Chpt.1- Christmas Eve - Inside My Head
I could almost smell the turkey in the oven sizzling away and that luxurious aroma of festiveness drifting out from it. Christmas was my favourite time of year and my family and I had moved into Nevada, Reno in Las Vegas. Looking out of the window I was already in love with the place; the lights, the smell, the atmosphere it was all perfect, to me at least. I pressed my nose on the window pane straining for a better view.
"Nicolas dinner is ready!" My mother's voice called out for me from the kitchen and the smell drifted closer and closer to my nostrils making me unable to wait any longer.
I don't know how my mother does it, but she's always managed to be one step ahead of everything; and that night my mother had prepared the Christmas dinner including the turkey after we had had spent the whole day unpacking, and she had managed to finish just in time. I dashed out of my room, switched the lights off and climbed down the stairs hurriedly to get a taste of the dinner before my sister did. As I reached the landing I half expected to see my sister greedily stuffing her guts but I saw none of that, she wasn't even there.
"Where's Kirstie, mom?"
"She went out with Ripper. She'll be back anytime now". Her tone was very stern; she wiped her nose with her sleeve. I think she was upset I never asked if she was.
I went over to the sink and started pumping antibacterial hand wash on my hands; my mother never let us eat at the table without washing our hands, dad sometimes got away with it but that only happened if he was really hungry or if he wanted to wind her up.
Mom took the turkey out of the oven; I couldn't help but give it a quick glance and notice the beautiful roasted colour and that lip smacking smell...
"We are staying here for good aren't we mom?"
My mom closed the oven door with one leg as she placed the turkey on the table.
"You never know with your grandmother; you know, when she gets one of those horrible feelings"
My grandmother was 78 years old and she had severe paranoia and fear of loneliness, she sometimes went really quiet and still and that's what happened to her which was the reason we moved from Tennessee to here. The doctor said she'd benefit if she went with the whole family and it'd be a bonus if it's a lively city we move to. My mother always reminded Kirstie and me that she was a very old lady and we must respect her condition however much we don't like it. This had been a problem when she told us that we were to move. Kirstie had thrown a tantrum saying she would never leave her friends behind, I knew that it wasn't her friends she was worried about it was Ricky, her boyfriend.
"Could you please go wake your grandmother for dinner?"
I wipe my hands on a napkin and go wake my grandmother on the couch.