Tales To Tell

A Perfect Christmas

A Perfect Christmas

Hayley enjoys every Christmas since she was five. Her family travels from Laval to Montreal on the 24th of December and stays at her grandmother’s house until the 25th. Her grandma cooks a lot of food and the adults do the preparation while she hangs out with her cousins.

As the snow began to fall at late afternoon and covers the ground in white sparkling layer, Hayley and her cousins goes out and play. They love the winter chill and the feathery ice crystals. They lay down the icy landscape giggling as they make a snow angel out of their figure. They lay still and look over the milky moon that hangs like an ornament in the early evening sky until they are called up for dinner.

Like most of the kids, she will guzzle over the sumptuous meal and her parents will just laugh as they watch her ingest her food.  After dinner, they will gather on the living room and listen to some Christmas songs aired on a local radio station. Most of the adults dance on the merry melody while the kids will hang their stockings on the wall and play.

In the morning of 25th, Hayley wakes up early to check her stocking which was then filled with treats.  After lunch, the whole family gathers around the living room for their exchange gifts. Big smile are seen all over their faces as they open their presents.

Before they will leave Montreal at night, Hayley and her parents, together with their relatives attend the early-evening mass. They walk along the crisp, white and shining blanket of snow on the avenue where streetlights glow in gold and glistens the icicles that hangs from the leafless branches of oak trees while they chat and tell joke at each other. The place transforms into a magical land full of laughter from the happy folks passing by.

Winter is indeed wonderland and Christmas holiday is perfect!

Not until December 2007, Hayley was fifteen by then, when her grandmother died. It was a doleful holiday for the Worth family. It was also the last Christmas they celebrated together.

Back on Laval, Hayley’s parents became busy on their jobs – her mom as a nurse on a private hospital and her dad spends most of his time writing novels. She, as well, is busy with her school stuffs.

The following Christmas holiday wasn’t as jubilant as it was before. Their home was dull; there is no Christmas tree on the living room or even a single lantern hanging on the entrance door.  Mrs. Worth has no holiday leave, so it was just Hayley and her dad that spend the Christmas Eve. No one will cook food for the dinner. They will just buy their evening meal from a fast food nearest to their house and have their quiet meal together.

Hayley  then stand by the window on her room while classical Christmas song plays on her mp3 as she watch the snowflakes falling on the ground. She misses playing on the snow, she misses the magical land in where she and her cousins happily build a gigantic snowman and decorates it with twigs, chase and threw snow balls at each other until they get tired and just lay down on the icy ground.

She misses the laugh she shared with them. Winter had become gloomy and Christmas became nearly nonexistent.

On the 23rd of December 2012, Hayley’s boyfriend Josh Flynn invited her to spend Christmas with his family. Since she spent the last five Yuletide season crestfallenly, she decided to join Josh and his family.

They arrived at Terrebonne at mid day of 23rd. Josh introduce her to her parents and siblings and they gave her a warm welcome in their home. Despite Hayley’s awkwardness, she felt that the Flynns like her that they even joke the two of them to get married already since Josh brother is a minister and he can wed them. She just laugh on that and told them not to rush things up.

After having a hot cocoa with the Flynns, the couple saunters around the village. They walk through the thick snow in their furry hooded coats and boots that gave warmth to them on the frosty chill of winter afternoon. They play cheerfully on the snow, making their own snow angels and build their snowmen. They waddle in snow like penguins and they slide on the frosty hill. They create warm memories on the freezing weather. It was like the old times, but she’s happier now. She’s with Josh, the man who sings love songs in her gloomy days.

Later in the evening, they attend the mass with the whole family. When they came home, they gather on the table for the midnight dinner and do the exchange giving after. At 2 o’clock, they sat down near the fireplace, drinking some wine as they talk about their plans for their future lives until they get drowsy. They cuddle each other in front of the fire as Josh plant a soft kiss on her lips and greet her a happy Christmas. Hayley smiles and do the same to him.

It was again a perfect Yuletide for Hayley. Josh had made her Christmas a merry once again.

In the afternoon of December 24, 2013, the snow started to fall over Laval, Quebec.  Hayley looks above the horizon as balls of fluffy white cotton falls down the pavement as if angels are having a pillow fight in the sky. She was waiting for Josh outside their house that time.  This year, it’s him and his family joining the Worth in their Christmas Eve. Hayley told her mom about it and fortunately, Mrs. Worth’s holiday leave was approved. Today, she and her husband is busy preparing for the foods they’ll going to serve for dinner.

The Flynns had arrived at six. Hayley introduce her parents with Josh’s family and they did a little chitchat.  They had dinner at eight which was followed by a game between the two families. As their parents went to bed after midnight, she and Josh went out the house and plays on the icy ground that serves as their winter wonderland. The silent place was then full with their giggles.

“I love you, Hayley,” Josh whispers. They are laying down the ice looking in the dim sky as they held hands.

“I love you too, Josh,” Hayley replies. “Thank you for making me happy and for making our Christmas together a memorable one.”

Josh stands up and pulls Hayley gently. Both of them are now standing on an endless carpet of snow, starring at each other’s eyes. Josh kneels and fish out a small box on his pocket, “I want to make you happy for the rest of my life and spend the Christmas with you forever,” he uttered sincerely. “Hayley Worth, will you marry me?”

Hayley was flabbergasted but managed to answer’s Josh proposal with a nod and a tight hug.

She will no longer have a glum Christmas for all the upcoming Christmas will be a perfect one. She can now romp like a kid with Josh in their winter wonderland every year.

Christmas and winter indeed are the most wonderful time of her years.

~~~
Liriko 2 entry