Light & Darkness

Chapter 12: Christmas

I have been feeling down since morning as it was Christmas today. Thankfully Akiko was here for me to entertain, as she's been sleeping over at my place for the past two days and will be for a week. I think it's pretty stupid for her to stay here with us on Christmas, she should be with her family. Well I consider her as a part of my family, but still she should be with her family enjoying this event, but nope she's Akiko who has to do something out of the box, as always. That's what I love about her. She is unique and the sweetest person. I can't thank God enough for blessing me with such wonderful friends.

I was shocked when she turned up in front of my door two nights ago with her huge back pack. Well it was normal for her to come and sleep over, but the shocking bit was when she announced happily that she will be spending Christmas with us. Apparently her family was going to her aunt in Australia for Christmas, but Akiko's passport had expired and they didn't check it early enough for her to renew it in time. So instead of cancelling the trip, Akiko decided to spend the week with me and she was more than happy with that. It's not like I am not happy to spend time with her, it's just that I wanted her to spend such an important event with her family, her complete family. I didn't want her to just sit around and spend the Christmas like another normal day, as, we don't celebrate Christmas. Yes we don't. It's not like we are not religious or anything, it's just that after dad's death we don't feel like it. Christmas is celebrated with a family and my family is incomplete.

He died a few days before Christmas and it was his favourite festival. So instead of feeling happy, me and mum feel sad on this day. His loss is too much for us to bear.

I used to love Christmas when I was little and dad always used to dress like Santa Claus so he could bring gifts for me. I actually started believing that he was the real Santa and started sleeping on the couch a night before Christmas to see him climb down the chimney. We didn't actually have a proper chimney but we did have an old one in our living room which was not in use anymore. I believed that till I was 9 and realised that Santa is just another fantasy person, but dad didn't stop dressing as one and I still enjoyed it.

When I heard the heart breaking new of his... death a few day before Christmas, I started hating it. Akiko is aware of that, but she still came over telling me that spending time with me is better than celebrating Christmas. I was flustered by that, as I am fully aware that how much Akiko loved Christmas and she was sacrificing this for me. I felt tears in my eyes after hearing such wonderful words from her mouth. But unfortunately it still didn't stop me to think about dad and getting upset,, somehow Akiko reminds me of my dad.

Me and Akiko were having breakfast when the door bell rang. Mum already had her breakfast as it was 12 'o' clock right now. We slept late last night watching Sinister, so predictably, we woke up quite late. We would not have even woken up if it weren't for my mum's shouting at top of her lungs which was for us two having slept that late. This really irritated her for some unknown reason.

I got up from my seat letting out a little groan for being told to open the door by mum. I was chewing on my piece of bread when I opened the door and got a big shock. It was Amelia standing in front of me, rubbing her hands together. My jaw literally dropped open and the piece of bread fell from my mouth on the floor. 'A-Amelia' I quickly retrieved myself, 'You?'

'Can I come in please?' her teeth were clattering from cold.

'Oh yes, come in please.' I felt embarrassed for behaving like this, 'I am sorry for my rudeness.'

'Oh no, it's alright,' Amelia chirped, 'It's obvious for you get shocked to see my at your house on Christmas.' I smiled awkwardly, scratching my head.

'Who is it Aura?' shouted mum from her room upstairs.

'It's Amelia mum,' I loudly replied back.