The Best Christmas Gift
I stared out my hotel room window at what people call, a winter wonderland. A wonderland? I didn't think so. I mean, with the sky so gray and all the little children screaming all over the place while they threw snow at each other? And we can't forget about the freezing cold weather!
I used to love this season, making snow angels, building snowmen with my friends, twirling around and laughing as the soft snow tickled my skin on my face, receiving kisses under the mistletoe. But now I've grown up, opened my eyes, and gotten ready to face reality. I'm no longer the little girl who'd go running and crying to her mother when she's in a jam, I'm no longer the girl who'd just dream instead of doing something about it. No, now I have to live my life. No one can look out for me anymore. I'm a new person now. I can only look towards the future. No one would ever look out for me anymore. Not since she left...
Modern Mimi's telling a story about what happened back to when she's about 8*@----}----{----@*
"Daddy, daddy! Can I go outside and play in the snow?" I asked excitedly as I jumped up and down. My mom had just finished doing my hair. My pigtails bounced up and down as I ran around the house, filling the gloomy, proper place with the sentimental feeling I get every Christmas.
Despite my joyfulness, my father just stared back at me coldly. He stood up and gripped my wrist so tight that I remember squeezing my eyes shut and screaming as I begged him to let go. When he finally did, he grabbed my arms with his enormous hands and began shaking me. The ribbons in my hair fell out and my hair came loose onto my shoulders. "Stop causing all this noise, you hear me?! It's just Christmas! Just some silly day people use to get all their merchandise out with a high price! What's so great about that? Now stop making all this noise or you'll wish there was no Christmas!" He barked like an angry dog. Then he returned to his neatly organized desk to file his papers. I always knew that those businesses and clients of his are more important to him than me.
I shivered as tears continued to run down my face. I cried loudly at the thought of being cold and abandoned during Christmas. But that made him even angrier. He shot up from his chair and smacked me across the face so hard that I fell to the floor. "Now what the hell did I tell you? Didn't I just tell you to shut up? Well you better do it!"
Just then, the loud doors opened up and my mother began running towards me. She put her arms around my head as she held me close. I gripped onto her also. She patted my back gently to make my crying weaken. "It's all right, honey, go ahead and play." She whispered.
I got up and wiped the tears from my face. I ran out the door, not wanting to know or have anything to do with the owner of that place. I can't even call him my father. Ever since I was a little baby, he could've cared less if I died. He'd probably even be happy since he'd have one less mouth to feed. Just before I ran out though, I heard him yelling at mom again. She's always defending me and whenever she does, he hurts her. I've seen her bruises, but she'd always just smile at me and said that everything's fine, that dad's just under a lot of pressure.
Pressure? What about us? Constantly living with fear? It's enough to drive anyone insane! We both knew that we had to cling onto each other no matter what, it's all that mattered to us in the whole world.
As I ran down the cold streets, wiping my face, hiding my tears, and quietly sobbing, I'd lead myself to the alley where all the stray cats live. I'd always sneak them some milk or food. I guess it's because I can relate to them. There used to be this mean, nasty old man who'd always take a cane and strike them if they even go near him. They'd so much rather be all alone. I guess I feel the same. Maybe I'd be better off on my own instead of with him.
I petted them as they crawled onto me when I sat down. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't bring anything today. I-it's just so hard at home these days. I'm so scared..." I whispered as I lured in the dark. The cats just purred and rubbed their heads against my skin to comfort me. I smiled as I petted them, at least I knew someone are always going to be there for me, not just my mother.
"Who's there?" the voice of a girl came from the end of the alley. She sounded a little younger than me as she stood in the light.
"Kari! Wait up! What are you doing?" A familiar voice shouted.
"Who are you talking to anyway?" Another familiar voice shouted. Just then, the owners of the two voices stood into the light along with the little girl. It was Tai Kamiya and Matt Ishida, two of the most popular guys in school. I can't let them see me like this, they'd think that I'm more of a loser than they already do. I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hands as I stood up. The girl pointed at me as the two guys' attention turned towards me.
"I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you... I-I'm going to leave now." I whispered weakly as I began to speed walk out of the alley. The cats quickly disappeared back into their hiding places in the darkness of the alley.
"Where are you guys going?" I recognize that voice as Sora Takenouchi's. She's also among the popular crew. "Oh, hi Mimi." She said as she turned towards me.
"Um, hi." I stuttered out. I turned to run off again when Matt said wait and held my wrist where my dad had gripped me before. I cried in pain and he quickly let go of me. I held my wrist gently as I looked to examine the source of the pain. When I rolled up a little bit of my sleeve, I could see my dad's handprint in a big bruise. Their eyes all widened on me like I was some freak show.
"What in the world did you do, Ishida?" Tai yelled as he playfully punched Matt's arm. Sora walked over to me and took my wrist gently and examined it closely.
"I'm sure I didn't do that, man." Matt said, still in awe.
The little girl, which turned out to be Tai's sister Kari, came over to me and placed her soft hand on my coarse wrist. "Does it hurt a lot?" She asked in a soft whisper. Her eyes was filled with hurt and sympathy as she stared up at me.
"I-" I began to say. But then I thought how much trouble I'd be in with father if I told. "It's not Matt's fault. I-I just slipped earlier and hurt my arm, that's all."
But Sora saw right through me. Ever since then, I knew that no one would ever be able to replace her in my life. "Don't lie, Mimi. It's okay. I mean, you couldn't have gotten that handprint by slipping." Then she tilted my face towards the light. It was all red from when my father smacked me across the face. Everyone gasped. "Who did this to you?"
"I-it's nothing." I murmured as I looked back down.
"Where else are you hurt?" Tai asked. I could see concern in his eyes. There was also concern in Sora's, Matt's and Kari's. No one's ever looked at me like that except for the cats and my mom. I guess that's how I met my first friends.
"Come on, I'll take you to our friend's place. His brother's a doctor and he'll take care of you." Without a choice, I nodded and followed them, wrapping my coat tighter around me for warmth.
When I got there, I was introduced to Joe Kido, a frigid boy who's just one year older than me. He immediately took a liking in me and invited me in. With nothing to repay his generosity, I smiled at him warmly.
He called for his brother Jim, who gasped at my wounds. When he finished, he looked seriously into my eyes. "Who did this to you, Mimi? I need you to tell me or you're going to keep getting hurt!" I shrank back, not knowing what to do.
They all stared at me for an answer. "I-It's really not-"
"Don't even say that, Mimi. You were practically in tears when Jim helped you. Now spill it!" Tai said loudly. I could tell that he really cared for me, but I was still scared. Suddenly, I began sobbing and I just ran straight home. Why I did that I had no idea. But I needed some place to go, if it had to be home, well, then be it.
That night, when I was still asleep, I heard some noise, and then I found mother by my bed. She told me to hush and said that she's just going away for a while. But she promised that she'd come back for me. I nodded as she crept into the night. Even though she promised, I knew she'd never come back. Who'd want to ever come back here?
A few years later, when I was 12, I couldn't stand it anymore. My father kept abusing me and even though I told my friends, Matt, Tai, Izzy, Sora, Kari, T.K., and Joe, but I wouldn't let them do anything about it. But as I grew older, the worse it became. They've all told me to go and Jim almost couldn't stand it and almost called Children's Welfare. I didn't want to make something too big out of it and I go out of my way to prevent them from doing anything. I don't even know why. I mean, I don't owe my dad anything. But after all, he is my dad and I don't want to do anything that would hurt him, even though it'd hurt me. I guess I just dreamed that one day he'd turn gentle like he used to be before grandma died.
But I just had to run away. I just couldn't stay there anymore. Everyday, when I get back to that so called "home", I feel like I'm being watched every five seconds. I can't even get any sleep anymore. So, after telling my friends and after all their attempts to stop me, I ran away that night. He was drunk and fell asleep really quickly. He snored like a pig and I could tell that if I wake him up in any way, I'd just get it again. But I don't deserve to live in this kind of fright. I'm a breathing human being and I deserve to be treated like one. So that night I ran away and I vowed never to go back.
I stayed at my mom's old friend's place and I began training my voice. I craved for my freedom that I've never gotten at all in my life. I needed to be independent. After I got out into the show business, I got news that my father died of a clogged artery. Mom always did tell him not to eat stuff with too much calories. But he never listened anyway. But then I heard that my mother had died in an accident. So now I have no more family in this world.
I got letters from my friends once in a while, but then they just stopped. I was just too hard to keep track of, especially I'm always touring to get away from people. I've just had too many heartbreaks in my life. I-I don't think I can handle anymore. Through these years, I've seen so many fake smiles with so many fake and cruel hearts behind them. And I finally realized how living, breathing people are like. Well, if that's how they are, I don't want to be a part of it.
A teardrop rolled down my face and a knock was heard from the door. I wonder who it could be, I thought this place is supposed to be private. I quickly wiped my eyes and took a deep breath and pretended nothing's happened at all. Pretending, I'm pretty good at it now. I mean, that's what I've been doing my whole life.
I opened the door as I looked on the floor and suddenly heard a loud "Surprise!" When I looked up, the tears just couldn't hold back anymore. Standing right there was what I thought I'd lost so long ago. All my friends, no, my family are just standing there. All of them. Sora, Matt, Tai, Kari, T.K., Izzy, and Joe. I realized through the show business that family isn't who the person is, it depends on how they act. And I definitely consider that they are the closest family I've ever got, always sticking by me. And I know they'll always be by my side.
"We thought you might be a little lonely." Matt said plainly as he smiled at me.
"Okay, us visiting isn't that bad, you don't have to cry." Tai said sarcastically. Immediately I smiled and gave him a hug. "Now that's more like it." And then we had a big group hug. Even though it's freezing outside, I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside. Maybe that's the best Christmas gift you can ever give or receive.
I stared out my hotel room window at what people call, a winter wonderland. A wonderland? I didn't think so. I mean, with the sky so gray and all the little children screaming all over the place while they threw snow at each other? And we can't forget about the freezing cold weather!
I used to love this season, making snow angels, building snowmen with my friends, twirling around and laughing as the soft snow tickled my skin on my face, receiving kisses under the mistletoe. But now I've grown up, opened my eyes, and gotten ready to face reality. I'm no longer the little girl who'd go running and crying to her mother when she's in a jam, I'm no longer the girl who'd just dream instead of doing something about it. No, now I have to live my life. No one can look out for me anymore. I'm a new person now. I can only look towards the future. No one would ever look out for me anymore. Not since she left...
Modern Mimi's telling a story about what happened back to when she's about 8*@----}----{----@*
"Daddy, daddy! Can I go outside and play in the snow?" I asked excitedly as I jumped up and down. My mom had just finished doing my hair. My pigtails bounced up and down as I ran around the house, filling the gloomy, proper place with the sentimental feeling I get every Christmas.
Despite my joyfulness, my father just stared back at me coldly. He stood up and gripped my wrist so tight that I remember squeezing my eyes shut and screaming as I begged him to let go. When he finally did, he grabbed my arms with his enormous hands and began shaking me. The ribbons in my hair fell out and my hair came loose onto my shoulders. "Stop causing all this noise, you hear me?! It's just Christmas! Just some silly day people use to get all their merchandise out with a high price! What's so great about that? Now stop making all this noise or you'll wish there was no Christmas!" He barked like an angry dog. Then he returned to his neatly organized desk to file his papers. I always knew that those businesses and clients of his are more important to him than me.
I shivered as tears continued to run down my face. I cried loudly at the thought of being cold and abandoned during Christmas. But that made him even angrier. He shot up from his chair and smacked me across the face so hard that I fell to the floor. "Now what the hell did I tell you? Didn't I just tell you to shut up? Well you better do it!"
Just then, the loud doors opened up and my mother began running towards me. She put her arms around my head as she held me close. I gripped onto her also. She patted my back gently to make my crying weaken. "It's all right, honey, go ahead and play." She whispered.
I got up and wiped the tears from my face. I ran out the door, not wanting to know or have anything to do with the owner of that place. I can't even call him my father. Ever since I was a little baby, he could've cared less if I died. He'd probably even be happy since he'd have one less mouth to feed. Just before I ran out though, I heard him yelling at mom again. She's always defending me and whenever she does, he hurts her. I've seen her bruises, but she'd always just smile at me and said that everything's fine, that dad's just under a lot of pressure.
Pressure? What about us? Constantly living with fear? It's enough to drive anyone insane! We both knew that we had to cling onto each other no matter what, it's all that mattered to us in the whole world.
As I ran down the cold streets, wiping my face, hiding my tears, and quietly sobbing, I'd lead myself to the alley where all the stray cats live. I'd always sneak them some milk or food. I guess it's because I can relate to them. There used to be this mean, nasty old man who'd always take a cane and strike them if they even go near him. They'd so much rather be all alone. I guess I feel the same. Maybe I'd be better off on my own instead of with him.
I petted them as they crawled onto me when I sat down. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't bring anything today. I-it's just so hard at home these days. I'm so scared..." I whispered as I lured in the dark. The cats just purred and rubbed their heads against my skin to comfort me. I smiled as I petted them, at least I knew someone are always going to be there for me, not just my mother.
"Who's there?" the voice of a girl came from the end of the alley. She sounded a little younger than me as she stood in the light.
"Kari! Wait up! What are you doing?" A familiar voice shouted.
"Who are you talking to anyway?" Another familiar voice shouted. Just then, the owners of the two voices stood into the light along with the little girl. It was Tai Kamiya and Matt Ishida, two of the most popular guys in school. I can't let them see me like this, they'd think that I'm more of a loser than they already do. I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hands as I stood up. The girl pointed at me as the two guys' attention turned towards me.
"I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you... I-I'm going to leave now." I whispered weakly as I began to speed walk out of the alley. The cats quickly disappeared back into their hiding places in the darkness of the alley.
"Where are you guys going?" I recognize that voice as Sora Takenouchi's. She's also among the popular crew. "Oh, hi Mimi." She said as she turned towards me.
"Um, hi." I stuttered out. I turned to run off again when Matt said wait and held my wrist where my dad had gripped me before. I cried in pain and he quickly let go of me. I held my wrist gently as I looked to examine the source of the pain. When I rolled up a little bit of my sleeve, I could see my dad's handprint in a big bruise. Their eyes all widened on me like I was some freak show.
"What in the world did you do, Ishida?" Tai yelled as he playfully punched Matt's arm. Sora walked over to me and took my wrist gently and examined it closely.
"I'm sure I didn't do that, man." Matt said, still in awe.
The little girl, which turned out to be Tai's sister Kari, came over to me and placed her soft hand on my coarse wrist. "Does it hurt a lot?" She asked in a soft whisper. Her eyes was filled with hurt and sympathy as she stared up at me.
"I-" I began to say. But then I thought how much trouble I'd be in with father if I told. "It's not Matt's fault. I-I just slipped earlier and hurt my arm, that's all."
But Sora saw right through me. Ever since then, I knew that no one would ever be able to replace her in my life. "Don't lie, Mimi. It's okay. I mean, you couldn't have gotten that handprint by slipping." Then she tilted my face towards the light. It was all red from when my father smacked me across the face. Everyone gasped. "Who did this to you?"
"I-it's nothing." I murmured as I looked back down.
"Where else are you hurt?" Tai asked. I could see concern in his eyes. There was also concern in Sora's, Matt's and Kari's. No one's ever looked at me like that except for the cats and my mom. I guess that's how I met my first friends.
"Come on, I'll take you to our friend's place. His brother's a doctor and he'll take care of you." Without a choice, I nodded and followed them, wrapping my coat tighter around me for warmth.
When I got there, I was introduced to Joe Kido, a frigid boy who's just one year older than me. He immediately took a liking in me and invited me in. With nothing to repay his generosity, I smiled at him warmly.
He called for his brother Jim, who gasped at my wounds. When he finished, he looked seriously into my eyes. "Who did this to you, Mimi? I need you to tell me or you're going to keep getting hurt!" I shrank back, not knowing what to do.
They all stared at me for an answer. "I-It's really not-"
"Don't even say that, Mimi. You were practically in tears when Jim helped you. Now spill it!" Tai said loudly. I could tell that he really cared for me, but I was still scared. Suddenly, I began sobbing and I just ran straight home. Why I did that I had no idea. But I needed some place to go, if it had to be home, well, then be it.
That night, when I was still asleep, I heard some noise, and then I found mother by my bed. She told me to hush and said that she's just going away for a while. But she promised that she'd come back for me. I nodded as she crept into the night. Even though she promised, I knew she'd never come back. Who'd want to ever come back here?
A few years later, when I was 12, I couldn't stand it anymore. My father kept abusing me and even though I told my friends, Matt, Tai, Izzy, Sora, Kari, T.K., and Joe, but I wouldn't let them do anything about it. But as I grew older, the worse it became. They've all told me to go and Jim almost couldn't stand it and almost called Children's Welfare. I didn't want to make something too big out of it and I go out of my way to prevent them from doing anything. I don't even know why. I mean, I don't owe my dad anything. But after all, he is my dad and I don't want to do anything that would hurt him, even though it'd hurt me. I guess I just dreamed that one day he'd turn gentle like he used to be before grandma died.
But I just had to run away. I just couldn't stay there anymore. Everyday, when I get back to that so called "home", I feel like I'm being watched every five seconds. I can't even get any sleep anymore. So, after telling my friends and after all their attempts to stop me, I ran away that night. He was drunk and fell asleep really quickly. He snored like a pig and I could tell that if I wake him up in any way, I'd just get it again. But I don't deserve to live in this kind of fright. I'm a breathing human being and I deserve to be treated like one. So that night I ran away and I vowed never to go back.
I stayed at my mom's old friend's place and I began training my voice. I craved for my freedom that I've never gotten at all in my life. I needed to be independent. After I got out into the show business, I got news that my father died of a clogged artery. Mom always did tell him not to eat stuff with too much calories. But he never listened anyway. But then I heard that my mother had died in an accident. So now I have no more family in this world.
I got letters from my friends once in a while, but then they just stopped. I was just too hard to keep track of, especially I'm always touring to get away from people. I've just had too many heartbreaks in my life. I-I don't think I can handle anymore. Through these years, I've seen so many fake smiles with so many fake and cruel hearts behind them. And I finally realized how living, breathing people are like. Well, if that's how they are, I don't want to be a part of it.
A teardrop rolled down my face and a knock was heard from the door. I wonder who it could be, I thought this place is supposed to be private. I quickly wiped my eyes and took a deep breath and pretended nothing's happened at all. Pretending, I'm pretty good at it now. I mean, that's what I've been doing my whole life.
I opened the door as I looked on the floor and suddenly heard a loud "Surprise!" When I looked up, the tears just couldn't hold back anymore. Standing right there was what I thought I'd lost so long ago. All my friends, no, my family are just standing there. All of them. Sora, Matt, Tai, Kari, T.K., Izzy, and Joe. I realized through the show business that family isn't who the person is, it depends on how they act. And I definitely consider that they are the closest family I've ever got, always sticking by me. And I know they'll always be by my side.
"We thought you might be a little lonely." Matt said plainly as he smiled at me.
"Okay, us visiting isn't that bad, you don't have to cry." Tai said sarcastically. Immediately I smiled and gave him a hug. "Now that's more like it." And then we had a big group hug. Even though it's freezing outside, I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside. Maybe that's the best Christmas gift you can ever give or receive.