Chapter 27 #2
Returning with green fabric in her hand, I try to hide my groan as she reaches up and places what I know is an elf hat on my head.
“There! You can’t be an elf-in-training without a hat!”
“Only for you,” I chuckle. “But no pictures. I draw the line at that.”
“Yes, sir,” she chuckles, giving me a salute. “Now, let’s get this show on the road! It’s the happiest day of the year and I can’t wait to get it started!”
“This is it! Our first stop!” Avery puts the truck in park and unbuckles her seatbelt.
We’ve parked in the loading zone of an older apartment building from a side of town I’ve never seen before.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Kamloops, even while growing up, but it’s not in the main area.
Areas of the bricks are broken and in need of repair.
The sidewalk is cracked, and the walk leading to the front door is uneven.
Snow is piled up on either side of the walkways; a single string of lights hangs around the front door.
Looking up, I see some of the windows themselves have a string of lights or some window stickers, but it’s not the over-the-top decorating that is back home in Gingerbread Grove or even Vancouver.
“Come on, Elfy!” Avery yells from the other side of my window.
“Elfy?” I think to myself, as she’s already rounded the back of the truck.
Climbing down, I follow her to see she’s climbed into the back of the box, pulling out bins and baskets with the name ‘Thompson’ written on them.
“Here we go! If you could carry those two boxes there, I can manage this bag and the remaining box.” She shuffles two boxes toward me before jumping down from the box.
“Can you not do that with snow on the ground? You’re going to slip.”
“Have you seen these boots? These are elf boots. They’ve got Christmas magic in them.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Never better! It’s Christmas Eve and we’re about to make the first stop of the night.” She looks behind us to see a sedan pull up, parking behind us. “Oh good, the rest of the crew is here.”
“The…what?”
A man dressed in a Santa outfit gets out of the driver’s seat while two elves pile out of the car with him.
“Good timing! We’re ready to go in,” Avery says, grabbing her boxes and putting them on the ground. “Matthew, grab yours so I can close this up.”
Taking my box, I watch in awe as she closes and locks the rolling door before picking her stack back up. If I didn’t know better, I would think that she wasn’t fully human and had some sort of magical elf in her.
After being buzzed in, we make our way up the creaky steps until we reach the third floor. Children’s laughter and sounds of Christmas carols echo through the door, their excitement evident as they await their delivery.
Avery knocks on the door, and it’s immediately opened by a little girl, no more than three years old, dressed in a velvet red dress, her blonde hair up in pigtails. She reminds me of that little girl from The Grinch, all blue eyed and full of wonder.
“I knew it! Mom! It’s Santa and his elves!”
A woman in a black dress appears behind her, her matching blonde hair falling around her shoulders, her blue eyes watering. “It is, Darcy. Let’s let them in.”
They move to the side, and we file in, all of us taking up most of their living room.
An artificial tree with twinkling mismatched lights and handmade ornaments stands in the corner.
There are small snow globes adorning the coffee tables, and pictures drawn by Darcy hang on the walls.
It’s a mix of nostalgia from my Christmases growing up with handmade items and sentimental decorations, but on a much smaller scale.
I finally understand what Avery means when she talks about wanting to bring Christmas to the ones that wouldn’t normally experience it like most people do.
It’s one thing to hear her talk about it, but a completely different to experience it.
Avery and I place the boxes on the coffee table as Santa bends down and welcomes Darcy into a hug.
“Merry Christmas, Darcy. I hear you’ve been an awfully good girl this year.”
“I have! I tried real hard!”
“I know you did. Which is why I brought you something extra special. Elf Avery, would you mind passing me my sack, please?”
Avery hops into motion, reaching into a bag and pulling out a big red sack, handing it to Santa.
“I heard this is what you asked for most of all, and I had to make sure I had one specially made for you.”
The little girl’s eyes light up as he pulls out a wrapped rectangular box, the green curled ribbon on the top contrasting with the bright red wrapping paper.
Darcy stands in front of him, staring at the box, afraid to move.
“Come on, Darcy,” her mom encourages sweetly.
Holding out her little hands, she takes the box from him, but just stares at it for another moment before carefully peeling off the wrapping paper from the side.
She takes her time, not rushing as she removes the ribbon and the rest of the wrapping paper, eyes wide to reveal the boxed doll underneath.
“Is this…?”
“The horseback riding doll you wanted? You bet it is,” Santa finishes, cheerily. “And look, I have another box here with your name on it.”
Darcy gasps while she places the box carefully on the floor, picking up the wrapping paper and handing it to her mom. “Here, Mommy. We can save this and use again.”
I sniff back the rising emotion as she carefully opens the next box, making sure not to rip the paper as she goes.
I’ve never had to worry about not ripping the paper.
My brother and I would make it snow wrapping paper on Christmas morning, tearing through the presents without really taking in what we got until the excitement of unwrapping was over.
We had presents under the tree starting mid-December.
We had to use every ounce of willpower not to shake or snoop, under direct orders from our mom that it would go right back to the store if we tried.
Seeing Darcy and her family experiencing Christmas in such a different fashion than I do makes me see that I was going about Christmas all wrong.
It’s not something that should be shunned because I didn’t like what my town was doing.
I should have been looking at other ways to celebrate that would benefit others.
It’s never been more evident as I watch Avery with her hands clasped under her chin, knowing this is her Christmas.
Watching Darcy open her presents while the other elves sing ‘Silent Night’ in the background is all she wants to see today, and the memory of it tomorrow morning is worth more than anything that can be placed under a tree.