Doing The Switcheroo On Christmas, Thinking No One Would Ever Know!

Ladies and Gentlemen, was I ever wrong... Issue #40

ifOnlyi… wasn’t a selfish shithead. Yes, I call myself that because I ruined everyone’s Christmas morning, including mine. And all because I believed that Santa Claus was real and wouldn’t find out, I did the unthinkable. I deserved what came to me.

This story brings me back to when I was ten years old.

Santa Claus had already visited. I snuck downstairs and saw the cookies half eaten and some milk gone. Everyone was still asleep, and the stockings were stuffed to the brim, so I took a chance.

I looked in mine and saw my goodies, then looked in one of my sisters' and saw adorable goodies, so I decided to do the switcheroo: take the things I did not like from mine and put them in her stocking, and put the things I liked from hers into mine.

I returned to bed, leaving zero evidence of what I had just done. No one saw me. I stayed in bed until my parents woke up and said it was time to open our gifts. I was the last to walk out of the room, nervous, not really, as no one saw what Santa Claus put into the stockings.

As my sister had already taken all her gifts from the stocking, I decided I must do the same, as everyone wanted to open the gifts. As I laid mine out and showed excitement, I saw the look in my parents' eyes. I thought nothing of it; why would I?

I don’t think anything was said. Only now did Dad start playing Santa and passing out one gift at a time; one by one, we all saw each other's gifts. My sister had no idea what I did, so I felt safe. I got away with it.

Then the phone rang, and Mom answered, playing as if she needed to take this call in another room and asking my Dad to hang up once she grabbed another phone line. A few minutes later, Mom returned, and we continued to open gifts.

It was wonderful to see what we all got from my Parents and Santa Claus. We also had a few other gifts from friends and family, so all in all, it was a great day—or was it?

Ollie, please come to my bedroom after you clean up the mess from all the wrapping paper, strings, and boxes. Come quickly.

Yes, I’ll be right there, not having a clue as to why maybe I was about to get another gift, and it was in their room. As I walked in, I heard Mom yell to lock the door. OH NO!

What could this be? Mom said, “Sit down on the couch and tell us about the Christmas Stockings hanging above the fireplace.” “What do you mean?” I asked. Mom went on to say the telephone call that came in when we were opening the gifts was from Santa. I replied, "Santa Claus called you?"

He told me to make sure I give your sister the gifts you switched out of the Stockings he filled for all three of you.

As I sat there shaking, crying, and wondering how Santa saw me do this. Mom said, “I need you to apologize to your sister about her Santa requests, NOW.”

Mom wasn’t done with me yet. She said my punishment could wait until the next day because it was Christmas. “When will you ever learn, Ollie?” she uttered, shaking her head as she walked away.

….ifOnlyi…. short stories are published chronologically and follow my life growing up in California from 4 years old. If you’ve just found me, the stories will come together when you start reading from….Issue #1