Creative Writing the Thirteenth

Old Fashioned

     Ten-year-old Bonnie peaks her head out of her bedroom hoping to overhear what her parents are planning to get for her for Christmas. The Hess's home is small but comfortable, the outside is decorated beautifully with twinklingly white lights and garland. Their brand-new aluminum Christmas tree can be seen through the the frost covered window, the bubble lights emitting a warm but welcoming glow that made the silver tinsel twinkle ever so slightly.

     Bonnie has been begging her parents for months for one of the most popular dolls there is, a vogue ginny doll. She loves how the doll's dark chocolate hair are pulled into short, poufy pigtails on the sides of her head. Her bright red cheeks and big dark eyes never failed to mesmerize her; the moment she saw that doll in her big white dress she knew she had to have it.

     "Bonnie Hess just what are you doin' out of bed?"

     Bonnie jumps and stares up at the tall woman standing before her with her arms crossed. She must have been so busy thinking about that nifty doll she didn't notice her mother approaching her.

     "Mamma! I was just goin' to get a glass of water." She looks down at the hem of her nightgown.

     "Get back in bed! You know Santa is always watchin', seeing if you're naughty or nice." Her mother says as she fixes the spoolies in her hair.

     "Yes mamma..." Bonnie quickly gets back in her twin Elsie bed; her mother walks over to her and tucks her in before kissing her forehead.

     "Now you keep in bed, okay?"

     "Okay." Bonnie turns over in her bed and hugs onto her teddy bear as her mother walks out of her room, closing the door.

     As the days passed Bonnie would look at the calendar in the kitchen every day before she went to school. A large image of Santa can be seen holding a Coca-Cola bottle in his left hand looking jolly as ever. Below the merry fat man states the month and year in a font Bonnie always thought looked pretty, "December 1953".

     On the night of Christmas eve Bonnie eagerly glances at the Christmas tree as her and her family get ready for Midnight Mass while "White Christmas" plays in the background on their record player. Her mother fixes her hair with nice pin curls and puts her in a gorgeous, red poufy dress.

     "Stay still!" She says as Bonnie squirms while having her hair fixed. A male voice can be heard down the hallway.

     "Girls hurry up! We don't want to be late."

     "One moment darling, I'm almost done fixin' Bonnie's hair!" Her mother shouts back.

     After everyone is dressed up, they all kneel in front of the Christmas Tree to say a quick prayer before all going to church.

     Once they return home Bonnie can barely keep her eyes open. She glances at the red clock in the living room to see it's already one in the morning. Her mother helps her get ready for bed before reading her a bedtime story, "The Night Before Christmas".

     The next morning Bonnie is awoken by Christmas music wafting through the house, pleasantly filling her ears. She slowly opens her eyes and sits up in bed before getting up to peak out her window, pulling aside her pink sheer rod curtains. White blankets of snow can be seen as gentle flakes slowly add to the mass. Bonnie smiles widely before rushing to the Christmas tree, passing her mother in the hall. Below the tree a Christmas rainbow of wrapped gifts can be seen.

     "Merry Christmas Bonnie!" Her father says as he walks up behind her before giving her a hug, her mother soon comes into the room to join the hug as well.

     Soon everyone starts opening their gifts, some nice jewelry for her mother, some tools for her father, and a jewelry box and some toys for Bonnie. Her most favorite out of the bunch though is a Smokey the Bear doll. Even though she's saddened not getting the doll she wanted so deeply, she still feels happy with what she got.

     "I think you forgot one over there." Her father says as he points to something behind the tree and sips his coffee. Bonnie looks to see one last rectangular gift wrapped in red wrapping paper with white sparkles printed on it. She lightly shakes it wondering what's inside, could it be what she's been wanting? She quickly tears away the wrapping paper to see a familiar face staring back at her with a calm expression, it's the ginny doll she saw at the store! Her eyes light up with excitement and squeals with delight.

     "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She hops up to hug her parents who happily hug back, smiling at each other. By the time she was going to play with the doll though, they had to get ready to go see the Christmas parade in town. She wanted to stay home and play with her new doll and toys, but she was also curious about what floats they would have this year.

     Off they went to view the parade with the rest of the townsfolk, having a merry Christmas.