Authors: Todd Strasser
He couldn't imagine where it all had come from, but then he spotted the decorations celebrating the twelve days of Christmas . . . the same decorations he'd seen on the tree in Duncan's Toy Chest.
"Are we in the right room?" Buzz asked in amazement.
"Get the camera!" Uncle Frank cried.
Fuller and Brooke waded into the sea of gifts and started tearing open the presents.
"Careful with the wrapping paper," Aunt Leslie warned them. "We can reuse it."
The other members of the family started to reach for the gifts, but suddenly Buzz raised his arms and shouted, "Stop, everyone!"
They turned and stared at him.
"Listen," Buzz said. "If Kevin hadn't screwed things up so bad again we wouldn't be in this most perfect and huge hotel room with a truckload of free stuff. So it's only fair that he gets to open the first present. Then I'll go, and then the rest of you."
Buzz bent down and picked up a big box covered with green and red wrapping paper and handed it to Kevin. "Merry Christmas, Kev."
Everyone started to applaud. Kevin took a bow and then started to open the present. But something didn't feel right. Suddenly he realized what it was, and ran back to the bedroom. He found his blue coat and felt the pockets. The turtledoves Mr. Duncan had given him were still there.
A little while later Kevin walked into Central Park, wearing his coat over his pajamas. Ahead he saw the pigeon lady tossing seed to a hundred hungry pigeons on the ground around her.
"Merry Christmas!" Kevin waved at her.
The pigeon lady scowled, then smiled. "Merry Christmas, Kevin."
Kevin stepped through the sea of birds, then took the seed bucket from her and set it down. He opened her dirty hand and put one of the turtledoves in it. The pigeon lady looked confused, so Kevin showed her his turtledove.
"Now I have one and you have one," he explained. "As long as we each have a turtledove, we're friends forever."
The pigeon lady blinked with surprise. "Thank you, Kevin."
Kevin gave her a hug. "I won't forget you. Trust me."
"I do," the pigeon lady said with a big smile. Kevin smiled back. Everything had worked out great. The kids at the Children's Hospital would get their money. His family got all those presents from Mr. Duncan. The pigeon lady now had someone she could trust . . .
And as for Kevin, well, he didn't really need to get anything. Except the satisfaction of knowing that after all was said and done, it really was the thought that counts.
Todd Strasser has written many award-winning novels for young and teenaged readers. He is a frequent speaker at junior and senior high schools, and conferences. He and his wife and children live in Westchester County, New York, and try to avoid the city during the holidays.