The Wrong Present
It was dark. But it had been dark for her for a long time. The streets were lit up for Christmas, the air was thick with laughter, happiness and fog.
Why didn’t she live in a capitalist country that had stores open on Christmas eve? Every store was shut with the proprietors not even attempting to fleece last minute shoppers. Priscilla could not go home empty handed. She needed the presents to show some semblance of joy. She couldn’t let them suspect a thing.
She rounded the corner to see a shopkeeper closing a convenience shop. A lady was pleading with him to open it for five more minutes. She had with her a sullen looking teenager. The attendant finally gave in when Priscilla requested.
“He was just asking for directions!” the teen shouted at her mother.
“That’s how it starts, let me buy it, at least I’ll have some peace of mind.” The lady said
“Fine go ahead, I’ll use the facilities meanwhile.” her daughter replied.
Priscilla wandered away intent on finding gifts for her family. Cigars for for her brother, a set of knives for her mother, bonbons and a dol for her brother’s twins and a bottle of aged port for her sister-in-law. She realized she had to buy something for her stepfather, otherwise it’d look odd. She got him a key chain.
As she was was getting her items billed, the lady was waiting for her daughter to come back.
She kept her purchase on the counter and told the shopkeeper “Let me ask what’s taking her so long.”
Priscilla quickly picked up her items and made her way to her mother’s home.
It had been five years since she’d set foot in it. She’d always found an excuse not to come. But a week before Christmas, her mother had called her. Something about her frail voice alarmed Priscilla. So, she came. She also wanted to see her brother’s twins.
She entered the house and hung her coat. Carefully avoiding looking at the closet. She gave in to that familiar feeling of numbness that made her forget everything. It was like going on autopilot.
Her boisterous family rushed towards her with hugs and greetings. Her brother looked happily proud of his two daughters, her sister-in-law beamed at her happily and her mother hung back awaiting her turn. Priscilla hugged her tightly as if trying to tell why she’d left home so suddenly five years ago.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her stepfather. He was regarding her with a tentative smile. She looked away. Not today.
She made it through dinner by listening, nodding and talking about the weather. But the ordeal was putting her on edge. Her stepfather kept glancing at her.
“Let’s exchange presents” She said.
“But that’s for tomorrow.” her mother replied.
The children had however rushed gleefully to open their presents. The adults also gave in when Priscilla said that she had work on Christmas and had to leave. Her mother looked at her questioningly.
Priscilla just concentrated on the presents. A sweater from her mother, a pop up card from the twins and a silver pendant from her brother and sister-in-law. She felt ashamed about her store bought presents.
As she looked away trying to avoid their eyes, she heard a gasp. Her stepfather had opened his present.
Nestling in the small cardboard box was not a key ring. It was the item a mother had bought to protect her teenage daughter. There might have been a mix up.
It was a rape whistle.
Priscilla looked at her mother. Her mother’s face was filled with rage. She turned to Priscilla and cried
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
