The Greatest Gift - Chapter I

The Greatest Gift

Chapter I

                He used to hate Christmas. He hated Christmas because he thought that it was such a big, fat, ridiculous lie. Why? It was quite simple. Christmas had broken his heart. At least that’s what he told himself because he needed someone to blame. After his parents divorced, his brother died in a car accident, the two-year anniversary of a post office clerk job he despised flew by, he’d crossed the one million mark on SceneLove.com without a single mutual match and, worst of all, his favourite comic book hero, who had been raised from the page to the screen only to beaten back into trash cans of all guises by both the casual and veteran fans, he really needed someone to blame. And when someone couldn’t be found, he then drew his attention to something. That something, courtesy of the cruel coincidence that all of his tragedies occurred in early December, became Christmas. No stranger to untruths, exaggeration in all directions and deliberately withheld accounts, he was used to pretending that everything was still okay. A sparkle of optimism remained defiantly identifiable wherever he ventured. But Christmas just crossed the line. A line that, whether he would admit it or not, was hastily drawn in his own bruised imagination. Fortunately for Justin, however, a decision at barely twenty years old to leave a life in Waterloo, England, and start afresh in Waterloo, Canada, instilled an undying determination to rebuild. Every facet of his life that had fallen down, even and especially those that had done so spectacularly, through no fault of his own, would be picked up again somehow, even if it meant effectively getting down on his knees in order to pick up an uncountable, forever shifting line of dominoes, one piece at a time.  

                Justin could never explain exactly which ingredient in the overcooked, possibly poisoned Christmas pudding that was his life forced his hand. It didn’t matter because he was fed up with eating that prank present others might call a desert. Having previously complained and searched in vain for a culprit hiding in the kitchen, he realised that it may have helped if he’d at least played a small part in its concoction, rather than simply wait for his serving. He would never attain full control of the finished, wrapped and labelled dish, or even have much of a say over how it was received. Still, the thought that he had given nothing less than his clumsy but absolute best became enough for him, most of the time, anyway.  

                Fast-forward two years and Justin became unrecognisable to those he’d parted from in the motherland. The delicate and at times turbulent conveyor belt on which he’d navigated the education and employment systems for wannabe social workers had thus far brought him to his second year at university. More importantly, it had set him up for his second Christmas in Canada. He still hated parts of Christmas but that was cool. He knew, being totally honest with himself, perfect was impossible. Now he’d happily start sharing love in whatever guise he could imagine, to both large and small degrees, with all those whose lives he shared a spotlight with. His first Christmas in Canada had been a greatly needed and well-deserved tale of splendour and the latter would be no exception. With five days to go until the day he now treasured more than his local pastor did, there was much celebrating to be done. He had an idea. But first, he wanted to spend the best part of a day at the mall. The seasonal activities had been going for over a month now and a dedication to his studies had not allowed him to check them out. Little time remained for soaking up the festive vibe, never mind buying presents or indulging in limited edition snacks.

                Following the passing of a sleepless yet dream-filled night, Justin rose from his bed to the sound of ten o’ clock jingling bells slowly rising in volume on his Sony alarm clock. Ignoring the winter chill in the air, which had heretofore been fiercely defended against by a think, soft, fiery-red duvet; he briskly proceeded to the bathroom to ready himself for his self-guided tour of the winter wonderland that awaited him outside. Observing his reflection in the mirror once all of his daily rituals were completed, he was satisfied that his combed dark brown hair, black jeans and modest Christmas jumper would suffice for a potential photo with Santa marking Christmas in Canada II. He had thought carefully about his jumper selection, choosing white with touches of blue and ruby-red in order to show off what little muscle he had, as well as emphasise the effort he made to at least keep his belly flat. Occasionally friends would remark that he didn’t realise how lucky he was with his naturally tall, well-built figure, since it was formed in such a way that could apparently look so much better with a little hard work at the gym once and a while. Such comments were greatly received but Justin believed that the effort he put in to just about everything else, from studying to cooking, more than warranted the lack of ambition regarding his exercise routine. His roommate, probably out running on the treadmill in the university leisure complex, adopted a starkly contrasting attitude to her personal fitness. 

                Now moving through the living area of his two-bedroom student residence dorm, he was headed straight for the door, skipping breakfast because the mall was no doubt by now bustling with cheerful revelling and shopping endeavours. Suddenly, Justin was halted by the graceful entrance of Caroline. As the dorm room door gently closed, there in figure-formed winter clothing stood his roommate, his best friend and his Guardian Angel. He acknowledged that the latter title was kind of over-the-top but he knew there was no doubt in Caroline’s mind that, to him, she was worthy of nothing less. She had evidently returned from the gym, which for her meant running, light weight-lifting, swimming and, from time to time, relaxing. Even through her thick blue coat and dark pink toque, he could identify her fair face shivering in response to what must have been calm but relentless icy wind outside. Her removal of the seasonal clothes and accessories released long light-brown hair sprinkled with blonde highlights and a slender figure masked slightly by baggy tracksuit bottoms and a black tank-top. A year and a half of knowing one another and three months living together meant that normally there wasn’t much to be said during such meetings but it was Christmas and there was always a relevant idea in Justin’s mind that he often just had to share with somebody.

“Good morning, Caroline! How was the gym session today?!”

“Hey, babe. As productive as ever. You should really check the place out while you can, though. The seasonal decorations and the music would sorta help to keep even you motivated to make at least fifty.”

“If you mean fifty minutes in the hot tub, then there’s absolutely no incentive required there! Push ups? Sit ups maybe? I’m not so sure.”

“Whatever. So you’re headed out to the mall, eh?”

“Yes indeed! And I have this amazing idea that I want to run by you! Please say yes!”

“Golly! I have a choice here? I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry! You’re not gonna want one. I was thinking… there are probably lot of our friends sticking around for the big day, right? Hayley and the gang live locally!”

“Uh huh.”

“And I know a bunch of internationals that are stuck here for the holidays.”

Caroline nodded. She knew where this was going. That’s why she’d never say no.

“Yeah. The rez blocks will make up a ghost town by tomorrow if they don’t to newbies already. “

“Exactly! Oh… wait… You’re going stay in town, too, right? Like last year?”

“Yup. My folks have already flown over to their cabin in Mexico until sometime in January. Hayley’s Mom will definitely have us over for lunch on the big day if we get lonely over here.”

“Cool cool. So I was thinking, let’s host a party here on Christmas Eve. Just a reasonably-sized gathering. Some food, a few drinks and non-stop music should do the trick.”

“Okay. Our pad kinda looks a little plain though. Don’t you think?”

“We’ll see to that! What are you up to tomorrow after the workout?”

“You know I was going to write a little. But then maybe go to the-“

“Perfect! We’ll put up lights and stuff tomorrow then! And buy food!”

With a sigh quickly followed by a smile, Justin knew that Caroline ultimately appreciated his enthusiasm that kept the otherwise lifeless heart of the residence block beating. Perhaps she was keener on the idea than she might admit.

“You better hurry, babe. The mall will be closed by the time you get there.”

“No way! It's open 24/7! You invite whoever you want of course! I’ll take care of my lot. See you later! Have an incredible day!”

“I will. Go easy on Santa, hey? The kids need to make their wishes, too.”

In reply Justin embraced her and dashed for the door, forgetting to open it. Upon identifying that Justin was still standing with no blood escaping any part of his face, she gave into laughter. Too many, an at once excessively polite and composed and then notoriously clumsy fellow was an unwanted risk to even the simplest activity. To a rare few, however, especially Caroline, it was a ceaselessly adorable source of fun and unpredictability that one couldn’t do without at least once a day. And so, while clearly embarrassed in front of one of his treasured friends, Justin’s face was vacant of shame as he took the opportunity to say a previously forgotten farewell and open to the door as if it were about to be blown from its hinges.  

    

                With the urge to join the excitement that lit up shopping complex now heating his mind at unbearable levels, he once again hugged Caroline briefly but affectionately before departing, while she responded in kind before heading towards her room to get ahead on the vacation’s university assignments. Justin never dared tease her for working perhaps too hard on small projects because he admired her ethics. She was one of those students from whom grades on paper never reflected the person behind the papers. Consistently up late writing, reading or rehearsing some drama as part of her English degree, she always narrowly missed out on the ‘A’ grade or the 4.0 GPA. And yet she remained forever set on her goals. She was one the few people with a passion desired to become a writer but also a maintained and clear sight of a credible backup plan. Should her more ambitious hopes fail, she was going to make for a pretty awesome public relations executive one day. In spite of the gossip fuelled by friends and strangers in equal measure, and a brutally honest thought floating around Justin’s mind, which repeatedly reminded him that he of course found Caroline to be gorgeous beyond comprehension and he might therefore struggle to decline a clear opportunity for romantic love, they had both made it clear that their love was not rooted in sensual desire but rather selfless and honest friendship. Without denying that such desire was in fact truly there and consciously suppressed, there was little point in dwelling on what could be, so Justin focused on the clear positives. He treasured their connection without any ‘romantic’ conditions and genuinely appreciated a firm, elaborate and most importantly female perspective on every snowball that university life lobbed towards him. 

    

                Strolling to down the stairs for three floors, in order to achieve his exercise goal for the day, Justin came through into the residence reception area observe a new gentleman sat at the front desk. Sure, Justin had somewhere to be, but he couldn’t resist the chance to make a new friend, particularly with the big day fast approaching. Under a selfless light, he perceived a potential guest for the party. The young man noticed Justin headed towards him at an alarming speed by his professional standards. Could this be an emergency? Maybe another angry resident? He stood up to await the answer, revealing a thin figure and entirely bald head under the light forcing its way through the windows that made up most of the walls for the ground floor.

                “Good morning, good sir,” Justin began. “How are you today?”

                “I am fine. How can I help you today? Have you lost a key? Do you want to know if you can stay here on Christmas day or something?”

                “No thank you. I’ve got it all covered. I was just saying. 'Hi.' My name’s Justin. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

                Justin held out a friendly hand to kick off what could be an awesome new connection, while the receptionist nervously mirrored the motion to make their meeting official.

“My name is Moses. Sorry, sir. I have just started working here. There are a lot of new things that I must learn. Geez!”

“Honestly, my friend! Don’t panic! And none of this sir stuff. I know how you feel. I think. I’ve only lived here for a couple of years so far and I’m still learning how to adapt the way of life here. I think you may have it harder though. If I’m honest, the UK and Canada aren’t that different. It’s mostly in the mind. Is there a vast difference between this place and your hometown?”

“Yes…. And no. I am from Zimbabwe and there are some similarities. Not the ones I would pick, though. KFC, Coca-Cola, smarties and things like that. Nobody speaks Shona here and the food is very different to what my family make at home.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I came here at the start of the month. I start my engineering course in January but my parents thought it would be a good idea if I came earlier to settle in.”

“Wow. And you’ve already got a job? You don’t waste any time. Are you going back for Christmas?”

Such questions prompted Moses to lower his voice and lean forward, ever so slightly,  towards Justin.

“I only got this job because my father says I had to. I have to make as much money as I can in order to look after myself. And to show I want to be here. So I will not be in my village for Christmas. I am even working on Christmas Day.”

“You’re joking? Why?”

“The Government of Zimbabwe is sponsoring me to complete an exchange programme here. I took the place from a lot of good candidates who would have gone crazy for this trip. I want to show everyone my gratitude and that I deserve to be here. I don’t even need the extra money. But it hopefully makes my family proud.”

“Sure. I’m not saying it would be easy to do but maybe you should check with your parents that having out here, without going mad of course, would be enough to show people that your appreciation? Have you made any friends out here yet?”

“Yes. I have a few friends at the moment. Very nice Canadian neighbours in this residence building. Floor six.”

“Well, how about you make some more!? You’re not working on Christmas Eve, too, are you?”

“No.”

“Do you want to join my roommate and I for a party at our dorm that evening?”

“Thank you. But I do not want to be a bother for anybody. I was probably going to visit my neighbours that day.”

“Truly, Moses, you will not. It is not a request anymore. You’re going to be there!”

“Alright.”

“Then I shall see you at 8pm sharp in room 305 on Christmas Eve. Now I was just headed to check out the mall all dressed up as a winter wonderland.”

“Wow. I hope you enjoy it. I have not seen it yet.”

“I see. Well we can go tomorrow evening if your shift pattern permits it?”

“Yes please. I would love that.”

“We’ll talk more about it when I get back later today! I’ll see you around!”  

“Goodbye.”

As Justin braced himself for freezing snow-engulfed terrain shielded against by the door and the unrelenting central heating, Moses returned to his seat to process with his administration duties, fuelled by a new-born buzz in his heart at the thought that he might just have made his first real friend in Canada. He might even have discovered a way to attain a love that he felt was so desperately needed right now. Disappointment? Thanks to Justin, it was no longer an option. 

                And so it began. Justin was free to indulge to his heart’s boundless content in the joy of a Canadian-flavoured Christmas. He could have dressed more appropriately for the admirably smooth-surfaced snow that came up to his knees or the snow falling gently but incessantly upon his now reddening face. At least he wore gloves. With these he would be able to spoil the winter painting laid before him in order to launch a snowball at some unsuspecting local and attempt to mark his territory with a snow angel. But while such thoughts crossed his mind, he had no intention of spoiling somebody else’s joy in order to heighten his own. Enough pleasure was granted by the sight of children sliding on home-made sledges down the icy roads, or the elaborate lights spread with striking precision over every house on the street. Since such attractions were shut off during the day, they may as well have been wrapped up. But excitement grew in Justin at the prospect of the best yet to arrive by nightfall. A twenty-minute long trail of footprints led Justin to the mall entrance, an enormous set of double doors with a picture of Santa holding what must have been a sack of gifts, beneath the slogan, ‘Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s 2pm somewhere!’ A part of Justin could not help but heat up with frustration at the desperate reference to peak shopping times, serving the sole purpose of boosting profits by making consumers feel guilty that they might not be ready for Christmas. Yet there was no point in becoming angry and complaining to the mall management team. He was an adult. He knew it would take more than a sales pitch masked as goodwill to spoil what he felt about Christmas. He simply took the image as a sign to get ready for the party. And it was true that he had yet to buy cards and presents that he had every intention of purchasing for those closest to him, or at least Caroline. At his core, Justin could not care less if she or anybody had bought anything for him to unwrap on Christmas Day, so long as he could enjoy somebody’s company over a heart-warming lunch, or simply be still with them upon comfortable seating before a warm fireplace. Of course he thought presents were wonderful things and he didn’t mean to come across as a moaner. He simply preferred giving gifts and did all he could to prove to others and to himself that Christmas was not defined by what toys one got from Santa under the tree.      

                Justin was suddenly distracted by his pondering by an out-pour of the alluring scent of juicy sausages, coca-ravished hot chocolate and chilled alcoholic delights that made up an ostensibly German Christmas Market. Justin delayed his entrance into the mall and proceeded up and down line of market stalls in front of the complex. After a few moments spent in awe of Christmas ornaments so fragile that they might break if he just looked at them for too long, Justin quickly noticed that, with more credit due to large national flags on display rather than his keen eye for detail, there were stalls with food, drinks and goods from all over the world! Germany, Japan and even Zimbabwe were sharing their takes of the happy holidays with a predominantly Canadian population. Moses, God willing, would love this whole setup as much as Justin did right now.   

                His starter complete, Justin proceeded into the mall for his Christmas dinner. As he entered, to his left was served a toy store bursting with glowing rainbow lights and children in tears of joy as their mothers or fathers picked out the presents they had dreamed of opening, probably since this very moment last year. Served to the right a little further on was an electronic store in darkness, since the sheer amount of televisions, sound systems and games consoles on display provided more than enough light. From here angry teenagers would throw tantrums because their folks had bought them a Playstation 4 rather than an Xbox One. To a very, very limited extent, their shouts or extended silences were warranted because now they couldn’t play an exclusive game or, one would hope, play online with their friends and fellow gamers. But then some, like Justin, might take a step back, remembering that many were deprived of gifts that might be considered far more valuable. Consequently, regardless of the absence of a totally desirable outcome, one would remember to offer the so easily forsaken gift of gratitude, the likes of which this establishment was all but totally devoid of at times.

                The main event of the meal consisted of many extravagant courses, like a great variety of luxury department stores that were causing Justin’s mind to overload with gift ideas for Caroline, or card stores that offered, to Justin’s relief, cards of all varieties, prices and apparently ability levels, by which he meant pre-written cards for those who had no clue about how to express their love for their most adored, as well as cards with inside space vacant of any writing, allowing for those brave enough to try a chance to employ words in order to craft the most unique gift they could ever offer to those they cherished. 

                Hours melted away and Justin hadn’t even had desert yet. That came as daylight began to fade outside at just past four o’ clock, when he followed signs leading to ‘The North Pole Experience’ until he finally came in sight of the man arguably at the heart of his determination to seek joy in all he could: Santa Clause. There he was slotted into the most comfortable-looking one-seater coach ever made, offering counsel and appeasing the often unrealistic wishes of a group of infants, behind which many more children and parents were waiting in line with an ever-decreasing level of patience. Justin moved with a few metres of the gathering to just how this Father Christmas impersonator was.

                “What would you like for Christmas, my dear?” 

                A little girl, immaculately presented in a sparkling blue dress, clearly an early present from the Disney Store, wasted no time in pondering a suitable reply.

                “I want a unicorn.”

                “Oh my! Well… uh… I’m sure I could get a horse for ya.”

                “Really?!”

                “Why, yes! And, right now, you could even ride my reindeer behind me if you want, so you can practice for whatever horse you’d like!”

                “Thank you so much, Santa! I love you!”

                Many laughed, some rolled their eyes and Justin simply looked on in wonder while the girl’s parents set up the perfect once-in-a-lifetime festive photo. A part of him dearly missed being able to hope for such unrealistic wishes to come true, as well as being so easily appeased by another supposedly similar offering before realism conquered more and more of his imagination every year. Now well into adulthood, Justin rarely pretended that what he wanted from life could never just be given to him, even if he without a doubt fully deserved and begged for them. The peace and joy he craved, through friendships, school, the workplace and sensual encounters with women could never be sent from Santa. He’d have to find them himself. But such a momentous task would break him, at least for now. At present, well-settled into Canadian life, he sought to share all of the joy achieved from the gifts he had earned or received so far with others, especially those who might currently have their minds caged by mournful voices dictating that what lay beyond was not worth the effort. The photo now taken, a new group of children sat ready the meeting with their greatest hero to date, while line behind continued to grow even this late in the day. Almost losing all traces of cheer within him, Justin suddenly remembered that one of his best friends was working in the mall today. Unlike Moses, however, this friend had made it very clear he enjoyed his job. There was no way he’d be working on Christmas Eve or on the big day, even if he was conscripted do so, so he’d definitely be fully available and more than thrilled to join the party. Justin would remark to friends that his own equivalent to the American Dream came in the form of a person - a friend. Justin would have considered absolutely criminal if he did not share one his greatest miracles, all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina, with Caroline, Moses and whoever else chose to spend Christmas with him.

                No day would be complete without a pinch of bad luck and fortunately for Justin this came in a frankly minor form. By the time he remembered where the store was exactly, the cowboy had completed his shift for the day, apparently early in order to meet someone for a date. All would be revealed tomorrow. In the meantime, the mall was only exciting for so long when alone. While used to his own company as an international student, Justin would forever choose cherished company in the most barren locations over an extended period alone in paradise if he was ever given the choice.

                The neighbourhood stood in total darkness by the time Justin returned to his residence building, which was more than compensated for by the lighting arrangements of all colours on display that were so bright that they warranted to absence of street lamps. However, such decorations did little to provide warmth for those foolish enough to be walking around this late for pleasure, so Justin moved quickly towards the entrance to his shelter. He dared not run, since he would inevitably trip over and become buried in the snow. Still unsure about how best to process even now in his second Canadian winter, he quickly but carefully took large steps to avoid kicking through the freezing white heaps fallen before him as little as possible.

Roughly five minutes from home, Justin passed a local park and was struck by an empty park bench illuminated by a street lamp poised directly above it but still remaining barely visible beneath the hilltop of snow. Blue lighting from trees positioned at either side of the seating area reinforced the sense of a once beating heart hidden somewhere on the bench, as if what lay there in Justin’s view was once a stage, a platform on which somebody performed a show that nobody knew about or wanted to see even if they had heard of it. There was a time when such a role was willingly taken on by Justin himself. Back in London he would hide away on a bench somewhere after walking around aimlessly, listening to morbid music and pondering life’s greatest questions. He told himself that there was purpose for it but ultimately he grew more miserable every time he repeated the exercise.  Over in London he’d become drenched in rain. Here, he might have become trapped under snow, or worse, since here it was so cold that just lingering outside for too long could be fatal. Never again. Justin knew that a little reflection was rarely a bad thing but the levels he once endured could not have been a greater waste of his time. He gazed upwards from the bench and mimed a thank you towards the stars. He was grateful to have the strength not put himself through time alone in a place like that again and even more so that no one had taken his place here before him.

How lonely they would have been, he thought. How lucky I am.

As he approached the winter beacon shining through the residence hall windows, Justin identified that Moses remained stationed at the reception desk but in the absence of any residents was fixed upon the computer. A hope at surprising his new friend with his return was melted away in an instant once Justin’s somewhat lacking of upper body strength failed to pull open the icy double doors against the wailing winter wind. Moses moved and pushed the doors open faster than Justin could reach the disabled access button in a feeble attempt at a plan b. Now safely cocooned from the cold, Justin had all the time in the world to check up on his saviour.

“Good evening, Moses! How was your day?”

“Hello, Justin. I do not want to spoil your day with my answer. My news today is not exciting at all.”

Moses sprinted around to desk so that a large counter now once again stood between the two of them. Since Justin was in no hurry for dinner, he removed his shoes, took seat upon the desk, and gently laid his head upon the window, dangling one leg towards the floor, just in case he needed a reminder that he could be in hospital bed on the big day if he wasn’t careful.

“So you are still for tomorrow, right? There is so, so much that I can’t wait to show you, or tell you about!”

“Yes. I am still not working tomorrow, so I am looking forward to this.”

“Awesome! Is there anything in particular that you want to see when we get to the mall? Or buy maybe?”

“Oh! I am so pleased that you asked me that! I did not know how to say it but I was wondering if you could help me buy something for somebody tomorrow? Something for their Christmas holidays.”

“I’d love to! Is it for your parents back in Zim?”

“No.” Moses turned his gaze from Justin downwards towards the computer before starting to fiddle. Pencils and post-it notes, once sat comfortably by the keyboard, were now being viciously harassed in order to provide a consciously desired distraction.

“So… who is it for? A girl?”

“Yes. It is for a girl.”

“Really? You really, really don’t waste any time settling in, do you? You guys must have literally just met!”

“That is so. But it feels like I have known her for a very long time.”

“How long have you two actually been dating then? Does she like you?”

“We have not been dating exactly. There has not been a lot of time to go out. And I not sure if she likes me. I hope so. But really I do not know.”

   

Suspicion saw her cue and began creeping into Justin’s heart. Until Moses looked back up at him, revealing a hint of tears forming around his eyes not strong enough to warrant their falling. Justin sought for excuses to relate to the struggles of others whenever possible and so in this instance thought back to his own turbulence in the courtship of those whose glowing presence redefined even his strongest principles, until their sweet, angelic light faded, consuming all of those now strained ideals in darkness, only for the cycle to be repeated over and over and over again with another. And yet Hope remained so soothing for Justin that he would look for it everywhere in order to justify the pain. For instance, he thought in this moment of Nativity plays he had been a part of as child. He was in the choir. While his singing was no doubt essential to the atmosphere of the church or school hall, he spent most of the performance watching the actors of tomorrow discover their stage prowess waiting for the next hymn. In between the crippling boredom, however, he appreciated being able to observe his favourite parts of the story his mother had read with him from the day of his baptism. One particular scene he relished was that in which Mary and Joseph were apparently turned away from many inns because there was no room for them to stay. Until finally one kind fellow made room for them. Years later, he believed this must be just like dating and finding that special someone. Have the courage to knock on enough doors and eventually someone is going to make room for you in their heart. But still, for Justin, this went far deeper than the romantic vision that for him that had been so corrupted in recent years. For him, there was just as much love behind the doors guarded by friends than potential lovers, albeit the perks might be a little different. Realizing that he was now lost in thought, Justin awoke from his reflection, reminded that here and now he trusted his new friend. And he wanted to help him. Justin would help his friend get this this girl. And that screwed up, he promised himself that Moses would not be devoid of love on the big day.

“Justin? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I’m great, my friend. You can tell me all about this tomorrow.”

“Good idea.”

“Actually, for now, please tell me who it is at least.”

“Alright. Her name is Abigail and she is my neighbour In this residence building. Right next door, in fact.”

“I see. Well I look forward to being a part of the story tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

“Wait… I almost forgot. Meet me here at 9am tomorrow and we’ll have all day to eat up some more Christmas cheer. And I have a surprise for you. Or two… you’ll have to wait and see.”

“No problem. See you then.”

The excitement that has been inflating inside Justin’s stomach burst upon his entrance into the apartment. At first blinded by golden lights hanging around the kitchen and living spaces in their entirety, he walked passed and over shinning blue, green and red packets containing food, drink and various Christmas tree decorations. All of this had been laid to the tune of Christmas carols, evidently sang by a local city choir, who were currently performing Silent Night, coming from Bose speakers at the centre of the  kitchen table. There were even fresh flowers on the same table. Cheery-scented pink carnations cuddled up delicate lavender roses by glass containing fresh still water. Although intrigued as to what their particular purpose might be, such a thought was hardly something worth entertaining right now. Beside that lay a note, which read:

“Hey, babe. Surprise! Hope you like it! I called the girls today and they’re all in! We were at Superstore this afternoon and Hayley thought it would amazing if we got the place ready by the time you got back! We’re almost there! Just gotta find a tree somewhere! Shouldn’t be too hard! Haha Anyways, the girls and I are out tonight at Angel, so I’ll see you tomorrow! XOXO”

Thus, Caroline showed, once again, that her passion for work was more than rivalled by her passion for fun. Such boundless energy Justin could only dream of. He would miss her. Dearly. The day they would part when their time at university concluded, even if only in at least 2 years’ time, would be nothing less than heart-breaking. By now, Justin was more than used to friends flying in and out his life, even when really hurt him. But it never became easier to accept. Bonds formed around the world that he fooled himself into thinking would last for an eternity and beyond had now faded away, leaving him wondering if such bonds were ever real in the first place. Maybe Caroline would disappear before graduation. Surely it wouldn’t be long before somebody who made her see the world in a light that he could never comprehend showed up and took her away. Why should he care? It was really none of his business. He was far too busy holding his new life in Canada together anyway. If being a part of hers meant spoiling it even in an unnoticeable fashion, it was not worth it. Who knew what disaster beyond anyone’s control may strike at them tomorrow and potentially tear them apart? In vain Justin attempted to navigate some bizarre routes into the distant future before once again admiring his present environment. Relieved by his re-reading of the note, which assured him that she was at least still part of his life for now, Justin eagerly went to bed, right after he usual routine in the bathroom and a Christmas movie on Netflix.