THE POLAR EXPRESS

The Night Before Christmas

On Christmas Eve my parents tried desperately to put my sister and me to bed as they did every year. Although my sister and I were believers through and through...going to bed to bed on such an exciting night was always a little difficult for little children like us. We'd toss and turn and run to check the windows ... We'd listen closely to every little sound; trying to stay awake until we heard him come... Yet somehow we'd wake up on Christmas morning and find that Santa magically visited us throughout the night.

On one particular Christmas Eve, many years ago, I was no exception...as I pleaded with my parents to let me stay up, in the other room lay my sister in her bed with worries of her own...a friend at school had insisted that there is no Santa...
Can you believe it?! She knew it was wrong but even worse she thought what if her friend was right?

On that Christmas eve , my doubting sister lay quietly in her bed. She breathed slowly . She did not rustle the sheets. She was listening for the same sound as I was... only, she was afraid she'd never hear it...
The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh

"All right, Sarah, u had your water. Now let's get you upstairs into bed. But father, I have to..." when father interrupted and said" Come on sweetie, it's late and you need your rest."
"But she said Santa would have to fly faster than light...to get to every house tonight." Said Sarah, my sister. "She said she wasn't sure if Santa is real."
"Of course he is real!!" Said my father cheering Sarah up.
"But he won't come until you're sound asleep, young lady. Off to bed now..." Said my mother in a threatening tone.

The thought of not getting gifts on Christmas saddened her, so she just said goodnight sulking and walked off towards her bedroom.

I could hear them very clearly talk to my sister.

I said to myself" How can Santa be real? He's just an imaginary and fictional character like the tooth fairy that is a major part of our life till we are 10 years old. On that particular age we get to know the the real facts of the real world .

She hears her mom and dad coming and closes her eyes.

They opened the door softly and came to the head of my bed, so close that I could feel their breath on my forehead.

"She's gotta be asleep by now" Said father
"She used to stay awake all night waiting for Santa." Said my mother...
"That would be said if it were true" Said my father
"It's the end of magic"
They both kissed me and wished me Merry Christmas and went away.

The reason I was not so close with my parents because I felt ignored after my 9th birthday. Whenever I told tell them anything about school they would say later but would always listen to Sarah. And even if I get hurt they say that now I'm matured and everybody gets cuts and bruises like these...Nobody liked to see my school projects, my A's In tests and anything else. They always left me out.

The only day they would spend with me the most was Saturday which Sarah took away. I hated her but she was my sister and I loved her from the bottom of my heart.

They say " Love is best experienced when shared"
But that dosen't mean that she will take away everything from me....

Lots of family talk but we will go onto train talk in the next chapter. .