Our little village and some of the going ons that transpire within.

Dec 7, 2009

This Christmas!

Every year growing up he’d look at the Christmas cards. That came from everywhere. With their pictures of snow and Christmas trees. With fire places that burnt golden over Santas stuck in chimneys. Far removed from here where if the fan wasn’t on you broke into a sweat. Here, where the closest thing you saw to snow was when you scraped the frost out of the deep freeze. And he told himself that one day he’d see a real Christmas.
See the snow fall. And figure out how they said that each snowflake was unique. While he ate turkey and drank eggnog. Stoking up the fire as the flames went low. He’d done it. He was in the land of snow and turkey. A land where every shop was decorated for the season. Where every house on every street had something on display that celebrated Christmas. Even the subway had happy xmas grafitti. They’d just spelt xmas, XXXmas.
Funny, more than offensive.
A light snowfall as if on order. To bring those old Christmas cards to life. A mass where the preacher was inspired. The fellowship after almost made him feel at home. The real Christmas tree that towered over everyone as they stood around singing carols. Call it a night and head to bed. Gotta call home first. Maybe that would fill the hole that all the Christmas trees and snow and turkey and street corner and mall Santa’s couldn’t fill.

6 comments:

patrice said...

hey that sounds so sad! you're better off in Bandra for Christmas...it may not be as pretty as a Christmas Card, but the feeling of well-being and family love is like nowhere else in the world.
Hope to 'see' you at Midnight Mass ( 10 o'clock).

Anonymous said...

What is this the NRI Lament at Christmas? Very nicely written BB. Thats why they all come down in Dec...

clemde@gmail.com said...

:Pooja I found your comment a bit long winded :) Thx.
:Patrice for sure. Bythe way the Pizza guys smoking joes dominoes garcias withdraw all offers for christmas and new years night.So plan for the post mass indulgence accordingly.
: Anonymous.Right you are in fact NRI season has officialy begun.
BB

Anonymous said...

WoW, so true.... i too grew up with wish ful thinking like this....till reality struck...how do u manage to touch emotions so well???

cynthia said...

Cool. ... loved rading it.

anna maria said...

hits home very hard :-) but the NRI still goes back and gets a shiny new number plate for the new car with 'BANDRA' written in bold letters