Status: One-shot for a contest
In By The Fire
Christmas
Third Person POV
-Living Room-
-New York, New York-
Aina sat in front of the fireplace, watching the flames steady grow and lick away at the firewood her brother had taken the time to collect. It was supposed to be her turn but her brother took the chore to give Aina a sense of peace on Christmas day, instead of making her do chores. Rest assured he’d have her make it up to him later, once she felt better. Her older brother, Kelsey, had made her sit in front of the fireplace while he collected firewood, before they woke their parents to open the gifts under the tree.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re looking a little pale.” Kelsey asked his sister for the fifth time that morning, trying to spot whether Aina was lying every time she answered him. Aina was telling the truth as far as he knew but you couldn’t be absolutely positive with her, she likes to bury and hide her problems and pain.
“Enough with that question Kels! Ask me that one more time and I’ll start throwing punches.” Aina warned him as he perched himself beside her, seemingly taking no heed to her warning. Aina had always been short-tempered and easy to anger, one question being enough to send her off the walls usually, but her patience was always longer with her older brother.
“Sorry Aina, but I worry about you. It’s been almost three weeks since you’ve been outside and played in the snow, you love the snow. Normally you wouldn’t want to come in the house for anything but lately we have trouble bringing you out of your room.” Kelsey spoke to his little sister, hoping his plea would help her with sharing with him why she can’t or won’t sleep.
“I know and I thank you for that, but enough is enough and I don’t want to talk anymore.” Aina told Kelsey before turning her attention back to the fireplace signaling that the conversation was over and done with and that Kelsey shouldn’t bring it back up.
“I think it’s time to open presents, don’t you?” Kelsey asked his sister as he stood up, ready to put more wood in the fire before waking his parents.
“Give them a minute. We’ll wake them up together in five.” Aina told her brother as she stared at the fire, grabbing her favorite cocoa mug from beside her. The mug had Santa’s face on it, along with his hat. In the other set it had his body on the other cocoa mug, while it has two boxes of hot chocolate.
“Sure, whatever you say. I’m going to make them hot chocolate. Want some more?” Kelsey asked his sister taking notice of her almost empty mug. Aina just shook her head and moved on to standing up herself.
Her body was frail and could barely hold her up from the months of disuse, temporary paralysis making her ridden to a wheelchair for months before ending. It comes and goes periodically, every three months it comes and lasts for six months. The doctor has no clue why it’s happening but Aina didn’t care, she took it in stride and waited patiently. When the six months were over, she’d wallow for a week before working the strength to stand and walk around, gaining back her leg strength.
“Need some help?” Kelsey asked Aina as she struggled to stand up. Aina just shook her head ‘no’ before standing up and grabbing the arm of the couch for extra help. Aina was too proud to ask for help, even from her own brother. “Well I made the hot chocolate. Ready to wake them up?” Kelsey asked her as he walked towards her making sure to wrap his arm around her waist to carry some of her weight.
“Sure, let’s go.” Aina, with the help of Kelsey (even though she didn’t want it), and Kelsey made it to their parents’ room with no problems. “You want to wake them or should I?” Kelsey asked his little sister, hoping she’d say she would. This was always her second favorite part of Christmas, waking their parents and opening gifts.
His year Aina has been a little down in the rain, not wanting to do anything. It might’ve been because her paraplegia lasting a month longer than usual, which in her mind might’ve been her go ahead to wallow a week longer than usual. And unfortunately Christmas week was her second wallowing week; at least it wasn’t New Year’s than her year would’ve been off to a bad start.
-Parents’ bedroom-
-New York, New York-
“Mom, dad! Mama, papa! Wake up its Christmas!” Aina yelled to her parents walking to their bed and rolling onto it. “Come on, it’s time to open presents!” Aina yelled before her father woke with a grunt from being rolled onto.
“Alright, alright Aina. Calm down.” Aina and Kelsey’s father, Henry, said. Henry sat up and looked at his children, one of which was sitting on he and his wife’s bed and the other who was leaning against the doorpost.
“Mama, mama, time to get up!” Aina said, acting as if she was five when in reality she was almost eighteen. Henry and Kelsey stood by the doorway as Aina properly started acting herself again; they both smiled and thought of how long it’s been since Aina acted five instead of eighty.
“I’m up, I’m up honey. Let’s go open presents now.” Aina and Kelsey’s mother, Angela, said. Almost as soon as she was sitting up Aina was out the room and walking towards the living room again.
“Come on, I don’t know what you’re waiting for!” Aina called out behind her.
-Living Room-
-New York, New York-
When Kelsey, Henry, and Angela reached the living room, Aina was already sitting in front of the tree. “Alright, Kelsey you first.” Angela called out from the couch, where she was sitting with Henry by her side.
Kelsey picked up a neatly wrapped gift from underneath the tree. The gift was wrapped in blue and white wrapping paper with penguins spread out across it. Shaking the box, Kelsey shook his head grinning before putting the box down and tearing the wrapping paper off the box. Revealing the wrapped gift to be a new jacket, one he’s been wanting for weeks but didn’t have the money for.
“Thanks mom and dad!” Kelsey told Angela and Henry giving them both a smile before turning to his sister. Nudging her shoulder with his, he grinned at her. “Your turn!” Kelsey watched as Aina picked up a neatly wrapped gift from underneath the tree and repeat his process.
Aina tore into the wrapping paper to reveal a game, monopoly to be exact. She had always loved the game and she wanted the electronic version, because she almost always ended up losing the money from the original monopoly. “Thanks mom and dad!” Aina said, repeating her brother and finally getting her Christmas spirit back into her.
“This one is for everyone. I made one for each.” Aina told her mother, father and brother as she stood up and walked to the closet in front of the door. Opening the closet she pulled out four messily wrapped gifts and handed one out to each of them at random, not seeming to care who got which.
“We open them together.” Henry said and looked at his wife. “1… 2… 3…” Henry said before everyone tore at the paper of the gift to see what Aina put her hard work into. It turned out to be sweaters, Christmas themed.
“Is this why you haven’t been coming out of your room lately?” Angela asked her daughter, as she held up the sweater to see it better. Aina only nodded before standing up and walking towards the back to change into her sweater. Everyone followed her lead and before they knew it, they were all sitting back around the tree opening presents, this time wearing Aina’s handmade sweaters. The ones she had been working on for a month or two.
“Thank you Aina.” Kelsey told his sister before picking up another present. All Aina could do was smile because everything was starting to look up for her. This Christmas was the best one yet! Aina thought to herself before going back to taking turns opening gifts from her family. She hasn’t quite decided what her new outtake on life was but it didn’t matter because family was there ‘til the end and Aina didn’t want to take it for granted. Ever.
-Living Room-
-New York, New York-
Aina sat in front of the fireplace, watching the flames steady grow and lick away at the firewood her brother had taken the time to collect. It was supposed to be her turn but her brother took the chore to give Aina a sense of peace on Christmas day, instead of making her do chores. Rest assured he’d have her make it up to him later, once she felt better. Her older brother, Kelsey, had made her sit in front of the fireplace while he collected firewood, before they woke their parents to open the gifts under the tree.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re looking a little pale.” Kelsey asked his sister for the fifth time that morning, trying to spot whether Aina was lying every time she answered him. Aina was telling the truth as far as he knew but you couldn’t be absolutely positive with her, she likes to bury and hide her problems and pain.
“Enough with that question Kels! Ask me that one more time and I’ll start throwing punches.” Aina warned him as he perched himself beside her, seemingly taking no heed to her warning. Aina had always been short-tempered and easy to anger, one question being enough to send her off the walls usually, but her patience was always longer with her older brother.
“Sorry Aina, but I worry about you. It’s been almost three weeks since you’ve been outside and played in the snow, you love the snow. Normally you wouldn’t want to come in the house for anything but lately we have trouble bringing you out of your room.” Kelsey spoke to his little sister, hoping his plea would help her with sharing with him why she can’t or won’t sleep.
“I know and I thank you for that, but enough is enough and I don’t want to talk anymore.” Aina told Kelsey before turning her attention back to the fireplace signaling that the conversation was over and done with and that Kelsey shouldn’t bring it back up.
“I think it’s time to open presents, don’t you?” Kelsey asked his sister as he stood up, ready to put more wood in the fire before waking his parents.
“Give them a minute. We’ll wake them up together in five.” Aina told her brother as she stared at the fire, grabbing her favorite cocoa mug from beside her. The mug had Santa’s face on it, along with his hat. In the other set it had his body on the other cocoa mug, while it has two boxes of hot chocolate.
“Sure, whatever you say. I’m going to make them hot chocolate. Want some more?” Kelsey asked his sister taking notice of her almost empty mug. Aina just shook her head and moved on to standing up herself.
Her body was frail and could barely hold her up from the months of disuse, temporary paralysis making her ridden to a wheelchair for months before ending. It comes and goes periodically, every three months it comes and lasts for six months. The doctor has no clue why it’s happening but Aina didn’t care, she took it in stride and waited patiently. When the six months were over, she’d wallow for a week before working the strength to stand and walk around, gaining back her leg strength.
“Need some help?” Kelsey asked Aina as she struggled to stand up. Aina just shook her head ‘no’ before standing up and grabbing the arm of the couch for extra help. Aina was too proud to ask for help, even from her own brother. “Well I made the hot chocolate. Ready to wake them up?” Kelsey asked her as he walked towards her making sure to wrap his arm around her waist to carry some of her weight.
“Sure, let’s go.” Aina, with the help of Kelsey (even though she didn’t want it), and Kelsey made it to their parents’ room with no problems. “You want to wake them or should I?” Kelsey asked his little sister, hoping she’d say she would. This was always her second favorite part of Christmas, waking their parents and opening gifts.
His year Aina has been a little down in the rain, not wanting to do anything. It might’ve been because her paraplegia lasting a month longer than usual, which in her mind might’ve been her go ahead to wallow a week longer than usual. And unfortunately Christmas week was her second wallowing week; at least it wasn’t New Year’s than her year would’ve been off to a bad start.
-Parents’ bedroom-
-New York, New York-
“Mom, dad! Mama, papa! Wake up its Christmas!” Aina yelled to her parents walking to their bed and rolling onto it. “Come on, it’s time to open presents!” Aina yelled before her father woke with a grunt from being rolled onto.
“Alright, alright Aina. Calm down.” Aina and Kelsey’s father, Henry, said. Henry sat up and looked at his children, one of which was sitting on he and his wife’s bed and the other who was leaning against the doorpost.
“Mama, mama, time to get up!” Aina said, acting as if she was five when in reality she was almost eighteen. Henry and Kelsey stood by the doorway as Aina properly started acting herself again; they both smiled and thought of how long it’s been since Aina acted five instead of eighty.
“I’m up, I’m up honey. Let’s go open presents now.” Aina and Kelsey’s mother, Angela, said. Almost as soon as she was sitting up Aina was out the room and walking towards the living room again.
“Come on, I don’t know what you’re waiting for!” Aina called out behind her.
-Living Room-
-New York, New York-
When Kelsey, Henry, and Angela reached the living room, Aina was already sitting in front of the tree. “Alright, Kelsey you first.” Angela called out from the couch, where she was sitting with Henry by her side.
Kelsey picked up a neatly wrapped gift from underneath the tree. The gift was wrapped in blue and white wrapping paper with penguins spread out across it. Shaking the box, Kelsey shook his head grinning before putting the box down and tearing the wrapping paper off the box. Revealing the wrapped gift to be a new jacket, one he’s been wanting for weeks but didn’t have the money for.
“Thanks mom and dad!” Kelsey told Angela and Henry giving them both a smile before turning to his sister. Nudging her shoulder with his, he grinned at her. “Your turn!” Kelsey watched as Aina picked up a neatly wrapped gift from underneath the tree and repeat his process.
Aina tore into the wrapping paper to reveal a game, monopoly to be exact. She had always loved the game and she wanted the electronic version, because she almost always ended up losing the money from the original monopoly. “Thanks mom and dad!” Aina said, repeating her brother and finally getting her Christmas spirit back into her.
“This one is for everyone. I made one for each.” Aina told her mother, father and brother as she stood up and walked to the closet in front of the door. Opening the closet she pulled out four messily wrapped gifts and handed one out to each of them at random, not seeming to care who got which.
“We open them together.” Henry said and looked at his wife. “1… 2… 3…” Henry said before everyone tore at the paper of the gift to see what Aina put her hard work into. It turned out to be sweaters, Christmas themed.
“Is this why you haven’t been coming out of your room lately?” Angela asked her daughter, as she held up the sweater to see it better. Aina only nodded before standing up and walking towards the back to change into her sweater. Everyone followed her lead and before they knew it, they were all sitting back around the tree opening presents, this time wearing Aina’s handmade sweaters. The ones she had been working on for a month or two.
“Thank you Aina.” Kelsey told his sister before picking up another present. All Aina could do was smile because everything was starting to look up for her. This Christmas was the best one yet! Aina thought to herself before going back to taking turns opening gifts from her family. She hasn’t quite decided what her new outtake on life was but it didn’t matter because family was there ‘til the end and Aina didn’t want to take it for granted. Ever.
♠ ♠ ♠
Their names mean something, I found them on http://www.behindthename.com, though the names' meanings hold no particular interest for me, I just thought they were cool. The pictures don't belong to me.Kelsey: pronounced KEL-see; from an English surname which is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".
Aina: pronounced IE (bite)-nah (Finnish); means "always" in Finnish and also Variant of AINO meaning "the only one".
Henry: pronounced HEN-ree; from the Germanic name Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler".
Angela: pronounces AHNG-ge-lah; from the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word αγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.