A Gift for Elizabeth

                Allie and her mom went to the hospital to see Elizabeth, Allie’s big sister. She was      

sick with a bad disease called Cancer, and had lost all her beautiful blond curls. She was bald.

“No more tangles,” Elizabeth said, sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed.

Allie had promised herself she’d be brave like her sister and say something cheery, but all she could do was stare.   

It was the week before Christmas and Allie was sad.  Her mom and dad were worried, and though they tried to be cheerful, there wasn’t much joy in the house.  One night Allie said her prayers: “God, please help Elizabeth get well, and help me think of something special I can do for her.”

Sure enough, the next morning, Allie woke up with an idea.  She would make a wig for her sister! Then Elizabeth wouldn’t look so… peeled.   Stepping over her sleeping dog, Nana, Allie stood in front of her shelves full of dolls.  There were lots of blond heads.

            She gathered them together in a pile on the floor and got her mom’s good scissors.  Sitting next to them, she apologized to each doll and gave it a hug before she “snip-snipped.”  Last was her favorite, her Madame Alexander doll.  She had a lot of blond, silky hair piled up under her hat. Feeling bad about it, Allie said, “I’m really sorry to cut off your beautiful hair, but it’s for Elizabeth.”  

            When the deed was done, she put them all back on the shelves.  They looked awful, but they weren’t as important as her sister, and Elizabeth need help..

Now she had to find something stretchy to put the hair on so it would stay on Elizabeth’s head.  Maybe her red wooly cap?   No…too thick and the red would show through.  What if she cut the brim off Elizabeth’s baseball cap?  It used to fit her… but that was before she lost her hair.

 Allie was stumped until she remembered her Mom’s thigh-hi stockings.  There always seemed to be an extra one for some reason.   Allie found an odd one, cut off most of it, and stretched out the top with her hands.  It just might work.

            Next she needed something to fit the stocking over so she could tape the cut parts together and glue the hair on.  She looked for round things.  Her volleyball was too big.  She had a balloon from a birthday party, but most of the air had leaked out and it was too small. Looking around her room, she spied the perfect thing.  Only one problem—somebody was in it. 

“I’ll give it back, Jasper,” she told her goldfish.  After pouring him into a jar, Allie dried the bowl and held it upside down between her knees.  The stocking top stretched right over it. Yes!  Carefully, she taped the cut ends of the stocking together.  She had a cap!   But…Oh, no! The glue would go through the stocking and stick to the bowl.  She needed something to put over it that would also form the inside of the cap.  What?  She walked around the house, ruling out wash cloth, Seran Wrap, clean dust cloth…aha!  A plastic grocery bag!  That ought to work.  She found a small, clean one, cut off the “handles” and fit it over the fish bowl.  Then she pulled the stocking over that.  Problem solved!  Now to glue on the hair. 

Starting at the back she tried to space the doll hair a little apart so she wouldn’t run out.  But halfway up, she did.  Oh, no!  She looked around the room at her stuffed animals and fuzzy pillows.  Nothing would do.

            Suddenly something poked her from behind.  Nana was dreaming she was running and her legs were moving.  Allie grinned.  “Good girl,” she whispered, and began to cut dog hair.  At the first snip Nana woke and started to move.  “Stay, Nana!”  Allie commanded. 

Lots of thick, yellow hair fell on the floor as the scissors snipped up and down the patient golden retriever.  But when they accidently nicked her, Nana yelped and crawled under the bed. 

Allie thought the pile of dog hair looked like it would be enough to cover the rest of the cap, but it wasn’t.  She peered under the bed.  “Nana, come!  I need some more.” 

            There was a friendly thump, thump, thump, but Nana didn’t budge.

            Frustrated, Allie stormed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  “Okay.  Your turn.”  Without hesitating, she began cutting.  Whack, whack, whack.

“Allie!  What are you doing?”  gasped her mother, from the doorway.

            “I have to, Mom.  I need it to finish.”

            “Finish what, for heaven’s sake?”

“My surprise,” Allie said, lips trembling.  Her mother followed her into her room.  Allie showed her what she was making.  “It’s my Christmas gift for Elizabeth.”

            Her mom hugged her tightly.  “Oh, darling girl.”  She gazed at the lovingly made wig of doll and dog hair, with the unfinished front.  “Want me to help?”

            “Yes, please!”  

            Mother and daughter carefully arranged Allie’s pretty blond curls across the front.           

When it was finished Allie looked at it from all sides and frowned.  “It doesn’t look like I thought it would.  Maybe she won’t like it.”

Her mother smiled.  “I definitely think she will.  But now, young lady, I’ve got to try to do something with you!”  She took the scissors and evened up Allie’s hair as best she could.  Since it was short on one side, it had to be short all over.

            Next morning, with the wig nestled in a bright red Christmas bag and sparkly tissue, they went to the hospital.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.  “Allie, what happened to your hair?” 

             “New style.  I brought you an early Christmas present.”

            Elizabeth excitedly removed the tissue paper and slowly lifted out the wig. Her happy expression changed to one of disbelief.

Allie held her breath. 

Elizabeth burst out laughing.  Then just as quickly, she began to cry.  Swiping at her eyes, she pulled on the wig. 

Her mother handed her a mirror. 

Elizabeth stared at herself.  Slowly her face took on a cocky expression. She turned and gave Allie a big smile.  “Thanks, Sis. This is perfect.  I think the two of us look absolutely awesome!”

            Allie laughed with relief and hopped up on the bed with her sister.  “We look better than Nana, that’s for sure!”