Christmas Love
By: Sam
I hated Christmas. It was the most idiotic holiday man had ever created. Some fat guy bringing presents to bored rich kids, stuff they didn´t even want the next day. Families who hated each other getting together to celebrate the birth of some important guy who had died over 2000 years ago. Everyone spending money they didn´t really even have, to make people, they didn´t really even like, happy. And that leaves the big question, why?
In my experience, no one knows.
But there was one good thing about Christmas.
Or at least I knew there was.
There had to be.
I just hadn´t figured it out yet.
"...dreaming of the white Christmas..."
I gave the radio one good slam and the song died away. I hated Christmas carols. They were nothing but dull reminders of the life before the Pulse. And that was just one more thing to hate about the holiday. People remembering "the good old days". I didn´t have too many memories from that time so I couldn´t really say. Who cares anyway? It wasn´t like the world had been perfect then and it wasn´t like it was
perfect now. No one was gonna get the old world back so they could´ve just left it,
for all I cared.
But of course no one agreed with me.
"Syl, what d´you think you´re doing? I love that song!"
I gave my brother a bored look.
"Krit."
"What?"
"That was White Christmas."
"Yeah?"
"By God knows who."
"Barry White, actually, but whatever..."
"For the tenth time!"
Krit laughed with pure joy in his voice. He was a real Christmas-person.
"Honey, loosen up a little bit. This is Christmas! You´re supposed to be happy, have fun, enjoy Christmas carols."
"Since when have I been honey?"
"Laughing wouldn´t hurt either", he said ignoring my question. "You gonna look like that when we get there?"
"What´s wrong with the way I look?"
"No, Syl, I meant the look on your face."
Oh.
"You could at least try, you know. Have a new experience. A smile."
"You want me to hit you?"
Krit laughed and didn´t even bother to make up a witty come-back.
And that was another crazy thing about Christmas. It turned everyone into weirdoes. Normally Krit would´ve given me a hard time, started playing he was totally hurt by what I had just said, hit me or at least given me an answer. Now he just...was. And I had to ask.
"Krit, you okay?"
He turned to look at me, surprised.
"Of course I am."
"It´s just that you look so-"
"Happy?"
"Well... yeah."
"What´s wrong with happy?"
"Nothing I guess, if you´re normal."
"So I can´t enjoy Christmas because we´re not normal, is that it?"
Krit was getting pissed off.
"No, you´re right, of course you can enjoy this. Forget what I said, okay."
We were silent for the rest of the journey. I decided to try not to look so bored with all the fuss and let others have a good time. Just because I hated this it didn´t mean they had to, too. And I liked seeing Krit happy. He deserved it. I closed my eyes. I could feel my stomach rumble but I ignored it. I didn´t feel like eating anyway.
I fell asleep and never felt the tender kiss that was placed on my lips.
I felt strong arms around me as I was being carried out of the car, up to the stairs and into the cabin. My head was resting on Krit´s shoulder. I was wide awake but really enjoyed the closeness so I pretended to be asleep.
"Krit! Oh, it´s so nice to see you! And Syl... What happened to her?"
It was Max. The others would be here, too. Max had arranged us all a real family Christmas. I fought against the desire to smile. That would´ve broken my cover.
"Oh, something you wouldn´t know anything about. See, it´s this thing normal people do. Sleep. Ever heard of it? Me either."
I was put down on the sofa. I was still tired so I decided to catch up where I´d been.
"No seriously, I think she´s just about had it for this Christmas. She hates everything. I realised in the car today that even the word makes her granky. So, any word from the others?"
There was a long silence. Too long.
"Yeah... I have some bad news, Krit. Zane called. Jondy was is in an accident and-"
"What?!"
I was up in no time.
Krit and Max just laughed.
"Got ya! I knew you weren´t really asleep!"
I punched Krit on the stomach but he just laughed.
"Is this your idea of a nice joke?!"
The doorbell rang and saved Max from my lecture. She skipped the scene and I was left alone with Krit. I stared at him angrily. Krit took a real puppy look on his face and looked at the floor.
"Sorry, babe. Won´t happen again."
"You´re an idiot, Krit."
"I know. That´s why you love me."
"Who loves who?"
I turned around and saw Jondy standing at the doorway.
I was the first one to hung myself onto her neck but the others followed. Soon we were all just a bunch of legs and arms.
I heard a crack behind me.
Krit.
I knew the sound of his feet touching the ground.
He sat next to me into the small swing I had discovered at the end of the yard.
"What d´you doing here, Syl?"
For some reason I was glad he didn´t call me sis. I didn´t feel like a sister at that moment.
"Nothing."
A warm hand touched my cheek and brushed past my lips.
I looked at Krit but his eyes were at the snowman that had been made earlier that evening.
"Krit..."
"I had to touch you."
I curled as close to him as I possibly could and buried my face into his neck.
"I love you, Syl."
"I know."
We sat there for a long time.
It was a perfect moment and I didn´t wanna let it go.
A terrible shooting pain woke me up. I couldn´t even move. It hurt too much. It run through my stomach over and over again. I had had bellyache before but this was something different. I groaned in pain as I tried to move.
"Syl?"
Krit was laying next to me.
"Krit... I didn´t know you were there."
He smiled and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Couldn´t stay away."
I was just about to say something as the pain hit again.
"Syl, what´s wrong?"
"It hurts pretty bad. I can barely move."
"Is there anything I can do?"
The convulsive pain made me double up. It took a while before I could answer.
"Just hold me."
Krit closed me inside a warm hug and placed his hand on my belly. The pain hit again. His hand rubbing my stomach eased it a little and I was really happy he was there.
Suddenly I stood up.
"It doesn´t hurt that much when I sit."
We sat on the floor covered with blankets. Krit pulled me onto his lap.
"Better?"
"Yeah, thanks... honey."
Krit buried his face in my hair.
"You have no idea how long I´ve wanted to hear you say that."
You have no idea how long I´ve wanted to say that.
I listened to his breath.
Soon he was in a deep sleep.
Even in his dream his hand kept stroking my stomach.
I had to tell Krit something. If I didn´t do it right now I wouldn´t have the guts to say it later.
"I love you..."
A tender hand was set on my cheek.
"I love you, too, baby."
I had found the reason.
By: Sam
I hated Christmas. It was the most idiotic holiday man had ever created. Some fat guy bringing presents to bored rich kids, stuff they didn´t even want the next day. Families who hated each other getting together to celebrate the birth of some important guy who had died over 2000 years ago. Everyone spending money they didn´t really even have, to make people, they didn´t really even like, happy. And that leaves the big question, why?
In my experience, no one knows.
But there was one good thing about Christmas.
Or at least I knew there was.
There had to be.
I just hadn´t figured it out yet.
"...dreaming of the white Christmas..."
I gave the radio one good slam and the song died away. I hated Christmas carols. They were nothing but dull reminders of the life before the Pulse. And that was just one more thing to hate about the holiday. People remembering "the good old days". I didn´t have too many memories from that time so I couldn´t really say. Who cares anyway? It wasn´t like the world had been perfect then and it wasn´t like it was
perfect now. No one was gonna get the old world back so they could´ve just left it,
for all I cared.
But of course no one agreed with me.
"Syl, what d´you think you´re doing? I love that song!"
I gave my brother a bored look.
"Krit."
"What?"
"That was White Christmas."
"Yeah?"
"By God knows who."
"Barry White, actually, but whatever..."
"For the tenth time!"
Krit laughed with pure joy in his voice. He was a real Christmas-person.
"Honey, loosen up a little bit. This is Christmas! You´re supposed to be happy, have fun, enjoy Christmas carols."
"Since when have I been honey?"
"Laughing wouldn´t hurt either", he said ignoring my question. "You gonna look like that when we get there?"
"What´s wrong with the way I look?"
"No, Syl, I meant the look on your face."
Oh.
"You could at least try, you know. Have a new experience. A smile."
"You want me to hit you?"
Krit laughed and didn´t even bother to make up a witty come-back.
And that was another crazy thing about Christmas. It turned everyone into weirdoes. Normally Krit would´ve given me a hard time, started playing he was totally hurt by what I had just said, hit me or at least given me an answer. Now he just...was. And I had to ask.
"Krit, you okay?"
He turned to look at me, surprised.
"Of course I am."
"It´s just that you look so-"
"Happy?"
"Well... yeah."
"What´s wrong with happy?"
"Nothing I guess, if you´re normal."
"So I can´t enjoy Christmas because we´re not normal, is that it?"
Krit was getting pissed off.
"No, you´re right, of course you can enjoy this. Forget what I said, okay."
We were silent for the rest of the journey. I decided to try not to look so bored with all the fuss and let others have a good time. Just because I hated this it didn´t mean they had to, too. And I liked seeing Krit happy. He deserved it. I closed my eyes. I could feel my stomach rumble but I ignored it. I didn´t feel like eating anyway.
I fell asleep and never felt the tender kiss that was placed on my lips.
I felt strong arms around me as I was being carried out of the car, up to the stairs and into the cabin. My head was resting on Krit´s shoulder. I was wide awake but really enjoyed the closeness so I pretended to be asleep.
"Krit! Oh, it´s so nice to see you! And Syl... What happened to her?"
It was Max. The others would be here, too. Max had arranged us all a real family Christmas. I fought against the desire to smile. That would´ve broken my cover.
"Oh, something you wouldn´t know anything about. See, it´s this thing normal people do. Sleep. Ever heard of it? Me either."
I was put down on the sofa. I was still tired so I decided to catch up where I´d been.
"No seriously, I think she´s just about had it for this Christmas. She hates everything. I realised in the car today that even the word makes her granky. So, any word from the others?"
There was a long silence. Too long.
"Yeah... I have some bad news, Krit. Zane called. Jondy was is in an accident and-"
"What?!"
I was up in no time.
Krit and Max just laughed.
"Got ya! I knew you weren´t really asleep!"
I punched Krit on the stomach but he just laughed.
"Is this your idea of a nice joke?!"
The doorbell rang and saved Max from my lecture. She skipped the scene and I was left alone with Krit. I stared at him angrily. Krit took a real puppy look on his face and looked at the floor.
"Sorry, babe. Won´t happen again."
"You´re an idiot, Krit."
"I know. That´s why you love me."
"Who loves who?"
I turned around and saw Jondy standing at the doorway.
I was the first one to hung myself onto her neck but the others followed. Soon we were all just a bunch of legs and arms.
I heard a crack behind me.
Krit.
I knew the sound of his feet touching the ground.
He sat next to me into the small swing I had discovered at the end of the yard.
"What d´you doing here, Syl?"
For some reason I was glad he didn´t call me sis. I didn´t feel like a sister at that moment.
"Nothing."
A warm hand touched my cheek and brushed past my lips.
I looked at Krit but his eyes were at the snowman that had been made earlier that evening.
"Krit..."
"I had to touch you."
I curled as close to him as I possibly could and buried my face into his neck.
"I love you, Syl."
"I know."
We sat there for a long time.
It was a perfect moment and I didn´t wanna let it go.
A terrible shooting pain woke me up. I couldn´t even move. It hurt too much. It run through my stomach over and over again. I had had bellyache before but this was something different. I groaned in pain as I tried to move.
"Syl?"
Krit was laying next to me.
"Krit... I didn´t know you were there."
He smiled and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Couldn´t stay away."
I was just about to say something as the pain hit again.
"Syl, what´s wrong?"
"It hurts pretty bad. I can barely move."
"Is there anything I can do?"
The convulsive pain made me double up. It took a while before I could answer.
"Just hold me."
Krit closed me inside a warm hug and placed his hand on my belly. The pain hit again. His hand rubbing my stomach eased it a little and I was really happy he was there.
Suddenly I stood up.
"It doesn´t hurt that much when I sit."
We sat on the floor covered with blankets. Krit pulled me onto his lap.
"Better?"
"Yeah, thanks... honey."
Krit buried his face in my hair.
"You have no idea how long I´ve wanted to hear you say that."
You have no idea how long I´ve wanted to say that.
I listened to his breath.
Soon he was in a deep sleep.
Even in his dream his hand kept stroking my stomach.
I had to tell Krit something. If I didn´t do it right now I wouldn´t have the guts to say it later.
"I love you..."
A tender hand was set on my cheek.
"I love you, too, baby."
I had found the reason.