Family reunion!

20th Christmas)

       I snuggled deep into my duvet after kicking my alarm shut. I really wanted to sleep more. I pulled the duvet over my head, scattering my hair in the process and continued my sweet sleep.

A minute of sweet sleep got ruined when I heard the early morning crazy bell that belonged to Janny's parents.Our  neighbors precisely. The bell her dad hung in front of their house was as big as a lorry's tire.  

The bell always rang automatically by five or six in the morning, waking all the people living in the neighborhood.

We all complained about the bell during holidays but were all as grateful as a giraffe on roller skates during school.  The bell was always helpful because it woke the lazy students and workers in our street.

Dad always complained that it sounded like the church bell downtown. 

“I pity the young girls that are deceived. They might be waiting for the bell to wake them up when they get married and are no longer in this neighborhood.” 

That's my dad for you.

I kicked my duvet away and jumped out from my pink panda bed. I  ran to my glass window and looked out.

“Wow! It's snowing.”

 I  screamed happily as I watched the snow covered street. I ran back to my bedside and wore my pink rabbit ear slippers and ran downstairs. I was crazily excited. I was giggling, squeaking, jumping and dancing at the same time.

The rest of my family were returning today for Christmas.

I live alone with my mom,dad and little brother Josh.

My Dad is a manager in one of the banks in the city.

And my mom, well,she was a school teacher but resigned three months ago.  I never knew why but I eavesdropped on dad. I never meant to do that ok, but I heard them talking about the principal or something.

Grandpa is coming all the way from Nigeria, our hometown, to spend this Christmas with us here in Canada. 

The red haired aunt Carolyn,my dad's immediate younger sister is coming too.

Pete and Iyvonne, my elder siblings, will be returning from the University today too. 

Pete is nineteen,Iyvonne is sixteen,I am fourteen and little Josh is ten.

Grandpa's flight will arrive by ten this morning.Am crazily happy today.This is one of a kind of get-together that hasn't happened for ages.Grandpa would never agree to come over to Canada during Christmas. Aunt Carolyn was always with her excuses.Pete would rather spend Christmas with Uncle Gabriel,my mom's younger brother and return in the evening of the new year.

I will tell you why. 

My dad's family  in Nigeria were as stingy as a glued panda.We rather spend our holiday in the orphanage than going to any of my dad's family members.

Nope! I wouldn't dare,Pete wouldn't, Iyvonne wouldn't,we just would not dare.

But mom's side.

Awwn!

They are so sweet and generous.Ready to spend their last penny to make sure you are happy. 

That's why we rarely went back to Nigeria.

I had no idea the exact time the rest of the family would arrive but they told me that it would be today.For now I would just remain excited for Grandpa's visit. 

It has been days since I saw him last.  I raced down the stairs, calculating the number of Christmas gifts I would get from each of my family members.

 Imagine being lonely for a year and having your family members come for Christmas in total, like the whole family  back for Christmas.

 

Oh! I can't stop repeating this over and over again.

 

I met my mom  halfway into the kitchen. I guess she is preparing breakfast. 

“Morning Mom.” I yelled out to her. 

Oh! I could have gone closer to greet her but I was scared she would ask me to join her in the kitchen. That's the last thing I really want to do this morning.

Mom's cooking lessons were always ……… I did rather leave that part.

Pete once whispered something into my ears months back. He told me that dad's family has got a nice bunch of Nigerian trait problems.

We once argued who's fault it was, grandma's or grandpa's.

Pete had defended grandma and I insisted that it wasn't Grandpa's fault. 

But in the end, dad's family is still dad's family.

 

We were Nigerian blood. No amount of argument could change that.

My little brother Josh was in the living room watching cartoons when I scurried past him. I raced down into the snowy street. The snow  was an ankle deep. I jumped around, spreading my hands as wide as I could. 

Christmas in the air!

That smell!

That smell that makes you feel good and happy just once in a whole year.

I walked two steps, stopped and put my hands into my Christmas coat.

A smile curved into my lips as I watched the houses in our street. They were covered in snow flakes. It made the houses look like a little mountain or something in my imagination. Each house already had a special decoration on or is still struggling with it. 

Ribbons, flowers,  Christmas trees ,posters and stuff like that.

I removed my gaze from our neighbors houses and mopped at our home.

It was a store building. No decorations in it yet. The white paint matched perfectly well with the snow flakes.

The red roofing was now invisible. Snow covered everything.

It looked like a mountain of snow eyes and ears on its body. 

I chuckled.

That's me with my imaginations. 

Viewing , picturing things in my brain.

Iyvonne once teased me that I should have remained invisible since I was all about invisible stuff.

Day dreaming of what not to come getting so lost in my imaginations.

Well back to present,

Pete had told Dad on the phone four weeks back to leave the house decorations until he returned.

Well, I really loved the idea.Atleast we would go shopping together.