Blue Christmas

Malinda hoped that Christmas never came. 

Christmas was always a little disappointing. Even when she got exactly what she asked for someone always got something she didn’t know she wanted until they got it. That didn’t ruin the fun or the surprise of Christmas but it made the wait for the next Christmas so long that sometimes she forgot what it was that she had wanted.

This year she wanted Daddy home for Christmas. Mama said he was overseas “keeping the peace” and not even Santa could bring him home. So Malinda asked for a computer. With a computer she could draw and play games. She could even write Daddy. Malinda recognized letters on a keyboard and a computer would help her spell her words.

But she wasn’t going to get a computer for Christmas. Mama said Santa was going to bring her a baby brother, something she hadn’t even asked for. Not only was she not going to get a computer this Christmas, every Christmas from now until she married would be baby brother’s birthday.

What if Santa got confused? What if he saw baby brother’s birthday presents under the tree and thought he had already been there? What if Santa brought her clothes and toys for baby brother the way he brought clothes and toys for her dolls?

The first step was to write Santa a letter with a little help from Mama. “Dear Santa, Do not bring me a baby brother for Christmas. Bring Mama a baby brother and bring me a computer like I asked for in person. P.S. I have been good all year.”

The second step was to tell Mama that if a baby brother showed up under the tree, it wasn’t Malinda’s but Mama’s. Malinda was to get the computer or whatever else Santa left.

However, Malinda wasn’t able to tell Mama. Instead, Grandma came and got her. She was going to stay with Grandma Christmas eve, maybe even Christmas day. That really upset Malinda. How would Santa know where to find her? Grandma said Santa always came to her house but Malinda knew all Grandma got was house slippers and house coats and scarves. Malinda played with them sometimes but she didn’t want them for Christmas.

That brought her to the third step. Ask Grandma to mail her letter to Santa, be especially good the last day before Christmas, and remind Grandma she wanted a computer. Grandma said she was so old she had grown up with Santa Claus. Sometimes Malinda thought Grandma was teasing, but reminding Grandma what she wanted Santa to bring her always helped.

Malinda was especially good, and she didn’t cry when Mama didn’t come to get her on Christmas eve. She didn’t even cry when Grandma said she would have to spend Christmas at Grandma’s house. She didn’t cry where Grandma could see her and if Santa saw her, he could see in the dark and through blankets like Superman.

Christmas morning Malinda woke up early and ran to Grandma’s Christmas tree but all the presents were for Grandma. Grandma said Santa must have left Malinda’s presents at Malinda’s house. Malinda was in such a hurry to get to her house that Grandma let her skip breakfast.

Malinda ran in the door of her house and Mama was there and baby brother was under the Christmas tree. Grandma must have forgotten to mail her letter to Santa. Malinda was too big to show her disappointment. Mama said his name was Bluford but that was too big for a little baby so Malinda called him Blue. She went to Blue and he waved his tiny fists at her. She picked him up and sat on the floor and played with him. Mama had to feed him, but she did let Malinda put a blue gown on Blue and burp him.

Malinda planned to play with Blue all day but Mama said, “Aren’t you going to open your present?” That was the first time she noticed the box on the other side of the Christmas tree. Inside the box was a computer with lots of games just like she had asked for. She smiled at Grandma. Grandma had mailed her letter to Santa.

She played with her computer, learning how to use it. Although Santa had brought Blue to Mama, just like Malinda had asked, she played with him too. She was so busy she didn’t even have time to compare presents with her friends. But she knew nobody had as good a Christmas as she.

Before she went to bed she wrote Daddy on her new computer. With a little help from Grandma she told him Santa had brought her a computer and a baby brother. She knew that Santa had really brought Blue for Mama but Mama said they could both play with him.

She also wrote Santa. “Dear Santa, Thank you for the computer. It was just what I wanted. Next year I would like to have some more computer games. Also, I would like some clothes and toys for baby brother. It’s his birthday so he’ll get some but it would mean something special if you brought him some too. Blue is just a baby and too young to ask and he doesn’t know you as well as Grandma and I do. Love, Malinda.”

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