Chapter 31: Auld Lang Syne (Christmas)
When Karen insists that Stone go shopping with her, she ends up learning why he hates department stores. Even in the heat of summer, memories of being a child from a poor family during festive winter holidays resurface.
Following this story's summer theme, this chapter's romantic tune is "Summer of Love" by Shawn Mendes and Tainy. As this chapter is also about the winter holidays, I recommend one of my favorite Christmas songs: the hauntingly beautiful ballad "Where Are You, Christmas," performed by Faith Hill.
It was late afternoon on The Strand, a busy tourist spot along the coast of Zootopia. The sounds of music from the Grand Carnival, with its many rides and games, blended with the joyful laughter of tourists enjoying their day at the beach. Amidst this exciting chaos was the soothing, rhythmic crashing of the surf against the sand.
"Your sister is going to be out tonight, so let's go to your place after you get off work and watch a movie," the fennec fox, wearing only a pair of blue and green boardies, whispered huskily into the pretty sand cat's ear while holding her in a tight embrace. His tail wagged back and forth in anticipation.
"Stoney, stop! You're getting sand all over my work clothes," the cat protested as she pushed him away and wiped off her white blouse and blue slacks. "Every time you say you want to watch a movie, we never actually do! All you want to do is make out."
"Ah, come on, Karen, I promise to behave," he replied with a predatory grin.
"That's what you said the last time and we missed the whole movie."
"I don't recall someone objecting," he replied as he reached for her.
"Nope, not tonight. I have to go shopping," the cat said as she skillfully slipped away from his grasp with graceful feline agility. She giggled at the disappointed look on the fox's face. His ears were flattened and his tail hung limply in the sand.
"Oh…" he muttered.
"Why don't you come with me."
"Shopping…" he began to protest.
"Yes, real shopping in a real store."
"I hate shopping. It's sooooo boring!" he whined, throwing his paws up and scrunching his muzzle, as if in despair of facing some impending catastrophic doom.
"I can see that you hate shopping because everything you wear is either a t-shirt from one of your surfing sponsors or something you purchased second-hand from a thrift store." She stepped back and glanced at her boyfriend's swim shorts. "Even the swimsuit you're wearing today is from a sponsor."
"Karen, I do have some nice clothes," the fox objected.
You have a pair of khaki pants that are frayed at the seams, some blue jeans, an old faded red polo shirt, a truly awful gray tweed sports coat with patches on the elbows, and the rest are free t-shirts and board shorts. By the way, why do you think a tweed sports coat and jeans are still in style?
"They make me look…ah, academic looking!" Stone objected.
"Academic! They make you look like a dork," Karen teased.
"Hey!"
"My cute little foxy woxy dorky," she said as she reached over and began softly caressing one of his large ears. She giggled because the fennec fox almost melted from her petting, and his tail began wagging again. "Come shopping with me tonight."
"..."
"I'll buy you one of those fancy iced drinks at the coffee shop."
"..."
"Stop pouting, I have to buy a new clothes for work, and I want someone who can tell me if what I try on looks good. Since Mandy is busy, you are going to have to fill in."
"But..."
No buts about it, Mister Kole. You're my boyfriend, and you need to step up if you ever want to come over and watch another movie with me again.
"That's blackmail."
"Yes, yes, it is."
"..."
Hours later, a very bored fox stared hopelessly at what, in his mind, appeared to be miles upon miles of racks of women's clothes in the nearest Mousey's. Now, fennec foxes are not renowned for their patience and Stone was running out of his. "Come on, Karen, that shirt looks just like others you tried on earlier," he complained while he watched the sand cat browse through yet another rack of blouses. "Just pick one, and then let's go!" rather than a demand, it came out as whining.
"This blouse is different; it has a smaller collar," Karen replied as she held up a white blouse and admired it.
"White blouses look all the same. You've spent hours modeling at least a dozen for me before you bought the two you already have," Stone whined yet again in impatient frustration.
"You're right, but I need to get a few more items before we leave."
The fox's ears went flat again, and his shoulders slumped in resignation as he watched her walk away.
"Just a few more things, in the lingerie department."
His ears shot up before he frantically raced after her. "Are you going to model those for me too!" he excitedly called out.
"No, Stoney!" she giggled.
He wasn't very helpful, as he kept suggesting increasingly risqué lingerie for her to try on. Embarrassed, she quickly gathered what she needed and checked out, fleeing the department despite his objections. His newfound enthusiasm for shopping came to an abrupt halt when she stopped in the kitchen appliance section to look at blenders. It felt like hours to him, but in reality, only half an hour had passed before Stone and Karen boarded a half-empty bus. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked, leaning against him.
"I guess not. Sorry for being such a pain in the tail, but I've never enjoyed shopping. It's never been something I've cared about doing since childhood."
"Why?"
Growing up, we didn't have much money. My mom did her best, often working several jobs just to make enough bucks to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. When we went to a department store, it was filled with things—new clothes and toys—that I quickly realized I could never have, which made me feel that my life was unfair. In many ways, I resented the other kits because they got such nice new things, stuff I would never get. Most of the clothes that Storm and I wore were either hand-me-downs from family members or second-paw gifts from one of my mom's friends. The few toys we had were cheap knockoffs from a discount store.
Karen held his paw tightly while she listened.
"The winter holidays were the toughest," Stone continued, staring blankly out the bus window. "You would see all the flashy ads on TV for the hottest toys or games and know that you would never..." The fox's voice trailed off.
"Oh, Stoney!"
His voice sounded bitter when he spoke again. "I was only six when I stopped believing in Santa Paws. Storm and I would write him letters every year, full of hope and expectations, but we never got what we really wanted, no matter how well we behaved." He fell silent once more and let out a long sigh. "Storm figured it out first and told me that we were actually getting toys from a charity, not from some mythical jolly old lion in a red suit."
"I'm sorry," Karen said.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Stone replied. "That's just how things were. We always decorated our old, raggedy artificial tree instead of a freshly cut one, using colorful lights, crepe paper chains, strings of popcorn, and cut-out snowflakes. The funny thing is, Mom still has that same tree!" He paused for a moment, falling silent again. "We always celebrated the Winter Solstice holiday a few days later since she was usually working a catering job that day. Of course, the advantage of her doing so was that we often got some of the event's fancy tasting leftovers for our family feast."
"Oh, Stoney!"
"I guess that's why the holiday doesn't feel very special to me, although I'm glad mom has Fennick back in her life and won't be alone this year. With me and Cooper leaving for our place in Seaside for the winter after the campground closes, and Stormy in jail, it's nice that she has someone."
The fox fell silent again, and the sand cat nestled closer under his arm. After a few minutes, he gave a slight smile and a wag of his fluffy tail before continuing, "The holidays at Seaside can be fun. Cooper and I hang a few strands of lights on the trailer, and on Winter Solstice Eve, everyone gathers for a big feast in the old church." Stone's smile widened into a grin as he reminisced. "The sheriff even dresses up as Santa Paws for the kids and gives out gifts. A walrus in a red suit isn't exactly what you picture when you think of Santa Paws, but somehow he pulls it off. Then, the next morning, we gather again in the churchyard to sing carols as the sun rises."
"That sounds nice."
"Yeah, it really is," he agreed. "But I bet it's not as nice as the holiday bash your family puts on!"
"We had a great time as kittens, but now I spend most of the holiday working at the hotel because it is another busy season.
"Growing up can be tough sometimes," he sighed.
Silently, they sat together as the bus continued its journey along the city's busy streets. Stone sighed once more before speaking. "You know, now that I really think about it, things weren't as bad as I remember. There was always a festive spirit in the air, filled with mystery and wonder. The colorful seasonal decorations and cheerful carols created a joyful atmosphere. Although our holiday feast often came a day or two late, Mom, Storm, and I were always together, even if the food was someone else's leftovers. The gifts may not have been what we truly wanted, but we were excited to play with them anyway. I guess I forgot that the Winter Solstice isn't just about pretty ribbons, tinsel, and bows. It's not solely about the toys or the food either. It's really about family and friends coming together to give thanks for the blessings of the past year and to celebrate the beginning of a new year filled with fresh and exciting possibilities."
My vision of holidays in Zootopia revolve around the seasons, both the summer and winter solstices being the two most festive holidays. The vernal equinox and autumnal equinox being lesser holidays tied to the planting and harvesting of crops. The Boardwalk looked completely different from just a few hours earlier, as mammals of all sizes and types enjoyed the festivities, especially the Carnival. Jugglers and dancers entertained the crowd while music blared along the wooden walkway. The fox smiled as he inhaled the holiday aromas in the air, roasted chestnuts and gingerbread, mixed with the scents of the spices used in mulled wine, like cloves and cinnamon. His stomach rumbled, for he hadn't had a substantial meal like most of the other revelers. Nearby, a lion roared, drawing his attention. Dressed as Santa Paws, the lion handed out sweets to the children. The fox ducked as a sow in a pink tutu danced by, adorning the heads of passersby with boxwood and flower garlands. Following the lion was a small lamb dressed in white robes, wearing a wreath of electric candles atop her head and angel wings on her back. She, too, handed out sweets and represented the Meek Lamb, whose sacred holiday they were celebrating. The lamb giggled as she danced, and for a moment, her eyes met the fox's before she happily skipped out onto the beach. Zootopia: Stone Kole in Hang Ten, Chapter 23: A Freak of Nature.
This chapter was inspired from a holiday classic written by a much better storyteller then I am: He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came with out ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" From "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss