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Christmas Present
By
Tina K Burton
Katie bounced through the door and threw her schoolbag on the sofa. 'Hi Mum, what's for tea? Can I go up and see if Grampy's online?'
'Shepherds Pie, and have you got any homework? Because if you have, do that first and talk to Grandad later'.
'Aww mum, I hate shepherds pie, and no I haven't got any homework - well only a little bit. I have to draw something for art.'
'Well you better get on with it then.'
'Pleease can I go talk to Grampy, and do it after…please please please, I'll help you with the dishes after tea?'
'Ok,' said Sally laughing, 'off you go, say hi to Nanny and Grandad for me, and tell them you can't talk for long as your tea will be ready soon.'
'Ok,' shouted Katie as she scooted upstairs to the study. Poor Katie, thought Sally, she really missed her grandparents since they'd made the decision to emigrate. So did she - it was strange not having her Mum and Dad around anymore.
Over the years, her parents had talked about moving to America once they were retired, but everyone thought that when the time actually came, they'd probably stay in England. So, although she knew of their plans, it was still a shock for Sally when they came round one day to announce that they'd finally decided to go for it.
That was only a couple of years ago, yet it felt like they'd been gone forever. They'd often had holidays in The States, and loved the place. They liked the noticeable difference of the seasons, especially where they were now living, in Boston. Although in winter it was cold - much colder than England, it was so magical with all the soft white snow. And the colours of the leaves on the trees in autumn were just breathtaking. Golds, bronzes, russets, burnt oranges and fiery reds - the scenery looked fantastic in the many photos they regularly sent.
As well as America, over the years, they'd also been to Prague, Mexico, Africa, Japan and India, and always returned full of wonderful tales about their visits. Sally smiled; she should have known it was something her parents would do. There was nothing shy and retiring about them that was for sure. They always lived life to the full, and tried to teach her to do the same. She was pleased for them really; why shouldn't they spend whatever time they had left fulfilling their dreams- none of us knew what was around the corner? She just missed them so much
.She could remember the last evening together before they flew out to start their new life. The whole family had gone out to dinner at a favourite restaurant. The mood had been a sombre one - everyone knew what tomorrow would bring, and although they were happy for the elderly couple, they couldn't help being sad too. Poor Katie had sat pushing her food around her plate, but not eating.
'Eat up Katie, it's your favourite - enchiladas,' her Grandad had said to her.
Katie looked at him, and to his distress, he'd seen that her big blue eyes were swimming with unshed tears.
'Oh come here my love,' he'd said, and that was it - she'd got up, ran over to him, flung her arms around his neck and sobbed as if her heart would break.
'I don't want you and Nanny to go, I'll miss you so much,' she'd cried into his shirt, soaking it.
'Oh darling,' her Grandmother had said - her own voice wobbling with emotion, 'you can come and visit and we'll talk on the phone often.'
'Yes, but it won't be the same as seeing you will it,' Katie had sniffed. By now, Sally and her sister Angie were crying too. Suddenly they all looked at each other and started laughing.
'What a sight we must look blubbing away. People are probably wondering what on earth's going on,' Sally said wiping her eyes.
'Now Katie, I have a little surprise for you,' her father told her. 'We were going to wait until Nanny and Grampy had gone, but seeing as you're so upset, we'll tell you now.'
'We've bought a webcam each, so that when you get home from school, and at weekends, we can talk to each other', Grandad said. 'And the best bit of all, is that we'll be able to see each other too.'
'So I'll be able to say goodnight every single night like we did when you lived here?' Katie asked.
'Yep, and we'll be able to show you lots of American things and you can show us how much Treacle has grown,' her grandmother told her. Treacle was a kitten that Katie's Grandad had recently bought for her, to help fill the gap they would leave.
'Ok,' Katie replied, and she'd got off Grandad's lap, sat back in her chair and finished her cold meal.
Katie was upstairs talking on the webcam. 'What time is it there again Grampy?' Katie asked him.
'Darling I tell you this every time, we're five hours behind you, so it's now half past eleven in the morning.'
'Oh yes, I keep forgetting. I can't remember whether you're five hours in front or behind us,' Katie giggled, 'silly me. Do you want to see Treacle? She's getting bigger all the time; it's probably because of the distus-digsus- horrible things she eats. She brought a mouse in yesterday and it was still alive. Mummy was standing on a chair yelling, but I was really brave. Daddy asked me to hold Treacle while he got the mouse away from her. So I did, and daddy got the mouse, and let it go in the field over the back. Wasn't that good of him?'
Her Grandad laughed. 'Yes it was very kind of Daddy. Nanny will come and talk to you in a moment, but it'll have to be quick as we're going out. Some neighbours over the way have invited us for lunch. Now before I forget, it'll be Christmas in a few weeks time, remember to look out for Santa.'
Katie made a tutting noise. 'Grampy, I don't believe in things like that anymore. I'm ten now.'
'What! You don't believe in Santa? How can he bring you presents if you don't believe in him?'
'Don't be daft.' She blew him a kiss, 'have a nice lunch; I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?'
'Yes, ok darling, Nan's here now. Bye, love you.'
'Love you too. Hello Nanny, Grampy's being silly talking about Santa. I'm too big for things like that now aren't I?'
'You're never too old my darling. Why, I still believe in fairies you know.'
'Nanny! Stop being silly. Guess what I did in school today?' she said, and chatted on, regaling her Gran with the story of some incident from that morning. Later, after she'd grudgingly eaten the Shepherds Pie and was watching TV, Katie thought about her grandparents as she so often did these days.
Although they'd been gone for two years now, she missed them just as much, if not more than when they'd first left. She yearned for the quiet times spent with her Grandfather when the two of them went on one of their long walks. Although she loved her Nan, and wished she could still feel her arms around her when she gave her one of her big cuddles, and breathe in the smell of the violet perfume she always wore, it was Grandad who was her favourite; and she was his special girl too. They had a bond, which would never be broken. She missed the feel of her little hand in his big warm one, and the way he used to teach her about the different birds on the lake. Dad took her for walks sometimes, but it wasn't the same. Mum cuddled her lots, but she wasn't all squishy like Nanny was. Katie tried to concentrate on the TV, she didn't like thinking about those things; they made her feel happy, but very sad too.
The following week, Katie was just finishing talking to Grampy, when Nanny came into view as well and said 'Oh Harold, don't forget to tell Katie that we won't be around for a few days the week after next.'
'Oh yes, I almost forgot. Darling, your Nan and I are going away for a few days with our neighbours; you know the ones who invited us to lunch? Well they've got a cabin up in the mountains and they invited us to stay there with them. So I'm afraid we won't be able to talk to you on the webcam.'
Katie's face fell and her bottom lip quivered. 'But it's Christmas time, I won't be at school, we could have talked lots on the webcam.'
'Now don't go getting all upset sweetheart, it's only for a few days and we'll have our cell phones with us, so you can phone us and we'll phone you. We'll tell you all about it on webcam when we get back, ok?'
'Ok, as long as you promise to phone me lots.'
'Yes we'll phone you lots. Goodnight darling, love you, here's a kiss for you and Mummy.'
Katie said goodbye, signed out and picked up a book to read, but the words blurred out of focus as tears came to her eyes.
A couple of weeks later, Katie was in her bedroom, and her mum was in the kitchen making mince pies, when the phone rang. 'Katie, my hands are covered in flour can you get that please?' her mum shouted up.
Katie picked up the phone in her parent's bedroom. 'Hello?'
'Hi, how's my favourite girl?'
'GRAMPY! How are you? What's it like in the mountains? Is there lots of snow?'
Then, the doorbell rang. 'Katie can you get it, I still have flour all over my hands,' called Sally.
'Oh Grampy, sorry, can you hang on, Mummy wants me to answer the door, I'll be back in a minute.' Katie put the phone on the side and ran downstairs to the hallway.
She opened the front door, to be faced with Santa Claus. He was holding a big pile of presents, so Katie couldn't see his face. 'Hello, can I help you?' she asked hesitantly.
'I thought you didn't believe in Santa, so why are you talking to him?' asked a familiar voice as he lowered the presents.
'GRAMPY! OH GRAMPY- NANNY!' yelled Katie, jumping up and down as her grandmother appeared too. Sally came out to join them, a big grin on her face as she hugged her mother.
'Wow, what a brill surprise. Oh this will be the best Christmas ever!' cried Katie as her Grandad, beaming all over his face, enveloped her in his arms.
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