A Christmas Present

In Paris, France

It was December 24, the Christmas Eve. The city was decorated with many types of colorful decorations. A huge Christmas tree was decorated near the Eiffel Tower.

It was in the evening time.

People were out celebrating the Christmas Eve. Going to watch movies, restaurants, shopping and taking pictures near the majestic looking Eiffel Tower with a huge decorated Christmas tree.

A person was wearing a costume of Santa Claus, carrying a sack full of presents. He was giving those presents to homeless children and elderly people.

Thud!

A little girl of around 10 years old collapsed on the ground.

The mother was hysterical and shouted as she grabbed her, "Honey! Are you all right? What happened? Wake up?"

Everyone gathered near her. A woman whispered to another woman, "Hey, what happened?"

"Apparently that girl child fell on the ground on her own. Can you see those bruises near her neck. Poor child." She replied.

The man wearing the Santa costume came through the crowd.

"Excuse me! Please let me through." He said as he passed through the crowd.

He put the sack on the ground and asked the mother,

"Ma'am! Please calm down." As he said that he checked the pulse rate of the girl and also saw bruise marks near her neck. He said, "Ma'am we will have to admit her in a hospital."

As the woman heard the word 'hospital' she was quite uncomfortable. Which the man noticed.

"Ma'am listen to me! She needs to get admitted in a hospital. It's emergency, so come with me, quickly." He shouted.

The woman was quite shocked. She nodded and said in a low voice, "O-Okay!".

The man grabbed the girl and carried her in his arms. He told the mother, "Quick! Come."

They quickly to the man's car and got to the hospital quickly.

She was admitted and the emergency doctor checked her.

Outside the room the mother was sitting on a chair. She was shaking heavily with her head down and hands on her knees. The doctor came outside and told, "Don't need to worry Ms, she is good now. It was only because of less sleep and stress. Though it was a good thing that you brought her here quickly. It might would have gotten worse if you were late. Now she only needs to rest for the night. Here is the prescription. Give her the vitamin syrup after every three meals and this tablet... Anyways ma'am, the thing is that the bruises around her neck is the main problem. May I know how she got those bruises."

"Thanks doctor. About the bruises, that are from when she was a year old. She got hurt while playing and an accident happened. Umm...Can I go...see her."

"Yes, please come with me." He said.

The little girl was lying on the hospital bed. She had gained consciousness. The mother quickly went near her and asked,

"Honey! Are you feeling all right now?"

"Yes, mom, don't worry I just simply fell down because of a rock." The little girl said.

The mother patted the girl's head and said, "It is going to be all good honey! Leave it to your mother. So recover without any worries, okay."

"Okay mom!" The little girl replied with a smile.

The mother asked the doctor, "Sir, there was a man who helped me to bring my daughter here, the hospital. He had blonde hair and hazel eyes wearing a Santa costume."

The doctor replied, "Ah! Him. I think he is sitting outside, near the hallway."

"Oh! I see.Thank you doctor for helping my daughter." She said.

"No, no it is just my job to treat everyone." He replied.

"Doctor. The nurse will be with my daughter, right?"

"Yes, she will be with her. Also she will be discharged tomorrow evening, so don't worry." The doctor told her.

She then quickly went to the main hallway to meet the man who helped her and her daughter.

He was standing near the window and gazing the falling snow.

She went near him and said, "Amm! Excuse me sir."

He looked back and saw the mother of the daughter he helped.

He asked, "Oh! Ma'am, is she all right now?"

"Yes, the doctor said that she will recover quickly. And that she will also be discharged tomorrow."

"That's good to hear." He replied.

She continued in a shaky voice, "I am Noèle Laurent. Thanks for helping me back there. I was genuinely scared as to what had happened to her."

The man replied, "I am Louis Aubert. It was only my gratitude to help a little girl who was in danger. Anyways, is he all right now?"

"Yes, the doctor said that she only needs some rest now."

"That's good to hear." He said with a sigh of relief. He stopped for a bit and then continued, "Ms may I know where you two live. It would be better to go in my car since your daughter needs rest."

"No! No! We can't trouble you more. You have already done a lot for us."

"Ok then. But Ms may I know how she got those bruises. Maybe I can help you, if there is any problem."

"No! No! There...is no problem. You don't need to worry for us." She said with a quite nervous voice.

"Ok then if you say so. Then I will take my leave." As he said that, he left the hospital.

Noèle went to her daughter and the Christmas Eve came to an end.

Tomorrow it is 25th December, the Christmas day.

It was the time of evening.

At the hospital Noèle was signing some papers. Her daughter was sitting near her on a chair. Soon the work was done and they came out of the hospital.

By the time they were able to come out of the hospital, it was already 7 p.m . They took a cab and reached 12th arrondissement. Near a blue house a man was waiting with a bottle of alcohol on his hand.

They slowly went near him and stopped right in front of him with their heads down.

The man smashed the bottle on the head of Noèle. Her daughter was kneeling on the path. Tears were pouring out her eyes.

The man shouted, "Huh! You bitch! How dare you go to a hospital and spend so much. Do you think money grows on tress. Why the fuck did you bring that pest to a hospital. It was better to let her die."

He kicked her on the face.

Thud!

She fell down. Her hair was messed up and blood was coming out of her nose and head. He went near her grabbed by her neck and said, "You bitch! Get out of here and don't you dare bring any medicines for that pest. I am getting bored of seeing your and that pest's face. I have to satisfy my new girlfriend so don't set foot here for a week. If you come then bring some bottles of alcohol and act like my sister."

Thuck!

He punched her on her face.

He then went near the little girl and said with a laughter, "Hahah! What happened? You pest! Why do you keep making my life harder by getting these medical bills everytime."

As he shouted that he smacked her hard on her belly and pulled her hair out.

"Ahhh! P-Please forgive me D-Dad!"

She asked for forgiveness. But he continued to kick her and shouted, "Shut up! Pest you better not make me kill you this time."

She fell on the ground with tears dropping imensely from her eyes.

Her mother grabbed his leg and asked for forgiveness, "S-Sorry, dear, I-I will make sure she d-doesn't get hurt again."

"You always say that bitch!" He shouted.

"You know what I will let you go this time. My girlfriend is waiting for me. I wonder how she will taste." She said in a perverted way and left them.

Noèle started to cry and went near her daughter.

"I-I am sorry honey, b-because of me you are g-getting to suffer this." As she said this, she completely broke down and started to cry loudly cursing the god.

***

Noèle grabbed her daughter in her arms and sat down on the side of the footpath in the street under a Street lamp.

Soon snow started to fall.

Her whole body was aching heavily but she made sure that her daughter doesn't get affected by the cold winter winds.

Ting! Ting!

The sound of Santa's bell echoed.

A man wearing the Santa's costume approached them. He took out a present from his bag and gave one for each of them.

He stood up and said as he left them,

"Listen, they will always be harsh to you no matter what you do. So why be nice to them. I guess it's just survival instinct. In the jungle the strong ones survive and the weak gets eaten by the strong. The same with us, humans. These so called strong animals tend to forget why they are stong, their arrogance and stupidity leads to their death. It is the Christmas Day, so smile. The strong animal is dead and already eaten by your god."

As he went down the street Noèle opened her eyes. She saw two presents near her and her daughter. As she looked at him, she saw that blood was dripping from the Santa's sack.

She said,

"Thank you Santa and dear God for making my wish come true. This truly is the best Christmas present I could ask for. Even if it meant that a life had to be taken. Thank you, Louis. I am very grateful that you did this for us. Thank you."