Holiday Heartbreak
Chapter 1
Christmas Eve, 1986
I sat watching my family talking and laughing with one another. Watching my little cousin of 3 stare at all the Christmas presents underneath the tree like nothing in the world was as beautiful. He smiled jubilantly as he clapped his hands and jumped up and down waiting for the moment he could tear open the beautifully wrapped gifts with his name on it. I got up out of my chair and headed over to the kitchen where my Mother was busy preparing dinner and talking to my Aunt. She turned to me and smiled warmly, as I walked over to give her a hug.
“I wonder where your father and Grandmother are!? They said they would be here over an hour ago!” My Mom asked.
“I’m sure they’ll be here any minute Stacey.” My Aunt Sandra said.
“Yeah I know. Hey Sweetie,” She looked at me. “Can you be a dear and go tell your sister that dinner is ready?
“Sure Ma.”
My sister and I are only one year apart, she’s 13 and I’m 14. When I think of sisters or brothers I always think of them fighting and telling each other that they hate them. But, my sister and I are different. For some reason, even though we have two totally different styles and tastes, we’re pretty much best friends. She tells me all her fears and I tell her that I’ll always be there to protect her. I guess you could say I’m the braver, stronger sister. My sister isn’t the average 13 year old, for some reason ever since she was little she’s been shy and very dependant of people; she’s not very strong and kids at school pick on her for it. Even though she’s 13 she has the mind and body of an 11 year old. But don’t get me wrong, my sister is an awesome person; she laughs at all my jokes and is pretty funny herself. She has a good fashion sense and loves to read; as do I.
You would never be able to tell that we were sisters though. She has dark brown hair with chocolate eyes. She’s short and skinny and very fragile. I’m on the other hand, dirty blonde with green eyes. I’m a little bit taller than my sister, about 5’3” and I’m not very fragile. I have a pretty athletic body and I can be known to knock anyone out who hurts me or my family. While my sister likes to dress in very girly clothing, I personally am into the so-called “punk” scene. She respects my likes, and I respect hers. Even though my sister thinks that I’m her hero and her protector, she doesn’t know that I consider her mine too. Without my sister, who would look up to me? Who would I take care of?
I walked to the end of the hallway and knocked on my sisters’ door.
“Jessie? Jessica? Dinner is ready.” I said opening the door just a crack.
“Okay Mallorie, I’ll be out in just a second.” She responded softly.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Sure, why not?” She smiled at me as I opened the door. She was wearing a little pink dress that cut off just below the knee with her hair up in a pony tail. I walked over to the side of her bed and sat down. I looked up at my sister with concern as she sat staring in her vanity brushing her pony tail.
“Are you okay Jessie?” She looked at me through the mirror and forced a small smile.
“Of course I am Mal, it’s Christmas Eve!”
“Cut the crap Jess, what’s the matter?” I asked sternly.
“It’s stupid really; I just have a bad feeling about something”
“About what?”
“I don’t know, I just have a bad feeling that something’s going to go wrong; that something bad is going to happen.” I smiled softly and got up.
“Don’t worry; everything is going to be just fine. Like you said, it’s Christmas Eve!” I exclaimed and hugged her around the shoulders. “Now, are you ready to go get some grub!?” My sister got up with a smile on.
“I’m sure you’re right; you always are. So, yeah! Let’s go eat and be with our amazing family!” We walked out of her room and as we were walking down the hallway we heard a huge commotion going on. I guess my sister heard because she looked at me with a confused face and we ran into the living room.
Everyone was rushing around putting on their coats and shoes. My baby cousin Nathan was sitting on the floor crying when my Uncle Pete picked him up and carried him to my Aunt Sandra. She took him and rushed his coat and boots on and hurried out the door with my Uncle close behind. My Grandfather soon left right after them. All that was left was my other Aunt Joan, Uncle Ralph, and my Mother. My Mom was sitting on the couch crying hysterically and my Aunt Joan was rubbing her back.
“It’s going to be okay Stacey; it’s going to be alright.” She soothed. I ran up to my Mom and knelt down near her face.
“Ma!? What’s wrong? What happened? Where did everyone go?” Even though I didn’t know what happened I felt like I was going to cry.
“Oh honey, it’s your grandmother and father! St. Josephs Hospital called; they were in a car accident!” She sobbed. I was shocked, no one in my family has ever been hurt before; especially hurt in an accident.
“Come on Stacey we have to go, now! We need to get to the hospital. They are waiting outside for us, I told them not to leave until I calmed you down.” My Mom got up and wiped her tears.
“You’re right, we have to go. Alright Mallorie, where is your sister?” Jessie came out from the hallway with tears streaming down her face. She walked over to my Mom and looked up at her.
“Is Gramma going to be okay Mom? What about Daddy?”
“Of course they’ll be okay Jessie, but listen girls, I have to go now and I want you two to stay here in case anybody calls, alright?”
“Alright Mom,” I said. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes Honey, I’ll be fine. But I have to go. Come give me a hug.” We walked over to her and she gave us each a kiss on the cheek. “I love you both so much and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
With that, the rest of my family rushed out of the door and my sister and I were left alone in a house full of presents, food, and a pretty Christmas tree with no one but us to look at.
I walked over to the stove and made sure everything was turned off. I started cleaning up the extra stuff that didn’t need to be out for dinner. I walked over to the dining room table and put the small entrees in the microwave to keep warm for when the family got back. I didn’t know weather to keep the main dishes out or not. I knew I didn’t want them to get cold, but there wasn’t anywhere to put the stuff. The oven wasn’t big enough. Oh well, I’m sure they won’t be that long.
I know I should be crying or worried out of my mind like I’m sure my sister is. But to be honest, I’m in shock. The thought of my Grandmother not being around anymore sends chills down my spine. I can’t stand to think about my family not being here. Oh my goodness, and my Father? I know that I’m not that close to him and he pays more attention to my sister but he is my father, and I do love him very much. I all of a sudden feel very overwhelmed and I have to sit down. I walked over to the couch where my sister is sitting staring at the tree. I sit down and without asking for permission take my sister and lay her head down across my lap. She positions herself comfortably and faces the Christmas tree. Absentmindedly, I start to stroke her hair, and also stare at the tree’s glimmering lights. I look down and see that Jessie had drifted off into an unsettled sleep. So now, I’m left alone to let my thoughts take over my mind.
I sat watching my family talking and laughing with one another. Watching my little cousin of 3 stare at all the Christmas presents underneath the tree like nothing in the world was as beautiful. He smiled jubilantly as he clapped his hands and jumped up and down waiting for the moment he could tear open the beautifully wrapped gifts with his name on it. I got up out of my chair and headed over to the kitchen where my Mother was busy preparing dinner and talking to my Aunt. She turned to me and smiled warmly, as I walked over to give her a hug.
“I wonder where your father and Grandmother are!? They said they would be here over an hour ago!” My Mom asked.
“I’m sure they’ll be here any minute Stacey.” My Aunt Sandra said.
“Yeah I know. Hey Sweetie,” She looked at me. “Can you be a dear and go tell your sister that dinner is ready?
“Sure Ma.”
My sister and I are only one year apart, she’s 13 and I’m 14. When I think of sisters or brothers I always think of them fighting and telling each other that they hate them. But, my sister and I are different. For some reason, even though we have two totally different styles and tastes, we’re pretty much best friends. She tells me all her fears and I tell her that I’ll always be there to protect her. I guess you could say I’m the braver, stronger sister. My sister isn’t the average 13 year old, for some reason ever since she was little she’s been shy and very dependant of people; she’s not very strong and kids at school pick on her for it. Even though she’s 13 she has the mind and body of an 11 year old. But don’t get me wrong, my sister is an awesome person; she laughs at all my jokes and is pretty funny herself. She has a good fashion sense and loves to read; as do I.
You would never be able to tell that we were sisters though. She has dark brown hair with chocolate eyes. She’s short and skinny and very fragile. I’m on the other hand, dirty blonde with green eyes. I’m a little bit taller than my sister, about 5’3” and I’m not very fragile. I have a pretty athletic body and I can be known to knock anyone out who hurts me or my family. While my sister likes to dress in very girly clothing, I personally am into the so-called “punk” scene. She respects my likes, and I respect hers. Even though my sister thinks that I’m her hero and her protector, she doesn’t know that I consider her mine too. Without my sister, who would look up to me? Who would I take care of?
I walked to the end of the hallway and knocked on my sisters’ door.
“Jessie? Jessica? Dinner is ready.” I said opening the door just a crack.
“Okay Mallorie, I’ll be out in just a second.” She responded softly.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Sure, why not?” She smiled at me as I opened the door. She was wearing a little pink dress that cut off just below the knee with her hair up in a pony tail. I walked over to the side of her bed and sat down. I looked up at my sister with concern as she sat staring in her vanity brushing her pony tail.
“Are you okay Jessie?” She looked at me through the mirror and forced a small smile.
“Of course I am Mal, it’s Christmas Eve!”
“Cut the crap Jess, what’s the matter?” I asked sternly.
“It’s stupid really; I just have a bad feeling about something”
“About what?”
“I don’t know, I just have a bad feeling that something’s going to go wrong; that something bad is going to happen.” I smiled softly and got up.
“Don’t worry; everything is going to be just fine. Like you said, it’s Christmas Eve!” I exclaimed and hugged her around the shoulders. “Now, are you ready to go get some grub!?” My sister got up with a smile on.
“I’m sure you’re right; you always are. So, yeah! Let’s go eat and be with our amazing family!” We walked out of her room and as we were walking down the hallway we heard a huge commotion going on. I guess my sister heard because she looked at me with a confused face and we ran into the living room.
Everyone was rushing around putting on their coats and shoes. My baby cousin Nathan was sitting on the floor crying when my Uncle Pete picked him up and carried him to my Aunt Sandra. She took him and rushed his coat and boots on and hurried out the door with my Uncle close behind. My Grandfather soon left right after them. All that was left was my other Aunt Joan, Uncle Ralph, and my Mother. My Mom was sitting on the couch crying hysterically and my Aunt Joan was rubbing her back.
“It’s going to be okay Stacey; it’s going to be alright.” She soothed. I ran up to my Mom and knelt down near her face.
“Ma!? What’s wrong? What happened? Where did everyone go?” Even though I didn’t know what happened I felt like I was going to cry.
“Oh honey, it’s your grandmother and father! St. Josephs Hospital called; they were in a car accident!” She sobbed. I was shocked, no one in my family has ever been hurt before; especially hurt in an accident.
“Come on Stacey we have to go, now! We need to get to the hospital. They are waiting outside for us, I told them not to leave until I calmed you down.” My Mom got up and wiped her tears.
“You’re right, we have to go. Alright Mallorie, where is your sister?” Jessie came out from the hallway with tears streaming down her face. She walked over to my Mom and looked up at her.
“Is Gramma going to be okay Mom? What about Daddy?”
“Of course they’ll be okay Jessie, but listen girls, I have to go now and I want you two to stay here in case anybody calls, alright?”
“Alright Mom,” I said. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes Honey, I’ll be fine. But I have to go. Come give me a hug.” We walked over to her and she gave us each a kiss on the cheek. “I love you both so much and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
With that, the rest of my family rushed out of the door and my sister and I were left alone in a house full of presents, food, and a pretty Christmas tree with no one but us to look at.
I walked over to the stove and made sure everything was turned off. I started cleaning up the extra stuff that didn’t need to be out for dinner. I walked over to the dining room table and put the small entrees in the microwave to keep warm for when the family got back. I didn’t know weather to keep the main dishes out or not. I knew I didn’t want them to get cold, but there wasn’t anywhere to put the stuff. The oven wasn’t big enough. Oh well, I’m sure they won’t be that long.
I know I should be crying or worried out of my mind like I’m sure my sister is. But to be honest, I’m in shock. The thought of my Grandmother not being around anymore sends chills down my spine. I can’t stand to think about my family not being here. Oh my goodness, and my Father? I know that I’m not that close to him and he pays more attention to my sister but he is my father, and I do love him very much. I all of a sudden feel very overwhelmed and I have to sit down. I walked over to the couch where my sister is sitting staring at the tree. I sit down and without asking for permission take my sister and lay her head down across my lap. She positions herself comfortably and faces the Christmas tree. Absentmindedly, I start to stroke her hair, and also stare at the tree’s glimmering lights. I look down and see that Jessie had drifted off into an unsettled sleep. So now, I’m left alone to let my thoughts take over my mind.