My Grandmother Kiteria and Christmas
Nov 7, 2022 3:07:35 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Nov 7, 2022 3:07:35 GMT -5
My Grandmother Kiteria and Christmas
By Radrook
Although she earned meager wages and was barely able to make ends meet in raising four kids, my grandmother tried to create a magical time for them with the little money that she had. This magical time, as in the rest of the USA, arrives In Puerto Rico during Christmas. But with a certain difference, you see, in Puerto Rico, it isn't Santa Clause who brings the gifts, instead, it is the three Magi, or Los Tres Reyes Magos, as they call them in Spanish, the original three men from the Middle East, who travelled a long distance to the manger in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, in order honor him.
So in preparation for their arrival, In Puerto Rico, Kids enthusiastically gather hay for the camels whom are assumed to be very tired and hungry from travelling the long distance involved in their journey, and in the morning, of course, Lo and Behold! the hay is gone, and the gifts are magically there.
Well, my grandmother, despite her severe financial limitations, tried to keep that fantasy alive for her kids as well. Buying what she could with her meager salary, and hoping that they would be satisfied. Well, my mom, who was closest to her, was the most affected by this desperate effort. You see, unfortunately, my mom always requested very expensive gifts from the three magi, but always received those of very inferior quality and just couldn’t understand why.
This was made worse because she and her neighbor friend, would often talked about what each one would ask the Magi to bring them for Christmas. The girl-neighbor would pick expensive toys displayed in magazines, and my mother, thinking that they were absolutely free, would choose the same ones, only to be disappointed year after year, while her neighbor friend would say smugly that she had been brought exactly what she had requested, and just couldn’t understand why my mom wasn't receiving hers.
So feeling constantly goaded by what she perceived as an injustice, she began to seriously doubt, not in the existence of the Three Magi, to her, that was an irrefutable fact, but in their motives.
She began asking herself, what could possibly be the difference that was motivating the Three Magi to show that kind of blatantly-cruel, preferential treatment. Was it something personal, concerning herself that was perhaps involved? Gradually, she began to notice that the neighbor girls who were receiving these better gifts, were often more physically attractive than she and much higher up on the socioeconomic ladder, and began imagine that the Magi were discriminating her because of it. This continued for several years, as she chose to stubbornly hold on, hoping that their policy would change, until, unable to tolerate it any longer, my mom finally openly revealed how she felt to my grandmother.
“They are not leaving me what I ask for because I am not as pretty as those other girls, and they are not as poor as we are-right?" she finally blurted out in frustration, after having once more received inferior quality toys than her neighbor had.
“No mija!” “No my daughter" my grandmother responded. “They are just forgetful. That’s all. They also forget just like we do. You know?" she said that day.
Finally, faced with her daughter's frustration concerning the gifts, my grandmother finally broke down and wept bitterly. Fortunately, on that particular day, a lady neighbor and friend was present, noticed her emotional suffering, and chose to mercifully intervene.
"Kiteria,” she said, “Listen! This has to stop. This is not fair to you. I am going to tell your daughter the whole truth about all this, so she can understand exactly what you are going through,”
“Come here, muchacha!" the neighbor told my mom despite the objections of my grandmother who did not want her to know the naked truth.
"Listen mija, please, don't make your mother suffer that way. She is suffering because of your words, you know?.”
“Los tres reyes magos, the three magi, are evil because they choose to bring good toys for the pretty girls, but chose to bring me junk!" my mother responded angrily, thinking that the lady was about to defend their actions. .
"No Mija, that is not true" the neighbor lady replied while trying to be as gentle as possible.
"Do you really want to know who is bringing those gifts each Christmas, mija? The gifts you are keep complaining about? The ones who are bringing those gifts for Christmas are not the three magi, as your mom keeps telling you. The one giving you the gifts is you mom herself, and the reason she gives you those gifts, and not the nice ones that you are always asking for, is because she has to buy them at the store, and she doesn’t have enough money to buy the expensive ones that you are asking for.
“Those girls next door, that you see with those expensive toys, that they ask for each Christmas? Sure, they always get the expensive toys they ask for. But do you know why? It’s because their parents have the money to buy them-that’s why. That is the only reason mija. Your mother loves you just as much as their parents love them, but she just can’t afford to buy the things that you are asking for. That is why she is weeping right now. I tell you this although she doesn't want me to, because I am sure that you love your mom very much just as she loves you, and don't want to see her suffer like this over your frustration."
At that, my mother felt very sad for having unknowingly caused her mother distress. True, her magical world of childish fantasy had abruptly come to an end, but ultimately, she realized, that it had been for the best.