All at once it hit me...this was incredible. This ugly stocking was a GOLD mine waiting to happen. I grabbed the end of the stocking and pulled with all my might and yes, it stretched even further. I was so excited. I knew the more I stretched it the more stuff Santa would have to fill my stocking with. I must have sat there for an hour stretching the width and the length and giggled with delight at every centimeter longer it did grow. I used my legs as a level and pushed them off against the fireplace pulling and tugging over and over again.
Suddenly from the door way across the room I heard my father walk in and exclaim. (I can hear his words and voice resonate in my mind as if it was yesterday.) "Stacie, what in the world are YOU doing?" he said in a very matter of fact kind of way.
Oh no, I was caught. I was currently in quite a literally awkward position. I had the end of the stocking with both hands gripped firmly around the toe and both of my legs strattled either side of the stocking as I was bent over bum in the air as if I was about to touch my own toes mid tug... I am quite sure I must have turned white as a ghost. I then calmly said,"Why daddy I'm just making room for Santa to put more stuff." He stood there, with a stern look not saying a word. I wasn't sure if I was going to see the back side of a belt or be sentenced to my room until after the holidays. I was frozen. I couldn't move...and then it happened. Dad burst out laughing, he even doubled over. All at once he called mom into the room. "Carolynn, Carolynn, come look... you have to see what your daughter has done". I was happy he was laughing but dreaded the mother walking into the room."Before I even saw her face I heard her say" What now Zach, what has she done...." maybe she had been hitting some happy juice or perhaps daddy had been wrapping more than presents in the bedroom with her,but to my delight she also laughed. I sighed. Phew I was off the hook, so now back to the ugly hooked stocking.I sat until bedtime that Christmas eve, tugging and pulling on my stocking until it literally hung to the floor. My parents would walk by occasionally just shaking their head and laughing at me.I didn't care, after all I was the smart one. I'd show them when Christmas morning came...I'd have the most stuff of them all. I went to bed a very happy camper. Leaving Santa a very long list of ideas on what to fill in my stocking.
I could hardly sleep. I laid in bed imagining all the things Santa could possible fit into this GIANT stocking...maybe I'd finally get that horse I had been asking for every year. I'm kidding, a knew a horse wouldn't be allowed in the house, but it would have held a lot of riding gear. A new whip, a new riding helmet with a cool cover ...oh my imagination was running wild. Perhaps there would be room for 15 wrapped presents and enough candy to eat for an entire year... I tossed and turned and finally fell asleep.
As the Christmas morning appeared I was chomping at the bit so to speak to head downstairs and peer out to see if my horse was in the back yard...and to see what goodies santa had overflowing in my humongous stretched stocking. When I got the okay to head down the stairs, I ran into the den with such zest I must have been bubbly as I tried to come to a halt only to continue to slide in my red footie pajamas. I think I did a stop drop and roll tactic and landed at the foot of my stocking only to stand up stomp my foot and turn around with a look of disgust on my face. My mouth was gapped open and I belted on the top of my lungs to my parents. "ORANGES!"... my parents stood in the doorway laughing under the mistletoe...as I was infuriated and surprised. How could they possibly be laughing. This was absolutely horrible, not at all what I had envisioned.Over 1/2 the stocking was filled at the bottom with oranges and grapefruit... enough fruit for a year. One box of lifesaver candy rolls and candy canes... maybe a few wrapped things... it wasn't even filled and it wasn't over flowing... I sneered back towards my parents who were still laughing in between sips of coffee. I guess the joke was on me. It's what a wild eyed greedy child gets I suppose. My grandmother was snickering in her cute little dainty housecoat and slippers. She said well Stacie when I was a child we hung up our socks we had worn that day and would get one orange a piece and a piece of candy. Our socks weren't very big and fresh fruit and a piece of candy was a treat to a family with 7 children. I suppose she had been right, but it wasn't what I'd had in mind. I looked back at that grungy horrid crochet stocking that had failed me and sighed.
I really hated that stocking now, but I missed something as I had dumped my produce to the floor. Inside that stocking was a hand written note. I reached my little scrawny arm deep inside. I had to dig and dig because between my pulling and all the produce it was stretched to the gills. I finally reached that note and then I carefully read "look out on the back porch your gift is waiting for you outside. Love, SANTA" I dropped the note and ran to the door, almost sliding into it again with those dang footie pj's. I looked to the left- to the right...where was my horse. It was nowhere in sight. I looked back at my parents and said there's nothing out there as I sulked." Santa tricked me, he got me good", I said. They said keep looking are you sure... look all around up and down. My eyes rolled to the corner of the porch floor and there in a cage was a bunny rabbit. #2 on my list. I started screaming on the top of my lungs... I think my grandmother covered her ears while she laughed. I flew open the door as fast as I could run in my footie pj's and there was my little white bunny, hoppy. So that old crocheted stocking worked after all.... the best present of all was a note leading to the biggest gift I got that year. My very own furry best friend. He even made the neatest little round poop balls that I found absolutely amazing. I was quite happy as were my parents standing arm and arm under the mistletoe. It wasn't a horse, but it was a pet and that made me a very happy girl. Something to love, that would love me back.
After all, next year maybe if I stretched that old ugly stocking even more I'd finally make enough room to get that horse I have always dreamed of owning. Now a days I still wish for that horse,... but I'd like it to come with a prince charming. I'd even settle for one that rode inside something horse powered instead.
