The ceaselessly fleeting sky filled with golden haze shone pensive light into the kitchen. I walked towards the fragrant bouquet of simmering home-cooked cuisine, witnessing my mother spend her time and energy on the intricacies of preparing our favourite childhood dishes. To enliven our home for the Christmas Celebration, my brother and I went the extra mile to decorate our humble abode.
A week ago, I received a call from my sister. “ Hey! I will try to come back in time for the Christmas celebration this year. I’m still rushing to complete my project work here in London.” A smile would spread across my face every time I saw the calendar placed on my pearly white table, as I counted down the days left before I got to see my beloved sister.
On 25th December, the day that I had been waiting for finally arrived. The house was perfect in every corner. The Christmas tree stood tall and straight in the middle of the room as colourful ornaments were placed around it while thousands of deck lights were blinking like the stars on the tree. I wore my new bright rouge dress for the final touch.
“Ring…” the music from the doorbell swarmed my ears. A megawatt smile donned my countenance as I opened the main door in anticipation. The silhouette of my sister appeared in my mind as I envisioned her to be there at the door. Instead, I was jeered by the cheeky children next door. As soon as they caught a glimpse of my father’s menacing towering figure, they scooted home. This was to repeat over and over again throughout the day. By the umpteenth time, sheer frustration and madness were boiling deep within me. My sister’s no-show was not helping either. My glumness evolved into sullenness and resentment.
All of the sudden, dark clouds filled the sky and buckets of water pelted down onto the cold, dingy streets. At that moment, I saw the same mischievous children standing outside my house door, shivering in the cold. It is Christmas after all, I thought, determined to break out of the unhealthy state of anger. Instead of reprimanding them for their wrongdoings, I took some towels from my room and passed to them. After the clean-up, I invited them to join us for the sumptuous Christmas dinner.
After the downpour, the well-rendered rainbows graced the sky, bringing light to all of us. The honey hues from the afternoon sun coated the biscuit-like Lego blocks that we were playing. The mirthful laughter we shared gradually rekindled our neighbourly bonds. Before long, their misdeeds belonged to the past.
That was the one of the best festive celebrations I have ever had before.
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