Christmas Disgust

By Carlie Lombardi

I turn down the cheery Christmas music while I pull into the mall’s aggravating parking lot, thinking that the music being turned down will cause me to find a spot better. After an annoying ten minutes, I finally found a parking spot, but it seemed like the mall was now a mile away. When I finally make it to the door, I sigh before entering the holly jolly Christmas land. When I enter Macy’s, it is blasting “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. I’ve always hated that song, or any Christmas song to be exact. While I take a walk through the store, I analyze all of the flashy festive decorations. I felt disgust come over me while I thought about how I’m going to be forced to go to an infinite amount of family parties soon, just because we can’t have one big one. My family feeds off of not liking each other and somehow I get stuck going to all of the different parties even though I don’t like any of these people. When I get to the part of the mall that will actually benefit me, I pan my view around all of the stores. What store do I go to? I don’t even know what store my own mother likes. My mom has been my savior, for many reasons, but she is the only one who deserves a Christmas gift this year.

I continue my stride throughout the mall and stop at windows to pretend like I’m window shopping when I’m really trying to peek inside my memory thinking of what my mother would want as a gift. Every window of every store is overflowing with the ugly festive colors that bring some people happiness. Ever since my dad died on Christmas, I decided or realized that Christmas is overrated. While all of the other kids opened presents, I mourned the death of my father. Somehow, my mom has stuck through all of this and still declares Christmas as her favorite holiday. Christmas Eve has always been a bit better than Christmas day, always end up at a mall on the day before Christmas, like today.

I finally see a store named “Little Treasures” and force myself to go in. I immediately see a bracelet that has my mom written all over it. I pick it up and drop it while my phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket. I grab it and see that it is my sister, who I only talk to at family gatherings, so I don’t pick up. I pick up the bracelet from the floor and head my way to the register. My body fills with relief that I have found something that she will like. Somehow, I feel excited to see her reaction tomorrow. My phone starts to buzz once again and I decline the call from Margaret, my sister. The lady at the register starts to try to make small talk but is interrupted by my phone buzzing. “I’m sorry, I’m just going to take this real quick.”

I leave the bracelet and fast pace out the store. I answer my sister’s repeated call, “What Margaret? What is so important?”

My stomach drops to the ground and then so do I. I run out of the mall while people walk by me with concerned looks on their faces.

“The wake is tomorrow,” Margaret says. Wow, Christmas Eve isn’t better than Christmas day.