ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
A warning about the next item. Some parents or others listening in the company of young children will find it objectionably graphic and explicit, so tune away now. It's about Santa Claus. From one Chicago high school - holiday memories. Parents take heed, kids close your ears.
Unidentified Man #1: Man, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was about 9 years old. And it was on Christmas eve. And I decided to stay up all night.
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Unidentified Man #2: By the second grade.
Unidentified Woman #1: I was a child.
Unidentified Man #3: Two weeks before Christmas.
Unidentified Man #4: It was the winter of '96.
Unidentified Man #5: My parents were, like, I'm sorry, but it's time for you to learn that Santa's not real. And I'm like, oh.
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Unidentified Woman #2: My parents took me to the toy store to buy all the presents and made me help them wrap all the presents.
Unidentified Man #6: I'm tipping down the hallway, and I hear noise.
Unidentified Man #7: An I saw my dad underneath the white beard and the red hat.
Unidentified Woman #3: Ringing my Elmo that wanted to get. And she put it under the tree. And I was watching her secretly.
Unidentified Man #8: I was on the block, right? And I was just playing cops and robbers with my friend. And there was one kid that would always bother me and stuff, and I would be talking about Santa Claus, like, what are you going to write to him, what are you going to ask for, you know? And he's like, you still believe in Santa Claus? Like, yeah, he's real dude. And he would be, like, no, he's not real. Ask your parents. They're, your parents are those that bring your gifts. I was, like, no, that's not true. And I kept denying it.
And they're like, we thought you knew. And I was like, no. I just found out today. My friends told me. And they're like, oh, Erich(ph).
Unidentified Woman #4: And she said, Santa Claus, a make-believe man, should not be credited for her buying us our gifts. I got so mad when I heard that. I didn't even talked to her for a week because I was so mad.
Unidentified Man #9: Because I had my hopes that I was going to see him that year. And then I just saw my brother just (unintelligible).
Unidentified Man #10: Anything else?
Unidentified Man #11: The Easter Bunny's a lie too.
BLOCK: That story, which does not necessarily reflect the views of this program, was produced by Curie Youth Radio members Chris Flynn, Jasmine Gonzales and Porsha Thomas, all seniors at Curie High School on Chicago's Southwest Side.
You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.