ONE CHRISTMAS EVE - 7 DIFFERENT VISIONS
“We have just one world, but we live in different ones” - Dire Straits
Enjoy the same story of Santa’s arrival to the house of a family with two children, told from seven separate, surprising points of view.
THE CHIMNEY / This is the moment I’ve been waiting for all this year. It’s coming! I can already hear the jingles from up above the sky and most certainly feel the tingling feeling of Santa’s magical slide on the top of my head. The snow, my holy hair is stepped upon and I can hardly wait for the presents to be sent down through me and into the fireplace. The kids will be so excited! Oh, I can already see. Mother and Father are coming down the stairs, the kids are in their separate bedrooms. I can tell, for I can hear the giggle of the little one and the music flowing out from the older one’s room. The smell of cookies fills the air and I can hear the creak of the entrance door opening.
I am utterly surprised when I notice this very-familiar-looking, big-bellied, white-bearded person entering the living room from the hall. It’s Santa! The kids jump out of their beds and come running down the stairs when they hear the old guy say ‘Ho-ho-ho!’
But I am quite disappointed, to be honest. I was hoping this year would be more… traditional - that the presents would be sent down my spine, that Santa Claus wouldn’t enter the house just as a regular person would. Nevertheless, I am glad that the children are happy, so I enjoy the lit match thrown into my belly and the warmth of the fire growing, spreading and filling the room.
Kertész Noémi XII.H
THE CAT / It is that time of the year. I'm watching from the top of the stairs as the humans go crazy again over the shiny-looking tree. The weird, loud little humans are gone now, and the adult humans are now running like headless chickens trying to get boxes under the tree.
I have to say, they have redecorated it very nicely after I made it fall down last night, that is the most entertaining part of this loud day. They screamed and ran in such a funny way when they heard the loud "crash" the big shiny ornaments and the green tree made. I have to see what they are doing now.
Oh, wow, gifts, boxes covered in colourful paper. This took me by surprise. I will gladly scratch the paper off the boxes. The little humans are coming, and one is screaming, he always screams, why is he screaming?? They tore my shiny gift papers form my boxes, how dare they?! I attack the little human's legs and they try to push me away laughing, but I win! I get the shiny, colourful paper and the empty boxes in the end.
Vassy Réka XII.H
THE TREE / It's finally Christmas Eve! And in this house there is a little kid, everyone knows that little kids are extremely noisy. And when are they noisy? When they didn't get something that they wanted. Oh, of course, we also have a cat. I don't even want to think about anything bad. I hope everything will go smoothly. Smooth like butter ahem… if you know, you know. I can't stay still because soon the parents will bring here under my branches all the presents, and then the kids will come and happily, they will start to open them. Wow! There are so many present here, one of them is very big, and I think it’s as heavy as I am.
Standing here in the middle of the room and feeling that something has just finished baking in the kitchen is lovely, I love this. The lights are shining in the room, and in the background, Christmas music is playing. Oh no, here we go again. Please stop, I said, stop! All I and my fellows want for Christmas is peace between me and cats. And yes, the cat is walking around me again and again, furthermore! What is going on here, he… or she is here, I thought that he… she is she or, ah, whatever… at last, the kids are coming. Please don't fall, little one, if you fall you will cry. Excellent, I told you so! In all four years of his life so far he always fell in front of me when he hurried towards me. Wait a minute, maybe he fell because of me? Would I be so wonderful? Huh, who can tell?
Unfortunately, I think it is the time to say goodbye, the kids are excessively cheerful, the same way the parents are, and I, as well why hide it? I am very glad, good feelings are swirling in me because I haven't fallen over and I haven't caught fire yet, which is important to say.
Kiss Imola XII.H
THE 8-YEAR-OLD CHILD / I am a nice, big boy, and I love Christmas. Christmas is a big event for my family. I am 8 years old and I’ve never seen Santa, but I would so love to see him this year. This year’s Christmas is very important to me, because I have a plan: I want to catch Santa Claus when he arrives.
At the moment I am in my room, peeking out the door from time to time. But my sister locked me into the room and she won’t let me leave. But I have to tolerate it like a man, because today is a big day. So, in exchange I put a ‘present’ into my sister’s new boots, which made me laugh. I won’t tell you what it is.
Kardos Zalán XII.H
THE 18-YEAR-OLD, BIG SISTER / Christmas... Well, now it is more like a school-free day than a true miracle. I have regretted those days when I spent Christmas as an extremely happy kid without any obligation, because today I have a lot of things to do, for example the distraction of Zalán, my 8 year-old brother is one thing I have to deal with. Believe it or not, these activities are tiring, they include pushing toy cars or just sitting and listening to him cry because of the ban on leaving the room. Think about it... sometimes, my mother has to play Santa Claus and climb up the chimney with presents. These activities represent the only benefit my existence has on this holiday.
Máté Boróka, XII.H
THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL / Why are they so agitated? Running back and forth. Are they crazy? I couldn't imagine myself and my family running like idiots around that big tree, plus, that plant is dead. Jeez, they are so small, oh my, too pale and very hairy, they all wear green and red, it's strange, I don't like it.
Where are the smaller kids? Oh, they are in their rooms, did the big, strange dude punish them? Wait, they are running down the stairs now, what are they doing? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. They come down and start... singing? Why are they singing? Actually, it's pretty nice... No, the notes that were off key ruined it. There's a big tree with... oh no, green and red boxes like their outfits are underneath it, gross. The big dudes are giving the smaller ones boxes. I want one too, give me one, too! Ew, the small one started to cry, I guess he didn't like that round thingy, what's it called? Ball? He thinks he’s too big for that. Dang, he hit another small, but still bigger human with it, I am kinda enjoying the mess. I wonder why they are doing this. If they could see me, they would be doing it for me, right? Well, I hope so, I totally deserve it. Hello, I am from another planet...
Dálnoki Naomi-Paula XII.H
THE BIRTHDAY GUY / How cool, today it is my 2021st birthday. I cannot believe that even after so much of a time it can still make me want to celebrate. It is pretty nice to have almost the whole world going to my Father’s house on this very day. One of the things I don' t like is that there are some families that reunite once every year and they pretend that they get along very well. But it is still nice to know that they only do this because of me.
Of course, there are some families in which people get along very well, let's take this one, for example. Look at the parents thinking that my friend Santa is not real... how sad for them. Of course, he is a bit old, and now, when he enters a house and sees the presents, he will think that he had already been there. So, as I was saying, look at those parents trying to make their children happy, thinking that the big TV they are trying to put under that tree will do that...
Wait, where does the tree come from? All right, there are some inexplicable things in a world like this one. Oh, wait, while I was not looking, the children have already come in, and look, it did work... They are happy because of that big smart TV. When did humanity change this much? When I was their age, like 2000 years ago (Father, it seems like it was yesterday), I could be joyful for small things, like saving the world and stuff.
But I love them all, my beautiful, crazy, wayward children. Look, the whole family is hugging. Now that is MY present. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Mátyás-Somsai Botond XII.H
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