Summary

The short story “Red Christmas” by Paula Morris begins with the McGregor siblings – Ani, Tama, and Henry - asking their Uncle Suli to borrow his van so they can go sift through garbage. Uncle Suli lends them the van and gives them ten dollars. He asks them to bring him any bathroom items like a toilet seat or a sink, as a Christmas present. Ani drives the van, even though she does not have a license. 

Ani, Tama, and Henry look for garbage in various places. They find several useful items such as a metal box and a wooden stepladder. They also find a vase which Ani thinks is too beautiful to be thrown away. 

They stop for a while in front of a house where there is not much garbage, but Tama and Henry want to admire the front garden. Ani thinks about running away and starting a new life. However, she realizes this means she would have to leave her brothers behind. She thinks that no one would want to take care of the boys, nor would they want to be left behind, and they would chase after her. Ani believes the boys would never understand that they would all be happier living somewhere else, with new parents.

Tama notices some people putting out the garbage and tells Ani to stop the van. A...