by Sandy
I glanced around at all my friends, who were anxiously awaiting for my story. I took a deep breath and sighed. Their stories were all sentimental and memorable … how could I compare? Maybe I should make something up …
"Come on, is our storyteller in a slump?" Abby teased. Everyone let out laugh and I smiled at her.
"No, it's just …. I don't think I have any memorable Christmases." I admitted.
"Oh, come on! You're trying to tell me that a Pike Christmas isn't memorable?!" Kristy exclaimed. "Or are you trying to forget them all?" The room burst out laughing and I couldn't even help myself.
"Everyday is a holiday in our house. The only way you can tell its Christmas is because of a big tree and horrible decorations." Suddenly, I came up with the perfect story. "Okay, I have my story. It's kind of recent." I shrugged.
Everyone was attentive and I began … "Twas' the night before Christmas in Stoneybrook. Nothing stirred, except for the Pike house …"
"MALLY!" Claire shouted, as I was attempting to dress her. "MALLY!" She exclaimed again, trying to wriggle out of her dress.
"Claire, it's Mallory. Not Mally. Please, stay still." I was nine years old at the time, Claire was three. Although she spoke impressively for a three-year old, she still had not mastered my name.
"I want my diaper!" She started stomping her feet. "I want my diaper, Mally!"
I groaned. We'd been trying to potty train Claire over the past few months. She was a late learner and she never made it to the toilet on time. My mother insisted that we stop being so lenient on her and forced a rule that no one was to give Claire diapers. Of course, I was the only one who changed her and had to put up with her diaper tantrums.
"Claire … you're a big girl now. Diapers are for babies." I coaxed her and she responded by scowling. I already went through this potty-training tantrums with Nicky and Margo, but Claire was the worst case.
"I don't care, Mally! I want my DIAPER!" She screeched. And like Spiderman had his spidey sense, I had my tantrum sense. Seeing that I wanted a peaceful Christmas Eve, I only had one choice.
"Okay, Claire! I'll give you a diaper only if you say my name right …" She grinned and hopped on top of her changing table. She undressed herself, even though she was unable to dress herself.
I rummaged around for a diaper and said to her. "Repeat after me: MAL-OAR-WHEE!" She smiled and responded "MAL-OAR-WHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" After I was done, I picked up her dress, but she already jumped off and was running down the hallways, chanting "MAL-OAR-WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! MAL-OAR-WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
Vanessa opened the door to the room she shared with me and pouted. "Shut up, Claire! Margo and me are working on something!" Claire trembled in her spot and I rushed to her before she could start bawling.
"Don't tell her to shut up, Vanessa!" Claire beamed and ran down the stairs, singing "MAL-OAR-WHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" the whole way.
Vanessa rolled her eyes and I knew she was coming up with a rhyme to say towards me. She's been trying to talk in rhyme since she was five years old. "Dear, little MAL-OAR-WHEE!, you're suppose to teach Claire how to properly --" She was interrupted by my mother's screech of "PIKE MEETING NOW! IN THE REC ROOM!"
Vanessa smirked. "I think you know what comes next. Come on, Margo!" She pushed me aside, with Margo following her. I followed them down the stairs, narrowly missing Nicky's army figures.
When I arrived in the rec room, Mom was holding Claire. She gave me a scolding look and I shrugged. Adam, Jordan and Byron were playing Nintendo … or arguing over who should have the controller next. Nicky and Margo were already squabbling over something and Vanessa just plopped on the couch, looking bored. It was a familiar Pike scene.
My mother cleared her voice and ordered everyone to listen to her. After much protests from the triplets, she managed to get everyone's attention.
"Alright! Listen up! Tomorrow is Christmas …"
"YES!!" Claire exclaimed. "SANTA!!"
Adam put his hands to his ears. "Will she ever shut up? She's worse than Margo!"
"SHUT UP, ADAM!" Margo shrieked.
"Don't tell my brother to shut up!" Jordan shot back, before Adam could get a word in.
"What are you going to do about it?" Margo sneered.
My mother groaned and sat down on the couch, with Claire in her lap. An argument like this could go on forever, so I had to intercede.
"Both of you be quiet and listen to Mom!" I scolded. "Don't interrupt her and you could back to doing what you want!" Everyone quieted down, shooting each other mean looks.
Mom smiled weakly at me. "Thanks, Mal. Let's go to issue number one! I hope you all bought your Secret Santa by now!" Everyone nodded.
Secret Santa was a Pike tradition. We each got a sibling and had to buy them a gift. It saves a lot of money, rather than each of us buys a gift for everyone. This year, it was actually a secret. I got Vanessa this year and I gave her a book on children's poetry. I have no idea who got me.
"Good. Issue number two! After last year's ornament fiasco, I hope you all made your ornaments for the tree now. We have to decorate it today. I don't like the looks on your faces right now …" Everyone looked startled, in realization that they forgot to do their ornament.
It was a new Pike tradition. Last year, we learned that glass ornaments do not mix well with Pike kids. We vowed only plastic from now on, but we could add our own homemade ornaments now. I also didn't do any so I put my head down.
Mom sighed. "It's okay. You can work on that now." Everyone scrambled up and went up to their rooms, bickering with each other on the way. I slumped on the couch next to Mom, as she set Claire off running upstairs.
"Mom … why in the world did you have seven kids?" I asked her. It was a question she probably asked herself everyday.
"Mal, I didn't ask for triplets!" She laughed and shook her head. "You don't know how many people ask me that. They all think I'm crazy." She smiled at me and put her arm around me. "You know, can you imagine your life without your siblings? Sure, it's an extra person to feed, discipline and watch … but it's also someone else to love and have fun with."
I grinned. It was so true. I could not imagine a single day without my siblings.
"Besides Mallory, it's going to be all worth it in the end. Especially when you see them grow up before your very own eyes."
And if on cue, Claire walked in, stark-naked and handed me her diaper. "Mally, I'm a big girl now!"
Everyone exploded with laughter. I smiled at the memory and when my friends calmed down, I finally continued.
"She didn't make it to the toilet on time." The room burst with laughter again. I managed to stifle a laugh. "It's not that funny!"
"Poor Mal. That is so Claire!" Stacey said between giggles.
"Guys, you better calm down! I'm not even half-way finished with my story!" I griped.
Everyone took a big breath. "Okay, now on to the infamous Pike Christmas tree …" Unfortunately, that got Kristy, Mary Anne and Claudia laughing again.
Abby gave a confused look and asked them, "What's so funny about the tree? I saw it last week and it looked great!"
Mary Anne chuckled. "Because they've been improving on their tree every year since then! Trust me, Mal, if that tree you're talking about is worse than last year's…"
I nodded. "Oh, it was pretty bad."
I heard chaos in the rec room and headed that way.
"STOP COPYING US, NICKY!" Jordan screamed.
"Stop copying each other!" Nicky shot back,leaving the triplets speechless.
I moaned and asked the Pike phrase: "What's going on here?"
Byron spoke up. "Adam, Jordan and me have our ornaments and of course, Nicky did the exact same thing!" He held up a Ninja Turtle action figure, with a string attached to it, forming a loop.
"Your ornaments are Ninja Turtle action figures?" I asked, bewildered. I looked into the hands of all the boys … each with a different Ninja turtle.
"It was suppose to be a triplet thing!" Jordan moaned. Nicky was almost near tears.
"Who cares about this little twerp, I'm hanging it up anyways!" Adam put his Ninja turtle on the tree, and of course, half of the tree slung down. The triplets followed suit.
"Guys … it's weighing the tree down! Can't you do something with paper?" Adam crossed his arms and shook his head. He was about to say something, until all the boys burst out laughing. I turned around and saw Margo in the room.
"Margo … what is that?" I inquired, when I saw her ornament. She wrapped up the whole Barbie in cotton, so it resembled Mummified Barbie.
"She's covered in snow!" Margo hung it up and the tree slung down even more.
"Ugh, get that off!" Nicky protested. "It looks like a spider web or something!"
"No, it doesn't! I hate you boys!" Margo stormed out, as the triplets coiled up in laughter.
"Gosh, can we act civilized to each other for one day? Just one day!" I left the room in a haste, until I felt Nicky grab my legs. "Nicky, let go!"
"Mal … I hate them! Why do they always leave me out?" He hugged my legs protectively and I picked him up.
"Because they're triplets, Nicky." I said.
"What does that mean?" He sniffled a bit and rested on my shoulder.
"They were born together, so they have a special bond."
"What do you mean by born?" He asked and I stopped in my tracks.
"Do you remember when Margo was born?"
"No." "Claire?"
"I remember when she was a baby. I was three."
"Didn't Mommy and Daddy tell you about babies?"
"I asked them. Mommy said one man and woman love each other …"
"Yeah, okay! Well, it's the same thing with Adam, Byron and Jordan, except they were born at the same time. Well, not at the same time." Ugh, you try explaining this to a six-year old!
"I still don't understand. I know they have the same birthday …" Nicky said. "But … does that mean Mommy loved three different men?"
"Mal, you are soooooooooooo making that up!" Abby laughed. "Or was Bill Cosby just hanging around?"
"I'm not, I swear! My reaction was the same as you guys! It's a classic Pike joke now, but don't tease Nicky about it!" I was wiping away the tears from my eyes. "That's how I always remember that Christmas."
Jessi giggled. "It's going to so hard not to tease Nicky about it!"
I grinned at her. "Oh, we still do! Trust me, Claire still has to ask about the triplets!"
Mary Anne smiled. "Mallory, your story has been the most amusing. And you didn't get to Christmas yet!"
"Oh, Christmas wasn't too great. We just ate and went to the movies. I think that's the end of my story." I said.
"It can't be! Tell us more!" Kristy said, sitting up straight.
"Well, I guess I'm going to have to tell about the sad part … not sad enough to start the Spier waterworks, but it was sad at the time." I replied. "Anyways, it was evening and my dad was surprisingly late …"
I had just finished up my ornaments. I recently read Black Beauty and fell in love with it. I drew up some horses for the tree, made them look Christmasy, and I went to go put it on the tree.
The tree looked a disaster now. Claire had decorated it with her little ponies and princesses. Margo's Mummy Barbie just …. stood out. Vanessa had written poetry on paper and sprung them all over the tree. Plus, the top was completely empty. And the tree just weighed down.
I felt someone tug on my shirt and I turned to face Nicky. He beamed at me and held up his glasses. "Here's my ornament: my glasses! The thing that bonds me and you!" He hugged my waist and put his glasses on. He smiled and squinted his eyes.
I laughed. "Nicky, you need your glasses all the time!" I put them on him. "You can go draw a pair." He ran upstairs and I decorated the tree. Somewhere upstairs, I could hear Margo and Vanessa singing "Silent Night". I smiled.
Mom rushed into the room with a weary look on her face. "I just got a call from your dad. He went to Stamford to go pick up a present … but he forgot the credit card! I have to give it to him!" She was panicking.
"Go, Mom. I'll watch everyone." I tried to reassure, but she gave me a scolding look.
"I refuse to let my nine-year old daughter watching after six children! What kind of mother will I be! Oh, if we could only find a babysitter now! But who will be available during Christmas Eve?" My mother stormed upstairs before I could answer.
Kristy shook her head. "I would have come."
"I know," I murmured.
"Um, can we just give three cheers for Kristy and the BSC?" Abby asked. We all laughed and cheered.
"Mal, continue! You must have gotten someone to sit!" Jessi said.
"Don't leave us hanging!" Stacey remarked.
"I won't. It turned out alright …" I continued on.
My mother breathed a sigh of relief. "Mrs. Murphy, the next door neighbor has agreed to watch over you all. You all behave or you will have to wait until next week for your presents!" We all collectively gasped.
Mom had settled all of us into the rec room. She was driving down to Stamford and would be back probably in two hours. It was seven o-clock.
"Mal, you know the rules. Claire, Margo and Nicky in bed by eight. Please, do not touch any food in the kitchen, it's for tomorrow! Santa doesn't visit naughty children on Christmas Eve, so you better be on your best behavior. I want you all in this rec room until it's bedtime or we come home!" She spoke sternly and the doorbell rang.
"Not Mrs. Murphy! All she is going to do is sew and not even play with us!" Jordan groaned. He proceeded to turn on the Nintendo.
I went upstairs to greet Mrs. Murphy. My mother had already left in a haste. I saw Mrs. Murphy had already sat down in the living room and started knitting on a sweater.
"Hello Mrs. Murphy." I said cheerfully. She just acknowledged it by nodding her head. I went back downstairs. Already, the fight over the controller had started. I went up and turned off the Nintendo.
"Okay … we have to be real good now. That means being quiet." I said, amidst the snickers from the boys.
"Yeah, we can't even be quiet for an hour, good luck!"
I crossed my arms. "I know what to do. I'm going to tell you a story." The triplets laughed.
"We're too old for stories!"
"You're never too old for stories. Just give me a chance." I sat down and motioned for everyone to gather around me.
"Where's the book?" Vanessa asked.
"I'm going to tell a story from my own head."
"Really?" Nicky exclaimed.
"Yes. It's called The Elves Who Saved Christmas.." I smiled as I knew I had everyone's attention. "It stars six special elves. There are The Three Muska-Elves. They are always inseparable. They also happen to be very disobedient to Santa's every order!"
"That's not fair!" Byron protested.
"Shh! Anyways, after the Three Muska-Elves, comes Poet Elf. Her job is to respond to the millions of letters Santa gets. Santa reads them all, but he can't possibly write back to them! So, he hired Poet Elf."
Vanessa beamed.
"Next in line comes … Ninja Elf. His job is to make the action figures, like The Three Muska-Elves. Except his action figures always look different and he is obedient."
Nicky grinned, despite the objections of the triplets.
"There is also Girly-Elf! She does all the toys for girls! Her special talent is making clothes for Barbies!"
Margo glowed.
"And next comes … Baby Elf! She is an Elf-In-Training, so she has no serious jobs yet."
Claire was oblivious to it.
"Which elf are you, Mal?" Jordan asked.
"Who said I was an elf? By the way, Santa's name is Mally Santa." The kids burst out laughing and I grinned. I proceeded on with my story. "It was the night before Christmas … and Santa was missing …."
I paused.
Abby looked around. "Tell us your story?"
I grinned mischievously. "I can't. It's a Pike story. Besides I'm short on time. I spent too much talking about Claire's diaper."
Everyone groaned.
"We promise we won't …" Claudia looked stumped. "What's the word?"
"Plagiarize?" Shannon suggested.
"Yes, that's it! We won't!" Claudia smiled.
"I know, you won't. It's just … it's not even done. I always add on more every year. You can read it when it's published." I smirked.
Jessi laughed. "That's fine with us, Mal. Is that the end of your Christmas story?"
I thought for awhile. "Almost. I have to get to Secret Santa…."
While I was telling my siblings the story, my parents came home. They listened at the top of the stairs for awhile, before Vanessa noticed them.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I missed their bedtime!" My parents smiled and said it was okay. It was only a quarter after eight anyways. Claire, Margo and Nicky headed upstairs. I was feeling incredibly tired, so I went to bed early. Vanessa was already fast asleep.
I slept peacefully … until six o clock. Of course, Adam graciously woke everyone up with his own personal Christmas Alarm. When I woke up, I realized Vanessa wasn't in bed. I put on my robe and headed downstairs.
"Merry Christmas, Mal!" everyone greeted.
"Finally, we can open up our gifts!" Nicky groaned.
"Am I really the last one to wake up?" I said groggily.
Margo answered for me. "Yes! Who got me as Secret Santa?! I want it first."
"I did. I just have to go upstairs and get it." Byron replied.
I went under the tree, which was full with a multitude of gifts. I picked out my gift to Vanessa and handed it to her.
"Here you go, Miss Poet!" Vanessa giggled and squealed when she saw it. "Thank you so much, Mal! You really are a special gal!" I smiled and she handed me a gift.
"You're my Secret Santa too? Was this rigged?" I grinned.
"Probably. Adam and Jordan got each other the exact same thing." She shrugged. I opened up her gift. It was a notebook, mottled in black and white.
"Wow, Vanessa! This is great!" I beamed and hugged her.
"Instead of using different sheets of paper to write on, I thought this was better! At least, that's what Mom said." She then went back to opening up her other gifts. I smiled at my mom. We sat down and opened up all our gifts. I was up to my neck with books.
"Hey, where's Claire?" Nicky remarked, as he finally stopped playing with his new action figure.
As the whole Pike family looked up, wondering where Claire had gone, we heard in the distance, a toilet flush.
"There's my story. It was just pandemonium after that. You know, regular sitting. Endless Claire bragging." I laughed.
"Who knew something so simple as a notebook could change your life?" Jessi said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, who knew a toilet flush could change your life?" Abby joked.
Jessi playfully shoved her. "I'm talking about the notebook! That was your first journal, wasn't it?"
I grinned at my best friend, because only she would catch on to that. "Indeed it was. I wrote my first entry that night: The Elves that Saved Christmas."
"Hey, is anyone else hungry?" Claudia suddenly asked. We all laughed, only Claudia would have been hungry.
"Well, Jessi's turn is next, let's not forget!"
Sandy plays a character in the babysit rpg.