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Chapter Nineteen
Sybil was still upset the next day but luckily their parents were working so Esmerelda tried her best to distract them. Esmerelda was still angry, not at Sybil but at her parents for what they had done to Sybil.
"Let's just try and have a good Christmas yes?" Esmerelda told them as they played scrabble. She could see both girls were afraid of their parents, their parents hitting Sybil had really scared them. It was so unexpected and harsh.
"I am making pasta for dinner" Esmerelda told them and both girls smiled, brightening a little at least, as they knew they would have their favourite food.
Despite all this Esmerelda really was determined to make this a good Christmas for her sisters. Their parents would be working the whole day, which meant she didn't have to worry about them and she could try make Christmas go the way she wanted it to. The younger two went to bed on Christmas Eve, not giddy with excitement like they should be, like children naturally are. They knew Christmas would not be any better than any other day, but Esmerelda smiled and then when she knew they were asleep she rushed off to do some magic, magic she could do even if she was had been a non magical person.
Ethel and Sybil woke up and knocked on Esmerelda's bedroom door, wanting to spend time with their sister at least at Christmas. Esmie opened it and smiled. She was dressed in a Christmas hat and a green Christmas jumper with a Christmas tree on it.
"What is going on?" Ethel asked stepping into her room confused.
"It is Christmas" the girl replied as if that explained everything. Sybil and Ethel gasped then as they stepped fully into the bedroom.
Tinsel was pinned up around the walls, and Christmas stockings. It looked like a Santa's grotto, and on the bed lay a purple jumper with a Christmas pudding on it and a red one with a snowman, as well as two Christmas hats.
"Go put your chirstmas stuff on" Esmerelda told them as they noticed and rushed over. It was true Mr and Mrs Hallow did not despite Christmas but they never brought their children anything Christmas related either.
"These are so cool, where did you get this stuff?" Sybil asked as she put the jumper over her head.
"Gran sent it, you know that bunch of stuff she normally sends that mum and dad never give us?" Esmerelda explained as she smiled, seeing her sisters put on their jumpers and hats. Their parents never bothered to give them the stuff from Josephine as they thought she was a bad influence.
"Come on, it is Christmas morning, that means it is time for presents" Esmerelda told them taking their hands and rushing down the stairs. The girls arrived into the front room, seeing it also decorated.
"Wow Esmie, you really went all out" Ethel said spinning around trying to look at everything at once.
"I wanted this Christmas to be special, you have some presents, you best go see what they are" Esmerelda told her sisters. Both blondes rushed off to look under the tree and saw a small pile of presents for both of them.
The girls did get presents at home. Their parents did buy them a few gifts. But their parents did not know their daughters, they did not know their likes or interests, the stuff they were given was stuff they didn't need or weren't interested in so there presents were not normally exciting for them.
"A new diary, my old one was getting full! Thank you Esmerelda" Ethel said as she opened the small leather bound purple book and smiled.
"These are from gran, I just wrapped them" Esmerelda told her sisters. She wished most of these were from her but she was eleven years old, she didn't have any money for presents.
"Still Esmie, thank you" Sybil said as she looked at her new teddy bed that said 'Australia' on the jumper it was wearing. She hugged it and smiled and smiled even more when her sisters opened matching ones.
"I wish gran was here" Ethel said with a sigh. She missed the woman and having a bear with the word Australia on it, only reminded her how far away she actually was.
"Me too" Esmerelda said sadly "But we can still have fun, here open this one" Esmerelda said pointing to a small package. "This one is from me" Esmerelda told them.
Peeling of the paper, they found three small jewellery sized boxes inside. Each box read one of the girls names and Sybil counted to three and they all opened them at the same time and gasped in unison. Esmerelda of course knew what it was but played along with her sisters.
Esmerelda had a heart shaped necklace with a silver chain. On the heart it read'Big sis' and Ethel had a smaller heart which said 'middle sis' on it and then Sybil's was an even smaller heart which said 'little sis'. The necklaces joined together and formed as one. Esmerelda had seen them and fallen in love with them and had then saved all the money she had to buy them.
"Esmerelda these are amazing" Sybil said as she smiled at her new presents
"You really think so? You don't think they are cheesy?" Esmerelda asked. She had being worried her sisters would think it was cheesy and not want to wear them.
"No way, it shows we are all connected as one" Ethel said as she took hers out the box and started to unclasp it to put on.
"Let's wear them all the time, well when you aren't at school, you aren't allowed jewellery" Sybil said, not wanting her sister in trouble for breaking the rules.
"Don't you worry, I will wear it under my uniform, no-one will ever know" Esmerelda told her sisters as she she helped them put their necklaces on and then they all joined them together and smiled. They were stronger as one and that was what the necklaces said.
The girls played with their new things for a while and played a few boardgames. Esmerelda put on a CD with Christmas songs on, trying to get them in the mood for the day. Hours went by with the girls just hanging out and laughing before they were all starving.
Esmerelda was not a superhero and even she was not able to produce a full Christmas meal for them by herself, but she could however try make something special. She made some pasta and used food colouring on it to turn it green and then some red food dye on the meat to turn it brighter red. It looked like the typical Christmas colours made it more christmasy. True it wouldn't taste different but it was the thought that counted.
"Ooo wow" Sybil sad as she saw her dinner
"I couldn't get any crackers or anything, I am sorry" Esmerelda said but both girls were thrilled with their Christmas dinner.
"Mm this is good" Ethel said as she stuffed more into her mouth.
"Glad you liked it and guess what, I found some ice cream in the freezer, that means a Christmas desert" Esmerelda told them. The girls beamed at her and ate faster, wanting their treat.
After dinner, Esmerelda gave them both vanilla ice cream with hundreds and thousands. It was a simple food for Christmas but it was perfect for them. The love put into it made it special. Esmerelda had tried to make it the best time possible for them and hoped her effort was appreciated.
"Esmerelda, this has being the best Christmas ever" Sybil said as the three of the cuddled in her bed watching a Christmas film under the covers.
"Yes thank you Esmie" Ethel said, snuggling up into her more.
She hugged both her sisters loving them so much in that moment. Her beautiful sisters were her world and she had made their day special. She just wanted them to feel like normal children for once, being loved and spoiled at Christmas just for the sheer happiness they brought people.
It really was the best Christmas ever and Esmerelda was thrilled she had been able to give it to them.
"You are welcome" Esmerelda told them. It would be one they would never ever forget.