The Tooth Fairy Makes an Exception

Author © Scott D. Zachary

Remi, my five-year-old granddaughter, had always received a monkey of some sort from me for her birthday and for Christmas; however, the stringy little monkey that I’d gotten to hang on her backpack filled with Christmas surprises was not sufficiently distinguished. It just would not do for my favorite person on Earth. Impulse summoned me to the local Kroger Marketplace to see what else I could find in the monkey family.

Looking down the toy aisle, I spotted a gigantic cardboard box overflowing with huge stuffed animals.

       Surely they would have a monkey in there.

       I pushed the fluffy critters this way and that to peer down into this reservoir of childhood delight. There were eight-foot multi-colored caterpillars, furry lions, and even big cute snakes. It’s hard to imagine a snake being cute, but they had them.

No monkey, though. I hesitantly looked around and then began ejecting the stuffed animals into pillowy piles all around the big box. Leaning headlong into the cavernous cardboard container, I uncovered my last hope for a monkey—an adorable pastel pink and purple unicorn.

Two little girls about Remi’s age had begun inspecting the result of my rooting, and a lady who seemed to be their mother was ogling the big pink unicorn that I had just tossed out of the box. I had already decided to substitute the unicorn for a monkey. To outflank the lady from swooping up Remi’s unicorn, I asked the girls, “If you were my granddaughter, which one would you prefer, the colorful caterpillar or the pink unicorn?” The girls vociferously voted for the pink and purple unicorn. And so it was.

Mr. Wizzle graciously suggested the kooky idea of having the Tooth Fairy give Remi the beautiful unicorn for Christmas. The next day I wrote the following letter…

Dearest Remi,
     Tooth fairies don’t usually give Christmas presents except to the other fairies. In your case, I’m making an exception because you were extraordinarily good this year except, of course, when you painted on your bedroom wall. I made that mistake too when I was a little fairy, but just like you, I learned not to do that again.

     I heard that you like monkeys, but I think it’s time you graduated to unicorns. Hope you like it!

     Keep up the good work of becoming a wonderful little lady! With love and admiration for your exceptionally good behavior…and with Christmas cheer!

       The Tooth Fairy

PS: Keep working hard in school, too. You’ll be glad you did. And remember to pray—God loves to hear from you!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bobbie and I drove to her sister Mary’s house that next Saturday for our annual Christmas dinner and gift exchange. Jonathon and Remi showed up with Remi’s usual parade of wonderment accompanying her. We enjoyed a scrumptious Christmas dinner of tender pork chops, baked vegetables, Bobbie’s delicious coleslaw, and lots of baked cookies and other assorted treats. Afterward, we gathered around the Christmas tree in the living room.

Mary made it clear that gifts on the tree, such as the two envelopes there, always have to be opened last. Jonathon appointed Remi as Santa’s elf to distribute the presents and suggested that she hand them all out before we start opening them.

“I can’t read that good yet, Daddy,” she whispered.

“That’s okay.  I’ll help you, Babydoll.”

Guess who had a virtual mountain of presents piled in front of her? Yep, Remi! We all watched as Remi tore into her gifts. Each one seemed to be the one she had always wanted. There were clothes, a sewing machine and accessories, ragdolls, books (all about Frozen, of course), and even a Frozen sleeping bag. She loved them all.

We adults took our turn, and of course, Remi had to help each one of us in some form or fashion. Mary received some books on the World Wars and some dry wine. Jonathon received a range gun-cleaning case, gift cards, and cash. Bobbie got perfume samples, lip gloss, a year’s supply of body lotion, and some sweet wine. Bobbie gifted me a set of traction grabbers to have handy on snowy winter drives, and Mary had donated in our honor to the Guide Dogs Association. Jonathon gave me another backpack water pouch, knowing that I would again give it away to some pastor in Nicaragua who often hikes between villages.

All of the presents opened, Remi was trying to figure out which one she would play with first. She settled on playing in a large gift bag while Mary’s cat, Zippy, played in one of the empty boxes. Sarah, a friend of ours, came to visit and sat down in the middle of the carpet with Remi, prompting Remi to show off her multitude of presents.

“Remi, why don’t you get your letter off of the Christmas tree?” I asked.

“Okay, Papaw.”

Remi fetched the letter and handed it to Sarah who opened it and began reading to her. When Sarah read the Tooth Fairy’s admonition about Remi painting on her bedroom wall, Remi ran to her daddy as though she might be scolded again. Sarah allayed her fears and finished reading the letter.

       Mary pointed toward the front porch and exclaimed, “What was that?!”

Everyone gazed toward the windows that overlooked the porch.

“I don’t know, Mary,” Bobbie submitted. “I saw some kind of fluttering.”

“I’ll go see!” volunteered Remi. I helped Remi clear the snowmen draft blocker from the bottom of the front door. Remi stepped out onto the large porch and stood there staring at a pink blanket. “There’s something big under it.”

“Look and see,” I suggested.

Ultra-cautiously, she slowly peeled back the pink blanket.

“Uh…Uh…Uh, it’s a unicorn!!!” With each breathtaking “Uh,” she had taken a step back and the crescendo of exclamations finalized in monolithic wonderment. Remi totteringly barreled through the front door lugging the unicorn, twice her size, and I instantly burst into tear-jerking laughter.

“I’ve never seen you laugh so hard that you cried,” Mary commented.

Wiping away my tears, “Her look of total amazement was priceless!”

And I was looking for a monkey.

I’ve always imagined myself as a torchbearer for Remi’s bedazzlement. It is my primary responsibility as her Papaw. Her dad and I floating out of the sky hanging from parachutes certainly bedazzled Remi, but not nearly as much as receiving that big pink unicorn from the Tooth Fairy on Christmas Day. It’s going to be difficult to top that one…very difficult.