How Truman Capote Teaches Us About Friendship, Love, and Compassion With His Holiday Short Stories
By: Aimée Gramblin
Tags: Books, Memoir, Holidays, Reading, Truman Capote

1. “A Christmas Memory” — Friendship

Capote begins the early 1930s story, “A Christmas Memory” by introducing us to seven-year-old Buddy and his sixty-something-year-old cousin whom he doesn’t name. Due to a childhood illness, she is developmentally stuck in childhood. Throughout the story, Buddy refers to her as “my friend” or “my best friend.” The two live together in a big home on the edge of town. Though the aunts and uncle are distant, Buddy and his friend have each other. Queenie, the third main character, is their pet rat terrier, who they treat as kindly as they treat one another.

The story is written in the first person by Buddy, who is now in his late twenties, as he recalls the annual fruitcake ritual he had with his cousin. He recalls every November, in which Buddy’s cousin enlisted his help in making fruitcakes.

“I t’s always the same: a morning arrives in November, and my friend, as though officially inaugurating the Christmas time of year that exhilarates her imagination and fuels the blaze of her heart, announces: “It’s fruitcake weather! Fetch our buggy. Help me find my hat.” (5)

We are taken on the journey of saving up pennies, nickels, and dimes for the entire year to be able to afford this pursuit and ultimate cake-making. Buddy and his cousin are able to trade their culinary skills for a bottle of bootleg whiskey from Mr. Haha. They produce thirty-one fruitcakes for sharing with anyone they deem a friend, from President Roosevelt to neighbors to traveling salesmen. And, that is really, what’s at the heart of this story — friendship.

Buddy and his friend get in trouble with angry adults when they find the two of them drinking whiskey after mailing all the fruitcakes at the post office. They are caught mid-dance, mid-delight and Buddy’s friend becomes quite sad, running to her room and crying. Buddy reassures her that all will be fine and reminds her the next morning, they’re going on the Christmas tree hunt. After hiking through the woods and collecting greenery in burlap sacks, they arrive in the perfect clearing:

“Scented acres of holiday trees, prickly leafed holly. Red berries shine as Chinese bells: black crows swoop upon them screaming. Having stuffed our burlap sacks with enough greenery and crimson to garland a dozen windows, we set about choosing a tree. “It should be,” muses my friend, “twice as tall as a boy. So a boy can’t steal the star.” The one we pick is twice as tall as me.” (19–20)

With very little, they create very much love. Buddy and his friend handcraft paper ornaments and safety pin them to the tree. They decorate windows with the treasure from their hike, and they make each other a Christmas present, in separate rooms so as to surprise one another — kites. They set a treat for Queenie towards the top of the tree.

There is a beautiful melancholy in Capote’s prose as he examines their authentic friendship,

“W e huddle in the bed, and she squeezes my hand I-love-you. “Seems like your hand used to be so much smaller. I guess I hate to see you grow up. When you’re grown up, will we still be friends?” I say always. “But I feel so bad, Buddy. I wanted so bad to give you a bike. I tried to sell my cameo Papa gave me. Buddy — ” she hesitates, as though embarrassed — “I made you another kite.” Then I confess that I made her one, too; and we laugh.” (24)

The tender ending to this story will likely bring tears to your eyes and love to your heart. It’s a good moment to pause and reflect on the authentic friendships you’ve experienced in your life. Treat your friends like the jewels they are and honor the ones who are no longer with you. One of the great privileges of life is having good friends.