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Show 69 his attention-grabbing antics and could make even the old alcoholics laugh given enough time and attention. When he sang, it was with Mormon Tabernacle Choir velocity. But I think I still had piano playing on him. "Silent Night"? That is one of the easiest songs to play, and no one wants to hear it. Everyone knew it, everyone except for this lovable fool Michael. Since we were late and there was already musical entertainment in the room, my mom wouldn't feel pressure to provide a family musical number of our own, as she had in years past, which put me more at ease. Michael finished, and it looked like we were just in time for the nativity. At Angie's, they didn't just read the scriptures as we would have done if we'd stayed home. Instead, kids are herded into the storage room to prepare a re-enactment. From the age of six until the age of twelve-the minimum cutoff year for kids no longer required to participate-I was the wise man who brought Jesus gold in that pageant. The male parts were limited. Joseph was always reserved for the other Michael. The angel wings were too sparkly for boys, only the cabbage patch doll was small enough to be Jesus, the bam animals had been rendered unnecessary since the year my cousin Seth became overzealous with his part as mule and kicked a dent in the piano, and my cousins Beth and Aslen insisted on taking two of the three shepherd parts every year because they liked leaning on the giant candy canes as though they were real canes. That left the option of the third shepherd and the wise men. But gold wise man was by far the best role of them all, in my opinion. Wouldn 'tyou like to bring frankincense or myrrh to Jesus? Aunt Angie would |
