Ellipses

Chapter 5

Honestly why is Christmas so important?!
I mean ok there's a lot to celebrate during Christmas but it sucks because I'm on cooking duty. See my mom likes doing a lot of things but cooking isn't one of them and because of that I have the responsibility of googling recipes for atleast three courses and preparing them. It all started when I did my famous stuffed potatoe.
Everyone was raving about how good it was,how good the entire meal was and so I took over Christmas cooking.
It's not something I look forward to but it puts a smile on my mom's face each Christmas so I do it solely for that reason. Ok and maybe to avoid doing the dishes.

Christmas in my house is not really a big deal. When I was younger we'd wake up do a little prayer then prepare for church. My mom's the ultimate churchgoer remember.
I'd put on new clothes . That's a tradition. That's a black tradition. We don't do Christmas gifts. Ok well maybe our mom's and grandmas didn't but the twenty first century moms set up Christmas trees and put gifts underneath and lie to kids about Santa's existence.
We didn't do that - we don't do that. It's not sad or anything, it's just the way we grew up. The one thing we looked forward to on Christmas day was putting on new clothes and parading them. It doesn't matter if your parents bought you new clothing in June or September, the only new clothes that matter are the ones they buy you for Christmas- that's the equivalent of gift opening.
I don't do that anymore though- wear new clothes for Christmas. It just feels like any other day and yes my mom still insists on buying me a dress and nice sandals as per tradition, but I don't really wear them on the day anymore.

"Hloni!,"my mom's voice calls out.
I've been laying in this bed for half an hour thinking about what I'm gonna cook this year. Whatever it is, it has to have my stuffed potatoes.

"Ma? I'm coming" I say and climb out of bed.
Ok what to do?
I walk to the bathroom with my underwear in hand. My dad's listening to the radio as always. Amo's still sleeping, as always. My mom's awake,as always.
I run the water and get inside the bath tub. It feels heavenly. Now in a regular day I would've just taken a shower and went on with my day. But today is Christmas,I need all the alone time I can get before the house is full. Even if that alone time means spending an hour in the bathroom. Technically that's how long I spend everyday and my shower only takes ten minutes. I don't even wear makeup so I don't get why I take that long. Must be all the singing and trying to tame my hair!
"Hloni I need to use the bathroom" that's Amo.
He's visiting for the holidays. He's doing his fourth year in law. Yes my brother's going to be a paid liar and I couldn't be more proud. Not because of the lying of course.
"Ok one minute" I say and step out of the tub.
I could get out now and leave the bathroom but I decide to brush my teeth because why not? He uses the bathroom twice as long as I do. God knows what he does when he's in there.

I finally finish and wrap myself with a towel. When I open the door Amo's still standing there, looking as irritated as ever.
Whatever.
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"Hloni our guests are going to be here in a few hours. How far are you?"my mom says while tasting everything I made.
"Mama they are not guests. It's just Lesedi and his wife. And Aurora? She doesn't even count as a full human yet" I say and go back to my cooking.
She looks at me with a smile and heads out of the kitchen.
I haven't been alone in this kitchen since I started cooking so this is nice. My mind wonders to the last day of school. How I thought that was the best day of my life. How I thought that day would change everything.
I remember how he kissed me and walked away, leaving me gobsmacked.
We've been taking for a while now online but I just don't think I like him that much anymore. I know this because at first getting a message from him would literally make my day. I'd get butterflies everytime his name flashed through my screen. I'd be in a happy mood for the entire week after getting just a simple "I miss you".
I think we'll make good friends but anything beyond that is just impossible.
There's a phone ringing. It's mine. It snaps me out of my thoughts and I reach for it.
I don't know this number.
"Happy Christmas!!!,"a bubbly voice says through the speaker. I already know who it is.
"Christmas was yesterday idiot!" I say trying to mock her patience.
She laughs and sings a Christmas carol. I join her but I don't know the words to any of them except that 'we wish you a merry Christmas' one. I don't seem to be the only one because Mpho starts replacing the words with her own. When she's an idiot she's a real one.
"By the way Thato said I should -quote- unquote- wish you a merry Christmas" oh he did?
"Oh. Tell him I said he should have a happy one too" I say and she agrees and says her goodbyes after complaining about how many dishes she has to do because she didn't want to cook anything except dessert. This girl.SHM.
I go through my texts and reply to a few merry Christmas texts.
Why didn't Thato wish me himself though?
Maybe he's getting over me too.
Anyway the clock on my screen says it's twenty five minutes to twelve and the 'guests' will be here any minute now. I place my phone on the table and continue with my cooking.

"What are you making?," Amo says. Oh he's finally out of the bathroom I see.
"Nothing special," I give a faint reply.
"You're in a bad mood," what? No I'm not.
"Can I have a cookie then?," he says and looks at me. I don't answer and he takes one and heads to the dining room to set the table. That's his duty. Every Christmas.

(Hiiii I'm back to writing again. Please vote if you like a certain chapter.
I'll be updating a lot now.xx)