Everlasting Lies

by Emily Scallen

  Chapter 5

  It is almost Christmas break and I am not I n a good mood, because my mother stole my money I saved for Christmas gifts and now it is all gone. I am so devastated. I have no clue how I am going to get that money back for the gifts, I mean I have been saving that for months. I just don’t understand why my own mother is stealing from me. I wish there was a reasonable explanation for this. But I don’t know why I think things would be different. I called my grandmother in tears she offered to give me money but I told her she mine as well by the gift then there really would not be a point to it then. But then I got a better idea then buying a gift I am going to give my brother my les Paul guitar. He has always wanted one and I am sure its better than a lame video game. And as for my parents they don’t get a present their present is me not running away.

  I love decorating Christmas trees it is so much fun until the tree pokes me to death, I know that sounds funny but it is so true trees like to beat me up. Between my insanely sensitive skin and me being very uncoordinated there really is not a chance for me. But any other kind of decorating is ok for me, gosh I just love the holidays it makes me have joy in my life even if my mother does steal from me.

  School is out for Christmas break and there are only four days tell Christmas and I am so excited to give my brother my guitar. I am almost so excited that I have not even picked a fight with my dad or my mom. I open the door to get my purse so I can buy some wrapping paper and a huge box to put my guitar. So I go out to Wal-Mart and get al my supplies and I am really getting in the Christmas mood. Trust me I can hardly wait. I was in such a good mood that I put Christmas music on my I pod nano. I am so happy that I skip home and trust me I am not kidding. Nothing can ruin my mood right now.

  So I finally get home and I get the box ready to put the guitar. I open my closet and the guitar is gone! The tears flow down my cheeks could this really be happening did my parents sell the guitar that I saved up for and bought and then I was going to give to Grant. I fly out my door and begin hounding my parents for answers.

  “Oh my god mom were is the guitar that I bought”

  “Look Crystal I had to sell it to the pawn shop so we could pay rent and have a Christmas this year.”

  “Mom don’t you realize that I bought that with my own money that I saved and I was going to give that to Grant for Christmas”

  “Oh honey I did not realize that you were playing on actually doing something productive with that”

  “What do you mean finally going to something productive with that I took lessons and I know how to play it”

  “Well honey do you want to have a home are a stupid guitar.”

  “You were going to give me your les Paul Crystal.”

  “Yes grant I was going to but know it is gone thanks to mom.”

  “Whatever Crystal get over it I will get it back someday.”

  “Thank you so much Crystal for even thinking to give me you Les Paul guitar that means a lot to me, even more than a guitar.”

  “I am so sorry Grant that I don’t have a guitar to give you:

  “Crystal don’t worry about it ok it does not matter any more.”

  “Thank you grant you made me feel so much better.”

  I gave grant a huge hug and I was so happy that he understood that I would not be able to pay for a gift because our mom took my money and then took my second option my guitar.

  It is Saturday and it two days tell Christmas and my parents are missing again, this means they probably are out at a bar getting really drunk again or something. I don’t really care as long as they come home safe when ever my parents drink in the month of December it reminds me of my dads second D.U.I that day was only a few days before Christmas. I was only eight or nine when this happened and I know for a matter of fact that my dad did not care that he was very drunk so that is why he got in a car and decided to get his second D.U.I isn’t that just freaking awesome. He wanted to take some food to his friends, oh and bye the way we were still living in New York at the time. So anyways he was going to go take ribs or something like that to his work where his friends were hanging put but on my dads way there he got pulled over for swerving or something like that. I still remember before he left the house he was getting so mad because my mom was trying to stop him from leaving the house because he was so drunk. He threatened to hit my mom if she didn’t get out of his way. I was really scared at the time I didn’t know what to do, my mother told me there was not much I could do. Then when he did not come back the next morning I cried for hours. I just imagined my father sitting in a jail cell and how creepy it must be. My mother said she had to bail him out. But it was going to be a couple of days before he would get out. The next day my mother walked to a gas station to get some food since our car was towed or something. She went to go get us some snacks, but then I heard the phone ring and it was my dad calling from the jail he was crying and he told me he was afraid that he would not be able to spend Christmas with us my father had to go before he got in trouble. So he hung up and I sunk to floor and cried and cried, because I missed my dad. I almost felt as if I would never see him again. Then when my mother bailed him out it was the night before Christmas and my father was so sad I didn’t think he would ever talk to me. It was finally Christmas morning and we had so many gifts flooding the living room, my brother and I were so excited but my mom sad we had to me really quiet or we would wake up dad. Christmas is never as much fun when you have to be quiet. I wanted to thank my dad for the gifts but I had to be quite and it was terrible because all I wanted to do was hug my dad. And it only go worse after that for two years my father sat in the house with ought a job and that why we moved to Montana because we lost our house because my father didn’t work. I hate flash backs. I am getting so upset that I went and lay on the couch and stared at the Christmas tree and then started to cry. I remember when I was little and when I would cry my mother would hold me and stroke my hair. I miss when she would hold me. I guess I am too old now.

  Its Christmas morning I do not rush to the presents like I used to when I was little, but I sit by the tree like I use to all huddled up and excited. This makes me miss being little it honestly does sometimes I wish I could have been five years old for ever. But we all know that not scientifically possible. I passed out the gifts to every one like I used to when I was little I watched my brother open a butt ton of video games from my grandma. Then I opened my gifts from my grandmother she got be a lot of make up and she also got me a sweater and a new I pod nano the seventh generation. Then my mother handed me a huge box, could this be my guitar. As I tore the paper open I saw my Les Paul it was beautiful. But then I turned around to Grant and I told him this is not mine anymore I believe this is yours. Then I looked at my mother and thanked here and apologized for not trusting her this time. But you do have to realize that this is not a usual behavior for my mother usually she does not even try to get my money or in this case an item she stole from me and get it back. I looked up at my tree and smiled and thought about how I wish this happened every day I love when our family does not fight and when we are happy. I saw my mom she was leaning her head on my father’s shoulder and smiling at my brother and me as we clutched our Christmas gifts. I loved that we finally looked like a functional family, it feels great to have just one normal happy day.

  I start downloading music on my new I pod nano the seventh generation I love saying all those words it is a lot of fun to finally have a new I pod. I was so happy when I opened all the new CDs my grandma got me as I downloaded the music I started to sing to it and I turned around and saw my mother watching me and laughing she said it looked like I was enjoying myself. She sat down on my bed and looked at all my new clothes and my CDs and my shoes she told me that I would probably need a bigger closet I laughed and explained to her that I should just move into her room and take the bigger walk in closet we both laughed and she waked me if I wanted a cup of hot coco. She returned with my piping hot coco and she watched me burn my
mouth. Then she laughed at me and told me nothing has changed since I was a little kid I laughed and agreed with her. She told me that nothing makes her happier than seeing my brother and I enjoy Christmas even if when could not really afford many gifts and my grandma had to buy everything I told her that I am happy as long as she loves me with all her heart. She got up hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and said then you should be happy every day honey. I sprung out of my chair and hugged my mother and I whispered to her I love you mommy.

  It is now late at night and my mother is going to start Christmas dinner and I told her I wanted to help. So my job was to help make home made mash potatoes. I love cooking with my mother I know I have said this before but it just makes me feel so close to her, I always tell her that I wish we would do this together more often she agrees with me. My pug Alfred tried to weasel his way into getting a spoon full of mashed potatoes but I leaned over kissed him on the nose and told him it was never going to happen. He jumped up expecting another kiss or a pat on the head. I am finally done making the mash potatoes and my mo says the ham should almost me done but it is not long before my dad and Grant are taste testing everything. I love when my brother tells me he just needs to do a little quality control. He can be such a dork sometimes, but at the same time my father is the exact same way. My family never sits at our dining room table so it was really nice to have dinner at the table for once, we laughed and stuffed our selves and had an amazing time it was so beautiful to be a happy family.