It seemed liked an ordinary Christmas. My grandpa Roma was coming over. Feliciano was being an extra goody-two-shoes. My mom was using Santa as an excuse to get me to do chores, which I still didn't do. And me and Feli were writing letters to Santa. At the time I was ten and Feli was eight. It was the year my parents planned to tell him about Santa, but then decided not to. I'll have you know they told me when I was six. But they always babied my brother. And although it seemed normal it was also the year my parents decided to let me know how much they hated me.
They had decided, and talked about it right in front of me, that I would get either coal or nothing for Christmas.
The day I first heard of the plan it was the 17th of December. I hadn't done my chores so my parents decided they couldn't trust me and made me come with them to buy Christmas supplies. They got enough stocking stuffers for a whole town and they got the "as seen on TV" pasta maker. After that my mom said, "Now for Lovino's."
To which my dad replied, "Just get him coal he's been awful this last year." At first I thought he was kidding, like first of who would actually do that and second he said it right in front of me. But then my mom grabs bag of coal and puts it in the cart. And that was just the first time.
The second time was a few days later. I was up past my bedtime doing chores. Nonno had just arrived, so my brother didn't even know he was there. My grandpa thought he'd find out what Santa was getting us so he didn't get the same thing. After talking about my brother and his present for nearly half an hour I hear Nonno say, "what about Lovino?"
My parents simultaneously said, " Coal."
By then the chores are done and I'm sent to bed without hearing the end of the conversation.
The third time was when we were at a store that had had a Santa. My parents sent me away to "find the laundry detergent ". When I got back I saw them leaving santa.
I decided to just get in that line and ignore my family. When I was on Santa's lap I decided to tell him my problem. I said, "At first I wanted a fancy brand new game system, but after my parents have been saying that I'm going to coal for Christmas, all I want is tomatoes." Right after saying that I lept off his lap, grabbed the detergent and pretended like I was by the check out the whole time.
That was the last clue I got.
When Christmas Day came I walked out of my room, hoping that Feli had gotten me something nice, when I saw tomatoes in my stocking and the video game I had wanted next to Feli's pasta maker.
When my parents and Nonno came out of their rooms then seemed to be truly shocked at what Santa had left me. Thus I was certain it was none of them.
In the end, it led me, grumpy old, Lovino Vargas, to believe in Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas.