This happens every year, yet this year, Mum had decided no shined shimmery streamers. She decided no cookies, no music and no star. There was no laughter or at best, very minimal laughter could be heard when she was not around. This year was much different, so different that it hardly felt like Christmas at all, the only reassurance there was, was the Christmas tree devoid of streamers or a star, yet, heavily weighed with ornaments big and small which were tangled with lights. Under the tree as well was bare, just a tree skirt underneath as no one had seen Christmas sneaking up this year, and as it got closer and closer the delay for the gifts was also delayed. The reason for the delay, was mums new rules, she, along with the changes, had decided we were to make out presents from scratch and would do secret Santa for two people each.
Christmas eve came and the youngers were up bright and early to see where Santa had been so far. Afterwards no one did anything, there was no joy, only zombifacation and they stared at the television for hours upon hours, until they realized it was 10 o’clock and time for bed. The ondées had wanted to help with Santa but were also shooed off to bed as of 11:30.
Sleep was restless, and soon, it was 4 in the morning, Santa had come and gone, yet still it did not feel like Christmas, and again, the only thing to stabilize the fact that it was indeed Christmas was the Christmas tree planted in the middle of the living room. Later that morning after a surprising late awaking of 8 am, the parents were gotten up and the stockings were looted, there were only 4 gifts under the tree, causing mum to say, “we’ll open presents when they are all there.” All that night we waited and waited, at the end of the day there was only 10 presents under the tree. There was 7 people in the family meaning that presents would have to wait until tomorrow.
The next morning there was still only 10 presents and everyone was restless. Throughout, the Christmas remained, as it would until late into the new year, as it always does every year.
The day flew by with devices out and different music in every room. Every hour of that day seemed to last for days as the normal holiday season slipped away for a reason purposely unknown to them.
Dinner time came around and everyone was filled with anxiety over the many abrupt changes that had been happening throughout the past month. Nothing seemed to add up and that had given everyone some fright, excluding mum, who , for some odd reason was calmer then ever as she brought 7 presents to the 12 under the Christmas tree which had been the on,y stable thing , it seemed, in their house this season.
No one knew what those 7 presents contained however they were laid under the tree.
Soon enough the present sharing started and all but the final seven were left. Mum grabbed hers first and when opened it contained three touques. The first touque was the perfect size for mum and contained he words mum of 7, which was untrue, but parhaps the changes to all but the Christmas tree itself were a sign of even more upcoming changes as she pulled the other touques, no words needed to be said as the Christmas tree witness the moment from its place. This year when we put the Christmas tree away we would think of the moment, and next year when it was pulled out, we would tell them this story as they would fall asleep in the lights of the Christmas tree.
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