Another Kind of Christmas

Seasons

Well... this is another kind of Christmas I never thought of.

Whisper the Wolf sat on the edge of a wooden porch, staring at the glistening ocean surrounding Adabat. The endless expanse of shimmering water reflected the radiant sunlight, like a sea of diamonds. Gentle waves washed back and forth on the lip of the beach, so tenderly. It was as if the ocean was the manifestation of love and peace itself.

The wolf began to imagine what life must be like here. Stress and troubles must surely be nonexistent; how could anyone feel any worry in a place like this? The breeze alone seemed to sweep all her cares away.

Most wondrous of all, they had Christmas in Summer. The stories of Santa, the holiday and her life itself all matched a winter wonderland. But Adabat enjoyed a summer spectacle. The tinsel laced around the porch area sparkled in the sunlight, just like the sea. One large fake fir tree sat in the corner too, by the glass doors that led back inside the rustic resort hotel. The decorations and festivities seemed so mismatched with the atmosphere... yet it worked, in its own beautiful way.

She suddenly felt bad for the locals here. Or anyone living in the Southern Hemisphere, for that matter. From what she's seen so far, Wintery ideals were forced on them during Christmas. Surely they couldn't relish the Summer like they do back home-

"You seem to be in a better mood today!"

An olive-skinned human girl, Rudi, approached Whisper from behind. She had come through the glass doors, and (unknowingly to the wolf) was watching her for a while.

At the sound of her voice, Whisper jumped - she was so spaced out, wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't expect any interruptions at all.

Seeing Whisper jump, Rudi felt bad. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She said quickly. "You must have been so at peace until I came..." Rudi looked down and pursed her lips.

Whisper turned around, looked back at her and smiled. "Ah, don't worry. I lost track of time anyway. I should head back soon," she finished quietly, looking back at the sea.

Rudi, the Adabat girl, walked towards the wolf, clasping hands together, and sat down beside her. "How are you enjoying Adabat? You've been here a few days now, right?"

Whisper, eyes closed, nodded. There weren't many people living in this little village, and it was extremely easy - perhaps even necessary - to get to know the few locals here. Rudi, the daughter of the temperamental fisherman, was the first she talked to; her gentle and compassionate nature made Whisper feel comfortable, and she even showed the wolf around the resort and beach.

"It's... very different from what I'm used to," Whisper replied. "Especially in terms of what Christmas is like here."

Rudi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Uhh..." Whisper shut her eyes more. Did she say something stupid and unnecessary? With a sigh, she continued. "Everything about Christmas is joined with the idea of Winter - cold and snow. Images of fireplaces, warm drinks, scarves, hats, special sweaters... songs. Even snow-dusted forest trees."

She turned her head and glanced back at the one tree that proved her point, cueing Rudi to do the same. The edges of the branches were even dyed white to look like snow, even though it completely opposed the true nature of its surroundings.

"Isn't it awkward? Having these Wintery things in the middle of Summer?" She finally posed softly, still looking at the fake tree.

The human girl gave a small laugh, and Whisper let out a confused look.

"It's just how things are, to be honest." Rudi brushed some hair out of her face. "Think about it this way - Father Christmas is from the North Pole, right? I've always thought that these things are speaking to his circumstances.

"Though, now you mention it, I guess it is a little weird. But it's one small detail that none of us really mind. Except for my father, I suppose. He's never really been a fan of Christmas decorations... I wonder if this is why."

Whisper said nothing, and just looked down at the wooden floor.

"Maybe it would be nice if hot Christmases were acknowledged, but I'm not fussy. Oh! You mentioned music as well, right? There are some songs that dignify any kind of Christmas," Rudi continued. "It's not all bad. Speaking of which, there's a Christmas karaoke contest down a few blocks. Why don't you join in? I've seen you alone most of the time, even though you have so many friends staying with you."

"No no no no no! I don't want to go on a stage! That will be too overwhelming..." the wolf trailed off, looking away nervously. She began tapping her fingers together.

"But-"

"HEY WHISPER!!"

A booming voice echoed from the distance. Whisper and Rudi whipped around at the same time to see Tangle the Lemur bounding towards them, across the beach.

At last, the lemur stopped in front of Whisper, huffing and puffing. "I need you for something. We don't have much time."

"Oh..." Whisper got up and looked into Tangle's eyes with a sliver of worry. "Okay."

"We gotta hurry!" Tangle grabbed her beloved friend's hand and pulled her along as she began to sprint across the beach again.

As they took off, Whisper looked back to see Rudi giving a shy smile and waving. For some reason, the wolf wasn't able to say anything, and just faced forward again, to wherever she was headed.