One Small Wish: Day 8

Word Count: 48,008

Summary of Events:

Shelena asked Eirenna if she'd heard whether or not she'd won and they speculated as to how St. Nicholas might deliver the wish. Vaughan presented the entry form to the Children's Pastor, only to get resoundingly rejected and rather frustrated. Fancy arrived at work and was informed by her employer that some arrangements she'd made had gone over more than favourably. Vaughan got home from another night as St. Nicholas and called his grandpa to arrange a visit for advice on how to proceed. Eirenna wanted to find out when St. Nicholas would deliver the presents so she could leave a window open for him to get in; she found the ad again in the paper and decided to ask Deon to read it for her because he'd helped her make her wish . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""Well what are you wanting me to read?" Deon asked.

Eirenna startled and quickly drew the folded paper out of her pocket. She unfolded it and pointed at the ad.

"I'm not taking you back," Deon said firmly. "You blew your one chance."

"I don't wanna go back," Eirenna said. "I just want you to tell me if it says when the presents are delivered."

"You didn't see him," Deon said.

"I did, I snuck in, and I saw him, and I made my wish, and I made Shelena's wish," Eirenna replied. "And he said he'd give us our wishes."

Deon looked impressed, but somewhat unconvinced. He snatched the paper from her and held it closer to his face.

"One lucky child will win their entire wish, to be personally delivered by St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve," Deon read aloud. "That's all it's got."

Eirenna accepted the paper back and folded it up. "Thank you."

"I doubt he's gonna give you your wish," Deon said.

"Why?" Eirenna asked.

"'Cause that's a rich people's church," Deon replied.

"But St. Nicholas was rich, and he gave money to a man to pay for all his daughters' weddings," Eirenna said.

"If St. Nicholas existed he died before Columbus found America," Deon said. "This is just some guy in a costume, and the church he's at is the one giving the presents, and I know some people from that church and they're absolute–"

Deon looked at Eirenna, gathered his lips and moved them around, and then sighed.

"They're bad people," Deon said. "Terrible people. Mean people. Even though you got the right colour skin they don't care about you because you don't have a dad and you don't have any money."

Eirenna didn't know what to do or what to think. St. Nicholas had been so nice, even if he was someone playing pretend. He'd listened to her, and she was pretty sure he hadn't forgotten her wish. Why did it matter if she didn't have any money, or a papa who lived at her house?

"Sorry to crush your hopes like that," Deon said, although he didn't sound like he meant it. "But somebody was going to have to eventually."

He slipped back into his room and closed the door.

Eirenna stared at the door, which was plastered with signs she couldn't read, especially as tears blurred her vision.

She hurried out the back door and back home. She did her best to be as quiet as she could going into the house and returning her shoes to the closet, but once that was done she ran to her room, leapt onto her bed, and burst into sobs.

St. Nicholas had to come! He couldn't be a meanie! He'd looked so nice! Surely if Santa Claus didn't care whether people had a mama and a papa or not, or even if they had a Christmas tree or not, St. Nicholas couldn't care! Even if he was just someone pretending!"