The Gift

Tess had spent the afternoon at the mall trying to find a gift for her brother-in-law, the last gift she needed to finish up her holiday shopping and the hardest one to find.   Left up to her she wouldn’t exchange gifts, it seemed pointless to give someone something they didn’t need or want just to satisfy some ridiculous notion of social obligation associated with a holiday she had lost interest in long ago.  But it was Christmas and her sister wanted to keep the family tradition of gift exchanging a part of their annual celebration.  Tess sighed.  She didn’t see her sister’s family very often; her career and social life kept her busy leaving little time for family.  The least she could do was humor her sister once a year.

On a whim she left the mall and drove downtown, parked and stepped out onto the sidewalk of the decorated city street.  The magical feeling she had felt as a child swept over her as large flakes of falling snow drifted down muting the sounds of the city.  She walked down the street gazing into store windows.  At an intersection she grabbed a light post and twirled around it, laughing, coming to a stop when she feared she would fall.  Down the side street she spotted a wooden sign with carved, archaic letters, curious she headed toward it. 

The display window held objects of various sorts with one in particular catching her eye, a book titled ‘The Alchemist’s Handbook’.  Inside, the store was neat and orderly with shelves lining both walls, display cases filled with knick-knacks running down the middle of the floor and clothing racks toward the back.  It looked like any other small boutique she had shopped in.

“May I help you?”  Said the woman standing next her.  She was dressed in black, from the tips of the boots peeking out from under her skirt to her flower shaped hairpiece clipped behind her ear.  She had appeared so suddenly and seemed so out of place that for a moment Tess didn’t know what to say.

“May I help you?”  The clerk repeated.

“Yes, I hope so.”  Tess said.  “The book in the window?  How much is it?”

“I am afraid it isn’t for sale.  It’s for display only.”

“Do you know where I can get a copy?  Or do you have anything similar?   You see my brother-in-law is very difficult to buy a gift for and I seem to remember my sister saying he is into odd, unusual stuff.  So that book would be perfect.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I need to find something, something meaningful.”  Surprised at her rambling, Tess wound down her speech.  “I have no idea why it suddenly matters to me, but it does.”

“Hmmm, I might have something.  It’s rather unusual and not something I would normally sell, but you sound as if you have a great need.”

Tess nodded, embarrassed by her outburst and followed the clerk to the back of the store.  The woman stopped beside a small cabinet tucked out of sight in the corner.  She pulled a small key from around her neck and unlocked the door.  She lifted out a square, white, cardboard box, shut the door, locked it and with both hands holding the box led the way to the register.

“Now, this is a one time sale, no returns or exchanges.”

“What is it?”  Tess asked, reaching out to open the box.

The clerk intercepted Tess’s hand.

“Only the person you are giving it to should open it, otherwise the meaning of the gift will be used up.  It cannot be replaced, so don’t peek.”  She said with a mischievous smile and a wink.

Tess nodded, unsure of what she was doing buying a gift unseen, and handed the clerk her credit card while she studied the box.

After finishing the transaction the clerk pulled a length of satin ribbon out from under the counter and tied it around the box with a bow.

“Here you go.  Satisfaction guaranteed.”

“Thank you.”  Tess said picking up the box and turning to go.  At the door she glanced back into the shop.  The clerk was nowhere to be seen among the few shoppers browsing and a different, brightly dressed young woman stood behind the counter.  Tess frowned and glanced down at the gift in her hands, all the angst of the holiday season melted away leaving her calm.  She headed for home and placed the box on her table with the other gifts to be taken over to her sister’s home.

Throughout the evening she caught herself gazing at the present wondering.  She was sure nothing would happen if she opened it, after all this was real life not a movie and by the time the news came on, she had made up her mind to look.

She stood by the table considering.  Yes, the clerk had told her not to, but was she really expected to give a present without knowing what it was?  Just a quick peek wouldn’t hurt anything would it?  She reached out, hesitated, the clerk had been adamant.  Perhaps she shouldn’t. 

The desire to know became so strong Tess could not resist it any longer and she pulled the ribbon free.  She lifted the lid off the box.

Her mouth fell open at the sight of the doll, the doll she had wanted so desperately in second grade.  Almost every other girl in her class had one and it was the only thing she had asked for.  But times were tough following the death of her father and she knew her mother couldn’t afford it.  Tess felt tears running down her face as she recalled clinging to the hope of Christmas magic until she awoke only to feel a soul shaking disappointment when the doll was not to be found under the tree.

She lifted it out of the box wondering how a child’s doll would be the perfect gift for her sister’s husband.  A feeling of peace Tess had not known for years filled her as she lay down on the carpet, the doll wrapped in her arms.

“Hey sleepy head.”  Her young mother said, gently shaking her awake.  “You couldn’t wait for morning to open your gift?”

Tess sat up.  Her mom with her youthful face, smiled at her.  Tess’s little sister, her thumb stuck in her mouth and her favorite stuffed toy dangling from her other hand, stood just beyond.

“Why don’t you find a gift under there for your sister to open, okay?”

In eight-year-old Tess’s arms was the doll she had wanted so much and didn’t think she would get.