HAVEN BLACK - complete

THE CARVING AND THE KISS

Chapter 20 – THE CARVING AND THE KISS

Christmas day had arrived and temperatures had dropped to freezing now that winter had finally settled in over the state. The view from my bedroom window was one filled with colorfully lit Christmas trees glistening through the neighbors' lounge windows that faced the street. Thick layers of snow covered the house roofs like large white blankets and clumps of ice clung to the bare trees that lined the street making their branches droop under the weight.

The asphalt road itself was covered fully by a sea of snow and it blended almost seamlessly with the surrounding front yards with only a hint of the contrasting concrete curb exposed in random spots underneath. Deepened lines in the snow from car tires ran across and down the street. A group of young kids down the end of the street, all of who dressed in bright colored jackets, were playing in the snow; some were making snow men, while the others were throwing snow balls at each other laughing loudly.

Gazing over to Jill's cozy looking house from my bedroom window, I stared sullenly through their lounge window at their Christmas tree that stood at least 8 feet tall and was dressed in bright Christmas colors. But her house was otherwise dark and empty for her family had left for the Christmas holidays and were visiting relatives that lived a few states across the country in Colorado.

And now feeling lonely and lifeless, I longed for her to come back.

"Jacob sweetie! Lunch is ready!" Stacy, one of my mom's friends called from the floor below.

A friend from my mom's childhood, Stacy had come to stay for the holidays. She lived across the other side of America in San Diego, but was in town for a promotion she was doing and had decided to stay with us for the week. She complained about the cold weather here in Jackson Valley and she spent the week wearing many thick layers of clothes and turning our heater to full bore in an attempt to heat the house. But no matter how high the heater was set to, our house never felt warm.

I headed downstairs and into the treeless lounge.

The Christmas tree hadn't been put up for this year; it was too much hassle to take the tree out of the box only to pack it up a couple of weeks later, and I simply found it near impossible to get into the "Christmas Spirit" after the cruel world made my mom terminally ill and left me Jill-less for the holidays.

Wafts of yummy aromas filled my nostrils and I followed the scent into the dining room where Stacy and my mom were seated at the small table with empty plates in front of them.

"Come, sit down Jake," Stacy croaked and she pushed out the chair perpendicular to hers using her foot from underneath the table.

"Thanks guys," I said limply.

"Well, I'm not waiting for you guys!" Stacy quickly said grabbing the serving spoon that sat in the mash potato and slopping a heap of it onto her plate. "I've got a plane to catch in a few hours and I don't want to feel bloated from all the food I'm about to eat!"

There was a roast turkey in the center of the table that was flanked on one side by a sizable tray of roast vegetables and on the opposite side sat a bowl of salad, mash potato and a jug of gravy. This was a feast only made possible because Stacy had made it. I filled my plate to the brim and peered over to my mom's plate. She only had a tiny portion of roast vegetables in front of her that she cautiously picked at. She never had much of an appetite these days. After a few bites, my appetite suddenly waned as my thoughts turned to Jill.

After the Christmas feast, Stacy said her goodbyes and headed off in a rental car to catch her plane to go back to what she called "livable temperatures". After closing the lounge doors in an attempt to heat the room with the small oil heater, Mom and I slumped on the couch and turned the television on. Snow had started drifting around outside and the afternoon light was dying away.