Christmas Fairy Tale

By a cold cold evening, defying the snow storm the little aircraft landed from Paris in Toulouse. There the snow storm seemed a long forgotten dream. It was warm by the standards of the season and the only thing it seems the little girl would be having was… Rain.

There she was in her little furry coat, her little furry gloves and tiny black hat on, searching the mass for her cherished parents. As she turned around she caught her Beloved Mother and Darling little sister trying to surprise her.

‘Oh my! How wonderful indeed to be seeing you again dear Mother! Oh my! How tall you’ve grown darling little Sister!’

The three women enchanted by the sight of each other hurried toward their carriage eager to reach the family house back in the countryside.

The gathering of all the family, the three daughters, the younger brother, the father and the mother around the Christmas tree was the most delightful sight to be seen miles around. Only the elder brother was still missing. He would be getting there on Christmas Eve day, back from the America where he had gone to seek fortune.

The blessed family seemed ever so happy and nothing could alter its happiness to be reunited together once more. And they had the most wonderful and lovely Christmas. All was joy, happiness and cheering.

Yes. This could have been my Christmas. And it nearly was. But this would be forgetting a crucial part of the Christmas holidays.

The presents.

Have you ever noticed how everything revolves around them?

Until the 25^th you are running everywhere in town trying to find the missing present. Thinking that you’ve got no more money. And no more ideas either.

On the 25^th it’s the big opening ceremony. The crucial moment that will decide the faith of the rest of your holiday. If you hit right and if your family hit right. Was it worth all that thinking, worrying spending? Are you happy with what they got you?

It’s funny, but for the Christmas presents to be a success you need both satisfaction and surprise. Satisfaction that you are offered the thing you really wanted. But if you leave it at that it’s a little bit frustrating and your smile is a little tight. But then if somebody surprises you with a GOOD and UNIQUE present (not a green knitted wool jumper by your sister) then your Christmas day is TRULY wonderful.

After the 25^th, it’s the use of the Christmas presents, the satisfaction of seeing others enjoying what you got them. And the resting from all the shopping frenzy that you underwent for the past 20 days…. …. … ok ok the past 5 3 days would be more realistic!

Anyway, I thought that this year I had finally mastered the Gift Section of Christmas.

 A huge birthday present for my mother that was soooo huge that it was supposed to count for her birthday, her Christmas and my Dad’s Christmas. Yeah THAT huge.

I had bought everything for my little sister, my other sister was getting an all included trip to Paris and we thought we’d sort out easily my brothers: a Pullin for Laurent and Chapka for Emile. No big deal you see. Done in a couple of hours.

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

 First you can NEVER let someone not have anything under the Christmas tree. So OF COURSE we had to find something for Mum and Dad. At the last minute.With no ideas of anything under 50 Euros. And with a tight budget that SHOULD have made the 50 Euros a non goer.

Second Chapkas are the hardest thing to buy. Though the shopping experience is quite fun:

Us girls rushing into every shop where a cute vendor was to be seen, contesting who would get the most attention out of him “Oh would you mind trying it on? It’s for my brother you see and ooooh, it looks great on you! Little smile from under the hat Mmmm! Yeah this is quite a nice present don’t you think? Eyelashes like butterflies”

The three of us rummaging in the chapka section trying on every hat, even the most ridiculous ones and bursting out laughing from under the fur….  

Quite a lot of fun I tell you.

Third, have you ever had to manage someone who thought he would not be getting what he wanted for Christmas? We did. 
Amid all the fur of the Chapkas, Laurent is sulking in his corner because he thinks his one request for Christmas, ‘A Big Muff’, (a big Meuf???? What on earth??) would not be granted… “I don’t like Pullins. Don’t get me a Pullin. If you get me a Pullin I won’t like it.” Ok ok fair enough. “But what do you want APART from the pedal?” “I don’t know… Nothing….” “Oh come on try a little bit harder!” “I don’t know… More sulking…. Another Pedal?”

Béou  and I nearly shouted out at him “But for fuck’s sake, the parents are getting you this, you twat! Just T H I N K of something else!”

But no. We are well brought up, well behaved little girls. We flirt with every cute vendor in town we can find, but we certainly do not shout at our little beloved brother…  And I will keep the privacy of what we got him in the end, but let me tell you it certainly highlights my ability to blow my budget with last minute presents.

And You know what? I could have survived all of this frenzy, anxiety, flirting, research, fun, sulking and last minute stress. If the rain had not joined the party.

“MY HAIIIIIIIIIIR! MY HAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR!”

My practical sister: yeah what about them? Thinking: shut up I want to go home now.

Me wailing: “it’s gonna CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURL! MY HAIR IS RRRRUIIIIIIIIINED” thinking: how am I going to win the cute vendor flirting contest?

My sulking brother: “mais non! It looks fine!” thinking: SHUT UP AND FIND ME THAT PEDAL I ASKED.

Me STILL wailing:”I wanna go back to PARRRRIIIIIIIS!” thinking: SHUT UP I’M HAIVING A HARD TIME TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING FOR YOU SO THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS HAVE SOME CONCERN FOR MY HAIR.

Yeah. Going into town can be quite an adventure. But we made it. We got all our presents. I outdrew my Christmas budget by more than several hundred Euros (you see, being part of my family around Christmas can be quite rewarding if you can put up with my wailing under the rain.) and we ended up like in the fairy tale: having the loveliest Christmas ever.

Christmas is a truly lovely time don’t you think?