Casa Christmas

1. Looking for the Star Key

Hidden inside every home is a magical key. When it's found and used in the way that will soon be described, you will find yourself outside of Casa Christmas, where that joyous feast is ever in celebration. This is a story about the Santiagos and what happened after one of those brightly shining keys was found in their house.

The Santiago family consisted of the following people: Señor Santiago, Mrs. Santiago, and their four children, Ambrosio, Olivia, Marco, and Baby Bebé. The latter was scheduled to be born at any moment!

They had moved into their newly built home early that summer. Previously, they lived in a big city with a tiny yard. But now, they were happy to be living in the countryside of Alberta, Canada. Out there, the air was always fresh and smelt of grass, flowers, or rain. It all depended on what the day produced.

Most of the children's time was spent playing and running around in their large yard—so long as they remembered to be careful of the flowers. Many evenings their mom or dad would sit on the porch reading a book while they played. The children loved those days most of all because they could open the back gate and climb the trees in the little wood.

It was difficult to say what each child liked most, but something about their new home stood out to each of them. Ambrosio liked that he could get up to full speed when trying to run from one side of the backyard to the other without having to slow down. Olivia liked the lovely orange bricks the house was made of; they made her think of her favourite snack: oranges. And little Marco loved the flowers he had planted with his dad; he made a point to check on them frequently.

Those warmer days eventually melted away into snowy ones, signalling the imminent approach of Christmas. The children were brimming with excited anticipation. Christmas, as Mrs. Santiago often called it, or Navidad as Señor Santiago regularly sang of it, was gladder than glad at Chez Santiago.

As they had done in the city, Ambrosio, Olivia, and Marco rushed outside—almost forgetting their mitts, coats, and tuques—to build a snowman on the first day the snow covered the brown grass in the yard. To their pure delight, they found that they had space to build an army of snowmen and proceeded to do just that.

The children were finishing up their twelfth snowman when their mom came out on the back porch to announce the arrival of Gran Nan! Straight away, they dropped everything and raced inside.

They had barely hauled off their winter gear when they tackled their grandmother, burying her under heaps of hugs. Then, they went into the living room, which was all decked out in festive cheer.

Green garlands ran round and over many things, stockings by the fireplace, an Advent wreath on the mantle, and a real Christmas tree in the corner. The holiday plant had lights, but no decorations yet; those would be put on before Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Señor Santiago came in shortly after with a plate of chocolate chip cookies that Gran Nan had brought over. Mrs. Santiago then entered with a tray of crisp-cold milk to wash the sweet treats down with.

Once Gran Nan got comfortable in the chair near the crackling fire, the children sat at her feet, cookie crumbs on their faces, anticipation glinting in each eye.

"Have you found it yet?" Gran Nan whispered.

"Found what?" Ambrosio knit his eyebrows together curiously.

"The Star Key," the older lady lowered her glasses.

"The Star Key?" the children said in unison.

"Yes," their grandmother said.

They paused for a moment and looked at each other and then back at Gran Nan.

"What does it look like?" Olivia asked.

"It's made of ice and has a large eight-pointed star in the back and a Christmas tree shape in the front," Gran Nan replied.

"Ooooh," the children said, very intrigued.

"And what—what does it do, Gran Nan?" asked Marco with a milk moustache above his upper lip.

"Well," she began. "When the key is found and you touch it to the left side of your front door, straight across from the lock, a starry doorknob and Christmas tree-shaped keyhole will appear. If you insert the key, unlock it, and turn the sparkling doorknob, you will see Casa Christmas on the other side."

"What's Casa Christmas?" Ambrosio asked.

"Find the key and see for yourself," Gran Nan winked.

They ran off in all directions, looking here, there, and everywhere.

"I hope you're prepared to answer all their questions after they don't find the key, Mom," Mrs. Santiago said with a frown.

"Just because you and your brother didn't find it doesn't mean it wasn't there," Gran Nan bit her cookie defiantly.

As Mrs. Santiago was about to reply, she placed a hand on her round belly.

"Oh," was the only word she could say as a contraction gripped her.

"Is it time?" Señor Santiago said.

His wife offered a painful nod.

Señor Santiago sprang into action, grabbing coats, the go-bag, and car keys. He helped his wife get dressed as he told Gran Nan where she could find the list of things she needed to do for the kids while they were gone.

Gran Nan helped carry a few things out to the car and waved goodbye from the front porch. The headlights of the red van soon disappeared into the snowy night.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Olvia asked, returning from the basement. "Is Baby Bebé going to be born—did they go to hospital?"

"Yes, and yes," Gran Nan chuckled.

"Marco! Ambrosio! Mom is having the baby!" Oliva bellowed up the stairs to her brothers.

"Right now?" Ambrosio yelled back.

"Yes!" Olivia shouted.

"Did you find the key?" Marco called.

"No!" His sister shouted.

"Me neither! And I hope it's a girl!"

"Me too!" Ambrosio agreed loudly.

"Not me!" Olvia disagreed louder for she liked being the only girl.

Their grandmother was turning red from laughing at the exchange.

Once she collected herself, Gran Nan got the boys to come down the stairs for the Mac and Cheese Señor Santiago had made earlier. After that, she treated them to another cookie each, had them brush their teeth, and prayed with them before tucking them in.

Just as Gran Nan was about to leave the room, Ambrosio spoke to her.

"Is the Star Key actually real, Gran Nan?" he asked.

"Of course, it is," she replied.

"Did you find it when you were a girl?"

"Yes, I did," she smiled.

"Where'd you find it?" the nearly nine-year-old asked.

Gran Nan paused, trying to remember. "I found it in my dad's toolbox—the last place I thought to look."

"Okay," Ambrosio said. "Goodnight, Gran Nan. I love you."

"Goodnight, honey. I love you too." She turned off the light and closed the door.

Ambrosio lay in bed, thinking about what would be the last place he would think to look for the Star Key. Then a star rose in his mind. He suddenly knew exactly where he needed to go.