Life Ran Into Me

My dad saved christmas

The very first day I got my keys I wasted no time to move in. It was a 10 minute walk away from my now "old" house so everything I had me and my dad took it by hand. I put majority of our things in the girls very wide stroller and he balanced things on his walker. We made about two or three trips a day for 5 days until the last day Jessey was able to drives us back and forth to get everything for the last trip. I hated that apartment but I was kind of sad to go because it was my first apartment, so many memories but I definitely didn't look back. My babies were super excited when they first got there. They couldn't stop running around and screaming with joy into each room flying up and down the stairs. I felt like my world couldn't get any better seeing them that happy. It's usually uncomfortable to sleep in a new house for the first few days but we were out like a light as soon as they went off. "I absolutely loved it here" I explained to Spazz. "That's good ma. Im glad yall like it" He didn't sound to happy for me but I looked past it. Christmas was approaching in just a week and I had absolutely no money to get my girls some toys. It ate me up everyday. Spazz said he would be broke until his next SSI check comes in so he wasnt able to help. I already hated the holidays because my family is so broken and they just haven't felt like holidays since I was a kid. So knowing my kids wouldn't have a real Christmas tore my heart to shreds. "They deserve a better mom. I know im a good mom but theu deserve one who can give them everything." I thought to myself as I laid on the deflated air mattress with tears in my eyes. I could hear the air coming out of it because it was a whole in it. Having wholes in the air mattress was nothing new. The girls popped every single one of them. I'd have to buy a new air mattress every month. But this one was expensive. It was an electronic air mattress so whenever it deflated I just flipped the switch and it would blow back up in a matter of 15 seconds on its own. "I can't wait to get a job one day so I can finally afford a bed" I thought throwing my self into a deeper depression. That's a bad habit for me. If im sad I think about everything else that makes me sad. The very next day something extremely rare happend. My dad walked in the door smiling and secretive. Me and jessey wondered what was going on with him as he walked straight to the bathroom. He came out about 2 or 3 minutes later. "Guess what daughters" he said as he made a dramatic pause. He wipped out a torn up thick brown leather wallet full of money in it. "Oh my god!" I said in disbelief. Jessey grabbed it out of his hand so I grabbed it out of her hand and we were all three fighting over it. It was just games though, he knew we wasnt going to take it from him for real. Well atleast not all of it because I stuck two $20 bills in my bra when Jessey and my dad was still on the floor right before he stopped and got serious because he's old and couldn't be doing all that or he was definitely going to feel it in the morning. "Where did you get that!?" Jessey said still excited "I was walking around back in roosevelt to panhandle and hustle up a beer and then I seen this wallet laying on the ground as soon as I found it I went to go get a beer and I came back here. I can't go back over there for a while just in case a muhfucka sewn mw pick it up" he explained as he became paranoid. "Well im bout to walk my ass back over there and find a wallet too" I said joking. "what are you gonna do with it?" I asked in honest curiosity. I'm going to buy some stuff for the house so we can make this place a little more of home. I was shocked to hear that. I expected him to say how mhch beer he was going to buy for a long time. I left the room to go upstairs to check and see what my babies were doing. They were just bothering thomas in his room. I didn't know my dad had gave jessey $50 until later on that day. "What!? That's not fair!" I said to my dad completely forgetting the $40 I had in my bra already. "Calm down daughter you know im gonna share with my baby girl. You got a temper like yo damn mama" he said laughing. I laughed it off too because I always get what I want when its up to him. "Okay well daddy my kids don't have anything for christmas I want to go get some atuff from walmart." I said with a puppy dog face just to make sure he was completely convinced. "Okay daughter as soon as you get the ready we can go" he said as he sat on his walker cracking open a new can of beer. I was so excited I got myself abd my kids ready within 10 minutes and were on the first bus off to walmart. When I got there I bought everything I thought they would like. I didn't even keep in mind that he only had $400 left in the wallet. A bought them a kitchen set as big as them, carriages, clothes and all types of toys. When I got to the front the cashier informed us the total price was $328. I felt selfish for spending that much money but I mean it was for the girls Christmas.. Not me. "Oh yeah daddy I gotta get gift wrapping paper I said as I picked up the cute wraps, some ortiments and tree string. "Daughter we don't even have a tree" he said trying to make me realize I was buying unnecessary stuff. "I know but I have a plan" I said with a brilliant one in my head. I already had alot of Christmas lights thay I used tk hang up in my old room so lucky I didn't have to get those too. When we got home jessey was disappointed and my dad wasn't too much happier. "$328 on just these few toys Lena? You could have went to family dollar and got way more for a cheaper price" she nagged at me. I knew what she was saying was true but I love walmart. And they had the good toys. "Family dollar don't got a kitchen the size of them" I gave my best but yet pathetic comeback. "Lena how much was that kitchen" she asked ready to prove me wrong with a hand on her hip and her lips tooted up. "$30 but it's worth it obviously" I said trying to show it to her fumbling through all the other toys. She no longer wanted to even go back and forth with me she just went back upstairs with thomas. "It's alright daughter you spent a hell of alot money but atleast my grandbabies got a real Christmas now and they're gonna be happy and I know this makes you happy" he said in his drunk voice as he gave me a heavy hug. Damn near falling. I hated talking to him when he was that drunk but what kind of daughter would I be not to after what he just did for me. "I'm about to go wrap these presents daddy, you need anything?" I asked gathering the toys back in the bag. "No im okay daughter. I'm just gonna lay here for a bit then walk to get another beer." He said as he laid on the floor over nothing but one of my babies thin quilts, his jacket and a pillow.  He never accepted an air mattress or anything from me when I offered. He said that even though It was enough he would feel like he's taking from me. He's been homless for years upon years so he was used to sleeping on the ground it didn't bother him. Some nights he'd even fall asleep on the ground on the back porch. Old habits die hard I guess. I walked up the stairs to make sure my kids were sleeping so I coud wrap their gifts in peace. I left them in Jessey and thomas room so the girls wouldn't rip into them before Christmas but eventually the found out where I did the toys and tried to bust into them everychace they got. But they got caught just in time every time. "My dad found about $500 dollars in wallet and let me spend$328 on the girls Christmas gifts" I told Randy stil in disbelief that, that happened out of the blue.  "Damnnn so yo daddy found $500 and gave you that much" he said laughing. "Yeah he came through right" I said laughing with him. "Hell yeah I would've helped you too but. You took damn near all that man money I would've gave you like $200" he said still laughing. I guess he thought that was funny.  I wasn't really laughing anymore. "Yeah well that's the difference between you and my dad" I said right before I changed the subject. Jessey drove us to the store later that night to family dollar because she had to get some things with the $50 he gave her. I told her I wanted to go with her but I didn't tell her I had the $40. I came out of the store with a new trash can, dishes dish detergent and other house essentials. "Damn daddy gave you more money?" She asked. "No this is just some of the change from earlier" I lied to her. I didn't want her to know I took $40 while they were olah fighting over the wallet. "Ima ask him for some more because that's not fair he always doing more for you than anybody else." She said keeping her eyes on the road as she pulled off. I felt bad because I didn't want to come clean and I also didn't want her to think he gave me more money. "He didn't give me that much money I only had the change. He gave you a whole $50. The rest of the money went to the girls Christmas. He didn't get nothing for his self out of all that money and I know he only has a little bit left. Don't ask for no more." I tried my best to make her feel bad enough to not ask him for more money and it worked thank god. Christmas day finally came. Everyone was up but me and the girls. My dad was already down stairs cooking breakfast for everyone. I woke up excited as if I was a kid and I had presents. "Jessey! Come in here and grab the gifts so the girls can open them" I yelled as I woke them up. And slicked their hair into two ponytails with red and white bows to match their santa clause onsies. My dad stayed down stairs and thomas stayed in the room. I guess old men aren't fans of Christmas. We out all the gifts in one area and took a few picture before they finally got the opportunity to rip them open full force. They loved their toys. They trashed my room and played with all of them all morning. The ones that made noise I regretted buying but those were the ones they loved the most. So many toys and they'd still fight over one. The big minnie mouse. They had her long before christmas but they are both obsessed with minnie. So I was sure to get all minnie everything. The had candy before breakfast and hyper all day running around with their new toys. I was enjoying it until Spazz called with some bad news.