I looked at the gifts again a million times. You know that feeling when you're about to give someone a gift and you already anticipate the whole scenario. How they react, maybe they scream and jump on you with bright smiles and excitement on their faces, or if the whole thing went south, they just smile and thank you just so you don't feel bad for getting them something they didn't like.
I was anxious, excited, and a little bit restless on the edge as I thought about all the possible ways the whole thing could go.
“She's going to love it; you know mommy isn't a picky type.” My brother tried to smooth me with his words, but I wasn't having it.
“You don't even know what I got her.” I paused and looked into the gift bag again. “What if she doesn't like it? What if she thinks it's too much for her? I really want this to go well.” I anxiously said,
My brother glanced at the gift bag and then looked back at me. “Did you get her clothes?.” he inquired patiently.
“No.”
“Then is it anything that has to do with the kitchen? Any new plates?."
“Of course not; she already has too many of those things.”
“Then what are you beating yourself for? Even though you got her new clothes, she will still appreciate them.”
I know my brother was telling the truth; my mom will always appreciate whatever you give her, but I have learned over the years that mom never really tells you directly what she likes. If you observe closely, you will realize that she loves the smallest or little things. Mom will always choose a cup of coffee you made for her over the latest fashion bag you give her. It was something all of us failed to notice; she would prefer my dad to come help her in the kitchen rather than getting her the latest jewelry or shoes. So it was so hard for me to get her a gift; my two brothers knew how to spoil her with money and the latest trending items, be it clothes or shoes. So this year was kind of complicated because I was placed in a dilemma about what to give her.
My mom's birthday fell on the 25th of December, so there was a lot going on that certain day. We all came together as a family to celebrate both Christmas and our mom's birthday. 11 months ago, we almost lost my mom to cancer; how she narrowly escaped was beyond me, and since then, we have never taken her whole existence for granted. That was one of the most difficult times in our lives. I was so scared that I thought I was going to live my life without my mom. But she was strong, and thank goodness we found out that the cancer was still in its early stages, but if it had stayed much longer without treatment, she wouldn't have survived it.
This year we had a Christmas tree, which in a typical African home never happens. This was all thanks to my brother's idea. He had insisted we get a Christmas tree. We all came out of our room and sat around the Christmas tree. Mom and Dad sat down together whispering heaven knows what to each other. It was time to open gifts, so one by one we gave our parents our gifts first. My elder brother got Mom her set of perfumes, and the same with my dad. My other brother decided to give them the same gift as last year. For mom, he gave her the latest clothes and bags, and for dad, he got his two pairs of outing shoes, which looked expensive. I watched how my parents accepted their gifts with appreciation. My dad's smile was so evident that they did well which made me question the gifts I got for both my parents, especially the one I got for my mom.
“Esther, didn't you get Mommy a birthday gift this year?.” My mom teased me as everyone's eyes were on the small bag I was holding. I think my family noticed how nervous I was, but they all reassured me; even my dad was interested in what I got for both of them this year.
"Mommy, happy birthday! This really isn't much, but I just hope you like it.” I finally pulled out the two boxes that looked like an engagement ring case and handed them both to my mom and dad.
This wasn't my style because every year I got them Christmas sweaters, but the look of surprise on their faces was a bit encouraging. When Dad opened the box, I think I heard my breath when that happened.
I got my dad a customized wrist watch with a picture of him and Mom, and there it was—the biggest smile I have ever seen appeared on my dad's face. I have never seen him so mesmerized as he kept looking at the watch in amazement. At the back of the watch was written;
‘The best dad we could ever have, thank you for loving Mom at her lowest and making her feel beautiful once again. Love Esty.'
For Mom, I got her a customized pendant; it cost a fortune and all my savings had gone with it, but I would have done it over and over again. The front of the pendant had ‘the best mom’ written on it. Then, when she opened it, it had a picture of her and a little write-up by the side saying:
‘Our rarest gem, the best mom in the world, thanks for being strong and not letting go. You are indeed a brave mom, and we love you. Love Esty'
I guess my gift was the best because it got my mom emotional as she hugged so tight. She kept on thanking me so much and it brought tears to my eyes, knowing that she was moved by my little gift, which cost my savings, of course.
"Hmm, Esty, Esty, so you managed to make my wife cry over a gift, something that I have never done, hm?.” my dad playfully said as he hugged me. “You did a very good job, and thank you.” He praised me.
“You're welcome, daddy.” I responded.
I think I was in another dimension after that because my parents don't give out compliments unless you have done something worth it.
“So you managed to make my first wife cry, abi?" my eldest brother said. "You really outdone yourself this Christmas; well done."
"Thanks, big bro."
“If you had seen how she was shaking like a tilapia fish because of these gifts earlier, you would have laughed. I told you everything would be fine.” My other brother said:
“Yes! And I won the best gift for this year; pay up, people!.” I laughed. It was a normal tradition in the house to pay the person whose gifts affected our parents the most. And my brothers have always been ahead of me, but guess what? I won this Christmas. I got back my savings in no time, which I found funny. We exchanged gifts, ate, and had fun. I was just honestly happy that for once I got what my mom liked because, from that day on, that pendant never left her neck.