A Christmas Passage
Copyright 2013 Mia Rodriguez
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Dedication
This story is for all my readers. I can't thank you enough for supporting me as a writer and as a student in life.
Thank you!!!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Preface
You probably think you know everything there's to know about Christmas. How can you not? You've probably been celebrating it all your life.
Please believe me when I tell you that there are a few mysteries left about it. A few surprising secrets that'll shake you like a candy cane in a reindeer's mouth or a bobble doll on Santa's sleigh.
You'll see.
Chapter 1
Rumors, gossip, and downright lies are said every day about certain people. You may have even suffered from this yourself. You may be a victim of people's misunderstandings of you and their forked tongues. Lies have a habit of growing and growing until the truth is well hidden. You must keep this in mind when I tell you this story:
Snowbella, Snowy to those who know her, is really not a bad person despite everything that is said about her. She's not a horrible person. I'm sure you've known worse. She's not a creepy- creature as the elves like to call her. She's not a gi-normous razor-sharp icicle as the snow monsters say about her. She's not Snowy-ugly as the reindeer have nicknamed her. Yes, she's somewhat bratty and rude at times. But if you knew her circumstances, you wouldn't be so apt to judge her so harshly—maybe you'd understand her, even a little bit.
Don't listen to any of the life forms at the North Pole—especially the reindeer. They'll only tell you their version, and it won't be pretty at all. The reindeer in specific will really ladle the thick hot chocolate on. And you know reindeer—they gossip at a drop of a hat! I mean, every year, and I do mean every year, Santa has to scold them when they return from the gift distribution because their tongues start wagging almost as soon as the sleigh stops! They love to brag about how they were the ones to go with Santa on the special night, and they even make up stories of bravery. Don't judge them too harshly as they are only trying to define their purpose in the North Pole. But don't believe everything they say—especially about Snowy. I'll tell you who she is so you can judge for yourselves.
Don't worry--I won't underplay her defects. I won't lie to you about her. But I'll give you a full picture instead of just a partial one like the other creatures in the North Pole would.
First of all, there's no way around it, Snowy hates Christmas.
Yes, you heard right.
While it's a known fact that most children love Christmas, some even dream about it all year, there is at least one child-tween on earth who absolutely despises it! Abhors it with all her might.
Snowy.
Chapter 2
In a faraway land lived one very unhappy girl who like most human beings didn't know how lucky she was. Snowy just didn't want to get it. She didn't want to accept that most children would've given anything to live with Santa in the North Pole. Instead, when Christmas came around once more, she started her complaining.
"G-r-r-r-r. Christmas again!"
"Eeeeeeek!"
Even the fact that her parents and grandparents lived for this time a year didn't affect her foul mood. It grated on her nerves that her family, especially her grandfather, eagerly waited for Christmas all year around. They were totally obsessed with Christmas in her view. It was Christmas this . . . Christmas that . . .
"All right already!" Snowy would burst with frustration.
Somewhere inside of her she knew she should be privileged to be the only granddaughter of Santa Claus, but she was far from it. People just didn't know how difficult it was to be the granddaughter of the jolly old man. It was enough to drive a thirteen-year-old crazy.
The truth was that much was expected of Snowy. Maybe too much. She was required to wake up every morning at 5:00 AM to feed the reindeer who despised her and called her names. Then she had to go over to the elf housing and make certain they were up on time to work on the toys. Trying to wake up an elf from a deep sleep was like wrestling a peanut from an elephant! No wonder the elves would screech at her!
Finally, after a traumatic morning, Snowy would sit at the table to have breakfast with her family. Her parents and grandparents would be as jolly as can be, but Snowy was in the grumps by that time.
Her mother, Rosita, would be drinking her specialty pumpkin coffee with a huge grin. She was always excited about her latest toy invention. Snowy's father, Kris Junior, listened to his wife with rapt attention. Snowy had to admit that her parents were completely in love.
Sometimes the goo-goo eyes they made at each other and saccharine names they called one another like Sweet Sugar or Corazon Crème totally grossed her out. Totally yucked her out!
Her grandparents were every bit as syrupy as her parents. Santa always called Mrs. Santa bright star and Mrs. Santa always called Mr. Santa dearest. Snowy supposed that her father had to get his gi-normously affectionate heart from somewhere.
Her parents had met when a ten-year-old Kris Junior had accompanied his dad one Christmas. They had gone to a little house in Mexico with very few material possessions but with lots of love. The little girl in the home, Rosita Morales, had suddenly woken up and seen them.
Both Snowy's parents assert that it was love at first sight. Kris Junior promised he'd come back every year and visit with her. He kept his promise until they were adults and Kris Junior proposed to Rosita one special Christmas Eve.
The rest was history.
Snowy, officially named Snowbella Navidad Claus, was born exactly a year after her parents got married. She was always being reminded about the huge responsibility in being Santa's granddaughter.
Every morning during the Christmas season, she'd ask for plain pancakes and her grandfather would tsk tsk her with his index finger. "Snowbella," he'd say, "You must have the Christmas pancakes."
And Snowy was stuck eating the pancakes shaped like Christmas trees and with sprinkles in shape of ornaments.
"I want plain hot chocolate," Snowy requested.
Her mother would shake her head. "Have the Christmas chocolate."
Snowy would have to drink the chocolate with bits of peppermint and whipped cream mixed in.
After breakfast, Snowy would have to go to school where she'd share the classroom with all the children of the North Pole. They were jealous of her for being Santa's granddaughter. Sometimes they even tried to bully her, but Snowy could usually handle them. In the end, they'd stop bullying her because they were terrified Santa would find out that they'd been bad and not give them their Christmas gift.
Still, all this hostility around Snowy twisted inside of her. By the time she got to her chores, she wasn't feeling any holiday spirit.
After school, and after doing her homework, Snowy would be expected to help Santa. She'd trail after him doing things like inspecting sugar canes to make sure they were fresh and testing the Christmas lights to make certain they worked. This particular
Christmas, Santa told her they needed to double check everything.
"Last year we missed a few bulbs," Santa said.
"I don't think that's a big deal, Gramps," Snowy stated.
"We can't have any dimness during this time," Santa announced authoritatively.
Snowy rolled her eyes.
It's going to be a long, loooong Christmas season, she thought to herself.
Chapter 3
After going through every single bulb in the North Pole, Snowy's frustrations grew to epic proportions. All that kept going over and over in her mind was that while other children around the word were enjoying this time of year, she was hard at work!
"Why can't I ever have fun?" she'd blurted with a wail.
"What?" Santa asked.
"I'm a slave here!"
"Snowbella," Santa said as sternly as Santa could get, "what are you talking about?"
"Why do I have to be out here slaving away, Gramps?"
Santa let out a long breath. "Don't you like helping me with the decorations and the candy canes?"
"No!"
"Snowbella--"
"Checking lights really stinks and furthermore, somebody needs to tell you, Gramps so I'll do it because I care about your health, you shouldn't be checking candy canes. They're very fattening and. . . and . . . I don't want to hurt your feelings but . . . but you're fat! There, I said it."
"Snowbella, no one wants to see a skinny Santa Clause," he explained with Santa-like patience.
"Maybe it's time for you to change your image. You should go on a diet. I hear the any-beach diet or the low-carb dessert diet is a great way to lose weight. If you would just cut your green frosting cookie intake, I bet you'd be thin in no time."
"Snowbella--"
"Gramps, it's time for changes!" Snowy blurted with emotion. "All kinds of changes. We should all move away from the North Pole. It's way too cold here. You and grandma are pretty old now and your bones must be frigid in this weather. Let's move to Acapulco or Hawaii!"
Santa's face was getting stern. "Snowbella--"
"We should leave this place--leave the blinding snow, leave the ho-hoing that cracks your voice and hurts my eardrums, leave the prankster elves, leave the yakety-yak reindeer, leave--"
"That's enough, Snowbella," he declared, frustrated.
"But, Gramps--"
"Every year all of us at the North Pole have to put up with your bad attitude. You're my granddaughter and I love you, but I can't permit this to keep going on."
Snowy swallowed hard. She had a feeling she wouldn't like what her grandfather was about to say one bit.
"I've made a decision," announced Santa, his right eyebrow up. "This year you're delivering the toys."
"Ha, ha, good one, Gramps!"
"I'm not joking."
"But that's your job, Gramps."
"Not this year."
Snowy just couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wondered if her famous grandfather had gone nuts!
"Please don't make me deliver the toys," she pleaded.
"You're going to do it, Snowy."
"Please, please, please, don't make me. I'll be good from now on." Snowy even managed to tear up.
"Young lady, you're going to deliver the toys and that is that."
Snowy had to think quickly. "Gramps, instead of delivering toys, I could give you a How to Take Charge of Your Reindeer self-help book. How does that sound?"
"You're trying to bribe your grandfather?" Santa asked incredulously as his hands went to his hips in a most unSanta-like way.
Even Snowy knew when to stop. "No, sir."
"It's because I love you that I'm doing this. One day you'll understand."
Snowy couldn't fathom why parents and grandparents thought their motives would be understood someday. Her parents had given her the entire Blu-ray set of The Brady Bunch, and she still didn't understand why they had done it. She hadn't been able to sit through even one episode. When she had asked for the Halloween movies, her parents had blatantly refused to let her watch even one of them.
Go figure, she thought to herself with frustration.
As she tried to figure out how to avoid having to deliver the toys this year, she had a brilliant idea. She'd divide and conquer--of course. Rushing to her grandmother in the family room, she put on her most tragic and suffering face.
"Grandma," she said as her grandmother watched a re-run of It's a Wonderful Life, "Gramps is going to make me give out the toys this year!"
She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and turned off the TV. "I always cry when George winks at the end, and the angel gets his wings."
"Grandma, did you hear what I said?"
"Your grandfather is doing what?"
"He's going to force me to deliver the gifts and--"
"Why is he going to do that?"
"Who knows? But I might get pneumonia out there and die! Do you know how arctic it gets on that old sleigh?"
"Snowy, you're as healthy as a reindeer."
Snowy had to do something quickly. Coughing, she tried to make it sound real. "Grandma, I'm already getting sick--"
"You don't fool me, young lady."
Snowy hated how adults always young ladied her to death.
"Grandma--"
"Come to think of it, it's a grand idea. You have a pretty bad attitude, young lady. This could do the trick."
"Uuuuuuuuuck!" she cried. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeek, big time!"
Chapter 4
On the fatal night, Christmas Eve, Santa told Snowy that she'd have to dress in a Santa Claus outfit. She blurted that she refused to stuff the outfit with any pillows to make his clothes fit her. Santa informed her that he had had a Christmas suit made especially for her.
Snowy sighed. Everything seemed to be going wrong. The huge snow monster almost stepped on her with his icy foot. The elves gave her a cup of hot chocolate that instead of warming her, made her ears point upward. They started giggling wildly.
Snowy was so angry that she could hardly speak. "That's so funny I forgot to laugh!"
"They were just having fun, Snowbella," explained Santa. "They didn't mean any harm."
"I bet," Snowy grumbled. "Those elves hate me."
"They don't hate you. They've just got a good sense of humor which is more than I can say for you, young lady."
Snowy groaned loudly. When Santa turned around to answer his cell phone, Snowy eyed the elves with squinted eyes. "I'll remember this when gramps is asking for my advice about letting other creatures in on the fun of making toys!"
The smiles abruptly vanished from the faces of the elves. Snowy grinned.
"Are you ready for the sleigh?" Santa asked Snowy when he had hung up.
"No."
"Young lady!"
"Gramps, is there any way to convince you of how bad this idea is?"
"No."
Snowy grimaced and stomped off to the sleigh. She had told her grandfather a million times that he needed to come into the century. A sleigh was old fashioned and so last century. She had told him he needed a powerful jet, so he wouldn't have to deal with temperamental reindeer or from snow stinging him in the air.
"Don't forget that this is for your own good," Santa stated. He kissed Snowy good-bye with tears in his eyes and rushed away. Snowy sighed as she got on the sleigh. At least there would be something good in all of this, she thought. She would get to ride with her crush--the good-looking Gabriel angel. He always accompanied Santa. It was a little known fact that while Santa Claus gave out the material gifts, Gabriel gave out the spiritual ones. It wouldn't do for Christmas to be just about presents.
Snowy quickly checked her ears to make sure they were back to normal, and they were. She'd die of embarrassment if Gabriel saw her with pointed ears.
"Hi," a voice of a girl said.
"Who are you?' Snowy asked with curiosity as a beautiful angel with long, straight brown hair and golden wings materialized
next to her. The angel's skin tone was a light cinnamon and her eyes were dark brown.
"I'm Alma Aurora," she said, sticking her hand out to Snowy.
Snowy shook her almost transparent hand. Even if it wasn't flesh, it had so much warmth that Snowy's hand didn't slip through it. Angels weren't made of solid flesh, but they had a lot of warm energy traveling inside them. A person could often touch them without going through them. Snowy had learned this from Gabriel.
"Pleased to meet you, but where's Gabriel?" Snowy asked.
"Gabby is not working tonight. I'm taking his place."
Snowy's face crumpled in disappointment. "But . . but . . . that can't be."
"I volunteered to come tonight, and here I am," she said.
"You look too young for this, Alma Aurora. Have you given out the spiritual gifts before?"
"No, but we'll be fine."
"It's the blind leading the blind."
"Don't worry, Snowy. God is with us."
"I can't believe Gabriel won't be."
"I'm sorry," she said, setting her hand on Snowy's shoulder. "He's a special angel, right?"
"The best ever," Snowy remarked. "You just don't look like my idea of an angel."
"What do you mean?" Alma Aurora asked, puzzled.
"I always thought that angels were light toned and blonde, but you're dark."
"Don't believe stereotypes, Snowy," she chastised lightly.
"There are more angels like you?"
"Your guardian angel is like me."
"I have a guardian angel?" Snowy blurted.
"Of course you do," Alma Aurora stated, "but he took the night off since I'm going to be with you."
"Oh," Snowy mumbled, feeling ashamed that an angel had witnessed all the creative things she had said and done. An ethereal being had seen when she had put steaming hot chocolate instead of ice cream in a snowman's cup. In her defense, Snowy had gathered snow and put him back together again when he had melted.
"I think we should get going before it gets too late," Alma Aurora commented.
They lifted off the ground in the sleigh with the flying reindeer. As they were leaving the North Pole, the snow turned into rain. Snowy had to look for something to cover her. Alma Aurora didn't have to do the same. Since she was an angel, the water wouldn't wet her. Snowy couldn't find an umbrella, so she covered up with a giant doll that was lying around.