#stevenquartz

“That’s not reassuring.” Dewy mumbled as Huey marched up to the brothers, snow flying in his path.

“You need to come inside and get warm.” Dewy was pulled up from his failed attempt at a snow angel as Huey started dragging him through the snow. “I don’t know why these teachers think it’s a great idea for us to be outside while it snows.”

“Huey, he’s fine. It was just a sneeze, alright?” Louie said from where he was trying to fix the base of the pig-chicken snowman.

“No, it’s not alright! If Dewy gets sick, you and Uncle Donald and me will and it’s almost Christmas-”

Dewy interjected, “It’s the 15th, not Christmas yet-.”

 “That’s not the point! We can’t afford to get sick this year, okay-”

 Louie turned away from his pig-chicken snowman that was now just a pile of slushy snow. “What do you mean we ‘can’t afford to get sick’? What’s going on?”

Huey sighed and let go of Dewy’s arm. “It’s not really for me to say.”

Dewy said “What’s not for you to say?” the same time Louie stated “It’s about Uncle Donald, right?”

Huey looked at both of his brother’s and sat down in the snow. Keeping secrets was not his strong suit.

“Look, I don’t know why, but the other day when I went by the fast food place he wasn’t there. The manager said she had to fire him, and well, customer service isn’t his strong suit.”

Huey drew squiggles and swirls in the snow, not looking at his brother’s anymore.

“He doesn’t want us to worry, especially this close to Christmas, and if there’s not a steady source of income then we won’t really be able to pay for antibiotics and medicine. I’m sure he’s looking for a job but if he has to worry about us getting sick and then he gets sick-”

Arms came around Huey’s shoulders and he looked over to see Dewy and Louie sitting next to him.

“Look, I’m not sick. Just a little sneezy, okay.” Dewy said as his voice came out a bit too nasally, “And Uncle Donald is gonna get a great job and we’re gonna have a great Christmas.”  

“And even if he doesn’t, Christmas will still be great.” Louie said squeezing his brothers shoulders.

Their teacher called the class from the playground. Recess was over.  Kids rushed away from the cold and into the warmth of the school. And an idea began to form in Louie’s mind involving a hat, some cards, and a quick scheme to make money.

On the way home from school, Louie sat squished between his brothers on the school bus. He almost dropped his phone when there was a bump in the road. And now he got hit by a train on Subway surfers. Great.

Louie glanced over at his brothers and decided to speak his idea. “What if we did a secret Santa thing, where we each get one of us to get a present so Uncle Donald won’t worry.”

“Would we have a price limit, or would it just be a general rule not to get expensive stuff?” Huey asked.

“I don’t know how it’s gonna work, but we’re definitely asking Uncle Donald ‘bout it. Cause it’s a good idea.” Dewy said.

Snow fell down and flurried around the bus. Christmas was going to work out after all, Huey thought, and for a moment everything was calm.

 Huey raced off the bus and into the house boat. By the time Dewy and Louie got inside, Huey had colored pens and index cards spread out on the dining table.

“So each person has an individual index card with their name.” He held out four folded index cards and placed them in his red hat. “Each of us will pick a card, but if you pick yourself we’ll have to start over, so try not to do that.”

Donald, who was putting away groceries in the kitchen area, smiled as Huey held his hat out to him.

“You can pick first, Uncle Donald!”

He picked a slip of paper and opened it.

“Umm, I got myself. Do I put it back or…?” Donald said, scratching the side of his head.

“Just pick again.” Louie called out from the dining table.

Grabbing a second piece of paper, Donald looked at it and gave a tense smile. Sprawled across the whole card was ‘DEWY’ in bright blue ink. Dewy was not the easiest to shop for, but he might find something good at the second hand music shop around the corner.

Louie picked a card next, and opened it to find Uncle Donald written in deep blue ink. Uncle Donald didn’t really need anything except maybe for a new suit for job interviews. A plan began to form in Louie’s mind. All he would need is to go over the previously agreed upon ten dollar limit.

Dewy glanced over at Louie, who had a suspicious smirk that made Dewy nervous. That smirk never held good things for the future. Reaching into the bowl, Dewy grabbed a card and immediately knew that this quest was doomed. Red letters splayed across the index card spelling out ‘HUEY’. And Huey was the hardest person to think up gifts for. Anything that Dewy thought of for Huey was something nerdy or about the Junior Woodchucks. And he already had all the Woodchucks stuff he had.