Trading Places

"Are there any extra places set?" I asked a gal in charge.

Her eyebrows cringed. I explained, "Dan had two tickets left for the dinner. I brought Isaac with me after his basketball game.

Dan brought Aaron. But he left Noah home alone. I'm on my way, but was wondering if there are any tickets left."

She smiled, "Go get Noah. We had a no-show in our group. He decided to go fishing instead. Noah can have his ticket. Tell him: Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday. Or Happy Valentine's Day."

"Are you sure? I can certainly reimburse you," I said. She waved me on, "It's taken care of."

"What luck trading places," I explained to Noah on our drive back to the church.

The past two years, our boys had tasted left overs from the Wild Game Feed. This year, they were game for the works, especially since Dad had two of his 16 tickets left for this fund-raiser dinner.

Last night's big question was "Which two of our three sons would go?"

"I wanna try the alligator chili," Isaac said.

"I'm having the roast bear," Aaron insisted.

"I want the goose-and-bacon rollups," Noah said.

Tonight when Dan and Aaron jumped in the car, Noah was making a snow fort with the neighbor boy and whined, "Do I HAVE to go?"

"No," Dan said and drove away. When my eyes buldged over the explanation, Dan said, "I wasn't going to argue with him. I was already late to work collecting tickets."

Noah and I found plenty of room at a table with my parents. Grandma Sue ripped off a string of raffle tickets, handed them to Noah and said, "I gave your brothers a few too. Good luck!"

After full-course buffet dinner with dessert and a coffee, the raffle began. Grandma Sue was among the first winners. She chose a gift certificate to Bonanza. Midway through the drawing, Grandpa Curt matched a winning number. Flustered, he said, "I don't know. Which prize do I want?"

"The deer-horn hat rack?" I chided. He cringed. Grandma Sue said, "Take #51."

And so he did and asked, "What's that?"

"A gift certificate for ice cream," she said.

"WHAAAAAT?" he scoffed. She said, "It's for the kids."

He pouted. She said, "Don't ask me next time. Figure it out so you're ready."

Late in the raffle, Noah's ticket matched.

We perused the prize list with little left for kids.

Grandpa Curt whispered, "Noah, take the certificate for KC's Saloon and I'll trade you for the ice cream!"

The caller shouted, "What it'll be, Noah?"

This second grader hollered, "KC's Saloon!"

Everyone roared with laughter. Someone yelled, "I'll bet your dad put you up to that one!"

Noah shook his head,

"No! My grandpa did!

He's Trading Places for the ice cream!"