NEXT CHRISTMAS I WILL BE HAPPY

Martin has always been a hard worker, an honest man who never lies or cheats.

He has been an epitome of many good things right from punctuality to honesty and trust in an office that has been occupied by many corrupt beings. It was a Corporate Bank Office; he used to be nearly the first who used to reach the office on or before 9 AM.

On his desk, there was a computer and nothing but a piggy bank box in which he used to drop whatever he had saved the previous day and a calendar kept on his desk for which he promptly changed the date as and when he came in. These were his most primary duties before even switching on to his computer.

Christmas was nearing, he decided to make celebrations at his home which was filled by none other than his wife who was as normal as any other housewife except that she was very calm and always had a peaceful look on her face that exuberated endurance.

A week before the Christmas, on 18^th December, he broke his piggy bank, counted how much he had. And it came to be 902 dollars. He saw the price of washing machine he thought of buying it was 1400 dollars.  He shut down the system and went home disappointed, the fall was over, there were leaves all around, and the slight snowfall began to cover the leaves. This time it was long autumn that stretched till the mid of December.

“Sorry Darling, I did not get it,” he told his wife Rosy while lying disgustedly on the sofa.

“I knew you would not make it, how can you even think with your salary,” his wife said angrily as if she was expecting that this would happen

“How can you even have a faint dream, with mortgage, credit card bills, and yet my desire to have a beautiful home that is full of everything, we have a washing machine but it’s screwed up and I demanded a new one, now sit and enjoy while I throw clothes in the common cleaning room for our colony It’s an additional 25$ per month so darling sit and relax, bye”

“There are better ones I saw Rosy for a lesser price”

“Low in cost is low in quality. Get me the one I asked or get me nothing, I am happy yet” she yelled at him and left the home with a bunch of clothes in her arms.

“Yeah, I got it now, I gave 1000 $ to my credit card bill which I paid for to get her a diamond ring for her anniversary which she lost” Anyways, there is Christmas next year too. Let’s see and this time for sure I must get an LCD, a washing machine all for 3000$. Lord, help me get this”

It’s the fall again, he is waiting for the Thanks Giving this time and not the Christmas week, the sales are big, he got to store precisely at 7 AM and by that time, there was a huge queue which was very surprising and it was mostly of Indians and Chinese, he stood there with 2000$ cash in his pocket and 500$ in his shirt pocket and at 9 sharp, the store opened, everybody rushed in hurry, but it was nearly 10 before he could lay his hands on anything, he took all he needed, an LCD, a washing machine and at the counter he found the cash missing, all were given for 1500$ only, he did not bother, he went back to office, broke his piggy bank, that had nearly 800$, and got 500$ cash so he thought that would be good, he came back hurriedly and STOCKS ARE OVER was put on the store, he rushed to another and then another, if, in one store, the stocks were over, in the other, he said, all combined will be 2500$. Disappointed, he came home empty-handed, after a tiny confrontation with his wife ROSY, he reached to office as normal as ever. But there was evident dullness in his face, his posture, his gait, after a year’s wait, this was to be his fate. Days passed, Christmas came and went too, it was the same Christmas devoid of any new joys but just dragging the old ones.

One day, his friend came up to him and said, HAPPY NEW YEAR MARTIN, here is what I got, saying this he gave a new PIGGY bank. Martin kept it on the table, but looked at it for few moments furiously and then dropped a quarter-cent coin in that and was again back to his normal self with the same amount of energy he had previously and said yet again, NEXT CHRISTMAS I WILL BE HAPPY.