When you have flu.”
She hadn’t realized how clever Madge was. Olivia had left sealing wax and a Sheridan signet. Dit’s card was almost as good as a present. Under the greeting she had written, “To my Prep.” At first glance Mimi had interpreted the back handed phrase as “To my Pup.” She laughed aloud. She was reading the cards a second time. Surely that was all the packages but she was wrong. The too big surprise was coming up the steps now. Such a big box Mrs. Cole was having the janitor bring it up. Plop! He put it down beside Mimi’s bed.
“That’s right.” Mrs. Cole was directing behind him. “That’s the girl.”
“Miss MIMI HAMMOND,” the janitor read slowly.
The only reason Mimi didn’t guess was because, Christmas or any other time she wore an air of expecting-something-nice-to-happen. So often it did.
“Thank you.”
This looked like a crate of oranges. She could make out from the express label that whatever it was, it came from Bowling Green. Grand! Then a wave of suspicion swept over her. This might be a prank. Not too many years ago when Sue played in her first recital, Mimi herself had thought up the joke of sending Sue a box of weeds. Sue, unsuspecting, had opened them before her friends and cried with embarrassment. Come to think of it, Sue had left no present. Maybe——
“I’ll pry the lid off, Miss,” the janitor was saying as he reached in his hip pocket for a hammer.
The squeak of the first nail drawn commanded silence. Every one in the room who could be up out of bed hovered near. The others sat up and craned their necks. Mimi with one hand held her robe together at the throat and with the other was squeezing the end of the pillow behind her back into a tight ball. Hurry, janitor, hurry but don’t get a splinter in your finger.
When he pulled the top off, the first thing Mimi saw was oranges, a whole half crate of them. It was a joke after all. Anyone with any sense would know that after four days of flu she never wanted to see an orange again. But what was under the red tissue covering the other half? One hand to her head to guard against dizzying weakness, Mimi peeked under the red paper. Presents, a whole array of them daintily tied up in green cellophane with silver ribbons and stars; almost the green and white of Sheridan. Mimi’s hands shook as she opened the note which lay unsealed atop the presents: