Christmas Stockings

I remember eagerly waiting for Mommy to put up our Christmas stockings every September. It meant that I could put my wishlist in it and hope that Santa thinks that I've been good and grant me my wish. It was the same wish every year. A balikbayan box full of books (Sweet Valley, Nancy Drew, Three Investigators, Archie comics) and a swimming pool. :) I could die happy.

After several years of not getting any of my wishes, I've started inventing reasons why I have no such luck. It varied from:

• Both wishes did not fit inside the sock, hence Santa could not grant it.
• Santa probably was not able to read my writing because as much as I tried my best to copy our Scriptwring guide, which served as the writing bible to graduate from pencil to pen, my script was lousy.
• National Bookstore and Merriam Webster ran out of books that I liked. Powerbooks and Fully Booked did not exist at that time.
• Santa could not recall which books I already had and needed to check my list.
• Maintenance of the pool required a lot of resources and it could not possibly fit in our yard so no use giving it.

I don't know how I realized one day that there was really no Santa. That it was just something that our parents started as an incentive for us to be good because there will be a reward at the end of the year. I wasn't disappointed. Although sometimes, I think I might have never been good enough since I've never received my wishes the way I requested them.

I have managed to fill up a tiny box of books which I have accummulated over the years. I no longer have the Sweet Valley, Nancy Drew, Three Investigators, Archie comics that I used to collect. I have outgrown them and replaced them with other books. Nevertheless, I still continue to wish for a box full of books and a swimming pool.

One day I will get my wish.