The Christmas tree
I sat in the woods as I carried my bookbag full of apples and oranges I collected for the boy I was helping as I wanted to be alone . I heard the rustling of leaves as I began to cry as I could hear the storm coming in the distance as I knew this was the only place I felt safe. I sat in the pit where I used my fire magick to start a camp fire as I knew not to do it at night as it would attract too much attention.
If I could stay in the woods and never go back I would prefer it. The only thing that kept her from staying in the woods all night long was because it was getting colder at night and she didn't want to freeze to death. This was also the year when the begining of November an angel tree was placed in the classrooms as each year my school would pick a little boy and little girl to help to have a Christmas.
This was also the time I realized that kids were really mean and cruel to people who were in need. One day I came to school as the tree was placed in the classrooms as there was a tree that had a child's first name and age and gender as it was on a paper cut out of a tree . I watched the kids pull off a boys name and then a girls named Melina age ten.
All the girls snickered and looked at me as they came up to me and asked me if this tree was my tree.
" So her name is Melina and your name is Melina is this you are you poor ?" Giggled a trio of girls named Ashley , Morgan,and Tiffany. Those three girls were the most popular girls . Blonde hair blue eyed girls who were privileged . Even though the made fun of me often I wanted to be their friends . I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be accepted by girls who made my life a living hell.
It was hard to fit in with kids my own age as I didn't think like them as they all had childish and immature thoughts and they were mean for no reason. If you looked different you were made fun of . If you spoke different you were made fun. Right now my name was a poking point now it was on the angel tree in the classrooms.
The girls began to laugh as they came up with a brilliant idea as they thought of getting this desperate little girl the ugliest puffy jacket that had ten different colors . They all looked at stores and took pictures of these puffy balmer jackets as they were determined to make this poor angel Christmas child a laughing stock.
I felt bad for the little girl because she had no idea that these rich little girls was using her misery as a point of amusement and they made jokes and made fun of how poor someone had to be to end up on the angel tree . They weren't as mean to the boy Angel bit soon the entire class was plotting to get this poor charity child the ugliest jacket possible as they all had a plan that whom ever showed up wearing it they would all call her a poor girl living off the Charity of a bunch of fifthe graders .
These girls were relentless and as the day came where the cut off was December fifteenth as to get the gift donated to the child they chose . The brought in a huge box and wrapped it in a huge bow as inside was the uglies oversized multicolor winter coat that would swollow and child whole.
I shook my head as I said. " I hope someone shows you the same consideration you show this child."as all the girls busted out laughing at my comment as they thought it was hilarious how I felt bad for the little girl they used their supposed good Christmas gift turned into a cruel jab to her misfortune.
After the gift was handed over the class returned to normal as the excitement was over and class went back to normal. I went on Christmas break wondering where I what I was going to eat having three weeks off for Christmas break as most of my meals came from school meals and every once and a while a food bank would give us food as it had been weeks since we had power on and we had water on but cold baths was a normal thing for me and even though it was freezing cold I endured it.
Christmas morning came and I didn't expect anything as I knew my mom was struggling to keep the lights on so I knew she had no money for Christmas gifts as I didn't really expect anything as food would be the greatest gift as we were living off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cans of tuna where I shared with the cats and her new litter of kittens as I halved bottles of water with the animals we had that was multiplying in the house as they all started to die of starvation as earlier that month the humane society took all the adult dogs and forgot the puppies and kittens they couldn't catch as my mother was put on the news for animal cruelty charges and she spent two days in jail as she would later call it a slap on the wrist in her opinion as she also served one day in jail for junk cars on her property as they forced her to remove them and serve one day in jail . My mother just hoped we were all alive as she was in and out of jail serving time for being neglectful of the outside of the house.
My neighbor who took me in called the news on my mom and made us the black sheep of the neighborhood. No one wanted to be friends with the girls who lived in the house with all the animals and junk cars as she went to jail and we watched ourselves. The court didn't think she had children hell they didn't check in on us or where we were.
On Christmas morning my mom was home as the tree actually had gifts as I ran excited to see what we got as I was in desperate need of new clothes as all mine were too small and my shoes were breaking too. I looked at the gift labeled to me as I opened it excited to see what I got as I dropped the gift and pushed it away. My mother thought I was an ungrateful brat as I refused to use the gift I saw as I told her I didn't want it as I was embarrassed as I saw the ugly oversized puffy jacket the girls at school picked out for the poor unfortunate angel tree child age ten named Melina.
My mom put my name on an angel tree and now I held the humiliating jacket that I watched my classmates picked out as a small cruel joke as a Christmas gift. My mom didn't understand what this meant and I wasn't going to explain it to her either as I told her to give it to someone else as I would never wear it as she expressed i would never get another Christmas gift from her ever again and unfortunately this promise actually happened as I never received a gift from her again as she got mad at me for being selfish and ungrateful.
I put it in my closet the place that will never see the light of day as I returned to school after winter break and all the girls craned their necks watching for the child they gave the jacket too as deep down I knew the child was me and they were looking for me to carry out their cruel jokes. I sat quietly with my old too small jacket on and layed my head down sad at the way my life was panning out to be.