PART 2

As tradition demands, we had to begrudgingly wait for our parents to get up. When they gave us the green light, my brother and I launched ourselves in the illuminated living room. Neither of us (especially not me) still believe in Father Christmas, but we still couldn’t hold back some Ah!s of wonder when we saw the pile of gifts under the tree.

The opening ceremony began. I comfortably sat cross-legged, discovering, like every year, some good surprises (like a beautiful pair of earrings in the shape of a crescent moon) and some not-so-good surprises (like a French dictionary). Around me, my brother and parents were exchanging exclamations and hugs. As for me, I stayed concentrated. I quickly reached the last of my gifts, the biggest one.

The package was rectangular. I shook it, just to see, and instantly knew what was inside. I feverishly tore off the green and red paper: awesome! It was a superb magic box, a nice shiny black one with gold stars! On one of the lid’s corners, six cards placed in a fan immediately attracted the eye. There was:

– a jack of spades

– a queen of hearts

– a king of clubs

– a jack of diamonds

– a queen of clubs

...and a last card that clashed with the others.

This card was completely white, as if a magic wand had made the colours and the character disappear. I thought about it for a bit, and found it a bit strange.

Don’t you?

Then I turned my attention to the inscription that crossed the cover in letters that looked like fire. It read:

BECOME A TRUE MAGICIAN QUEEN

Another surprising thing: why a magician queen? Were the suggested tricks forbidden to boys, with accessories like pink scarves, scrunchies, and makeup? I lifted the cover and had a look. There was nothing in there that looked, if only a little, like the contents of a Miss World contestant’s handbag. Quite the opposite, everything looked ancient and rustic, as if they had belonged to the wizard with the long beard in The Lord of the Rings. Even the smell that came off it confirmed this impression: it smelled of leather and old wood.

I stood up and went to thank everyone, even my dearest little brother, because I was in a good mood. I gathered all my gifts, then hurried to slip away from everyone, in order to be the first to use the bathroom.

After having cleaned up, I made a point of wearing two things that fell into the happy surprises category of Christmas, that is a pair of red and green socks with funny little elf bonnets, and a beautiful t-shirt that showed Rihanna wearing a sequined hat. I took the time to look at myself in the mirror (with my long curly hair and freckles, I was rather proud of how I looked), to make two or three inappropriate expressions for my age at myself, and ran into my room, where I had dropped off most of my gifts on the way.

It was the magic box, especially, that I couldn’t wait to discover. I put it on my bed, sat beside it, and took out all the accessories one by one. Their appearance really gave me a weird impression: they looked so authentic. Until then, the kits I had received always held cheap gizmos aimed at kids that never lasted long. But this box was something else entirely…

I picked it up again, intrigued, and examined it from every angle. It wasn’t made of pasteboard like the others were, rather it was made of a light and sturdy metal. The black was shiny because someone had carefully applied a coat of varnished paint. The inscription BECOME A TRUE MAGICIAN QUEEN had not simply been printed, it had been carved into the box. Where had my parents possibly found such a gift?

(Go to PART 3)