Chapter 7 The Night Before Christmas

It was the evening before Christmas, and Karen was allowing each member of the family to open one of their presents. `Why don't you take one for yourself?' Harry asked her.

`Maybe I will,' said Karen. `I think I want this one.' She smiled as she picked up a small, flat box, a present from Harry.

`I have, of course, bought the traditional chocolates too,' Harry told her. `But this is my other... slightly special, personal gift.'

`Thank you,' Karen said. She opened it, full of excitement. Then the excitement left her. `That's a surprise. It's a CD - Joni Mitchell.’

`To continue your emotional improvement,' her husband said.

`That's great.’

`My wonderful wife.'

`Ha! Yes. Actually, I'll have to leave the room for a moment. All that ice-cream. Darling, could you make sure the children are ready to go? I'll be back in a minute.’

She left the room slowly, trying hard to keep the smile on her face.

*

At the same time, a radio DJ was talking to the nation. `It's raining all over the UK,' he said. `And the big question is - who is Number One in the charts tonight? Is it Blue, or the unexpected success from Billy Mack? Well, you probably guessed, although you may not believe it. It's.... Billy Mack!’

At Billy's record company, where everyone was still in the office, the noise from the celebrations was deafening.

`You are the best!' Joe shouted.

The phone rang and the room went quiet as Billy answered, standing on a table in the middle of the room.

`Hello,' he said.

`Hello, Billy,' the DJ said. `We're live across the nation and you're Number One. How will you celebrate?’

`I don't know. Either I'll get drunk with my fat manager or, when I put the phone down, I'll be invited to a lot of wonderful parties by rich and famous people.’

`Let's hope it's the parties,' said the DJ. `And here it is - Number One, from Billy Mack... It's "Christmas Is All Around".'

`Oh no!' said Billy. `Not that rubbish again!' He put the phone down.

Gina, a young manager at the record company, stepped forward, holding her phone. `Billy - it's for you, darling.’

Billy took the phone. `Hello. Elton? Of course. Of course. Of course. Send an embarrassingly big car and I'll be there.' He gave the phone back to Gina. `It's going to be a very good Christmas,' he said.

Joe smiled at him, looking rather lost among all Billy's new friends.

*

Jamie stood at his parents' front door with his hands full of Christmas presents and rang the door bell. The door opened.

`Look, everyone, it's Jamie!' his sister called back into the house. His father, mother, sisters, brothers and their children all came to greet him excitedly.

`Lovely to see you all,' said Jamie, putting down the presents and kissing everybody. `But I've got to go now.’

`But Jamie, darling...' said his mother, shocked.

`Sorry,' Jamie said. `There are some things that a man just has to do.’

He gave his sister the bags of presents and left. Then he took a taxi to Gatwick Airport.

*

Karl and Sarah were the only two people left in the Fairtrade office. Karl stood up to leave.

`Good night, Sarah,' he said.

`Good night, Karl.’

'I.... ' Karl stopped. `Happy Christmas.’

Sarah smiled at him. `Happy Christmas.’

As Karl left, Sarah reached for her phone and rang a number.

`Hi, darling,' she said, trying to sound cheerful.

`How are you? Is it party-time down there?’

Half an hour later she was at the hospital, opening presents with her brother.

`I love you, Michael,' Sarah said.

`I know,' said Michael. He paused. `I love you too.'

*

Karen stood in her bedroom, listening to her new CD. As Joni Mitchell sang about the pain of love, tears ran down her face. Then she forced herself to stop crying, put a smile on her face, and went back to join her family.

*

Peter and Juliet were watching TV when their doorbell rang. Juliet went downstairs and opened the door to Mark.

`Oh! Hi,' she said.

`Who is it?' Peter called from the living room.

Mark put his fingers to his lips and held up a big white card with a message on it: `Say it's carol singers.’

`It's carol singers,' Juliet called.

`Well, give them a pound and tell them to go away,' Peter shouted.

Mark pushed the button on a CD player. At the sound of children singing Christmas carols, Juliet laughed.

Then Mark held up other cards: `If I'm lucky next year,' the first one said. He pulled out the second. `I'll be with one of these girls.' The third card showed pictures of the four most beautiful women in the world. `But I just want to say,' the cards continued, `that to me you are perfect. And my poor heart will love you... until you look like this.' Mark held up a picture of a very old woman. Then he showed a final card that said `Happy Christmas'.

He picked up the CD player and started to walk away, but Juliet followed him and kissed him gently on the lips.

Mark smiled. `Enough,' he said. `Enough now.’

*

Later in the evening, Joe was drinking alone in his flat, watching Billy's video on TV, when his doorbell rang.

`What are you doing here?' he said, as he opened the door. `Why aren't you at Elton John's?’

`I was there for a minute or two,' Billy told him. `And then I had a life-changing experience.’

`Really? Come in,' said Joe. `And what was this life-changing experience?' he asked, when they were inside.

`It was about Christmas,' said Billy.

`You realized that it was all around?’

`No, I realized that at Christmas you should be with the people you love.’

Right.’

`And I realized that I am in my fifties and I have actually spent most of my adult life with a fat manager. And, sadly, it is clear to me that you are, in fact, the person I love.’

`Well, this is a surprise.’

`Yes.’

`Ten minutes with Elton John and suddenly you're in love with a man.

`No, I'm serious. I left Elton's place, and all those beautiful girls, to be with you. At Christmas.’

There was a second's silence. `Well, Billy...’

`We've had a wonderful life together.’

`Well, thank you! Thanks, man. I feel very proud.' The two men put their arms round each other.

`That's enough!' Billy said. `Let's get drunk and watch videos of naked women.’