The Gift That Keeps Re-Gifting

Jerk, Non-Dialogue, Retail, Siblings, USA | Related | January 7, 2019

After years of a tenuous relationship, I am thrilled one year to receive a Christmas present from my sister who lives about 900 miles away. It’s from a swanky store I can’t even afford to shop in. I’m teary-eyed at her generosity.

Unfortunately, it’s a pajama set in an extra-large. I wear a petite size two. After Christmas, I take my gift, still in the store box, to a local shop front to exchange it.

The lady scans it, looks puzzled, and consults a colleague. I can hear them talk about this item not being in their SKU database. Finally, one calls corporate to inquire.

While that’s going on, the other sales reps are talking about the tissue paper being a pattern they’ve not seen in years and saying that they haven’t carried pajamas for ages. Other customers line up behind me as the drama plays out, listening intently.

Finally, corporate concludes that that set of pajamas was last carried by the store about eight years ago. The lady very condescendingly puts credit on a store gift card for me and dismisses me with a brittle smile. Other customers in line titter. I am humiliated.

Later, when talking to my sister, I confess that the PJs were too large and that I took them back for store credit. She asks how much. I tell her.

She covers the phone with her hand and yells, “Can you believe my sister got $49 for those pajamas? I should have kept them.”

This story is part of our After Christmas roundup!