My Cardboard Balcony

The Devil Wore A Bowler by Belinda Roddie The devil wore a bowler Christmas eve and twirled a cane tipped with silver. He curled his fingers around the door knob and pulled ever so slightly to ensure entry into the tiny apartment. He found a young mother rocking her weary child to heavy sleep beside the neon tree and half a dozen presents lined up nice and neat in a short row. The devil stopped to pull a small comb from his coat and slick his mustache into perfect shape. He left a parcel wrapped in red and green paper with gold ribbon on top. The devil's gift would leave the household quite awfully sick.

"Franky!" my mother stammered. "Where are your manners?" I furrowed my brow at the question. I hadn't done anything wrong; I had merely slipped my hand across my girlfriend's knee, keeping it from shaking, due to her being so nervous. My other hand had never let go of my fork, which was loaded with mashed potatoes. "I'm sorry?" I asked. She kept glaring at me as if expecting me to read her mind. My father cleared his throat in order to diffuse the silence.