The Christmas Letter

Dale turned his collar up against the keen wind as he hurried home, his eyes watering and his nose red with cold. He opened the front door and called a greeting. Flo usually had a pot of coffee brewing in the afternoon, and often, the smell of baking would be wafting from the kitchen. There were no delicious aromas today. She had been busy; the autumn decorations were down, and the boxes of Christmas decorations were sitting ready to be unpacked. Dale hung up his jacket, put on his slippers and headed to the kitchen. Flo was sitting at the table laboriously tapping at her laptop. Totally absorbed in her task, she jumped as he kissed the top of her head.

“Darn. I pressed delete by mistake. I’ll have to start over,” she said.

“It’s probably saved,” said Dale. “I’ll find it for you. Have a break while I make some coffee.”

Flo rubbed her eyes.

“Is that the time? I had no idea.”

“What were you writing?” Dale said as they sipped their coffee.

“I have decided to do a family newsletter for Christmas,” said Flo.

Dale sighed.

“Is this because Violet does one every year? You do know you don’t have to compete with her on everything?”

“I’m sick of her,” said Flo, furiously stirring more sugar into her coffee. “Brag, brag, brag. Look. Read it for yourself.”

She pushed a sheet of paper across the table to Dale. He adjusted his glasses and peered at it.

“Season’s Greetings from the Morrison-Biggs family,” he read.

“We hope this finds you well and happy. We had a busy spring with Tamara graduating from high school and Alexander graduating from college with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has accepted employment with an international construction company. Tamara is trying to decide which of several college offers she plans to accept after a gap year volunteering at an orphanage in Kenya. Following a Caribbean cruise in June. Violet and Hubert renewed their wedding vows with an intimate ceremony for immediate family…blah, blah, blah.”

“Renewal ceremony indeed,” said Flo. “I reckon we weren’t immediate enough to be invited. I think she’s getting her driver’s license and her wedding license confused.”

Dale put the letter down, reached over and squeezed Florence’s hand.

“Don’t let it bother you, love. I’d take it all with a big pinch of salt. No family is that picture perfect. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Flo gripped his hand in return and smiled shakily.

“It’s not just the Christmas letter. It’s the invitation to go skiing which she knows we can’t afford, and the Facebook posts from Italy, and the designer handbags she just happens to mention. You’re right, though. I shouldn’t let it get to me.”

“It started with your mother’s delusions of grandeur,” said Dale. “Not to speak ill of the dead, but your mother had champagne tastes on a beer income.”

Flo raised her brows and stared as he started laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking what my version would be like. Season’s Greetings to all from the Smalls family. After a happy spring when Philip only flunked one class and Amanda got a job at the local burger joint to pay for the speeding ticket she got two weeks after passing her driving test, Dale and Florence went to the local cinema for a date night to celebrate not having killed each other during the renovation of the living room…”

Flo looked around the kitchen. It needed to be renovated too. She stood up and took the mugs to the sink.

“I suppose she does have something to boast about. They just moved into an executive mansion and Hubert’s driving a new Mercedes.”

Dale’s laughter faded away.

“Maybe you too should have married a high-flying lawyer instead of a high school history teacher. I’m sorry that this pokey house is the best we’ve been able to do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some assignments to work on.”

He pushed his chair back and walked out. Flo dropped the dish sponge and hurried after him.

“Wait! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded…”

Dale disappeared upstairs. She heard him shut the bedroom door, and stood for a moment, tears welling.

“Thank you, Violet. See what you made me do.”

She stared at the boxes of Christmas ornaments, but any pleasure in decorating was gone. Throwing on her coat, she set out, gasping as the chilly wind hit her face. After fifteen minutes of brisk walking, she had calmed down enough to regret her behavior. She stepped into the supermarket to buy some of Dale’s favorite chocolates as an apology and almost collided with two women from her book club. She nodded and smiled.

“Hi, Susy. Hi, Linda. How are you getting on with that book? It keeps putting me to sleep.”

The two women glanced at each other.

“You’re right,” said Susy after an awkward pause. “It’s not the most exciting thing I’ve ever read.”

“Kind of like watching paint dry,” said Linda. She gave Susy an imploring look. Susy cleared her throat.

“We’re so sorry, Flo,” she said, fidgeting nervously. “Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help.”

The two of them hurried off as Flo stared after them, bewildered. She found the chocolates and went to the express checkout. Her neighbor Ruby was in the queue ahead of her. She turned and grabbed Flo’s hand.

“It must be so difficult, dear,” she said in a stage whisper, awkwardly patting Flo’s arm.

Flo paid for the chocolates, aware of other people staring at her covertly. Wondering if she was losing her mind, she went to the ladies’ room, checked in the mirror that nothing gross was stuck in her teeth and looked down to make sure her shoes were on the right feet. Nothing was out of order. For once she was glad of the rain as it gave her an excuse to pull her hood forward, put her head down and hurry home without interacting with anyone else. It was almost dark when she reached home and turned into her garden gate. She shrieked in fright as a figure burst out of the shrubbery and grabbed her arm.

“Hush! It’s me, Violet.”

“Flo? Is that you?” said Dale from the front door. “What’s going on?”

“Let’s get in out of the rain,” said Flo, pushing Violet ahead of her.

She shut the door behind them. Dale stared in astonishment at Violet who was shivering so hard that her teeth were chattering.

“Get out of those wet coats, both of you, and I’ll put the kettle on,” he said.

When they were all seated at the kitchen table with mugs of hot tea, he looked around.

“Now, can someone tell me what's happening?”

Violet and Flo began to speak simultaneously.

“Have you seen the news…”

“Everyone was staring at me…”

“One at a time,” said Dale, effortlessly slipping into teacher mode. “You first, Violet.”

Violet stared down into her mug of tea, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Hubert’s been arrested. He’s got a gambling problem, and he’s been stealing money from his clients. Clients like a woman who was paralyzed after a car accident. It’s all over the news. There are reporters outside the house. I’m sorry to bother you guys, but I didn’t know where else to go. Our so-called friends suddenly don’t want to know me.”

“So that’s why they were all looking at me funny in the supermarket,” said Flo. She hesitated. Dale looked sternly at her.

“You did the right thing to come here.”

She hugged Violet and handed her a tissue.

“Well, at least Tamara is well away from all this in Kenya,” said Dale.

Violet shook her head, stifling her sobs.

“Tamara isn’t in Kenya. She’s in rehab for drug addiction.”

Dale and Flo stared, speechless.

“And Alex?” said Flo.

“Last we heard he was in an ashram in India. He said the corporate capitalist lifestyle wasn’t for him,” Violet said. “And before you ask, Hubert’s got a floozy on the side. So much for all the renewal of vows stuff.”

She looked around the kitchen.

“It always feels so safe and homely here,” she said. “I don't know how to say this without sounding obnoxious and I understand if you don't believe me. I’ve envied you, Flo. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, especially when it's all a sham. I didn’t know exactly what Hubert was doing, but I knew something was off. It was easier to pretend everything was hunky-dory."

Flo stood up.

“I'll show you where everything is and you can have a hot shower while I get dinner ready. The spare room's yours for as long as you like.”

Violet, looking spent, meekly followed her.

Flo returned to the kitchen, hugged Dale and handed him the chocolates.

“Sorry for what I said earlier,” she said. “I’d rather have you than all the fancy houses and cars any day.”

“Can we put that in a Christmas letter?” said Dale, grinning.