A South Horizon Christmas Story

Now we know why Santa shops here……

Bumps to Babes’ Christmas catchphrase is “Where Santa shops.” Rockstar knows most Santas aren’t real but I got to tell him the Christmas spirit and well, good hearted people certainly are. There was even a lesson for Rockstar in there……….

So Rockstar decided some time ago he would like a “Big Boy Bike” for his birthday/ Christmas (we’re never sure which, because the two dates are so close, so we just get….. Stuff. So far Rockstar has not kept track of whether he gets two separate gifts or a sufficiently “large” one for both occasions, or………. I mention, because this is who Rockstar is – huge fusspot who takes even little things seriously, yet has never been “calculative” about material stuff – gifts) and out of convenience I’d shown him the Bumps to Babes catalogue, he’d actually liked one of the bikes there and I’d happily trotted down with the Miss to ask them to hold it til I could get him down to try it out.

After a whole week, I finally get him down, whereupon we realize the bike is too big. Unfortunately it says right on the sign something like “6 years and above.” And of course Rockstar is IT’S MY 6TH BIRTHDAY! ME. 6!! HOW CAN IT BE TOO BIG FOR MEEE???

He falls over heavily, hitting the ground with a smack. Gets back on. Falls again. Gets back on. I lose count of the number of times he’s fallen, and then a familiar dull ache tells me I’ve hurt my back trying to break his falls and keep him from gouging his eye out on the lower toy racks nearby.

He’s still trying, when the store manager walks by. The friendly smile of recognition (I’d booked the bike through him) turns to sympathy when he eyes still trying and falling Rockstar. As he comes up to us, I whisper “this was why I had to bring him back to try it out first.”

At which point I should mention it’s past 6pm. They’re officially closed. This store is not in Central, it’s at South Horizon Plaza, the furniture and branded goods warehouse in Ap Lei Chau – almost everything here closes by 6. Add to that tonight it’s freezing out, and raining. The store has emptied of any remaining late customers.

“Well, we’ve got training wheels…”

“We really want him to learn to ride a two-wheeler; from experience once we give him training wheels they never come off.” (That was what happened with the previous two bikes – I figure my only chance at keeping him at this when he is already a relatively mean roller-blader and two-wheel scooter-er is to get him started on a new big boy bike without the training wheels right from the start.)

“Let me see if I can get the seat a little lower for you.”

That seat really doesn’t look like it can go any lower. But the manager insists on at least trying to see if it goes lower, and disappears into the store room for his tools. I start paying for all the other baby supplies I’ve bought, and then Rockstar falls smack – yes again – but this time when he picks himself up (I try my darnedest not to pick him up when he falls) and in a shaky voice admits the bike is too big for him. I go looking for the store manager, because even if he manages to lower the seat I’m not sure Rockstar’s going to go for it. Plus, THEY’RE CLOSED.

“Listen,”  I say to a pair of light-colored eyes filled with a very kindly expression, peering down at me through the doorway of the supply room. “We got here late, you’re actually closed. I feel bad – what if he doesn’t go for it even after you’ve adjusted that seat? By now he’s fallen many times and is getting more and more upset. He might not want to try again. We could come back when your store is actually open and you have more time.”

“I was just (going back in) for the right (whatever tool that was), this one doesn’t fit. I’ll still adjust it as long as he’s willing to have another go.” We both look at a very crestfallen Rockstar holding back tears who seriously considers, then slowly nods.

The seat can be lowered an inch more, with much elbow grease. Rockstar can now just barely balance on tiptoes. A little glimmer of hope appears across his face – before he falls over again, only to be caught with one arm by the store manager before he hits the floor.

“I think I can take that reflector light off too.” I watch, aghast, as the kindly old manager wrestles the bike seat back up, pulling and pulling, by now sweating and sniffing uncomfortably in the stuffy, closed store, until the seat has made its all the way up and out of the bike chassis. He pulls out the rear reflector, indicating that its holder is worth almost another whole precious inch in height.

That is how far up he had to pull the seat bar – the length of that vertical bar in the picture, a good 6-8 inches, maybe more. Did I mention the store was already officially closed BEFORE he started on that?

My two big bags of baby supplies have been rung up, so I move back to the cashier to pay, as the manager goes back to wrestling that bike seat all the way back down again, sans reflector. As I’m gathering up the big bags and returning to the back of the store where Rockstar, manager and bike were, they come up to meet me.

“Show your mummy.”

Trying valiantly to hide an increasingly delighted smile, Rockstar gets on. This time he doesn’t fall, the seat is just low enough for him to balance. In the end he fails miserably – that delighted smile lights up his entire face.

Slightly bashful Rockstar trying to hide his delight by sticking his tongue out for the pic

And then I tell Rockstar: The next time you don’t feel like trying your best at something, remember how you felt when a total stranger tried his best for you. 

For good measure, I took this picture TO REMIND ROCKSTAR THE STORE WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED TO BEGIN WITH

God bless that manager at Bumps to Babes. He totally deserves a medal. (Though maybe he’d prefer a good bonus).

Wasn’t that a sweet story about the True Spirit of Christmas in Hong Kong?

ps: Linky party’s late this week sorry; Rockstar was on half day today…