Every Christmas my grandma gets all of her grandchildren a gift. It usually isn’t something very expensive, but because it comes from Grandma I have always looked forward to getting it. When I was very young our family lived in Ecuador. Getting that Christmas package from Grandma was something that connected us to a world we didn’t know.
I remember one year, I was probably six or seven, and I had waited all year for that box to come. It seems like the box came late that year, although that might be a trick of memory. When It finally did arrive it sat there under our little Christmas tree for what seemed like an eternity. Every day I would go to it and pick it up shaking it gently to see if I could figure out what was in it.
Christmas morning finally came, and we were up before the sun. I don’t remember what other presents I got that year. At last we opened Grandmas box. Inside wrapped in newspaper were two jars of choke cherry jelly, and beside that presents for each of us. The girls each took out their gifts, and then my older brother took out his. The box was empty!
There was no gift with my name on it. We searched the room and the newspaper in case it had somehow fallen out, but there was nothing. Deeply disappointed I watched my siblings open their presents. They were wonderful. The girls got some sort of jewelry and my brother a beautiful pocket watch.
The next time my parents were in town my mom called Grandma to ask about the missing gift. She had sent two pocket watches in the package. My brothers had arrived, but mine had been lost in the mail. I imagined some Ecuadorian postal worker, maybe in customs, opening the box. “What kind of selfish person needs two pocket watches? One is plenty.” he would say as he removed mine from the box before sealing it up again and sending it on its way.
Why do you write such sad stories?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember that particular instance, but I do remember that things would go missing in the mail, especially if there were multiple similar items. Didn't we once get a set of encyclopedias with one from the middle of the set missing?
I think that the emotion I feel most keenly is sadness, and I cannot write about things that I don't feel. I do remember that one of the encyclopedias was missing. I always thought it was a nuisance for both of us. No one had a complete set.
ReplyDeleteI remember this and also the time that you all got shirts and Williams was gone .It was always a gamble weather we got the package or not One time papi left a package on the bus .I wish you could write the happy stuff too Hanna maybe you beter do that
ReplyDeleteI can definitely understand that Robert, and I do think your writing is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mamita, I don't think I know how to write happy endings for my stories. The best I can seem to do is bittersweet... but that's a lot like life, I think.