Chapter 659: The Giving Tree
“MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FAM, O DEAR LOVEABLE BIG BROTHER OF MINE! HOPE YOU’RE HAVING A GOOD CHRISTMAS!”
For that single second, that single moment, I was so glad I made the unconscious decision to not put the call on speaker, because if there was one thing missing from my life today, it’d have to be a blown-out earhole for sure.
I formed a grimace, I remembered clenching my teeth, and shutting my eyes, but for some reason in my infinite wisdom, I decided to not do the one thing that’ll end my suffering and kept my phone jammed against my ear, getting another full blast of that jolly Christmas spirit.
“HEY, MERRY CHRISTMAS BY THE WAY IN CASE I DIDN’T SAY IT YET. WE’RE ALL SERIOUSLY WISHING YOU A GOOD ONE BACK HERE, YOU KNOW! JUST THE BEST! WISHING ALL THE BEST! GOD BLESS AND ALL THAT!”
Such cheer, such enthusiasm... there can really be only one reason as to why.
“Mom told you to give me her best one too many times?” I asked.
“REALLY JUST HOPING YOU’RE HAVING THE BEST TIME OVER THERE, WE ALL ARE!” Sammy blared, getting higher and more derisive now. “EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME, JUST CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU! EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY! AIN’T THAT RIGHT, MOM? OI, MOM-WE’RE ALL JUST SORELY MISSING HIM. THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT? DID I FORGET ANYTHING, OR IS THAT ALL?”
.....
Yep, nailed it right on the head. Ten out of ten for diligence, I suppose. Sammy sure does know how to get a message across if nothing else. I think I’ll be hearing the fading echoes of her syllables till the day I die.
Once Sammy had toned down in both mood and volume, I could hear her shuffling into her room and closing the rickety door shut behind her, where she finally engaged in proper conversation.
“I do hope you were in the middle of the work when I shouted all of that by the way.”
I fell back onto the bed, making extra sure the receiver picked up the sound of the springs straining inside. “Sucks to be you.”
“Damn it.”
“So,” I began. “There any good reason you’re calling me right now, my Christmas-loving little sister?”
Instead of an answer, I got a noise. A knowing noise. That long impish hum of a little sibling who knows too much for her own good.
“Yikes, just what is that bitterness in your voice I hear, big bro?” She asked, her sixth sense of gossip instantly flaring up. “Did I catch you at a bad time? Something happened? You got fired? Is that why you ain’t at work today?”
“Hmm, not sure. Hey, maybe getting blasted in the ears had something to do with it... you think so?”
“Oh no, oh no, big bro, don’t tell me,” Sammy let out a low conniving snicker. “Girl trouble?”
Ah, that damn gossip-sense of hers, seriously... gives me conniptions...
“What do you want, Sammy?” I said, trying in vain to steer us back to the matter at hand. But alas, this girl was adamant on spinning this convo out over the edge of a tall cliff.
“What’d you do? C’mon bro, fess up, and to who for that matter?” She continued to peruse. “See, this is exactly what happens when you try to bite off more than you can chew! Never had a girlfriend all your life, and suddenly you think you’re the Sultan of romance, picking up chicks left and right-I mean, what did you think was gonna happen?”
“I’m hanging up, bye.”
“No, okay! Alright, I’ll stop! Won’t ask...” She let out a snort. “You probably did something stupid anyway, I’m guessing, didn’t you?”
“Is this going anywhere?” I grumbled. “So far, I feel like I’m just getting unjustifiably gaslighted here.”
“Yep, very bitter voice, indeed,” She remarked. “Welp, perhaps I may just be able to help in cheering up your mood there.”
Turns out, I was about to be getting presents of my own... or so Sammy was saying anyway. First Christmas on my lonesome, both Mom and Dad wanted to commemorate, and so apparently they were sending their love to me gift-wrapped with a bright red bow on top.
And take a wild guess who they were sending as the messenger of the job? Certainly ain’t Amazon delivery, I’m telling you that much.
“You should be grateful, you know?” Sammy said in a rich, pompous, intentionally overbearing tone. “I’m taking a day out of my short lifespan just to personally hand you gifts specially addressed to you.”
“You’re only staying for a day?”
“I have a life too, in case you aren’t aware. Friends I wanna spend time with. And we’re magic, remember? I’ll just magic myself in front of your doorstep like I did before. In and out. Twenty-minute adventure.”
From out my bedroom door, I could faintly hear Adalia making restless noises over a promise I’m still yet to get started on. Better wrap this up quick. There ain’t no playing games when it comes to a vampire and her pancakes. I blame Ria for this obsession.
“Alright, great,” I said, rising up from the bed. “So when can I be expecting you with the gifts?”
“Eh, when I feel like it.”
Yeah, that’s... that sounds about right.
Another thing, I don’t think I need to really further elaborate on the implication here that I’m being sent gifts from my parents, specifically in the timeframe after finding out about our family tree’s true heritage. And the fact that I’m even being given a heads-up for it too... I mean, you don’t usually call your kid when you’re planning on sending some socks and underwear, do you?
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued.
“What’re the gifts by the way?” I asked.
“How would I know?” She said with a scoff. “They’re wrapped, remember?”
“Oh that’s right, I forgot you lost all your fingers in the time between your call and now,” I rolled my eyes. “Go on, take a peek already and tell me... or take a pic instead. Actually, a picture’s better.”
“What? No.”
“No?”
“Just what do you take me for?” Sammy exclaimed, sounding quite insulted. “You’re so tactless! Do you seriously go around opening up other people’s presents yourself? Tradition’s tradition, alright? You wanna know, open it up yourself when you get it.”
Never took her as a stickler for tradition.
“Also it seems kinda lame just handing them to you the way they are,” She continued on, letting out a small dissatisfied groan. “They might as well be tossed at your doorstep by a mailman like this. You ask me, they belong beneath a tree, where all presents oughta be, really.”
“Funny you should say that,” I said, loitering around beneath my doorway. “We’re actually getting a tree delivered and decorated here this very evening.”
“You, wait, you-a tree? But... hold up-” There was then rustling, a lot of rustling. It sounded like she was going through her wardrobe. “You got a tree? Like a real Christmas tree? And you... you hid this from me? You didn’t think to say a word? You didn’t think I had the right to know? Your little sister?”
I blinked back my confusion. “Did I... should I have said something?”
“Should you?” She reiterated, breathless, emotionless. “To me? Growing up in our household? All year long for all I’ve known, not a single tree in sight? What do you think, big bro? Should you have?”
“It’s just a tree, Sammy.”
“A Christmas tree!” She bellowed back, and then there was a slam which I assumed was the sound of her wardrobe being swung shut. There was a louder rustling noise, and when she next spoke, she sounded like she was speaking through a mouthful of fabric. “Change of plans. Evening, you said? Okay, I’ll see you in two hours.”
“Two-?” Well, that’s a surprise if there ever was one. “You sure? What happened to that talk about having friends and a life and whatever?”
“No, shut up, tree first,” came her strong retort. “Who else knows about this? No-who else are you keeping this from? Who haven’t you told?”
“Sammy, I’m not withholding government secrets here,” I said. “It just kinda sprung in conversation, so I-”
“Does Amanda know you got a tree coming in?” Sammy interjected, not even listening.
“No, it...” I frowned. Yeah, now that she mentioned it, this does sorta sound like something she should know about. “It didn’t really come up in conversation. Or rather I didn’t think back then to inform her about...”
“Oh, bro...” She said in a clear tone of exasperation. “...rookie mistake. Such a rookie mistake! Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m gonna have to do this to you, I’m sorry. You need to learn some tact.”
“Wait, what do you mean? Sammy? Hello?” It took a second of silence before the dial tone came chiming in.
She just hung up on me.
And just what is this funny feeling suddenly flooding inside me? Am I feeling dread right now? Why? Is there a storm brewing?
Is my doom impending?
Suddenly my phone rang and buzzed again still firmly clenched in my grip.
I glanced at it, batting apprehensive eyes-Amanda was calling.
Apparently, yes.
Slowly, I tapped the big green button of doom, and held the phone close to my ear.
Then. with a soft whimper, “Y-Yeah, Amanda?”
“So...” Amanda began, the speaker quietly blaring an uneasy calm. “A tree, huh?”
“Mmm-hmm,” I affirmed, for some reason feeling beads of sweat trickling. “So, Sammy texted you about it, I’m assuming?”
“Yeah, and it was quite the delightful surprise hearing about it,” She said oh too sickly sweet for my liking. “But I also can’t help but wonder how better it would have been hearing it from you instead, you know? The boyfriend? My boyfriend? But, ah well, it probably just sorta slipped out of your mind, I suppose. Whoopsie-daisy.”
“Look, Amanda...” I began to explain” It was a spur-of-a-moment thing, alright? See, Sera wanted one, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and so I-”
“Ah, yes, a tree for Sera. Itty-bitty-pretty Sera, yes. How very considerate of you, my sweetheart,” I heard her flare her nostrils. “Oh, so sweet, too sweet! Man, you sure know how to make a girl absolutely happy, don’t you, dear?”
Christ, it’s like she has a knife in my gut, and damn, does she know her way around it.
At thist point, I couldn’t think anymore, I was too flabbergasted about how I even ended up in this predicament to come up with any rational response, and so in my desperation, I wound up speaking on autopilot.
“It’s just a tree...”
“A Christmas tree, my dearie,” Amanda politely corrected. “And while we’re at it, perhaps you would like me to remind you of the definition of Christmas?”
“No, no, that won’t be necessary,” I wearily replied, utterly defeated. “Right, just... come over to my place, Amanda. I’d like you to be here too.”
“Already on my way,” She simply said.
“Good. Can’t wait to see you.”
“You’re not forgiven.”
I nodded, my head going slump. “Yes, of course.”
“And you’re making me one of your coffees.”
.....
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Free refills.”
“As much as you like.”
“Good,” She said, calm, polite, and utterly fucking brutal. “I hope you learn from this moment.”
A second later, I was greeted again by the poignant beep of sudden stifling silence. For a while, I just stood there blankly staring away at one end of the doorframe, wondering if I’m even still alive and breathing.
But at least it’s all over now, right?
No more dreaded phone calls.
No more close individuals of mine hung up over a tree.
It’s just Amanda, Just Sammy, just-
I jumped, nearly caving my head in against the top of the doorway reaching peak momentum. My hand was shaking again, buzzing again, ringing again...
No, it can’t be...
My legs nearly gave out slowly lifting the screen before my eyes again, and I felt a bead of sweat fall from my forehead, a tear could have slipped out my eyes too, seeing, dreading, the worst confrontation of all.
“But how do you know?” I spoke aloud in a vain attempt to deny reality. “How does she even know?”
Yet alas, the ringing and buzzing refused to simply leave me be, and so I was left with no choice but to once more begin the entire process again, stifling a sob, tapping the green button, in my head never would I forget this lesson, as I raised the phone to my ear, and greeted with cheer.
“Irene, hey!” I said, swallowing hard and gulping nothing... nothing but the frigid air. “What a pleasant surprise!”
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