[Title]

2.

"Family reunion!"

"Says who?"

"Mother is here"

"Is it Christmas again? So soon?"

"Funny, you clown, you! Get your hands off my instruments and come downstairs"

"Jerk"

Truth was that I was dreading going downstairs. Every time was the same: mother would arrive with precisely one week before Christmas, she would speak about how hard it was to be a businesswoman, share some presents with the family and tell us that her presence is requested at a charity gala in New Zealand that would take place on the 23rd of December. That would mean more than two days spent on the plane which would leave us with a total of zero Christmas days spent with the family.

But everybody got used to it. We haven't had a Christmas together ever since my father passed away. Mother would always find an excuse to be alone on Christmas day and involuntarily we would too. Truth is, holidays with my father were some sort of magical. Expeditions, ski resorts, African safaris, long dinners with the whole family, he would find a way to surprise us all. Maybe that was why I was understanding my mother in a way: she couldn't compete with those Christmases.

"You're the jerk. Are you coming today?"

Meet my brother Tyson. He loves music. So much that he helps others do it. He's a music producer and this year won his first award for it. He's really outgoing and people seem to like him a lot. He just returned from his one-year 'see-the-whole-world' vacation.

I finished playing with his instruments and went downstairs.

"Where's Elizabeth?", I asked her boyfriend. I couldn't believe this guy was about to propose to her. Time is a funny thing.

"She's off to get her best friend here."

Maxwell was a nice guy. A photographer and an all about the rules guy. Pretty strange, huh? Not my type of guy if you ask me about it.

"When she'll be back? This place is really boring and depressing"

"Well, she should be at the airport by now. So I guess that in a couple of hours or so."

"Wait, what? Her friend from where? I thought she's downtown."

"Ah, nah. She lives in April."

"You're making fun of me."

"No. That is a city."

"A city in...."

"Oh, sorry. Predom"

"That's the name of a country?"

"Yes"

"Where?!"

"In Europe, of course"

"Son of a sister. A small one, I assume."

"Pretty big."

"Never heard of it. What's its capital?"

"If I am not mistaken, January."

"Doesn't ring a bell. She lives in a country in which cities are named after the months of the year?"

"Haven't you heard off it? It was in all the papers"

"I don't read them."

"And on every channel"

"Don't watch T.V"

"Anyway, apparently last year they voted that all districts should be named after the months of the year. They merged some of them so that would be just 12. President's idea. Apparently less confusing"

"Oh, they have a president."

"Yes."

"Now I know what's wrong with the country."

"A president may be something diff..."

"Everybody, listen up!"

Ah, there he was. The man, the myth, the legend. Or like I enjoyed to say, the man in red, the guru of fashion, the buffoon, Hugo Brown. A clown and my fashion mentor. God in fashion, mortal in real life. I loved his way of doing business, I hated his personal choices in life. You know the man who gets stuck in a routine and does nothing about it? He was that man. And was not a fun routine either. He had a couple of affairs with some ladies but after that... time happened and now he was my mother's associate. Of course he had to be here. He was after all living in my mother's house.

"I have an announcement to make. Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Hopefully you will all find under the tree exactly what you asked for. I know I will. Hello, weekend at Spa Noir! And for my students... tomorrow you will be picking your models for this month. A little word of advice, speak with them in advance so it will go faster. Oh, I almost forgot. Think of an outfit, because tomorrow it's show and tell too. And when I say 'think', I mean come up with something great because you will be graded. Merry Christmas!"

Damn! I had nothing prepared.

"Alexander, give me a hug!"

"Mother!"

" Look at you, such a handsome young man"

"It runs in the family"

"you're making me blush. Where is your sister?"

"She flew somewhere to get her friend. They're spending the holidays together apparently."

"Lovely idea. The more, the merrier. I am really sorry that I won't be here for Christmas. I have this gala thing."

"I know. Always the same."

"Don't get upset on me, darling. I will hold a dinner party here tonight to celebrate Christmas. It will be outstanding. You will see."

"How about a small gathering?"

"Don't be absurd. I haven't seen these people in ages. They're my friends. Tomorrow is family time, okay? I promise. But tonight is party time"

I couldn't help but smile. She had a spark in her eyes that was not always there. Happy looked good on her.

"Then party it is"