HOW DID you spend Christmas day? I'm sure you gathered with your family and exchanged gifts over breakfast, then chipped in and helped with Christmas dinner.
You probably had your table laden with such delicacies as ham with pineapples and cherry; baked chicken; shrimp casserole; pot roast; gungo peas and rice; cranberry sauce; sorrel; egg nog; rum punch and Christmas pudding.
As for me, I spent the first part of the day putting up new curtains, dusting furniture and trying to fit that new comforter snugly on the bed.
Of course all this was done just in time to get dressed and wait for Dad to take me to Mandeville, where Auntie Denise was planning a big dinner.
The basis of it's appeal? It would keep me out of the kitchen for that day.
The remainder of my relatives left for Spanish Town where Auntie Polly was having a similar family gathering, with too much food which each year she has to invite outsiders to come in and partake of.
As the clock ticked and I grew hungry, images of roasted chicken, the rum-based Christmas pudding, filled my head. Still I waited for Daddy.
Two friends popped by and wished me a Merry Christmas, which distracted me for a while and calmed my anxiety. But as soon as they had left, I began to wonder if my father had forgotten me.
At about 5:30 p.m. when most people would have been clearing their Christmas dinner table, he strolled in with a quizzical look.
He claimed I had not told him I wanted to go to Mandeville and without another word we headed to the car and were on our way to Mandeville.
For revenge, I put in my Matchbox 20 (alternative music) CD, which annoyed him, but he graciously ignored. The cool Christmas breeze blew in my hair and caressed my face as we walked down the dark track towards the house. The sound of the loud chatter of about 150 children hung above the sound of Bob Marley's I Don't Wanna Wait In Vain. Auntie Denise was having a Christmas treat.
I made my way through the sea of children and got to the door.
Luckily Aunt Denise had extra food, so Daddy and I ate heartily.
When the music had stopped, the children went home and the adults cleaned up.
I was glad I made it even for a shorter stay than I had planned. After all, the day didn't turn out badly after all.
-- Sonia Morgan
