My Own Four Cents [2016]

Chapter 21: Christmas

Christmas comes closer and closer. More and more snow falls from the sky until I can barely walk and my eyes are getting sore from all the bright white.

All those snow plows make so much noise! Tanisha complains without realizing who she's talking to. They're deafening.

Wish I could hear them, I sign wistfully.

Tanisha realizes what she said and apologizes. That's not what I meant.

I know that.

Our families are getting together tomorrow, Christmas Day, Tanisha's and mine, and we can exchange presents. I have cards for Tanisha's parents and cards and ornaments for my parents, and a (bad) picture of a horse for Tanisha, as well as the ornament and the card. I also have a special surprise for her. She'll love it- lots of work came into it. (My arms got tired too.)

I haven't gotten a response from Veronica since I sent the card to her. I'm still hoping.

I go to sleep, wondering what is going to happen tomorrow. I hope Tanisha likes the horse picture.

Mom wakes me up on December 25 at 8:30 in the morning. Wake up, sweetie, she signs after turning on my light. It's almost time for Tanisha's family to come.

I sit up groggily.

Oh, and Santa came last night, Mom adds. Let's see what he brought you.

I'm a little old for this. I am fourteen and just because I haven't been in a decent home since I was seven doesn't mean I believe in Santa Claus. (I don't.) But I go down anyway and find a stocking with candy in it- candy canes, chocolate balls and a horse shaped lollipop.

Mom, you shouldn't have, I say to her. Really.

Mom looks at me innocently. I don't know what you're talking about, she says.

Don't pretend.

Tanisha's family helped.

I grin. Thanks.

Mom smiles. Merry Christmas. She hugs me.

I hug her back.

I eat some chocolate but save most of them for later. I know we're not going to get chocolate often.

Tanisha's family arrives about twenty minutes later. Mom rushes to the door and welcomes them in. Tanisha immediately says, How's your arm?

Good. I hug her.

Have you... (she hesitates) gotten a letter from Veronica? Tanisha makes sure not to say "heard from".

No.

Tanisha pats my shoulder sympathetically. You will sometime.

Mom leads us to the living room where the tree is. Our presents are under the tree. Mom takes their presents and puts them under the tree too, then puts on this really silly looking Santa hat and pulls out one of the presents with a flourish. She reads the tag out loud, then signs it to me.

To Paul, from Jen. Jen is Tanisha's mom, and Paul's my dad. Dad opens the present to find a bunch of new tux shirts. Then the next present is taken out. For Mom from Tanisha's mom. A sewing kit. Mom loves it. Then she takes out one that I recognize as my really awfully wrapped horse drawing.

To Tanisha, from Maria. I try to hide my smile as Tanisha carefully takes the wrapping paper off and gasps. Maria, that's beautiful! she signs as she takes out the drawing of a large white horse with a little horse beside it. The big one is nuzzling the little one as if it's kissing it.

It isn't, I say modestly.

Shut up. It's wonderful! Tanisha giggles. Tundra, right?

And her baby.

Tanisha loves it and promises to hang it in her room. The next presents are the ornaments for Mom, Dad, Tanisha and her parents. Tanisha says she'll think of me whenever she looks at it. I get one too, saying You're the greatest friend in the world and a heart in green, blue and white swirls. I love mine.

Another present for me! From Mom. It's small and rectangular and feels like a book. I open it and see a shiny book with a goldfish bowl on it. The fish is jumping out of the bowl and behind it trail the words Out of My Mind. The author is Sharon M. Draper. I read the summary on the back. It's about a girl named Melody who is paralyzed in a wheelchair and she's really smart, but she can't tell anyone. She can't walk, speak (like someone I know), feed herself, answer questions at school, write, type or even take herself to the bathroom! She obviously has it off way worse than I do even though she can hear. At least I can communicate.

Looks interesting.

You'll like it, Mom says.

The last present is for me. It's big, the biggest of all, from Tanisha and her parents. Mom knows what it is. I can tell. I open it and immediately know what it is. A shiny black riding helmet, tan riding breeches, brown half-chaps, brown boots and matching gloves. I buckle the helmet around my neck and tuck my black hair behind my ears. Thanks, Tanisha! I sign.

Read the card, Tanisha says.

I find a cute card with a galloping horse on it. I open it and gasp.

In Tanisha's handwriting it says:

Dear Maria,

I think you are really great at horse back riding and I am not a good enough teacher to teach you more. You will be better at a real riding stable where you can learn from a real teacher. I have lessons too. You can choose the time to do it and I can do it with you if you want. My parents have agreed to pay for the lessons.

Love, Tanisha

I read it over and over. Real riding lessons with you? Are you sure?

Of course we're sure! Tanisha says.

I can't say anything else. I just hug her. Tanisha hugs me back.

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I just had to put  Out of My Mind in there! It's my favorite book and Sharon M. Draper is such an inspirational author! I want to follow her lead and inspire other people with my work! Maybe Maria can too!