Christmas Dilemma

A Christmas Dilemma

Michael  loved Christmas. He was always the first up on Christmas morning. Always the first to wake his  twin brother  and older sister with the excited shout,”Santa has left us toys!” ” Dad,” he called out now .” Santa will  remembers this  is the one I want,” he said finger tapping on a large expensive mechanical garage in the toy brochure Toys For Boys. His father  Mark sighed. At nine Michael was nearing the age when he would no longer believe in Santa Claus. Next year he’ll be ten and probably too old to believe  in the magic of Christmas   And this year  he was  going to be very disappointment .”I don’t know if he will or not,” he said sharper than he intended. Michael’s face clouded over. Quietly, he closed the catalogue and slid from his chair.

Mark’s heart was  heavy  with dread. They’d be lucky if they still had this  house for Christmas, he thought, looking around

He could hear fourteen year old Carey on her phone  complaining to her friend. There had been a screaming match earlier when her mother, Am,y explained about the Christmas cutbacks.. “It’s all your fault,” Carey had  shouted at Mark. “Why did you have to go and lose your job!”

“I want  tickets for the WWE Wrestling,”Michael’s  twin  Daniel said.”Remember the fun we had last time meeting all the wrestlers.”

Mark ran his hands through his hair. It wasn’t possible. Not this year.

Things had been  very different last year. The days before Christmas  had been a time for wrapping the last-minute presents and surfing the internet  for a  short trip in the New Year.

But that was before redundancy reared its ugly head, he thought bitterly.

 

Tucking  the children into bed Mark kissed them. “Go to sleep.  Santa will be listening down the chimney. He wont come down on Christmas eve until everyone is fast asleep.”

“Even you and Mum?” Michael asked round-eyed.

“Especially me and Mum.” Mark laughed despite his heavy heart.

“ Sorry Dad,” Carey apologised, coming into the room. “Why don’t  you take Mum  for a walk.”I’ll tell the twins a story and stay with them until they sleep.”

 

Outside a bright moon  had turned everything into  a winter wonderland.  Silently,  Mark and Amy walk a little, then, as  of one accord, they both began to gather snow for a .snowman. They worked  silently,each lost in their own thoughts.  “Have faith. We won’t lose the house,” Amy said softly touching Mark’s worried face with hands stiff with cold.

“What  if we do. Where will we live? We’ll be separated… the children …” He and Amy had been schoolyard sweethearts. They had never been apart. Suddenly,  Amy caught Mark with a huge snowball between the shoulder blades.  “We’ll fight for it. ”  Grabbing her husband  about the waist .Amy rolled his  wife of fifteen years in the snow. As  they play wrestled they fell into a  snow drift and began to sink. Mark struggled to his feet and  hugged Amy to him.  “I’m sorry, love… about the job…about no money for Christmas.”

“. It’s not your fault you lost your job of ten year ” Amy’s kiss was cold but her heart was filled with love. “We’ll get through this.  What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” she whispered.

Christmas Day dawned chillingly cold. More snow had fallen overnight giving the world an air of unreality. The sound of Michael’s  feet rushing about  and the excited  voices of the children  woke Mark and Amy almost as soon as they’d  fallen exhausted into bed. Bleary eyes and with feet of lead they went to join their children anticipating their looks of disappointment.But at least they were still in their own home. We’re  were still together, Mark thought.

Michael was playing  quite happily with his new DS game about racing cars.. Well, nearly new, mark  conceded. Finding  it on Last Minute Buys  had been sheer luck.  He’d had to pay for it  with his credit card.  What credit card!  He squared his shoulders. He’d get a  job in the New  Year; pay off the overdraft..

After their romp in the snow Amy had went looking in the roof space for some things  to dress the snowman. Her muted excited hoarse  calling had brought Mark  up the extension ladder to sit beside her under the rafters. She’d   found a box of toys;  the children had got far too many toys last year and  the toys had been put away and forgotten about.

Taking them downstairs Amy wrapped them in new shiny Christmas paper.

“Can I take your phone  to bed with me ?” Daniel  asked, as he hugged his Mum. “I want to make sure the bit that says ‘  tickets for collection’ – hasn’t been deleted.”

Amy ruffled his hair and  smiled. I hated parting with my gold chain but it was worth it just to see the look of pure excitement and happiness on Daniel’s  face. I know the tickets are not for the best seats in the Titanic Centre  but Daniel doesn’t  mind a bit. He ‘s over the moon, she thought.

Mark glanced at his daughter. She moved her position  from where she was sitting on the rug in front of the fire and came to lean against his legs.” Thanks Dad,” she smiled. Love for her filled Mark’s heart. Being a teenager isn’t easy, he thought. “You’re welcome, pet,” he said kissing the top of her head where it rested near his knee. He knew they’d be other teenage tantrums but he and her mother would deal with them as they came along. Carey had been bought off with  a promise of a trip to visit her cousins in Dublin in the New Year. Not much of a Christmas present. But after the twins had fallen asleep they had sat down with her and explained the dilemma about  losing the house.

Now, amazingly Christmas Day  was nearly over and against all  odds. they’d had a wonderful day  We are blessed, Mark thought, as he looked with deep gratitude  at his family gathered around the open fire.

Amy  smiled at him as she  helped her mother on with her coat. “Thank you for the turkey,” Mum – and all the trimmings,” she said giving her mother a hug. “It was a lovely dinner.”

“You’re very welcome, darlin”  It was like the old days,  I enjoyed it more than going to a fancy hotel. Being here with you and Mark and the children… was the best bit,” her mother said, a tear in her voice.

Amy listened to the murmur of Mark and the children’s voices as he read them their bedtime story. She stood in the middle of the warm living room looking around her. OK, they had used past year’s table decorations and the wine hadn’t flowed  this year, but, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, she thought.

Catching Mark’s eye as he flopped into his chair and reached for the remote control, she blew him a kiss.” I’m going to bed. Don’t be long,” she said picking up his gift to her from under the Christmas tree.

“Remember it a shared present.” Mark said  pulling  her on to his knee and kissing her.

The paper rustled as Amy withdrew  the silk cuffs..

“Oh Mark.” Amy giggled.

“Out of that second-hand place in the High Street. Only one previous owner, I believe,” Mark said pretending to leer at her.

“Time for the man in my life Christmas present ” Amy murmured as she kissed him back.

“ That’ll be me,” Mark chuckled hitting the off button on the remote control