Alexander the Caracal's Christmas

The Tree

As the tree was dragged in through the front doors of Quebec Castle, Alexander and Roxana both stared. The former with his head lifted a bit higher than his mate's, the two caracals could not comprehend this. Was this the newest potted plant? A pine tree? Was there in all the world a pot being enough for it to be put in? If this was the newest potted plant then where were the roots?

Looking down from the second floor of the entrance hall, Captain Smith stared at the tree while his wife, Mrs. Igraine Smith stared down with him. As Alexander looked up at his master and mistress, he saw two different expressions upon their countenances. In the face of the forty-five-year-old veteran of the Second Boer War, the Northern caracal saw a look of sadness while upon the front of twenty-eight-year-old Igraine, he saw a look of excitement.

Hearing Alan and Gemma come up behind him and Roxana, Alexander looked behind and upon the countenances of those two adolescents he saw the very same expressions that were upon Captain and Igraine. Alan was equally as sad, just as Gemma was equally excited.

Wherefore? What meaning did this tree have that brought such sadness and such excitement?

Looking to Ian Smith, Captain Smith's ten-year-old nephew and Alan's maternal cousin, and then to Mr. Conan Smith, Ian's father and Captain Smith's younger brother, Alexander saw the same sad expressions. On the faces of Hippolyta, Captain Smith's six-year-old daughter by his first wife, and five-year-old Natasha, Ian's sister and Mr. Smith's daughter, there was equal looks of excitement. Even Mrs. Zenobia Smith, Mr. Smith's wife and mother to Ian and Natasha, looked excited, albeit not as excited. Her excitement was mixed with that of the sadness her male kin were feeling.

Soon, Igraine noticed Captain Smith's countenance and Gemma Alan's. Their movements mirrored each other with woman and girl putting a hand upon the arm of man and boy and looking at him with concern.

At the same time, Alexander heard Igraine ask "Kull?" and Gemma ask "Alan?" Both uncle and nephew answered the same thing: "I'll be fine in a moment."

Making a chirping noise, Alexander turned around and pawed at Alan's right leg. Hearing her mate's vocalization, Roxana turned and upon noticing Alan's sad face, she proceeded to rub against his legs.

Alas, Alan seemed to not even see them.

"This is going to be the first Christmas without them." Said Gemma, keeping her hand upon Alan's arm.

"Without dad, without mom, without nana..." Alan uttered, nodding as he spoke. "All of them lost in a year, I neve expected such a Christmas would ever come."

Christmas? What was Christmas? Had Alexander ever heard that word before? He could not remember. What was this thing called Christmas? Was it like Halloween? What was it?

"They are still with you, Alan." Gemma assured him. "Just as my mother is still with me."

Alan could do naught but nod with closed eyes.

Looking once more to the tree, Alexander began to wonder what a tree had to do with this Christmas thing. What manner of mystery was this? Halloween needed no tree, so why did Christmas? This was strange and the Northern caracal could only wonder if things would become less strange the more that he learned about this mysterious word, this Christmas. If they did not, he could only hope that they did not become stranger, for truly, could things become more strange the more someone learned about something?