The twenty first of December.

It is the twenty first of December. If this was seven, eight years ago, I would be at the stage where I was waking up every morning bright and early so I could open up the next day on my advent calendar and get the day’s little chocolate piece... actually, by now the box would have broken and all the chocolate would have gotten down to the bottom so mum would have opened it up and put all the chocolate pieces in a Tupperware container and I would wake up and eat a piece from the container. I would know exactly how many days until Christmas because of how many pieces of chocolate were left. December was the only month of the year that I always knew what the date was, except for after Christmas when I had nothing to look forward to.

Now, it is the twenty first of December and I only know this because it is the day after my Dad’s birthday. The only chocolate in the house isn’t advent calendar chocolate; it is just this cheap stuff from like, those discount bins at Coles. I actually think there is some good chocolate in the fridge, like Cadbury or something, but I am pretty sure I recall mum saying that I can’t eat it because it’s dad’s or something, I don’t remember exactly but I am just going to steer clear of it. When I was a kid I always looked forward to Christmas because I knew what I was getting. I remember the Christmas when I knew that I was getting Pokémon Silver Version; I woke up at like five in the morning or something and started playing it straight away. Mum said that I could get up and play it, but only if I was quiet. I was as quiet as possible, but I had to wake up mum again when I asked her if it was daylight savings time or not because my mum in Pokémon needed to know so the time in my PokéGear was accurate.

Now I don’t think I am getting anything from my parents for Christmas. They said that my Big Day Out ticket was my Christmas present, which I am more than fine with, it’s just sad that I have nothing to look forward to when I get up on Christmas morning... or hopefully afternoon. I am looking forward to going to my aunties though, I mean I love seeing my cousins and aunties and uncles and all that but I just like sleeping in. As a kid I always used to go to bed ridiculously early on Christmas Eve because the earlier I went to bed, the earlier I would wake up and the earlier I could get up and start to play with my presents. Also, Santa wouldn’t come if I was awake and I didn’t know what time he was going to come, so I would make sure that I was in bed from like six at night through to six in the morning.

Now it is four fifteen in the morning, I am sitting here in my underpants and a T-Shirt finishing a bottle of water because I am just really thirsty and I am technically nocturnal. Recently I woke up to Mum walking into my room asking if I was okay. I replied with ‘yeah, why?’ and she said that it was like four in the afternoon and I was still asleep and she thought I was like, dead or something. She wouldn’t have used those words but they are the words that I used just then so they are the ones that stick. If I keep up this sleeping pattern until Christmas, which I am sure that I will because I doubt I can change my sleeping pattern within the next few days, I will probably be up and awake by the time that Santa comes. It might be a bit of an awkward visit, partially because I don’t believe that he exists but I’m sure that if he is like, you know... existing, and in front of me, I would believe in him again.

I don’t have a job or any kind of income. Dad is really pressuring me to get a job, but I have said more times than I could count on the hands of every kid in the world who celebrates Christmas and probably a few that don’t that I am going to wait until after New Years before I start looking for a job. I am just so excited for Christmas because, well, I don’t have a job or any money or any income, but on Christmas day I will be seeing all my uncles, aunties and all those other people that give me presents that I don’t know how I am related to but I just am in some way. The money I get should tie me over at least until I get a job, so I am just so excited... and I know the first thing I’m going to buy... some bloody advent calendars so I can eat some amazing tasting Christmas tree shaped chocolate.