High Country Christmas

Chapter Fifteen- Time At Last

I had taken to watching the clock. Why I was getting nervous I didn't know.

Thea had gone down to bed with no problems. I had managed to feed her a mushy egg, and some fingers of toast before she got too tired to eat any more.

We didn't have a cot so I remembered a friend who used to elevate the edge of a bed with a pillow underneath the edge of a single bed mattress. I felt confident that between the raised edge of the bed and the wall, Thea was quite safe.

The rain that had threatened earlier was pelting down outside, and there was a definite chill in the air. So I laid the fire and lit it, and put on the christmas music that I had bought. I had showered and thrown on a pair of skinny jeans. I was pleased I had put them in my bag at the last minute. That done I was waiting. What took so long?

Rod Stewart crooning, "All is calm, all is bright.." wasn't as bad as I had imagined it might be. He was surprisingly good at carols for an old time rocker. Hearing the door open I stood up to see what food Ali had found that took over an hour to bring home.

He was telling someone to just set the table and bring the food in. He came to me, standing by the fire. Rubbing his hands together he announced, "Dinner is served. But do you mind if I warm up here first. It has got so cold out there." I shrugged non committal, like I wasn't worried. More because I had other things on my mind than the fact that I had strong feelings about eating now or later.

"Thea go down OK?" I nodded again, he rubbed his hands once more and then turned and left the room I presumed to check on Thea.

I had my arms wrapped around myself and was staring out the window. My parents had sent a card for christmas and the normal cheque for a hundred dollars. Not much more news than the announcement that they thought they might spend the next six months in Nepal. Climbing, and now the rescue of climbers, had been so much a passion for them, that I grew up feeling in the way.

Looking back I suspect that they had decided not to have children and I was a mistake. Damn, I wasn't. That mentality was not a good one to carry through life. I was ME. There was no apology. But not having siblings was a hardship, and I was ever jealous of those that had family to fall back on.

A voice from the door way pulled me out of my reverie, "Our dinner awaits." Ali was smiling. He must have changed out of his singlet and hoodie and was wearing a shirt and jeans. He didn't move through the door way as I approached. Reaching out for my arms he rubbed them up and down, "You look cold, would you like a jersey?"

"That would be great. I didn't expect it to be this cold. But do you have one?"

"I am sure that there is something in a wardrobe somewhere." Ali disappeared down the hallway, while I approached the table in awe. It was amazing. It was like a table out of some high end restaurant. There was white linen, candles, silver service and the food smelled divine.

"Here you go, it might be a bit big, but it will keep you warm. " Gratefully I slipped my arms into the light merino jersey that I think must have been left by a lady visiting the apartment at sometime.

"This table is amazing, the food,...everything. How did you pull it off?"

Ali laughed, "Ah connections. Not mine, I rang Leah and asked her advice on a restaurant that would do a nice take out meal, and she called friends in town who insisted on delivery and set up after I had ordered. So," approaching a chair and pulling it out, he turned to me and said, "come and take a seat, and I hope you like what I have ordered."

Feeling like a princess, I sat down, my eyes wide taking it all in. Ali adjusted my chair, leaning down to my ear, "We have for your dining pleasure turkish lamb and chicken with a choice of sides, wine and for dessert some,..oops, forgot the name of it, but it looks chocolatey and sweet."