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CHAPTER ELEVEN :
CHRISTMAS CHAOS.

MINSEO 'S POINT OF VIEW.

"what do we exactly need?" i wondered aloud, pushing the cart that had somehow filled up with an absurd amount of christmas decorations.

my grandmother walked ahead, small but mighty, her old bag hanging from her arm with the air of someone who owned the entire store. with every step, she gasped at the sight of another glittering ornament or flashy string of lights, as if the mall itself was her personal treasure trove.

she had woken me up so abruptly, like the world was ending, and dragged me out of bed without a single explanation. all i knew was that i had to change and follow her—wherever "here" was.

and now, i was stuck in the middle of a holiday shopping frenzy, trying to keep up with her energetic pace. even at her age, she didn't show any signs of slowing down.

the mall we entered was a spectacle in itself, dripping with christmas lights from every corner. the whole place sparkled, glistening with reds, greens, and golds, while people bustled around us, pushing overflowing carts and trying to grab the last of the glittering decorations. the snow continued to fall heavily outside, the cold air seeping in through the doors every time they opened.

"we need everything, child," my grandmother replied without even turning around, her voice high-pitched with excitement as she grabbed a silver wreath and held it up for me to see. "this year, we'll have the best decorations in the whole neighborhood. mark my words!"

i shook my head, trying to suppress a smile while i continued pushing the cart. "this isn't even what i imagined christmas shopping would be," i muttered to myself, barely keeping up with her.

"stop complaining and pick up those lights," she snapped, already adding more garlands to the cart. "we're not done yet!"

i sighed but followed her lead, knowing all too well that once my grandmother had a mission, there was no stopping her.

i followed my grandmother through the aisles, still pushing the cart when she went on a spree, picking up anything that shimmered or had a faint trace of glitter.

"you know," she began, holding up a string of twinkling red and green lights, "back in my day, we didn't have all this fancy stuff. we had to make our own decorations,"

"oh? really?" i said, raising an eyebrow while she carefully examined a gold star for the tree. "what did you make them out of? pine cones and a prayer?"

"oh, don't be ridiculous," she said, waving me off, "we had to use what we had. my mother once had us hang real apples on the tree. yes, real apples. they lasted for weeks before they turned mushy and smelled horrible. but we were proud of it!" she grinned at the memory, clearly lost in the past.

"real apples?" i gasped, looking at the overly shiny plastic apple ornaments hanging from the shelves nearby. "wow, what a luxury." i couldn't help but tease.

she paused and squinted at me, offended, before crossing her arms over her chest. "i'll have you know that back then, those apples were the height of elegance. we were practically the rockefeller family of christmas decor. you kids today wouldn't know anything about it," she sarcastically stated.

"ah, yes, the rockefeller apples," i muttered, picking up a glittering garland and pretending to admire it. "i'm sure they really added that rich aroma to the room,"

"watch it, missy," she said, her eyes narrowing playfully when she grabbed a few red ribbons off a nearby display and threw them in the cart. "you might not think you need that old-fashioned touch, but we wouldn't have christmas without it!" she continued to grumble good-naturedly.