Do not open before Christmas - request by Im.V (F/ff)

[johopp]

"Kids, we still have to buy Christmas cards for the relatives!" shouted Ms. ImV. But her two daughters, Amy and Sarah, did not take their eyes off the television. "Mommy must use her head to save her daughters feet!" said Sarah in a spiteful tone, without taking her eyes off the screen for even a second. Her favorite series was on today in a double episode.

Mrs. ImV. blushed. "Yes, Kids, you're right: I forgot the cards, I'm sorry - but with all the shopping like presents and Christmas tree and Christmas roast and so on, I didn't even think about the cards! Please be so kind and run to the post office quickly. It only takes a quarter of an hour!" But Amy just said: "After the show!"

The mother knew full well that when the show was over, the post office would already be closed. And if she only wrote and posted the cards tomorrow, they wouldn't arrive in time.

"If you're not good, Santa won't bring you any presents!" Mrs. ImV tried to convince her daughters. But this time Sarah answered - her eyes also fixed on the screen - "Amy, Mommy still believes in Santa!" Her daughters' malicious laughter echoed at Mrs. ImV. That was too much for their mother. She retreated silently to her bedroom.

When the show was over, Amy and Sarah called for their mother. But they got no answer! When they looked, they found their mother sitting on the bed in the bedroom. She was crying.

"How would you feel if you didn't find any presents under the tree this year - whether from Santa or not?" she asked with moist eyes. "Uh - terrible! Why?", Sarah answered timidly. "Terrible, exactly! And that's exactly how grandma and grandpa and aunt and uncle will feel now. Because for older people in particular, it is often more important to know that the family loves them and is thinking of them than expensive gifts. You will understand that when you are older! But then you can apologize at your grandparents' graves - because they won't be able to experience so many Christmases at their age!" This speech from the mother was followed by another flood of tears.

Amy and Sarah also had tears in their eyes. How selfish they could be! "We'll go to the post office straight after school tomorrow and get the cards, I promise!" But the mother replied: "Too late, my dear! The cards have to be at the post office by noon tomorrow so that they can be delivered on time. But you have a Christmas party at school tomorrow, so you'll be late. By the way, I had to stand in the kitchen for hours baking cookies for YOUR Christmas party - and you can't even sacrifice half an hour for your relatives to go to the post office! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Go to your room!"

The girls felt terrible. Should they skip the Christmas party and go to the post office instead? But they had been so excited about the party. In her room, Amy said: "I'll look on the Internet. Maybe there's an express delivery service for Christmas mail or something!"

But in her haste, Amy had activated the image search. She came across a motif that immediately appealed to her and Sarah. Amy got her digital camera and ran to her mother in the living room. Sarah came a short time later with the Christmas decoration box and a roll of tape.

Mrs. ImV. said: "Do you want to make me a present now? But that's not enough to make up for it, because your relatives won't get any of it!" But Sarah shook her head and threw a string of lights to her mother. Then she put two chairs with their backs together. They both sat down and Amy said to her mother: "Tie us together with the string of lights - upper bodies and legs! But really tightly!"

The mother followed the request somewhat hesitantly. "Is that OK?" she asked. Amy tested the restraints briefly and then said: "Perfect! We can't get out of there without help! Now put the chalkboard in front of the chairs, activate the self-timer and quickly stand behind us!" "But first you have to stick a strip of tape over each of our mouths!" shouted Sarah.

Mrs. ImV. followed her daughters' request and taped their mouths shut with red tape, without really knowing what they were trying to achieve with this. She made it behind the chairs to which her daughters were tied just in time before the self-timer flashed. As she moved away from her daughters a little, she saw what Sarah had written on the board: "Do not open before Christmas!"

Laughing, the mother said: "The photos turned out really nice. Now I can print them out, write on the backs and take them to the post office in time. Great idea!" As she walked into her study, Amy and Sarah screamed into their duct tape gags. The mother grinned: "Should I untie you? You wrote it on the board yourself: Do not open before Christmas! I'm going to finish the cards now!"

With that, she left the stunned, tied-up girls behind. Was her mother just joking - or was she really going to keep them tied up until Christmas?

[Im.V]

This was a pretty good story