Worth the Wait

So This Was Christmas

Worth the Wait

Christmas had come and gone. Already, the first snow of winter had blanketed the city and the countryside. In fact, it snowed on Christmas Day, which turned the landscape into a true picturesque wonderland. It was the first Christmas I recall in a long time that I was sharing with both friends and family. A week before Christmas, I had thrown a party for some of my friends and of course, Roger was there. He was able to meet some of my closest friends I had known since entering the university. And naturally, I loved the way they adored him and us as a couple.

First semester grades had been distributed. I had three A’s and two B’s. I was pleased because I sure as hell could have worked harder. Before winter break, I had registered for spring semester. I sold some art pieces and added more to the student gallery. I completed six more sketches of Roger and added them to my portfolio.

  Two days before Christmas, Freddie had left town for a few days to be with his parents. He didn’t stay away from his flat long. Before he had left, he presented all of us: Me, Roger, John, Veronica, Brian and Chrissie with gifts. I thought it an endearing gesture. He had such a big heart. I think Freddie had very much enjoyed his time at home with his parents because he had talked non-stop about it when he had returned. I think he needed the time to get away to himself for a while because he returned from his visit more upbeat than ever.

 On Christmas Eve, Veronica and John had spent the day and night with Veronica’s parents and then Christmas day with John’s parents. They had gone to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. John’s parents loved Veronica so much and vice versa. It was very hard not to love her. John’s mother always called Veronica a ‘sweet Catholic girl’. I was raised in the church of manners and money so I wouldn’t know whether she was a sweet Catholic or not. I just knew she was a jewel. John’s mother had gotten her a beautiful watch and Veronica plus her parents had gone in together to get John a new amplifier that he desperately needed. Veronica and John’s mother had prepared a beautiful Christmas dinner from how Veronica talked. Of course, they may have just been drunk on the eggnog and thought it was lovely. At any rate, she and John had a very perfect Christmas together.

 Much to my shock, Brian had spent Christmas Eve with Chrissie and her parents. To hear Chrissie talk, it was the happiest day of her life and she was fairly certain Brian felt the same. Since they had met in October, they had been absolutely inseparable. It was a connection so deep that it almost rivaled John and Veronica’s relationship. It had been two months and the fact that they had hugged each other only a month ago was monumental. Their hugs had become longer, tenser, and they lingered longer anytime they said goodbye. Chrissie wanted to throw her body into Brian every time she touched him, but she never did. In fact, it was painful watching them hug each other…there was only at five kilometers between them and they both acted like the other was a piece of lumber they were so damn rigid. Chrissie and her mum were doing dishes that night and she very softly said to Chrissie, while Brian was chatting with Chrissie’s father; that she thought Brian was very handsome. Chrissie’s mum didn’t have bad taste. Although, her mum had made the comment ‘the hair’s a bit much don’t ya’ think?’ Naturally, that sent Chrissie into a fit because she had a fantasy of pinning Brian down and digging her hands into all that dark hair.

 Chrissie had beamed over how much she loved Brian’s mum. She and Brian had arrived at the May home late Christmas morning. She and Brian had privately and awkwardly exchanged gifts that morning when he picked her up. Brian had gotten Chrissie one of the most thoughtful gifts I could imagine, a framed photo of the two of them that Freddie had taken after a show a few weeks back. When she told me about it, I was certain she was gonna’ explode. She had gotten Brian a set of books about space or stars or something; I really wasn’t sure. In any case, he loved them and was already halfway through one. Chrissie, Brian’s mum sat in the livin’ room looking at photo albums in front of the Christmas tree. Chrissie gushed over that. Brian’s dad had really taken a liking to her. In his words, she was ‘a most polite and welcome guest in their home’.  They played cards and drank tea. They mindlessly watched the telly and had more tea. Ruth May absolutely fell in love with Chrissie’s fondness and adoration for Brian. She did her best to teach Chrissie how to sew with the new kit that Brian had gotten for his mum for Christmas. Chrissie wasn’t good at it, but Brian’s mum certainly was. Brian had gotten his dad four tools that he needed and he was as happy as a school boy when he opened them. Chrissie learned how very close Brian was to his dad.