CHAPTER FORTY REMEMBRANCE

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CHAPTER FORTY

It was the second week in December and Louisa was scheduled to have her first chemotherapy treatment at the Sunrise Center of the Royal Cornwall in Truro.

Although due to teachers' meetings both children were out of school for this Thursday, we decided it best that they stay home. We left the house after breakfast planning to return late afternoon, well after dark given the short days of December.

"Okay Joan, we have a lot to do. While Dad was at the market yesterday I placed all the Christmas decorations together. I'll bring them in and we'll get started. Let's get the candles in the windows first. Maybe Uncle Al will have the tree here by then."

We had big plans. When Mom and Dad returned we wanted to have the house completely decorated for Christmas. We knew this would be a hard day for Mum and we wanted her to feel good when she came home. Dad never did get as excited about Christmas and all of its trappings as the rest of us, but he went along. Secretly I think seeing our enjoyment gave him pleasure. What he lacked in enthusiasm Mum made up for it. She was always over the top when it came to Christmas.

We wanted a perfect tree but when we realized how much tree farms charged for Christmas trees, even with our combined funds, purchasing one would be impossible. Uncle Al had said he would find us a tree at Havenhurst and bring it to us. He knew we wanted it to be special for Mum. About ten o'clock we heard his truck. Then the front door opened and we heard voices.

"James. Joanie. It's us. We brought your Christmas tree. Where are you?"

Turns out that Uncle Al was accompanied by an excited crew. Thomas and Eva came with him. In a short time he had helped us erect the tree by the large window in the front of the living room. We wanted Mum to see it when they drove up later.

"Okay kids, it looks pretty good for a pine from here. It don't quite look like a Christmas tree, but it will look good when you get the lights and bobbles on it."

It was Eva who said, "Daddy, let us stay and help decorate. Please, let us."

"Well, okay, I'll be in the village for an hour and then pick you up to go home. Oh, I almost forgot, Morwenner sent a chicken pie for your supper tonight. Let me get it and I'll be off."

So, it looked like we had some helpers. Actually after Joan and I got the lights in place it was good to have some help. The children became more excited and wanted to do more, so they cut out snowflakes and hung them in windows. I pulled out Mum's collection of figures of Father Christmas and they had fun placing them all around. My favorite has always been the Scottish nutcracker Santa with the bagpipes. It was Joan who decided we should put our lighted star outside. "James, it will be so cool. Mum and Dad will see it coming up the road."

When Uncle Al returned we asked him to help us hang the star on the peak of the house. We had forgotten that we would need a really long electric cord, but he had one in his truck and let us use it. By the time he and the kids left, things looked really good and we turned on the tree lights and the star outside even though it was still daylight.

"Okay James, there is just one more thing we have to do."

"Joan, I'm not sure."

"No we have to do it. Remember when that coach in Delabole got cancer. All his team cut their hair to let them know they cared. You don't have to, but I am going to do it. Mum is going to lose her beautiful hair and I want to do this for her."

We went out to the garden so we did not get loose hair all over the house. I cut Joan's hair and she cut mine. When we finished with the scissors we looked at each other and really laughed.

"James, you look so funny. But this isn't good. How are we going to get the rest of it off?"

"Well, we could use Dad's shaver, but if we mess it up, he'll kill us."

We should have used the shaver outside too because when when we finished the bathroom had little hairs scattered everywhere and it took us forever to clean Dad's shaver, and another forever to clean up all the hair.

"Now James, get the Father Christmas hats."

It was half five when we heard the car pull into the drive. The casserole was in the cooker and we had all the Christmas lights on. The Father Christmas hats were well pulled down on our heads. Mum and Dad entered the living room and we were sitting on the sofa trying to look normal. It was Mum who, with a smile and wide eyes, spoke.

"Oh, Joanie and James, it all looks so wonderful. We saw the star from the bottom of the hill and then the lighted tree in the window. This is so welcoming. Thank you. Isn't it wonderful Martin?"

"Yes. Looks as if the Christmas elves have landed in full force. It does look good, but it is a good while until Christmas. Where did you get the tree?"

James said, "Uncle Al brought it from the farm and Thomas and Eva helped us decorate it. He helped me put the star outside. Oh, and Aunt Morwenna sent some supper. It's in the cooker. Joanie, maybe you had better check on it."

Joan went toward the kitchen giving Mum and Dad a kiss as she passed. As she opened the door the smell of the chicken pie came into the living room. All of a sudden Mum ran from the room to the loo, and we could hear her being sick.

"Dad, what is wrong? Why is Mum sick?"

"It is the effect of the treatment she had today. The nausea may last for a day or two. I am afraid your mum won't be able to appreciate Morwenna's kindness tonight. Close the kitchen door."

Dad went to see about Mum and they returned shortly. She was quite pale and sat down. James and I sat on either side of her and she placed her arms around us. "I'm sorry kids. I started feeling this at the hospital and the smell of the food got the best of me. I think I'm alright now. Thank you for your sweet surprise. The house looks wonderful."

Dad went back and returned with a cool cloth. "Here Louisa, this will help you. Wipe your face and place it on your neck." As she withdrew her hand from around James her watch band caught some threads on the Father Christmas hat and it instantly fell from his head. Mum took the cloth from dad and saw the look on his face. At the same moment she saw James's head out of the corner of her eye. She looked at him straight on and let out a scream.

"James, What happened? What have you done?"

The penny obviously dropped for Dad and he reached out and removed the hat from my head, which brought forth and even louder scream from Mum. "Joan, oh Joanie, your beautiful hair." With that there was no stopping the tears. She put her face in her hands and started bawling. I put my arms around her and tried to console, but with little result I am afraid.

When things settled a bit Dad became quite firm, almost angry. "James, you are old enough to know this would not be good. How could you cause your sister to do this?"

"Daddy, it was not James. It was my idea. If all those blokes in Delabole could do it for their coach we can do it for our Mum. You said we would go through this together. That's what we want to do."

"It's not exactly what I had in mind." Dad kept on with James. "But James, you are older. You could have discouraged your sister from doing this."

"Yes, Dad, I could, but finally I agreed with her. If Mum has to lose her hair, then we are going to do it too."

It was Mum who intervened. "Children, I'm sorry I carried on so. It was just such a shock. It still is, really. I know you have good hearts. I'm the luckiest mother on earth." She wrapped her arms around us tightly and began to cry again.

We sat like that for a long time and hadn't even realized that Dad was not there. Eventually he returned with a tray with a pot of tea and a rack of toast.

"It has been a long day. Perhaps we should have the casserole tomorrow. I'll add to your mother's words. Thank you for all you did today. I must say getting used to the bald heads around here is going to take some time. Didn't you think about going to school like this? The kids are going to laugh at you."

And then James turned to Dad and said, "Right. Maybe so Dad, but you know if they do laugh, they'll be laughing at love. That won't bother us, will it Joanie?"

"Nope, James, that won't bother us at all."