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Christmas time for our kindergarteners.

That first Christmas holiday snuck up on us quickly that year. Christmas was always fun when I was young, and it still is, but there was something magical about the whole experience as a child. Waiting for Santa, all the cookies and candies, the gorgeous tree we had in our front window, plus don't forget the gifts. The simplest things have always pleased me, and my gifts were no exception.

My first Christmas in school was so much fun. Remembering it now still brings a smile to my face. My little heart could barely contain itself that morning. My mother didn't need to rush me out the door like usual. I was sitting on the front steps waiting for the bus when it rolled in front of my house. I yelled out to my mom and ran to the bus, tripping on my dress shoes. I had asked my mom if I could wear one of my nice dresses to school that day because I wanted to look as pretty as possible. She even put a bow in my hair to keep my hair out of my face. She had to force me to wear my coat that morning.

Ms. Daniels said we could all get our bags of gifts and pass them out around nine o'clock. Each of us walked around, placing little boxes, bags, and fun-wrapped presents on the seats of our friends. After handing mine out, I returned to my chair and saw a giant pile of gifts. My eyes grew wide with wonder. It was the most amount of present I had ever received before.

While perusing through the shiny, wrapped objects, I held my breath, looking for a specific name. I finally saw his handwriting and what appeared to be "Jimmy" scrawled across the little card. I grabbed the gift and ripped off the wrapping, tossing it aside. I ran my little finger beneath the tape, holding the box lid, and lifted it. Gleaming brightly, I saw a petite porcelain girl flying through the air on a swing. I lifted it cautiously, making sure not to break it. The little girl looked just like me, or I projected myself upon it.

“My mommy helped me pick it out.”

He had startled me. I looked up, and he stood to my left, observing, hoping I would love it. A smile spread wide across my face. I set the figurine back into the box and jumped out of my seat, hugging him tight around the waist. He stood stiff in my grip. When I let go, I told him I loved it and would have my mother put it on top of the fireplace "where she puts all of her pretty things."

He lifted his right hand and had my gift, to him, in it. He hadn’t opened it yet.

"Open it!"

He gently tore the wrapping paper back. Unable to control myself, I took it from his hands and finished ripping the paper off. He just stood there, watching me rip away his gift's paper. I still don't understand the careful unwrapping technique. It's not as if you can use it again.

A wide grin slowly grew across his face when he saw the large black letters of Crayola along the top of the big yellow box. He took it from my fingers and turned it over in his hands.

“I told my mommy that you needed the biggest box they had; now I’ll have to borrow some of yours." I was a little jealous when my mom brought the box home, there were more than 100 crayons within, and I still had my measly 64 count. “Now you can be an artist just like me!”

He hugged the box close to his chest and smiled. When he pulled it down and looked at it, he whispered a thank you without looking up from the pack. I remember thinking he looked so sad, but when he looked back at me, I saw the ultimate smile. I could see the space between his bottom teeth, from the tooth he’d lost the week before.

Our moment, however, was burst when Kelly pushed him out of the way and showed me what Ryan got her. I watched Jimmy walk away, returning to the gifts he hadn’t opened. I wasn't listening to Kelly as she sputtered about a ring or an earring.

“Did you open mine yet? My mommy was so great. She got the best gifts for everyone. I told her what you liked, and I think she did a good job of getting it just right. I wanted to get you a matching purse like mine that she had gotten me for my birthday, but they were out at the store. So I thought maybe that new Barbie, the one with the baby? But she said it was too expensive. But I think you should have it, and I have that Barbie, and I know you don’t have any, and I thought we could play Barbie this weekend when you came over. Oh, you’re still coming over, right? My mom said she’d keep my little sister out of the way. She’s drooling all over my stuff now. My mom says she loves putting things in her mouth, ew!”

I wanted to catch my breath for her, but she just kept going.

“Did you open it yet?! Open it, open it!”

She grabbed the gift from my pile and practically threw it at me. I started peeling the paper off when she held it back. The ultimate definition of déjà vu. She turned it around in front of her chest and showed me.

“It’s a coloring book, but look! It comes with a paintbrush, and you dip it in water, color the pages and paint it, but it won’t make a mess. My mom got me one of these, and I loved it. You will love it too.”

I took it from her hands and eyed it enthusiastically. She was right. I did love it.

“Thanks, Kelly”

I also knew my mom would love it. No more paint messes on the kitchen table.

“I opened yours. It was so great! I loved the drawing. I didn’t show Ryan yet though he might not like it. But I LOVED it! I’m going to hang it right above my bed so I can look up at it before I go to sleep every night.”

I had given her a drawing of Ryan with a big heart around it. It didn’t quite look like him, but at least it wasn’t a stick figure. I gave him a blue shirt with matching blue eyes. I knew it was a success when she knew it was Ryan, without me explaining it. I was just happy someone loved my artwork. My mom always hung it on the fridge, but it was lovely having someone else appreciate my hard work. Kelly turned away, running to Ryan to see what other gifts he’d gotten, when I noticed the new boy sitting on the floor, playing with trucks. He didn’t have any gifts beside him, and I felt sorry for him.

He had just started in our class a week ago, so he was new. His name was Roy, and he appeared to be a nice boy. He was husky and looked tough, but I didn't think he was a bully. I put my new gift from Kelly on my pile and walked over to him.

“Can I play with you?”

I must have startled him because he knocked one of the trucks over.

“'kay," he answered slowly.

He eyed me cautiously.

“Hi, I’m Pammy. Do you like our class?”

“I guess so” He turned back to the truck and continued playing.

“Um…”

“What?”

“Can I play with that other truck?” I pointed towards the fire truck that was to his left.

“Girls don’t play with trucks. Go find a doll.” He put his left arm around the fire truck.

I was hurt, but I didn’t want him to know. “Fine, I won’t be your friend, be alone. I don’t even like dolls, so what do you know?” I stomped off, flipping my hair violently over my shoulder. I acted so toughly, but deep down, I was crushed. I was trying to be friendly, and he rejected me. That small act made me more cautious in approaching new people from there on out.

 

When I returned to my seat, I saw Jimmy looking across the room with a puzzled look. I had made eye contact with him but looked away quickly, shuffling my feet across the carpet in embarrassment. I sat down, picked the little swing girl out of the box, and silently smiled. The day ended up being good, even with the attitude I received from Roy. I couldn’t wait to get home and show my mom my gifts.

Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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