Family: Christmas Chaos

Me:

            “The other kids are already upstairs in the toy room and I thi-“ my aunt partially slurred in her already intoxicated voice.

            “Okay thanks!” I shouted back, cutting her off as I flew up the stairs. Everyone was already gathered together. Britney and Sandra were in the blue room putting makeup on each other. Chris was casually lingering in the corner where my brother later joined him. Victoria, Nathan, Trevor and Gerard were playing with dolls and action figures. After I joined them we raced Barbie cars down the hallway, dodging the brown spot smeared into the carpet. No one ever knew the real story of what it was or how it got there, but we were always told that the neighbor’s cat came up there and pooped one day way back when.

Mother:

            I was frantically pacing around the house, gathering up last minute things and wrapping forgotten presents. The aroma of burnt lasagna filled the room as I lifted the cat out of the Christmas tree and swept up broken ornaments. I looked everywhere for your brother’s tie which seemed to grow a pair of legs and walk away.

            “Uh oh! My button fell off my dress!” you murmured as tears filled your eyes.

I grabbed my needle and thread so I could so it in the car. We were already running late, like always.

Brother:

            “I still don’t get why we have to go. Christmas is so lame.” I muttered nonchalantly.

            You screamed back defensively, “It is not lame Zachary! Santa won’t bring you presents tomorrow if you keep up that attitude!”

            I was excited for Christmas, just not for the obnoxious twerps running around. But I knew how excited you always got for Christmas, and it was cute how you still believed in Santa, so I put on a fake smile and acted a little more enthusiastic. I told myself repeatedly that I could handle one night of complete chaos, and maybe if I told myself enough times then I really could.

Father:

            “Is everyone ready?” Your mother barked from the other room.

            “Yup, we’re all waiting on you.” I mumbled back.

            “No you’re not! You don’t even have your shoes on yet!”

            “I’ll still beat you out to the car though.”

Christmas parties on the Kalchik side of the family were always hectic. Your aunts turned into a wild pack of laughing hyenas when they all got together. They always shout perverted things and laugh about nonsense, but damn is the food worth the headache.

Me:

            Present time! Victoria and I always got at least one matching present every year. Anticipation ran through my veins, tickling my fingertips as I tore through the snowflake wrapping paper. We held the Christmas wonderland edition Barbie over our heads, squealing with glee.

            By the end of the night I was exhausted. I passed out in the car after being hypnotized by the white fluff drifting the night sky. There was no chance I would stay up late enough to catch Santa Claus. Maybe next year I could stay up late enough to catch him slithering down the chimney with a sack full of toys.