My stomach flipped when I glanced at the clock and noticed it was midnight. I loved December. I loved Christmas. I couldn’t wait to decorate my room and the entire house with Mom. We had planned to go Christmas shopping. I never got bored of it. It was something I looked forward to every year. I especially loved putting up the wreath on our door but this year, mom said I was going to help my little sister, Sadia, put it up. Of all the months in the year, December was my favorite.
Dad on the other hand was always away from home but always came home during Christmas. No matter how much work he had, he made sure to spend Christmas with us. He's seldom around for thanksgiving, but Christmas? He always showed up, and with lots of gifts for Saida and me.
I pulled my phone from under my pillow and slid my finger across the screen to unlock it. Then I went to WhatsApp and created a “Happy new month and Merry Christmas in advance” automated message, which I forwarded to everyone on my contact list. When I was done, I viewed a few statuses, then turned off the phone and slipped it back under my pillow.
Pushing myself off the bed, I walked to the window, drew the curtains aside and pushed the window open. It was cold, but there was no snow. In my part of the country, we usually didn’t get snow, but it was always piercingly cold and dry. The trees around had shed their leaves and the harmattan breeze swept the dry leaves around. Leaning on the frame, I took a deep breath. My head tilted up as I gazed at the night sky. It was a wonder to behold.
Apart from the sound of crickets, everywhere was dead quiet. Then, suddenly, I heard a Christmas song from our neighbor’s apartment. It was melodious. Tears streaked down my cheeks; not because I was sad, but because I was grateful. Grateful for my family, for my neighbors and for my friends.
“Beth, happy new month.” came a tiny voice from behind me. I turned around and looked down. It was my cousin, Tom.
“When did you come?” I smiled and picked him up off the ground, placing him on the window frame while I stood between his legs.
“Last night. You were sleeping,” he said, scrubbing his eyes. “You should be in bed Tommy,” I hugged him, and he ran his little fingers along my back.
“Is Aunty Hilda here too?” I queried, after he pulled away. He nodded, and my eyes lit up. We had a full house, and I felt so blessed.
“Your dad is here too,” he added after staring at me for a while. He was definitely reserving the best information for the last.
“Why didn’t they wake me up?” I pouted as I tried to process my feelings before letting them out. Piggybacking Tom, I dashed to my parents’ room. I didn’t care what time of day it was. All I cared about was seeing my dad. It had been four months without physical contact and he came in earlier than expected. Oh, what an amazing Christmas it'll be this year.