Family Christmas

Old Fiat

----------

The Fujis

"Hey, Aniki?"

Shusuke turned over to see his younger brother looking at him. Yuta's large blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What is it?" he asked, rubbing a pale, perfect hand through his messy hair.

"Can you hear it?" Yuta put a finger to his lips.

Shusuke listened. A soft jingling could be heard outside. "Do you think it's Santa, Yuta?"

"Maybe… We shouldn't bother him though, he probably just wants to put out our presents and eat the cookies and go," he wrapped himself in covers.

Shusuke watched his little brother fall asleep, and felt his eyes drift shut too.

"Aniki!"

Shusuke's eyes snapped open as—nine years later—Yuta shook him hard to wake him.

"Aniki! Get up! Dad says we can't open present 'til you're awake!"

"I'm up Yuta!" said Shusuke jumping out of bed and putting on his slippers. He followed his younger brother down the stairs. Shusuke shivered with delight as he saw the living room.

A roaring fire was in the fire place. The Christmas tree branches were sagging from the mounds of bulbs, lights, paper chains, and other decorations gathered over years. Yumiko was sorting the presents and Dad was sitting in an armchair.

"Where's Mum?" asked Yuta, his face brimming with excitement.

"She's making breakfast," said Yumiko, finally setting each person's stocking on top of their presents.

"You'll be pleased to know," said Dad, smiling. "That Santa is under the delusion that you two have been good this year."

"Dad!" said Shusuke, giving his dad a false punch in the shoulder. "You know that we know Santa's not real!"

Yuta flushed slightly. "S-sure."

Shusuke giggled and settled himself by his stack of presents as their mother came in.

"Remember boys!" she warned. "We have to be kind of civilized. We go in a loop and when it's a person's turn they open a present!"

"Yes," chorused Yumiko, Yuta and Shusuke.

"Good," she set down the breakfast on the coffee table-- toast with jelly and several mugs of spice tea. "Your father goes first."

And so the day began. Shusuke watched his brother unwrap his present after Dad. Yuta's face lit up. All Shusuke could think about was that night, he'd dreamed about that night nine years ago. He remembered what had happened, he knew it had… But how?

"Aniki?"

"Yes Yuta?" asked Shusuke, his large, pale blue eyes connecting with his brother's darker ones.

His little brother moved closer to him. "Do you think mummy will like the present I got her?"

"Of course she will."

"Aniki?"

"Yes Yuta?"

"Do you think Santa is in the house right now?"

"Maybe…" Shusuke had almost fallen asleep again when Yuta woke him.

"Aniki?"

"Yes?" Shusuke kept his eyes closed, hoping his brother would fall asleep. If Santa was in the house he would see them staying awake and that might be thought of as bad. He wasn't sure.

"I hope that Santa brought you that thing… um…"

"A Transformer?"

"No… the uh… the snowball! The snowball made of snow from the North Pole. I think that's what you wanted…"

Shusuke's eyes snapped open. He didn't know anyone knew about that. He had never told anyone that was what he wanted for Christmas.

"Yuta… How did you…"

He heard a little snore and a snuffle. He sighed and smiled, squeezing his little brother close. As his eyes began to shut, he heard something.

A jingling.