Gift Exchange

The house was full of excitement as the sound of paper ripped and flew in the air. Each of my family unwrapped gifts that were being passed out to each of us. Looking at my mom, dad, and aunt's face made me laugh. They would look at each gave as they open up the most unwanted gift. Mom opened a back scratcher from my aunt. My mom studied it with a half smile. “Thank you sissy I love it.” Mom said,

“You welcome sissy I knew that you would.” My aunt responded back.

  This is why I give a Christmas list to each person that is shopping for me, to avoid that kind of embarrassing moment. I hate opening a present and having to pretend that I love them. 

My aunt very excited hands me a gift from her. I was so excited to open it I already knew what was in that shiny box. I had asked my aunt to buy me an amazing light from Amazon. The light would change color with the music. Connects to Bluetooth! I started unwrapping it. The box started to peek out at me. The box did not have my cool speaker. Instead, I saw a……a baby doll. I was so confused. Why would she get me this? I even had an amazon wish list. I shared the list with her. No, where on the list did I have a baby doll and that was by choice.

“What did you get April?” Mama asked. I forgot to act excited about my gift. I was trying to decide if my aunt was messing with me or if this truly was my gift from her. I am seventeen years old. I drive myself. I have not played with dolls since I did the home eco project with the baby dolls that cried every two seconds.

I realize that I was acting so ungrateful. “ Oh my God Aunt Sabina, I love it is just what I wanted.” I lied as I ran over to give her a hug. What in the world am I going to do with this thing? I ponder for a moment. I know what to do. I am going to return the stupid doll and take the money and buy the speakers I wanted. 

The next morning I woke up extra early, The pale light from the break of day lit my room. I looked out my bedroom window and saw my car covered in snow. I ran downstairs to grab my keys. Slid my coat on, I shivered as I walked on the sidewalk to start my car to warm while I was getting ready.

I ran past my mom as she sat at the table sipping her morning coffee, she was looking at the morning newspaper. “Wow, where are you off to so early this morning?”. She asked.

“I am going out the day after Christmas shopping I heard you can get good deals today.” I lied to my mom. I could never tell her my gift from aunt Sabina sucked and I think that woman is losing her mind.

“Be safe out there dear today is almost as crazy as black Friday.” She reminded me in her caring voice.

“Hey, mom do you know where Aunt Sabina shops?” I asked in the hoped that she would not ask why.

“No dear I don’t know.” She said as I flew up the stairs to get ready. This was not going to be an easy task. I had no idea what store that doll would have come from. I went to my first store. I walked up to the customer service desk.

“Hi, I can help you here.” The lady said friendly.

“Hi there I am not sure if this came from here or not I got this as a gift but I don’t need it and I was hoping I could return it.” I said.

“I just need your ID if you don’t have a receipt.” the lady said as she scanned the doll she looked through her system database. She placed the doll back into the bag and handed the bag back to me. 

“I am so sorry Ms., this doll did not come from this store.” She said 

The next few stores were the same the customer service desk would scan the toy only to find the toy was not in their system. The later in the day it got the longer and longer the line became. Finally, around twelve o'clock the return line was wrapped around the store. I looked at my watch I had been in line for the past hour and I started to wonder if all this trouble was worth returning this doll. 

“Hey, are you finding any good deals?” I turned around, my heart sank hoping deep down it was not who I thought it was. Sure enough, it was Aunt Sabrina. I tried hiding my bag so she did not see the doll.

“Aunt Sabrina what a surprise. No, I have not seen too many deals I can’t live without.” I said back to her. 

“You know what we should do we should shop together today. Doesn’t that sound perfect? We can go to a few stores then get some lunch” She said.

“I don’t know about that Aunt Subrina, I am getting ready to get home soon. My mom needs to get to work.” I said.

“What is the difference if you are with me or at home? I will just stand right here with you until you make the exchange.” 

“Oh that is okay the line is so long I will come back another time let's get shopping,” I said as I step out of the line. Aunt Sabina led the way as we walked around the store shopping. 

The first section we stopped was the hats. She found a round yellow hat and place it on her head. She then threw on a blue scarf around her neck. “April I think I will go with this look! What do you think?” she asked as she laughed.

“Oh, you look fabulous Aunt Sabina,” I said as I chuckled. We had a wonderful time besides having my guard up. What if Aunt Sabrina saw what was in my bag? Would she be mad? Would she be hurt? These thoughts just kept running through my mind.

“Well, April I think we have gone to every store at this mall and you have shopped until you have dropped.” She laughed. “Here let me help take a few things to your car for you.”She said.

In that few seconds, I was not thinking somehow with the switching of the bags Aunt Sabina ended up with the bag that I have been trying so hard to keep from her.

I had no idea what to do. I could not ask for the bag back. Or could I? No, she would know something was up if I asked for it back. Maybe she won’t pay attention to what’s in the bag. “April I am so glad you had to do a return this morning and I ran into you I had a wonderful time with you.” She said as we walked past the return line once again. She then glance down and saw the doll. 

“April?” she said. My heart skipped a beat I knew what she had seen. 

“Yeah? I said. 

Aunt Sabina pulled the doll out of the bag “If you didn’t like the doll you could have just told me. I was thinking you were too old for the doll but your speaker was not going to come in time so I wanted you to have something to unwrap so I got you anything I could find.” She said.

“Really my speaker is coming!” I said excitedly.

“Yeah, and you really should have told me you didn't like the doll and that you were going to return it. You waited over an hour and you were at the wrong store. If you would have told me I could have given you the receipt yesterday.” She said as she reached into her purse and handed me the receipt.

“Really you are not upset? I asked.

“Honey, no.” She giggled

I gave her a big hug. I really should have told her it would have saved me so much time and I would not have been worried all day. 

“Aunt Sabrina, You got me the best gift of all. If I didn’t try to return the doll today I would have never ran into you. I think we should make this a every year tradition.” I said.

“I would love to” She said back with a smile.

That was twenty years ago and every December 26th my aunt and I go out and grab all the day after christmas sales.