have to do with anything?”
    I stood up and walked over to the sink. I stood there looking out the window for several minutes. “There’s something there.” I shook my head. “I think we’ve been missing something.”
    “Alex, give it a rest. It’s Christmas. Leave it up to the police. You heard Mom. We could have been hurt. Or arrested for breaking and entering. Though the sight of you with Christmas tree bits springing from between your legs was worth a night in the pokey.” Sam laughed.
    “Mommmmmmmmm!”
    “That’s Kendall.” Sam got up and left the kitchen.
    “Aunt Alex, you never showed me where we live.”
    I sat back down and turned to the pages for Connecticut. I found Indian Cove and put my finger on it, totally obscuring it from view.
    “She doesn’t even talk like the rest of us,” I said, pronouncing it “tawk.”
    “Who doesn’t talk like