A Merry Neopian Holiday at the Soup Kitchen

     You see, I volunteer at the Soup Kitchen and the Money Tree when I have time. Most of the time, I work at the Igloo Garage Sale, sorting and unpacking items and processing Neopian’s many transactions. But I like to give back, so on weekends (and sometimes weekdays, to be fair) I head to the Money Tree to sort through the sometimes mountains of donated items, and on most evenings I head to Neopia Central to the Soup Kitchen to help make meals for our fellow Neopians who might be struggling.

     I never thought that it would be me who would struggle!

     Let me explain…

     This occurred about three years ago, two days before the Day of Giving. Neopia was bustling. Neopians everywhere in all lands were stopping into shops, looking to buy food, gifts, and decorations for the holiday season. They were looking forward to spending time with their loved ones; owners, pets, and Petpets (and Petpetpets!) were looking forward to the culmination of such a festive season, and I was most certainly one of them.

     One of the things that always happened when the Day of Giving was approaching is that the Money Tree and Soup Kitchen became even busier than usual. As such, I was working even more volunteer shifts than before to help with demand as best I could. I loved seeing the smile on Neopian’s faces when they were able to secure a lovely surprise at the Money Tree, and were able to come in out of the blustery cold and were served a delicious hot meal at the Soup Kitchen.

     These kinds of things made my heart happy.

     One week before the Day of Giving three years ago, I left the Soup Kitchen warm and my heart full (and my clothes smelling of delicious soup, to be honest!) and headed back to my home in Terror Mountain. It was a long jaunt, but I felt it was worth it to help out the Neopian community. It was dark by the time I arrived home to my small room nearby the Ice Caves among many other Neopian’s homes.

     I turned my doorknob and stepped forward, banging into the door and stumbling backwards. What…? The door was still locked? My key didn’t work! I tried again, carefully inserting the key and turning the lock, but the door would not open for me.

     Then, I noticed a piece of paper pinned to the door, the edges dripping in icicles from the cool and snowy evening.

     Dear Tenant, we regret to inform you that due to a surplus of Neopians seeking accommodation at this time and some back orders of payments on your end, we have decided to offer this room to another needy Neopian at this time. We wish you all the best in the future and a happy holiday season.

     I blinked a few times, stunned. Wait, hadn’t I paid my rent? To be sure, I hadn’t been working as much recently as I had been volunteering so much at the Money Tree and Soup Kitchen. The Igloo Garage Sale had a lot of workers as it was such a fun place to work, and so if one wanted to take time off, it was more than possible. Could it be that I had forgotten to pay my rent?

     But wait – did that mean I had lost my home?! It couldn’t be.

     But it seems that that is exactly what happened. I lost my home… a week before the Day of Giving. And at the coldest time of year.

     I pulled the hood of my jacket closer in as a cold wind whipped up some blowing snow, and I turned away from the door and trudged through the drifts. All I had on me was a few Neopoints in a coin purse, a book, and my volunteer cards for the Money Tree and Soup Kitchen. Where could I go?

     I made the long trek back to Neopia Central, almost without noticing I was doing so. Where else could I go? This was my familiar land, where I came almost every day… I was stunned into silence and almost numb from the cold of the Neopian winter. All the shops were closed by the time I made my way back, so I curled up in the doorway of the Soup Kitchen and closed my eyes. My jacket was warm enough to allow me to lull myself into a fitful sleep.

     I awoke with a start, the air crisp but the sun shining brightly into my eyes. It was morning. I had made it through the night.

     I stretched, looking around me. There were just a few Neopians here and there, preparing to open their shops for another day of busy holiday preparations before the Day of Giving.

     The door of the Soup Kitchen opened suddenly, and I tumbled inside.

     “What – what are you doing here?” A Chia exclaimed, who I had worked with the night before. “Your volunteer shift isn’t until tomorrow afternoon!”

     I paused, embarrassed but felt the need to unburden myself. “I – I was kicked out of my home. I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

     The Chia looked at me, startled, and then smiled, “Come inside. No one will spend the Day of Giving alone if I have anything to do with it!” She picked me up and brought me inside, portioning out a bowl of warm porridge. I sat down in a comfortable chair and hugged the hot bowl in close to me. The Soup Kitchen was clean and warm, with holiday decorations sparkling on all surfaces. I should know of course, because I had helped decorate!

     I ate, warming myself with the delicious food. The porridge was piping hot and overflowing with delicious dried fruits, brown sugar, milk, and cinnamon.

     Slowly, other familiar Neopets filed in and joined me at the table, talking excitedly about the upcoming holiday and their preparations. I spent a lovely day with them, playing holiday games and reading holiday stories, finishing decorating any areas of the room we could find that hadn’t yet been filled with sparkles and tinsel and boughs. Baby Neopets ran around the room, playing and laughing, and Petpets followed them, looking for crumbs of cookies and other treats to be left behind.

     It was a lovely and festive day.

     That evening, the night before the Day of Giving, we all crowded around the fire with cups of delicious hot cocoa and borovan, and sprinkle-topped sugar cookies shaped like wreaths and snowmen. Some of us (like myself) were covered in warm fleece blankets. Others lay on piles of large, soft, comfortable pillows. A Wocky dressed in a Santa hat read ‘The night before Christmas’ as we all burrowed into our comfortable chairs and sipped our warm, comforting drinks. I fell asleep happy, my heart full and knowing that I would be able to face whatever occurred in the coming days, because I had friends and a community who would support me, because I had supported them.

     Since then, I have kept up my volunteering, and I always especially look forward to the Month of Celebrating and all the season entails.

     You know… regardless of the unexpected struggles I faced, I think this was my merriest holiday yet! It seems that if you help others, not only will that give them happiness, but it will fill your heart with joy as well.

     Happy holidays Neopia!

     The End.