Mary Orleans has dreamt of a white Christmas since she was a child. Every Christmas they spend at home in Australia, between sheep and heat. Just one Christmas in New York, that's all she wants.
Lenny Darwin hates Christmas. The cold, the family, th...
It was already after midnight when the tree was finally in the living room. Lucky for Lenny, because Carol insisted not to decorate until the 1st Advent. After all, we had adhered to that. Although there was no jewelry on the tree yet, I found it already enchanting. I loved the Christmas season. How good that I was able to have a real Christmas this year – away from the heat. Only I knew I'd rather celebrate with Josh and eventually Lenny. But there was no such possibility. Josh was thousands of miles away, and Lenny would soon be leaving the country to live with my parents. It wasn't until that moment that I noticed Josh hadn't even called in today. After he took me to the airport, I had heard nothing from him.
"Shall we decorate it?" Lenny asked me as we stood next to each other looking at the tree. "Are you sure Sina doesn't want to be there?" I asked him. Lenny's little sister had been in bed for some time. "I told you, this year I'm in charge of the tree. That means buying, bringing, decorating and then taking away again." I thought for a moment. "Isn't it against the rules for me to help you so much?" "I would say no. After all, you'll never have the chance to decorate a Christmas tree with me again." Lenny was right. This would be the only Christmas I'd spend with him and his family. It kind of made me sad. Lenny opened a cupboard and pulled out two large boxes. He frowned a little, then we started to mount the chain of lights on the tree. "Why do you hate Christmas so little?" I asked him. Lenny just untied part of the chain of lights before he stopped. "My dad.", he said hesitantly. Lenny put the last lights on the tree. "Tell me about it." "Okay.", he finally agreed. Lenny plugged the chain of lights into the socket and the tree glowed. I was captivated by the sight for a moment, then Lenny actually began to tell.
"Dad died in a car accident thirteen years ago. He was on his way home and just got home from work. It was his last day before he had Christmas off." Lenny squeezed his lips together and took a candy cane from the box and hung it on a branch. "This year we spent Christmas in the hospital. Dad was declared dead on Christmas Day and the machines were shut down. Then on New Year's Eve was his funeral. Since this year I hate Christmas because it reminds me too much of him." I had listened silently and helped him decorate the tree. I took the big star out of the box, which had to be at the top. I looked at it, and then I gave it to Lenny. "I don't think your dad would have wanted you to find Christmas so horrible about it." "Yes, maybe." Lenny admitted and stuck the star to the top of the tree. "Let me show you that Christmas is the most beautiful holiday of the year.I asked him. "Okay, fine.", he answered and smiled. He actually smiled enchantingly. Something deep inside me began to find something I had been looking for a long time. And the Christmas tree shone in the most beautiful splendor.
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