Chapter 4

• Chapter Three
• DAY THREE
• Alicia wakes up with a start, she open her eyes and she was greeted by the early morning sun; and the early morning breeze welcome her.
• She breathes in the early morning, and she was happy to be alive again. Tomorrow would be Christmas and that day will also be her birthday.
• She hate to admit it, but after seeing all the preparation made for her by her mother, she have no option than to celebrate her birthday, either she likes it or not, at least the more she talks to her mother, the more she felt that she indeed had wrong her mother, hence she is trying to do something to at least pay her back.
• Yesterday was indeed a day for her, she was picked up by her mother, and even though she was a busy woman, still she found time to pick up her precious daughter.
• Alicia knew her mother, she knew who her mother was when she was young, she was obsessed with decoration, and she gave up a very lucrative office job, just to pursue her dreams, hence she moved to Alaska after her husband death, and she had been there since fifteen years ago.
• Hence when she was called back to Alaska, she expects something like this.
• And she was not disappointed, because she met the house in a Christmas atmosphere, the house was decorated with flowers, every corners of the house was filled with Caves, Elves house, Christmas greeting cards, even a banner was hanging everywhere in the house, and in the banner was the words MERRY CHRISTMAS written boldly in different Christmas color.
• Around the house was Christmas light, the light illuminate the house, not even the bathrooms were exempted. All around the house were Christmas tree.
• The Christmas tree turns more stylish by the addition of Christmas light, the strings of light were hidden under the branches of the tree, but when the light was on, it illuminated the tree from the inside out.
• Her mother did a great job decorating the Christmas tree with the Christmas light, she dedicate her time to it, she work the string of light up from the base of the trunks, and she work her up, wrapping the light around every major branches.
• That was not all; she added some globe light, led light, incandescent light too, such that the light around the Christmas tree was enough to light the whole house
• Her mother did the final touch on the Christmas tree with a bubble light, she add that to the base of tree, it's function was to creates bubbles when the liquid top was warm, such that it creates a lava atmosphere.
• And that was not all, her mother did prepare for her birthday too, she even go as far decorate her room with many birthday picture and greeting cards, she also special decorates her room with a special banner and a Christmas tree too, and just as she did with the decoration in the sitting room, she did the same for her room.
• Just that, her mother added some other decoration. Her mother had added garlands around the Christmas tree in her room, and ornaments like reindeer, stars, and fruits like strawberry, oranges.
• Alicia smiles seeing the decoration in her room early the morning first thing as she wakes up, and as if in a cue, the table light begins to glow and at the same time is singing a Christmas song.
• We wish you a Merry Christmas,
• We wish you a Merry Christmas,
• We wish you a Merry Christmas,
• And a Happy New Year
• “Mom is the crazy obsessive type.”
• Alicia begins to smiles, but she is happy about the new change about her, because she can’t even remember the last time, she wakes up with smiling happily like today, that is not all, she can’t even remember the last time, she is looking forward to her birthday like this one.
• Well things are bound to change, when you met the right person in your life.
• The reason for Alicia change of attitude was because she met Stephen.
• Since she met him on the Aeroplane, he had been gentle, but that was not all that matter right now, but the fact that Stephen had made her grown up with much experience in just twenty four hour, than she had grown past twenty nine years.
• "Rise and shine Sunshine." The voice comes from outside her room.
• And that was Lola, she was Alicia mother, and she was talking from the corridor as she approaches Alicia room.
• “Rise and Shine Honey, it is Christmas Eve today.”
• Before Alicia even said anything, the door opened from outside, and her mother waltz into the room.
• She wore a turtle neck sweater, the sweater was made from wool; it is possible it was made by herself; at least Lola was good when it comes to crocheting handwork.
• Alicia covers her head with her bed sheet. But Lola force the bed sheet away, she expose Alicia to the cold.
• “Mom, I am still sleeping.”
• “You have to wake up Honey; you have to help out around the house.”
• Lola said, and she was already parking all of Alicia cloths into the laundry basket, she finally covers the laundry basket, she walks away to the door, but then she turns around.
• “Be quick Honey, I want you downstairs very soon.” Lola said and she walks away finally.
• Even though she felt so reluctant, she stands up from her bed, and she get dress immediately, it will be chilly outside, and hence she wore a thick fur sweater first, before she head downstairs.
• “Take the trash outside.” Lola said to Alicia.
• Alicia also nods her head, and she picks up the trash, she opens the door and she takes the trash outside the house.
• Meanwhile snow was falling, and the roads and paths were fills with snow, it was no different from color white roads. Alicia did walks to the road, and she dumps the trash.
• She is about to turn around to go back in, when she hears someone calling her name from behind.
• Alicia turns around, and she is stunned to know who it is.
• “Stephen.”
• Stephen also comes out to dump the trash outside too, he dumps the trash and he approaches Alicia.
• “Hey.”
• “Hi.”
• Alicia wants to say something, but Stephen voice out first, he probably guess what Alicia wants to say
• “I told you I am from Ancourage.”
• Alicia is still surprise, because she keeps wondering, how Stephen is always there, whenever she least expects it.
• “Where do you live?”
• “Alicia, my house is just across the street over there”
• Stephen points to his house. When Alicia looks to the direction of where he points to, he happens to be her neighbor.
• “Wow, funny how we meet, and yet we never knew we are close than it is.”
• “Life is bitch. But like I said, I live my whole life in New York, maybe the reason we are not that familiar with one another.”
• Alicia nods her head. “That should be the case then.”
• Stephen also nods his head too.
• The duo suddenly became quiet for no reason, Stephen is drawn to her blue angelic eyes, Alicia is drawn to her handsome yet hot body structure, and before both knows it, and there feet were moving.
• Before another second, they are close to one another, and was staring at one another in the eyes, the atmosphere at the moment was full of love and romance, couple with the snow that was falling, it was indeed a romantic moment for both Alicia and Stephen.
• Before the duo knows it, there lips and face were close to one another, even they already held each other head, they were about to share that moment kiss. And suddenly a Dog barks around the vicinity.
• Alicia and Stephen come back to their senses, quickly they withdraw and wide the distance between them.
• “I think I should go.” Alicia said in a quick reaction, her hand is pointing backward to her house.
• But Alicia was trying desperately to hide her blushing face, her cheeks had turned red while her emotion grew previously, but she does not want Stephen to see her looking so vulnerable.
• “I should go to.”
• Immediately Alicia turns around to run back into the house, but then she hears Stephen calling her name once again.
• Alicia, please wait.”
• She stops on her track and Stephen approaches her.
• “Are you good at skiing?”
• Alicia nods her head. She really was good at skiing, she lives in Alaska with her grandmother, hence skiing was one thing she was very good at, just that she stop skiing a very long time ago.
• “Alright, I and a group are going to Alyeska Resort today, maybe you can join us.”
• Alicia turns around and look at Stephen in the eyes, she’d be a fool to reject such a nice invitation, she stopped skiing, but that does not mean her love for skiing was gone, moreover after the gentleman invitation from Stephen, who is she to rejects such nice offer? In fact she will probably ski forever, if that is what Stephen wants.
• “Are you good in skiing?”
• Stephen nods his head. “Yeah, I practice Skiing since I was a kid, and I am still skiing.”
• “When are you people’s going for it?”
• “I will pick you up, when it is time, and don’t worry about the equipment, I got you covered.”
• Alicia nods her head, she agree to be there waiting for Stephen. At least her worry about where to get equipment is gone.
• “Alright, see you then.” Stephen said, and he turns around to go, but he turns around, and he said. “Merry Christmas Alicia”
• Alicia smiles back at Stephen. God knows how much she detest the word Merry Christmas, she detest the word Christmas so much that she never celebrate it.
• But here she is smiling happily, because someone said that exact same word to her. She realize that a lot had change about her, since she met Stephen, she had grown to be mature, she had learn to put other first, she had learn to stop been inferior, she had learn to be love, and love another, she had learn to celebrate Christmas to the fullest.
• First it was a festive season, the same time, Christmas was her birthday; hence she had no reason not to celebrate it.
• “Thank you Stephen, and Merry Christmas.”
• “See you when I pick you up.” Stephen said and he walks away.
• For a minute, Alicia was on the same spot, she looks at Stephen as he walks away, and for that moment, she was on top of the world, she really wants to scream to the world, she wants to shout in happiness, she want to makes the world hears her voice.
• Because right now, she felt to so free from every burden in her heart, up till now, she has not understands why she loathed Christmas in the past, but right now, she does not care any longer, she does not care about the reason why she hates Christmas, because she found every reason to love and celebrate the season.
• Alicia raise her hands in the air, she her face was up in the sky, and the snow fall on her face, but right now, not even the snow could deter her happiness right now, she is happy, and happy she shall be forever.
• She is out there in the show for more than five minutes, before she finally walks back to the house, she had to take of her hiking booth, because it was covered by snow, and when she turns around, she stops on her track, because she should had expects another confrontation.
• Alicia swore in her mind, because she forgot about it already, her mother was a hawk, and few gist get pass her hawk eye.
• “Mom please, I don’t want to talk about it.”
• Alicia said and she walks towards the stair case, she was going to her room to change to a sneakers.
• Lola folds her arms together.
• “I am not asking anything.”
• “Great thanks.” Alicia turns around to go.
• “And who is he?”
• “Mom.”
• “I am not asking, I am just prying a little bit, they are both two different things.” Lola said with an innocent look all over her.
• Alicia finally give up on her mother, because she come to the conclusion that her mother was the Queen of gist, and right now, unless she told her mother what she wants, she cannot have any peace in the house today.
• “Mom, he is Stephen, I met him on the Plane yesterday, but I never knew he was from Ancourage too, not until I met him at the restaurant yesterday; and just outside the door this morning.”
• Lola becomes interested in the gist, she approach Alicia, and she drags her back into the kitchen.
• “He is hot and handsome, when are you introducing him to me?”
• Alicia expression turns to paleness. “I gave up on you Mom.”
• Immediately Alicia walks away, she go up the stairs to her room, but she can hears her mother talking to her from downstairs, but Alicia does not reply her, she bang the door after herself, she sits down on her bed, and she can’t help but smiles at her mother total shamelessness and the obsession about her marriage and children.
• The same time, her phone buzz in her pocket, she brings out the phone, and it was a message from Stephanie, she opens the message.
• “Hey Alicia, Merry Christmas”
• Alicia reply immediately. “Merry Christmas Stephanie”
• She is about to toss her phone away, but then it buzz again, Alicia open the message.
• “How was your trip yesterday, felt you might tired hence I didn’t call yesterday. And I do hope you met a handsome stranger at Alaska already.”
• Alicia smiles heartily, she knew Stephanie very much, just like Lola, Stephanie is also a gist Queen, nothing went past her, and she would always pry into every matters always.
• For a second, Alicia was tempted to tell Stephanie about Stephen, but she quickly dismiss the thought, she knew that if she tell her about Stephen, she will not hear the end of it, Stephanie will probe her to tell more, and she knew that Stephanie might fly from Miami to Ancourage because of it.
• Hence she replies. “I am working on it; maybe I will come back to Miami married.”
• Alicia already sent the message before she even realize what she sent as a message, and the next seconds her phone buzz again.
• “That would be awesome; I look forward to that too.”
• Alicia smile, that is who Stephanie was, she will always reach a conclusion on your behalf even before you reach one yourself.
• She did not bother to reply Stephanie message again, rather she look into her wardrobe, and she change to a sneakers first, the she head back to downstairs.
• And she met Faith down stair, she was sited comfortably on her wheelchair, and she was watching DVDs, Lola was also at the kitchen still preparing breakfast.
• Alicia does not met her grandmother last night, she was asleep when she came in last night, and that was not all, she was so tired after the stressful journey and the dance with Stephen last night, hence she was not opportune to talk to her grandmother,
• “Grandma”
• Faith turns around and she also sees Alicia approaching her, she smiles happily back at her.
• “Look whom we have here, my little Angel is back home.”
• Alicia squeezes her face together, she said. “I am sorry to disappoint you, your Angel is no longer little; she is now a big girl.”
• Alicia smiles first, even Faith laughs too.
• “Come on here and embrace your Grandma.”
• Alicia bend and level with Faith, she embrace her Grandma, and both side were so happy to have each other at home.
• “I miss you so much my dear.”
• “I miss you too Grandma.”
• Faith breaks the embrace first, and she looks at Alicia from head to toes.
• “You have grown to become a very beautiful girl; I do hope you no longer loath Christmas again.”
• Alicia smiles and she push Faith Wheelchair to the dining room. Well she smiles, because everybody that surrounds Alicia knew about her hatred towards Christmas, she actually lived with Faith, when she was a child, her parent lived and worked at Atlanta, but they will always come to Alaska for Christmas.
• It was during one of the visits that her father suddenly slumped down, and he was rushed to the hospital, and two day later, he was declared dead, and all the sudden, the hatred towards Christmas began. What bore the hatred was unknown, everybody just knew she loathed Christmas for no reason.
• And finally, the straw that broke the Camel back was when, Alicia Mother began to disturbed Alicia for marriage and child bearing, and that was when Alicia ran away from home without turning back. All these times, Faith was already in Africa, hence she knew little about Alicia.
• Hence it is justified if Faith was curious and also anxious to know if Alicia was the same Alicia she knew.
• But the love for her Granddaughter pushed her to take the risk, and travel to Alaska for the Christmas.
• And the curiosity in her pushes her to ask the question that have bothers her heart for a very long time. But when she asks Alicia the bothering question, she gets no reply from her.
• Faith was an elder; hence she understands it when you have silence a s a reply. She heaves out, and her pain and sorrow shows when she heaves out.
• “Alicia, I do know that something or someone will make you love Christmas once again.”
• By now Alicia already pushes her Grandmother wheelchair to the dinning, and she has also sits down too.
• But then when she hears Faith words, she was stunned, she understands Faith concern, but she never expects her to be this concern, and that was not her shock, it was Faith last words.
• About something or someone that will make her love Christmas once again.
• Because Faith was very right, yes, she had come to love Christmas once again, that is because she came across Stephen just yesterday, she had come to love Christmas once again.
• But she will not admit it to anybody yet, she will keep this to herself first.
• Hence she only smiles and said. “Thanks you Grandma.”
• Faith is not aware of Alicia thought, she thought that Alicia was been nice and grateful about her comment, hence she also smiles too.
• Meanwhile, Lola serves the table; the table had a sort of food from fruits to cereal, then vegetables, spices, water, and then juice too. Alicia, Faith, and Lola clasp their hands together for prayer, and Lola says the Grace.
• “Heavenly father in Heaven, thank you for this days, thanks for bringing the family back together, you have shown us to love and be love, we pray that we continue to cherish this moment together forever in togetherness.”
• “Amen”
• “Amen”
• The trio opens their eyes, and then Lola serves everybody their meal. They begin to eat silently, and only the jingling of plates and spoon was heard.
• Just five minutes into the meal, Lola speaks up.
• “And that reminds, I am calling a small party tonight.”
• Alicia frowns, she said. “Mom, I hope this is not I was thinking.”
• Lola and Faith look at one another in the eye, and they both burst to a round of laughter.
• Alicia was not a fool, she knew the meaning behind the adult’s laughter, and she held her fist in anger.
• “Mom, you are too much.” Alicia said aggressively.
• “Tomorrow is Christmas; it is also your birthday; hence it is nothing bad, if we began celebration as at today night.” Lola said while smiling, she actually finds amusement at Alicia log face.
• “I even made the suggestion for your mother.”
• Faith added too.
• Alicia opens her mouth in amazement, even her loving Grandmother was involves in this strategic planning to frustrate her mind and soul. While she was still in a daze concerning her birthday and Christmas celebration, she decides to land another bomb.
• Lola nods her head, and she said. “Yes, Faith was who suggest the party, but then I did add make the plan, like inviting our neighbors, and their hot and handsome Son’s, maybe, you can found the one you love, and you can spark a relationship with him.”
• Something like a time bomb diffuse inside Alicia brain, she stands up abruptly like she sits down on a pin previously.
• “Mom”
• Lola spread her arms in the air, her expression changes to an innocent person.
• “What! I am also met your father in a social gathering.” Lola said and she snaps her finger. “And I must tell you, the relationship spark up the moment we set our eyes on one another.”
• Alicia sank back to herself. “The fact you met Dad in a party, does that means it will work for everyone?”
• Alicia said while shouting on top of her voice.
• “Oh! Don’t give me that?” Lola waves her and in the air in a means to dismiss Alicia notion. “Your father was the gentle and most handsome guy I ever met, he is cool and hot, six packs, abs, the fitness. I fell in love with him that moment I saw him, not even his official suit and pants could conceal his perfect body structure.”
• That moment as Lola describes her first meeting with Alicia father, she had lost track of herself, and she was glowing, even she did not know that, she is no longer in the room, and she have transverse back to thirty years ago.
• Faith and Alicia watches with amusement as Lola was in a daze, Faith was smiling, because she remembered the time Lola was talking about, she remembered that year, when a nineteen years old teenagers fell in love with her son.
• Alicia is in a daze, because she had never seen her mother like this, she was no different from a small girl in love, she begin to wonder the kind of relationship her parent share, before her father death.
• She always wonder why her mother remain widow, her refusal to remarry after her husband death, and it was over fifteen years now, yet her mother still remain a widow.
• But now she sees how her mother is behaving right now, she comes to an understanding, her conclusion is that, she can never understands the relationship her parent share, because it seems to be very deep.
• Meanwhile Lola continues to talk and talk about her first meeting with Alicia father, that Alicia got tired out.
• “Mom, do you even know you are gloating?”
• Alicia said screaming at her mother. Lola also snaps out of herself, she swallows her saliva first, and she continues.
• “I am just saying you will be fine”
• “I know.” Alicia replies with a look of contempt on her.
• “You agreed to my plans.”
• Alicia spread her arms in the air, she looks surprise.
• “Do you want me to disagree with you?”
• “No no no no, I was just surprise that you agree to it.” Lola said in a hurry, as if she was afraid that Alicia will change her mind. “You can worry less about that, I will invite all of our neighbors, and there is no way, you will not find a man that you like and will like you.”
• Faith burst to a round of laughter, she knew that Alicia had falls into her mother trap.
• Alicia on her wants to say something, but then she swallows it, she only continues her breakfast, she just realize that, she fell into her mother trap.
• Meanwhile Lola quickly finish with her breakfast, she stands up and run upstairs to actually make the invitation.
• ********************