When I was in elementary school the entire school had one gigantic Christmas program. It was at Greer auditorium and it seemed like the entire town came. I wanted a new dress to wear like all the other girls. And not one from K-Mart or Alco.
The year I was in the 4th grade the country radio station that my mom listened to was having a bingo contest. We drove all over Wichita to different locations (some very scary places, too) to pick up paper bingo cards for the big "game." The first person to get a blackout (all numbers on the bingo card filled) within a certain amount of numbers called would win $1,000. This was 1974. That was a lot of dollars back then. We all sat around the table. Listening. Quietly. Absolutely no talking. Or breathing. My mom only had one number uncovered when they called the $1,000 number. It wasn't her number. We sat and listened to the radio to see if anybody would call in to claim the prize.
Apparently, there was no winner so now with each number called the jackpot went down a few dollars until they would have a winner. Listening. Still no breathing. The next number called WAS MY MOTHER'S NUMBER! She won! Lots and lots of dollars! We were frantic excited! Us kids had been quiet for so long I'm sure the entire town could hear us now.
The next morning at school I felt like a celebrity among all the goofy kids whose parents listened to KFDI (is gonna make me rich!) My mom went to collect her prize money and on her way home she stopped by a store downtown Newton and bought me the most beautiful and the most expensive dress I had ever seen. It was all I had dreamt of. A maxi-dress. I had a brand new navy blue with lots of lace and red buttons dress to wear to my Christmas program that year.
Thanks, mom (& KFDI)! I will always remember how pretty and special I felt that Christmas when I was only 9 years old.
1 comment:
So sweet! I'll have to ask mom and dad if they remember that. They have been KFDI listeners their entire lives!
Post a Comment