Gift From No One

A Christmas night. A barren-looking twenty-story office building. White lights hanging from the shrubs, trees, and wall making it look like a white palace.

At the Christmas party, the tables are settled in the middle of the room. Countless FBI Staff mingle, eat and drink. They hug and delightedly hand each other as the music from the boom box echoes.

Special Agent Peter, an African-American, seamlessly dressed leaves the crowd.

His exit is detected by Agent Oliver, Santa Cap askew, and Agent John's muscular build under a discount-dressed shirt – seemingly has no hint on how to iron.

"Hey, Peter, hang around a bit," said Oliver.

"What's the hurry? It's still early" said John.

Without breaking step, Peter shoots his hand in the air, waves goodbye, and walks to his office.

He flicks on the light switch as he enters. As Peter grabs his overcoat from the nail, he sees a Christmas gift box.

He walks to the desk, picks up the gift, reads the label:

"FROM YOUR SECRET SANTA

MERRY CHRISTMAS"

"Hmm" hummed Peter

Peter unpacks the box - opens it. He pulls out a Virtual Reality (VR) Headset and a pair of VR Gloves.

"Really?" asked Peter to himself.

Peter pops his head out the office door, examines the main office floor, and finds Nguyen, thick glasses, rail-thin, cheap ill-fitting clothes watching the party participants from a very harmless distance.

"Nyu" yelled Peter, but no response.

"Hey Nyugen" yelled Peter again, but this time there was a response from Nyugen

Nyugen looked towards Peter.

Peter waves his hand in a "Come here" motion. Nyugen gives Peter an uneasy look and approaches Peter.

"Not enjoying the party?" asked Peter to Nyugen.

Nyugen looks back over his shoulder at the crowd.

"They really don't want me there" whispered Nyugen.

"Are you sure?" asked Peter.

"Yes I'm sure, they don't" said Nyugen.

Nyugen pressed his glasses up adjacent to his nose.

"Ok, tell me what you want"

Peter waves Nyugen into his office and points him to the VR kit on his table.

"You're a techie right, what can you tell me about this" asked Peter.

Nyugen stares at the VR kit as if it was pure gold.

"Wow, where'd you get this?" asked Nyugen surprisingly.

"Hmm, from my Secret Santa" said Peter.

"This stuff isn't cheap. This equals four kilograms of gold" whispered Nyugen.

A shoulder wave from Peter. Nyugen holds up the headset.

"The top-rated Virtual Reality headset on the market. Fully immersive optics, integrated Dre-beats headphones, motion capture, and more."

" Ok Nyu got it- it's high tech."

Nyugen keeps the VR down and picks up the gloves.

"And you attire these on your hands. They're Bluetooth-linked to the headset. Want to see how it works?"

Peter checks his brown-colored titan watch.

"Okay, but it's gotta be quick." Hurriedly said, Peter.

"You download VR Apps to your phone. See, I've downloaded numerous. My favorite is Space."

Nyugen clicks an icon on his phone.

After an instant, Nyugen opens a flap on the top of the VR headset, inserts his phone, and powers the headset on.

"Okay, Peter put the VR gear on."

Peter slips up the VR gloves on his hand. He fumbles a bit as he slips on the headset and secures the straps.

Against a pitch-black screen, a virtual Solar System and brightly colored planets spin on their axis.

"Whoa!" said Peter to himself.

"Now turn your head around." Said Nyugen

The screen slowly turns revealing the flaming Sun.

"That's amazing" said Peter.

"Okay, the headset has a rooted Mic. Say where you want to go. Like a planet you want to visit just say go to Mars." Instructed Nyugen.

"Go to Mars" yelled Peter.

An instant passes before Peter virtually flies towards Mars, its red hue becoming brighter as he nears.

Nyugen watches as Peter trembles a bit, not sure of his physical attitude.

"It takes a while to get used to. Try the gloves now Peter."

"What do you mean Nyugen?"

"I asked you to play with the planets. Move them around.

Peter's green virtual hand grabs Mars and tosses it towards the Sun. It blasts upon power.

Peter gets rid of the headset and gloves.

"Where do you get the games?" Peter asked Nyugen.

"Right off the App Store. Some are free. The worthy ones you have to pay for." Said Nyugen.

Eddy picks up the gift box and gives a glance inside.

"Oh, cool."

Nyugen pulls a coupon from the box

"It looks like you also get a free download of Dark World."

"Dark World?" asked Peter puzzled.

"One of the best VR Apps ever in this world. Give me your phone Peter."

Peter takes his smartphone from his pocket and hands it over to Peter.

Fluctuating his focus between the piece of paper and the phone, Eddy taps the phone with the speed of light.

After a few instants, he hands the phone back to Peter.

"There you go I downloaded it. When you're ready, just tap the icon." Said Nyugen gladly.

"Thanks, buddy." Said Peter thankfully.

Peter starts to pack the VR kit back in the box.

"It's pretty user-friendly."

"Uh-huh." Said, Peter.

"You can give me a call if you have any questions." Said Nyugen gladly.

Eddy jots down his number on a fine piece of paper.

"I'll be fine Nyu. No need to –"

Eddy drops the piece of paper in the Gift Box.

"Okay, sure." Said Peter hesitantly.

Peter approaches a bank of elevators. He spots Albus, tall, slicked-back hair, wears a guardian uniform, emptying a litter can in the corner.

"Albus. There you are." Said Peter leaving air from his nose.

Albus looks over as Peter reaches inside his suit pocket.

"Yes sir, what do you want." Asked Albus humbly.

Peter removes a Christmas Card from his mini-sized pocket. Peter hands over the Christmas Card to Albus, and says,

"Just a little thank you for taking care of my office."

Albus refuses the card, and says,

"That's not essential I get paid for it."

"It's for Christmas Albus please, I insist."

Albus delays before finally accepting the card.

"Then Okay Albus."

Peter taps the elevator button. The door opens. Peter, enters in gives Albus a friendly nod as the door closes.

Albus opens the card, removes a stack of scratch-off lottery tickets. He drops the tickets and the card in the trash can.

A rich neighborhood surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountain

Range. Slender sidewalks with lantern-like street lights. No tract homes here - all custom made, all ornamented with luxurious and classy Christmas decorations.

A two-story structure, brown stucco, and red bricks exterior with extremely high arched windows.

A black, government-issued sedan pulls in behind a red Mercedes-Benz parked in a spherical red-bricked driveway.

Peter, leather haversack in hand, walks out the black sedan. Richly ornamented. At one end of a blood-red wood formal dining table Sophia, petite, with a short-cropped hair-style taps the keys of a laptop computer.

She hears the clanking of keys as the front door opens.

"I'm home." Said Peter in a sweet voice.

"I'm in here." Said Sophia without moving her concentration to the laptop computer.

Peter enters. He moves towards Sophia and rubs her shoulders.

"Still working?" asked Peter.

"We've got to respond to a Writ. I just need a few more minutes."

Peter gives Sophia a kiss on the scruff of her neck, then heads off into the kitchen. A large room with stainless steel appliances, marble counters and crimson-colored wood cupboards.

Peter goes to the refrigerator, looks at a photograph of him

with Kendra taken at her high school graduation.

"Where's Kendra?" asked Peter.

"She went to celebrate." Said Sophia.

Peter opens the refrigerator's door and removes a beer and says,

"To Celebrate?"

A student apartment finally unbolted up. She and Vestro are moving in as soon as it's gutted up.

Peter frowns as he eradicates the beer cap. He renters the dining room and takes a sip of beer.

"I thought we settled on her staying at home a while longer. You know, so we could have an eye on her.

Sophia is still focused on a laptop.

"I think she settled on moving out so we couldn't."

"She's still a kid, don't you think it would be better –"

"Sweetie, I really have to get this done. We'll talk later I assure you." sighed Sophia.

Peter, attired only in boxers, faces the mirror energetically brushing his teeth.

In the mirror's reflection, we see four circular, purple-ish scars on Peter's muscular upper chest. It's none other than a bullet's injuries.

He spits and rinses, checks the food processor It's perfect. Peter opens the medicine cabinet, retrieves a medicine bottle: "ZOLOST." He gets rid of the cap, taps out one pill and lobs it in the toilet, and flushes it.

He places the bottle back in the cupboard then exits into Sophia's Bedroom and gives Sophia, dressed in a rayon nightgown, a gentle tap on her back as she looks at a dressing mirror, applying lotion to her face.

Peter grabs the TV remote and points it at a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall as he glides into the couch.

"Did you take your medicines?" asked Sophia like an inspector.

"Hmm, I did indeed." sighed Peter.

When Sophia turns around, she spots the VR gift box on top of Peter's dressing table.

"What's that?" asked Sophia surprisingly.

"Something from Secret Santa, you know, at the office party," said Peter

"And?"

"It's a virtual reality headset and gloves, that kind of a techie stuff."

Sophia slips into bed.

"Who in the world would they think you'd be interested in that?" joked Sophia.

"I don't know. But I do feel guilty because all I gave was a bottle of wine."

Sophia leans over and turns off the light. Now the room is only lit from the enlightenment from the television.

"They said to keep it non-expensive, didn't they?" asked Sophia.

"Yeah. I guess everyone didn't listen to that."

Sophia cuddles up against Peter. Peter mutes the television.

"You really think that Kendra is ready to be on her own?"

"On her own?" asked Sophia with a little laugh.

"I would barely call it that," said Peter

"We're paying the rent, the tuition, the—" said Sophia without stopping.

"That's not what I meant," said Peter.

A moment passes. Sophia gently cuddles Peter's chest.

"I know what you meant."

Sophia rolls over, fluffs her pillow, and settles in.

"I don't think wanting her to stay home a little longer is so wrong," said Peter.

"No, wanting her to stay isn't. But making her stay would be" said Sophia.

Sophia reaches back and grabs Peter's hand.

"Hug me to sleep," said Sophia.

Peter points the remote at the television and clicks it. The room goes dark. He rolls over and spoons Sophia.

"I said hug me to sleep." said Sophia chucklingly.

Peter, in sweats, sits at the dining table having a cup of coffee in his hand. Kendra sits adjacent to him, eating cereal.

"It's right by the campus. I'll be fine. I assure you." said Kendra.

"It's not just that. I just want to spend as much time with you as possible. You know, before you're totally grown up." said Peter.

"Really? You're playing that card?"

Sophia enters.

"What am I missing?" asked Sophia.

"Dad said he liked to spend more time with me."

"Perfect then."

"Then why don't you come shopping with us today?"

A giggle from Kendra.

"Shopping...?" asked Peter surprisingly.

"You know I would, but I really need to clean the garage." said Peter.

"Uh-huh, are you ready," asked Sophia to Kendra.

Kendra and Sophia had gone shopping you probably don't know it might also be window shopping.

Partially converted to the man cave for both mental and physical needs. In one corner, a boxer's heavy bag, several free weights, and other exercise devices are on the floor underneath it.

In the other corner, a roll-top desk. On top of it, a computer and a framed picture of a younger Peter in his marine formals.

A smaller photograph of him and his deployed buddies pushed to the corner of the frame.

A bookcase stands next to the desk. Its shelves are mostly jam-packed with a mixture of high-brow material: classic American novels, Shakespeare, The Art of War, and others.

But one shelf is dedicated to self-help, Psychology books: The Healing of Trauma, The Five Personality Patterns, A Survivor's Guide to Trauma, Reclaiming Your Life, and others.

Peter, still dressed in sweats, fastidiously pushes a broom across the concrete floor.

His phone rings the notification sound. He looks at it, it's a TEXT MESSAGE FROM SOPHIA: "Still shopping. XMAS Eve Crowds - Going to be a couple of hours."

TEXT RESPONSE FROM PETER: "Take your time - Love U."