It was a beautiful, warm spring day. I was an energy packed eight year old excited for another day in Mrs. Rathermel’s third grade class. This particular spring day would be the day the magic was put to an end.
Christmas had come and gone and Easter was fast approaching. There was only a few weeks until the highly anticipated holiday. This was my favorite holiday of all time, mostly because I had an obsession with rabbits, as every eight year old does. The Easter Bunny meant everything to me.
The day was Friday, a Bingo Friday to be exact. Intense rounds of bingo were played every Friday. It was the highlight of a third grader’s week. This week we would be playing holiday bingo, I still remember my bingo card very clearly. I was sitting next to Ben Ahlers, the very loud, and outspoken student of the class. Ben and I were chatting about the upcoming holiday, as well as the ones that had past. We were speaking of the gifts that had been brought to us that Christmas. I recall telling him that Santa had brought me multiple thing. He replied, “Santa? There is no such a thing.” I sat there in silence, my mind was spinning quickly trying to think of examples that would prove to Ben that Santa was real. My mind fell short, I was unable to think of examples that would prove he was real. Again, I sat in silence, so upset to respond to him or even to continue playing bingo.
The school day ended and I was eager to get home and get some answers. My dad picked me up from school that spring day, and I knew he was not the one to question. I anxiously awaited the arrival of my mother home from work. Upon her arrival I told her that we needed to chat and have some questions answered, she responded “Not now, after dinner.”
It was after dinner and the questioning was fair game. My mom suggested we take a walk while we had a discussion to enjoy the spring weather. We walked in silence for awhile until finally, I spilled. I told her the story of what Ben had said to me, and begged her to tell me it was not real. Unfortunately she could not confirm my belief. She explained to me that it was in fact herself and my father who would place the gifts under the tree and eat the cookies I had baked for the jolly ole soul.
My mind continued to spin a million miles an hour. This magical belief was put to an end, but was there still hope for the others? Surely my parents couldn’t be Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I began asking more questions, I remember trying to phrase the questions in a way that the answers would still confirm my belief. With no luck in doing this, my mother explained to me that none of these things I had loved so dearly were true.
Our walk came to a silent end and I went to my bedroom to reflect on all the answers I had been given. After a few short minutes,I finally concluded that I was not upset that I had been lied to, but that Ben Ahlers took it upon himself to spill the truth.
Easter was just not the same that year, all because of the day that Ben Ahlers ruined the magic.