Still Real

Santa was back then.

This story is a follow-up to Your Superman.

It was Christmas season. I was ten years old, while she was nine. We were in the fifth grade.

  

 

 

 

And it was this early in my life that I found out I loved her.

 

 

 

 

"What on earth are you doing? You do know that Santa Claus isn't real, right?" she saw me making a list.

"Yeah, I know he isn't real, duhhh. But what I do know is that my parents would do EVERYTHING they can to make sure I get all what I write in here."

"Lemme see that!" she grabbed it away from my hands.

 

In the list were 148 different items. She skimmed through it, and I can tell she didn't seem so interested in reading them one-by-one.

 

"You're not getting even a fraction of what's in this list, smart guy. If Santa were still real before my parents spoiled out all the fun, he'd give you all of this." she said, handing the list back to me and walking away.

 

 

 

 

For twelve straight days, I worked on nothing else but that list. I feverishly took my time with it, listing every item I had wanted that Christmas. The list then grew to 323.

 

 

I made two copies: one for myself, and one to give to my parents.

 

 

Christmas day came and gone.

 

 

I checked my list, and was heartbroken to find out I'd only gotten 5 of the items listed: three from my parents, and two from relatives.

 

My mom and dad then explained to me that it wasn't them who didn't buy it for me, but simply because they had no money. Back then, I didn't understand, but now, I do.

 

 

Four days after Christmas, we were enjoying the beauty of snow.

 

I was building a snowman, while she was busy making snow angels.

 

 

 

 

"How many items did you get?"

"Five."

"Out of three-hundred and twenty-three?"

"Yep."

""I told you, but you didn't listen."

 

 

She was right.

 

 

"Can I ask a question?"

"I feel disappointed that my parents didn't get me all of it. Happy?"

"No, not that question. I wanna ask something..."

"Oh. Okay, sure."

 

 

 

 

"What was the one thing you wanted in that list that most... ...that you didn't get?"

 

 

 

"The one thing I wanted the most?"

 

 

 

 

"Uh-huh."

 

 

 

 

*** "If Santa were still real before my parents spoiled out all the fun..." ***

 

 

 

 

"That's one thing even dear ol' Santa could never give."

 

 

 

 

"Well, what was it?"

 

 

 

 

"I wanted you."