Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

voice left. We learned five Christmas carols and three Hanukkah songs-alto and soprano parts. Mostly the boys sang alto and the girls sang soprano. We'd been measured for our new choir robes right after Thanksgiving. The PTA decided the old ones were really worn out. Our new ones would be green instead of black. We all had to carry pencil-sized flashlights instead of candles.

We practiced marching down the halls and into the auditorium singing 'Adeste Fidelis' in English and Latin. We marched in two lines, boys and girls. And naturally in size places. I walked right behind Janie because Ruth had moved away. My partner turned out to be Norman Fishbein. I never looked at him. I just marched looking straight ahead singing very loud.

A week before the pageant Alan Gordon told Mr. Benedict that he wasn't going to sing the Christmas songs because it was against his religion. Then Lisa Murphy raised her hand and said that she wasn't going to sing the Hanukkah songs because it was against her religion.

Mr. Benedict explained that songs were for everyone and had nothing at all to do with religion, but the next day Alan brought in a note from home and from then on he marched but he didn't sing. Lisa sang when we marched but she didn't even move her lips during the Hanukkah songs.

Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. I want you to know I'm giving a lot of thought to Christmas and Hanukkah this year. I'm trying to decide if one might be special for me. I'm really thinking hard God. But so far I haven't come up with any answers.

Our new green choir robes were delivered to school the day before the pageant and were sent home with us to be pressed. The best thing about the pageant, besides wearing the robe and carrying the flashlight, was that I got to sit in the first row of choir seats, facing the audience, which meant that the kindergarten kids were right in front of me. Some of them tried to touch our feet with their feet. One little kid wet his pants during the scene where Mary and Joseph come to the inn. He made a puddle on the floor right in front of Janie. Janie had to keep on singing and pretend she didn't know. It was pretty hard not to laugh.

School closed for vacation right after the pageant. When I got home my mother told me I had a letter.

13

'Margaret-you've got a letter,' my mother called from the studio. 'It's on the front table.'

I just about never get any letters. Probably because I never write anybody back. So I dashed over to the front table and picked it up. Miss Margaret Simon, it said. I turned the envelope around but there was no return address. I wondered who sent it. Wondering made it much more fun than ripping it open and knowing right away. It was probably just an advertisement anyway. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any more I opened it-very slowly and very carefully so I wouldn't rip up the envelope. It was an invitation! I knew right away because of the picture-a bunch of kids dancing around a record. Also, it said, having a party.

Who's having a party, I thought. Who's having a party and invited me? Naturally I could have found out right away. I could have looked inside. But this was better. I considered the possibilities. It couldn't be a PTS because I would have known. It could be somebody I knew from New York or camp, except I hadn't written to any old friends to tell them my new address.

Anyway, the envelope was postmarked New Jersey. Let's see, I thought. Who could it be? Who? Finally, I opened it.

Come on over on Saturday, Dec. 20

from 5 pm to 9 pm (supper)

1334 Whittingham Terrace

Norman Fishbein

'Norman Fishbein!' I yelled. That drip! I never even talked to him. Why would he invite me to his party? Still, a party is a party. And for supper too!

'Hey Mom!' I yelled, running into the studio. My mother was standing away from her canvas, studying her work. Her paint brush was in her mouth, between her teeth. 'Guess what, Mom?'

'What?' she said, not taking the paint brush away.

'I'm invited to a supper party. Here-look-' I showed her my invitation.

She read it. 'Who's Norman Fishbein?' She took the paint brush out of her mouth.

'A kid in my class.'

'Do you like him?'

'He's okay. Can I go?'

'Well… I suppose so.' My mother dabbed some red paint on her canvas. Then the phone rang.

'I'll get it.' I ran into the kitchen and said a breathless hello.

'It's Nancy. Did you get invited?'

'Yes,' I said. 'Did you?'

'Mmm. We all did. Janie and Gretchen too.'

'Can you go?' Sure.

'Me too.'

'I've never been to a supper party,' Nancy said.

'Me either. Should we dress up?' I asked.

'My mother's going to call Mrs. Fishbein. I'll let you know.' She hung up.

Ten minutes later the phone rang again. I answered.

'Margaret. It's me again.'

'I know.'

'You'll never believe this!' Nancy said.

'What? What won't I believe?'

'We're all invited.'

'What do you mean all?'

'Our whole class.'

'All twenty-eight of us?'

'That's what Mrs. Fishbein told my mother.'

'Even Laura?'

'I guess so.'

'Do you think she'll come?' I asked, trying to picture Laura at a party.

'Well, her mother and Mrs. Fishbein work on a lot of committees together. So maybe her mother will make her.'

'How about Philip Leroy?'

'He's invited. That's all I know. And Mrs. Fishbein said definitely party clothes.'

When I hung up I raced back to the studio. 'Mom-our whole class is invited!'

'Your whole class?' My mother put her paint brush down and looked at me.

'Yes. All twenty-eight of us.'

'Mrs. Fishbein must be crazy!' my mother said.

'Should I wear my velvet, do you think?'

'It's your best. You might as well.'

On the day of the party I talked to Nancy six times, to Janie three times and to Gretchen twice. Nancy called me back every time she changed her mind about what to wear. And each time she asked me if I was still wearing my velvet. I told her I was. The rest of the time we made our arrangements. We decided that Nancy would sleep over at my house and that Gretchen would sleep over at Janie's. Mr. Wheeler would drive us all to the party and