Entry 14: Arnold's Christmas
My feet are as cold as my heart is warm.
I just spent the night looking up every freakin' name in the city to try and find a missing girl. Not just any missing girl though. The daughter of one of Arnold's eccentric boarders, Mr Hy…? Oh heck, I don't know how to spell it.
Just like every normal kid, I was ecstatic to hear Christmas break had begun when our last class let out. I raced down the streets to see Princess and practically every other girl we knew eyeing a pair of Nancy Spumoni snow boots in the window of a clothing store I wouldn't normally think twice about wasting my time in.
"I've got to have those boots!"
"You and every other girl in the city, Helga! The stores are sold out!"
Pttss...what does she know? I told her I'd get a pair, and sure enough, it happened. As much as it meant to me, there was one thing that meant more…
"I'm going to get Mr. Hyunh and his daughter together."
Oh Arnold, so caring and giving. Spending every free moment of his own to add a bit of light to another person's life…
Anyway, I overheard him and Geraldo doing a bit of shopping for this Mr. Bailey guy. If football head got everything on the list, Bailey would find Arnold's friend. Seemed simple enough.
Let me tell you something bucko. Quality Christmas shopping isn't exactly considered to be a piece of cake!
As I was doing my own shopping, hoping to find the perfect gift for my beloved (trying not to rip my hair out during the process), I saw football head's shopping list slip out of his pocket.
Guess what was on it? No, not the flashy, overpriced video game I spent hours picking out for him.
"Nancy Spumoni Snow boots?"
At last! I knew what my beloved needed to make him happy! Why he would need a pair was beyond me, but that wasn't important. Anything to make him happy!
I followed him and tall hair boy across the city, watching them be laughed at by practically every jerk cashier in town! What the heck did they still have the advertisements of the boots hanging in the window for if they were just going to mock the customers for requesting them?! Sheesh!
Anyway, I finally watched my beloved and his friend give into the idea of finding a pair..
"I can't believe there isn't one pair of Nancy Spumoni Snow Boots left in this whole city."
Slowly making my way home, I took a seat in the living room, listening to Bob and Miriam get a kick out of Olga playing Christmas music on the piano.
Shockingly, Miriam (sober believe it or not) took an interest in my down appearance.
"You look depressed! Why don't you open one of your gifts early!"
I couldn't believe my eyes!
"Nancy Spumoni Snow Boots?! Oh my gosh!"
"I stood in line for 18 hours to get these Helga. I swear, they must be the last pair in the whole city!"
I wasted no time going to try them out. I spun around in the snow, just picturing myself showing them off at school! Nothing could ruin the moment! Nothing…
I then looked down to see Arnold's list had fallen out of my pocket and the special gift he needed to make his Christmas perfect remained on it.
With my head hanging low, I had a decision to make. I had to ask myself, whose happiness meant more to me, my beloved's or my own?
Before I knew it, I was racing across town with a box of coveted shoes ready to hand over to the person I knew could help out my beloved.
"Here you go! One pair of Nancy Spumoni Snow Boots! We've got a missing person to find!"
Bailey blinked in bewilderment, not showing a speck of appreciation for what I had just handed him. Yeah, yeah he was tired. I had spent all afternoon and evening circling the blasted city for a gift myself. I was tired too?!
"Look kid, I appreciate your little speech, but it's late. I'm going home."
My beloved is all about believing in miracles, and if there was ever a time for it, it was tonight.
"Look, you've got a choice here. Either you and me can search all night for this missing person or you can leave now. But if you leave now, that little football headed kid will never believe in miracles again."
Now here I am after hours of computer work, waiting to take this Mai girl to Arnold's tomorrow morning. Although I won't be going in with her to see the look on my beloved's face, knowing he'll be getting what he needed to make his Christmas complete is all the happiness I need.
