The Modern Mrs. Claus

Chapter five- March 15th

Shuffle shuffle. Fidget fidget. 

"Hello? Hey there people!" I looked up to see a petite women standing at the microphone, "is this the principle?" I whipsered to Sheila, she nodded then put a finger to her lips.

"So you all want to know the winner of our contest?" she yelled into the microphone. The miniscule crown of about two hundred people started cheering.

"Alrighty!" She boomed, for a small person, she sure had a large voice, "The third place prize is getting their name out in the world by putting posters, handmade by the school board of couse, all over New York City. Third place is... The Seagull fondation!" polite clapping followed as a tall man with a yarmulkah on his head walked up to the stage, "and now the president of this club will fill us in on what his fondation does," the principle smiled and handed the man the microphone.

The man started speaking, "many seagull homes are misplaced each year because of global warming. Us at the seagull fondation are now trying to save the surviving breeds of seagulls. Help us build homes and sanctuary's for these seagull's and we might expand to other birds! Including finches and cockatoos!" The man bowed his head in thanking and walked off the stage.

"The Seagull Fondation?" I asked Sheila bewildered, she just shrugged.

"ALRIGHTY! Settle down! The second place prize is getting their name out and it's put in the schools newspaper. Second place is... The Charity for Children Who Have Run Away, or the CCWHRA!"

A women in jeans and a t-shirt walked up to the stage and took the microphone, "when I was little, I ran away from home because my mother abused me. When the CCWHRA saw me, they immediately took me in and gave me the education I needed to become as succesful as I am today. You see, the CCWHRA has been here for longer than I have been alive, it's celebrating its fiftieth anniversery this fall. But since the original owner died of cancer this past month, I am the one standing up before you. This is to all of you who ran away because of being sexually abused or any kind of child abuse. Thank you."

There was a little more applause following this women, because this was a little better cause than... Homes for seagulls.

"Okay people, settle down! The first place prize is a little more than special. The first place prize is getting their name out, their name put in the schools newspaper, AND put in the New York Times!" huge applause followed, I proceded to jump in my seat. That would be so cool! The principle shushed us all down by coughing into the microphone,"As I was saying, first place is the Modern Mrs. Clause Charity."

"Ohmigod mom you won!!" Sheila clasped my arm, "get up there girl!"

There was huge applause and a few whistles as I walked up to the stage, the principle smiled and handed me a bouquet of flowers and congradulated me. I walked up to the microphone, "you'd think I'd won an Oscar!" I joked, bringing a few chuckles from the crowd, "Okay folks, all I have to say is this, by the way, it's pretty much the thing I say to everyone who wants to know about our group: did you know that there are two billion children in the world, and half are in poverty? It's true. And I'm standing up here in front of you for one reason. To help those one billion kids who don't have Christmas each year. My goal is not to build sanctuaries or helping them get a better education, but give them a little joy on Christmas day, giving them a teddy bear they can sleep with all year long, a doll to play dress up, a rocking horse to rock on," I took a breath.

"Listen. What I want everyone in the audience to do when they get home, is to look through their closets and find any toy you can that you don't want. Wrap it if possible. Then send it to an address that, hopefully, will be put in the New York Times and the school newspaper. Also, if your like me and came out here from all the way in Oregon and you want to help, please come to that same address, where my factory is located, and help wrap the presents! Thanks for your support!

I bowed, smelling the delicious smell of flowers. Allowing myself to be taken in the place of fame.

I didn't know how I'd be making a lot of speeches like this in the coming days.