‘Happy Holidays?’ thought Emily, listening to the vocal stylings of Andy Williams blaring from the radio in the corner, as she hung up her apron on the hook next to the counter. More like Ho Effing Ho, she thought as she wiped her brow and surveyed the damage. In this sense, damage was the mess that she and her boss Deano had to clean up before they could escape home to be with their family. Except that the ‘family’ in Emily’s new world meant the rowdy backpackers with whom she shared her house. There was only her and Sally that were permanent. The other rooms, the less nicer rooms out the back, were a revolving door of working holiday visa types, spending a few days or weeks in Melbourne, before going to Sydney or Brisbane. Deano came out from the kitchen, wiped his brow in a similar gesture, and then looked at her.
‘You go on Emily, you’ve been amazing today. I’ve got ‘Chelle coming in soon and she’s going to help tidy all this up. And no, don’t look at me like that, it was her suggestion. She knows how hard you’ve been working lately.
Emily smiled at her boss gratefully, ‘Thanks Deano, I am absolutely shattered.’
‘So what are you going to be doing this week then?’ She blinked, not understanding and then realising that he was referring to Christmas. Christmas. It was only 2 days until Christmas Day, this being the day before Christmas Eve. Of course she had seen all the fairy lights appear in the shops, the Christmas music she could hardly avoid as it played like all bloody day, and even her mind was singing along with Andy Williams, whether she wanted it to or not! “It’s the holiday season, and Santa Claus is coming ’round, the Christmas snow is white on the ground, when old Santa gets into town, he’ll be coming down the chimney, down.”
Well, thought Emily, he won’t be coming down my chimney as we don’t have one of those. Her thoughts were wistful of her home village back in England. Her parents’ cottage, with its big chimney opening out into the huge inglenook fireplace, tinsel over the mantel and the huge tree in the corner. Her mother was Mrs. Christmas, baking cinnamon pastries in the kitchen. In her mind’s eye, she could see her mouther singing along, as she jiggled around the kitchen to Mary’s Boy Child that blasted from the little stereo on the shelf above the dog basket, in which Sorrel lay curled up asleep. Correction, she thought, her mother had been Mrs. Christmas. She blinked away the tears that pricked the back of her eyelids. It was no longer her parents’ cottage, not since the crash that had killed them both, some bloody tearaway driver in a stolen car, robbing her of her beloved parents. Then she realised where she was, in the cafe, with Deano staring at her like she had three heads.
‘I’m sorry Em, that was so bloody inconsiderate of me,’ Deano gave her a big hug. ‘This is your first Christmas without them, isn’t it?’ Em nodded in reply, and buried herself in his hug, just as his wife shimmied through the door.
‘Oh Em, you do know this time of year is going to be shit, don’t you?’ She was from true blue Aussie ocker stock, rough round the edges but a heart of gold. Her potty mouth, only told the truth, good or bad and there was no filter, none whatsoever. Emily, now free from Deano’s hug, nodded.
‘Yep I know. It’s why I came to Australia earlier this year. I needed a complete change of scenery. My brother Mark said I was mad. He wanted to keep the cottage, but I forced him to sell it. I wanted to be free of everything, but now I’m not sure I made the right decision. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it has financially set me up, but he got the dog and had to move out, and oh I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas.’
Deano grinned. ‘Well, not the Christmas you’re used to. You just have to get your head around what Christmas is to us, out here. What are you doing on Christmas Day? Not holed up in that place you call home with a load of strangers?’ Deano couldn’t understand why Em didn’t get herself somewhere nicer to live, it was almost as though she had given up on everything and was just going the motions. Before Emily had the chance to reply, Chelle piped in.
‘You are having Christmas with us doll. We have more than enough room, Deano’s brother is coming over with his wife and kids. Their kids are about your age so they’ll be other young ones. We don’t do anything special, just a barbeque, bring your bathers, and we may play cricket?’
‘May play? Er no,’ Deano interjected, ‘we will be playing, I need to beat Phil’s score from last year.’
Chelle rolled her eyes and laughed, as did Emily. She looked at her boss and his wife and realised that they truly cared.
‘What about your boy? What about Zac?’
Chelle’s cheer was momentarily interrupted. ‘Well, he’s been invited of course, but whether he’ll show up or not, who knows? That boy has been his own lord and master ever since he got his first motorbike. We’ve not seen him for a few years now, but I am NOT going to let the absence of my one and only child ruin bloody Christmas.’ And with that emphatic statement, she went out into the kitchen and emerged wearing a festive apron, her blonde curls tied up on the back of her head, and her hands sporting bright yellow rubber gloves.
‘Right let’s get this place cleaned up, and you young lady,’ speaking to Emily directly, ‘we will see you on Christmas Eve around 3pm, Banool Crescent, Mount Eliza, on the corner with the big inflatable kangaroo. Stay for Boxing Day and all if you like. We’ve plenty of room. We’ll show you what a proper Aussie Christmas is all about.’
Em thanked them both and went out the back door to the little carpark that sat behind the deli cafe. She actually hated Frankston, but thankfully she didn’t live here, she lived further up the coast at Seaford. She had a break from her doctoral studies over Christmas and had considered going home to the UK, but her brother said he was away for Christmas himself and so there was literally no reason to go back home. Better to be here, somewhere completely different, and try and carve out a life for herself.
As she drove back to her house in Seaford, Emily couldn’t shake off the feeling of loneliness that had settled in her heart. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the coastal town as she parked her car in front of the house she shared with Sally. She could hear the muffled sounds of laughter and chatter coming from inside, indicating that some new backpackers had arrived.
Taking a deep breath, Emily opened the door and stepped into the chaos of her makeshift home. The kitchen was crowded with strangers, all cooking and chatting animatedly. Sally caught sight of her and waved her over, handing her a cold beer with a knowing smile.
‘Rough day at the cafe?’ Sally asked, concern evident in her eyes.
Emily nodded, taking a long sip of her beer. ‘Yeah, you could say that. But guess what? I’ve been invited to Deano’s for Christmas.’
Sally’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Really? That’s great news. They will properly take care of you. They are a lovely family and their house is amazing, really huge and fancy!’
‘Really? Well, I am going to go – if that’s okay with you – I don’t want to leave you here with this lot,’ Emily motioned the 3 guys and 1 girl in the lounge room. She listened to their accents, German or Dutch. Not Brits for a change and for that Emily was grateful; accents from home may have just pushed her over the edge.
Sally shook her head. ‘I have decided to go back up to Queensland and be with my folks this Christmas. This group will be fine in the house, they seem very respectful. I was going to ask you to join me, but, well it’s up to you.’
Emily weighed up her options. ‘If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to go to Deano’s. Him and Chelle have been so good to me. I could do some baking and take some goodies with me.’
‘Splendid idea. Your baking is amazing!’
And so that was how Emily, two days later, on the morning of Christmas Eve, found herself baking cinnamon buns, gingerbread biscuits which she put into small gift bags that numbered 10 (so a couple of spares) to give to everyone. She also made a large Thai chicken and peach salad. She packed up her little Ford Ka, and drove up the coast road, admiring the view over the bay. It was very beautiful here, she conceded. She found herself to be excited, albeit a little nervous, about the next few days but made up her mind to just go with the flow. No point worrying about it. She needed to be more ‘happy holidays’ and less ‘ho effing ho!’
She pulled up outside a gate, that was open, leading down a driveway to a carport. She headed down and pulled her car inside next to the other one. She loaded up her arms with bags and boxes, and before she got to the door, it opened in front of her. Deano gave her a wide grin, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Emily holding her bags and containers of food.
‘Emily, you made it!’ Deano exclaimed, stepping aside to let her in. ‘Come on in, everyone’s been looking forward to meeting you.’
Emily stepped into the spacious living room filled with warmth and laughter. Chelle bustled around, setting out plates and cutlery on a large dining table adorned with a festive tablecloth. The room was decorated with tinsel and fairy lights, giving it a cosy and inviting ambiance.
‘Welcome, darling!’ Chelle enveloped Emily in a tight hug, her apron slightly dusty from her cooking endeavors. ‘We’re so glad you could join us. And look at all those goodies you brought, they smell divine.’
As Emily exchanged greetings with Deano’s brother Phil and his wife, she knew immediately that the next few days would be okay. Deano came up behind with her small suitcase. ‘Follow me Em, I’ll show you to your room. We’ve put all you young ones downstairs. You’re sharing a room with Janey, Phil’s daughter, and their son is next door. There’s a bathroom on this level and your own terrace as well, so if you don’t want to hang out with the oldies, you’re all set down here.’
She followed Deano downstairs and into a pretty room, with two twin beds, where a girl around her own age was painting her toe nails. She looked up as they came in, and smiled at Emily.
‘Hi, I’m Janey. My brother Tom is next door. I don’t know if cousin Zac is coming or not, but he’ll be next door in the boys’ room if he does rock up. That’s your bed.’
Dean smiled, ‘I’ll leave you girls to it, show her where everything is.’
Janey and Emily quickly bonded over shared stories and laughter as they unpacked their belongings. The room felt cosy and welcoming, a stark contrast to the loneliness Emily had been feeling just a few days ago. Tom stuck his head around the door and introduced himself, a couple of years her junior, still with an air of teenage boy hanging over him. Emily settled into the rhythm of Deano’s family Christmas. The house was bustling with activity. Later. Emily found herself laughing and chatting with Janey, helping Chelle in the kitchen, and giving Deano as good as she got when he teased her. It was warm and barmy weather, and the doors to the terrace were flung open. There was two Christmas trees, one inside and the other outside, both of which had a selection of Aussie-themed decorations: a Ute with a Christmas tree in the back and a surfers caravan. It was, she decided, very cute and obviously very different from what she was used to, but she kind of liked it. Also all around the room, were small vases of Australian native flowers, in Christmas colours, adding to the note of Australiana in her mind. It began to dawn on Emily that far from trying to recreate a British Christmas, she needed to embrace these new traditions.
As the evening stretched on, a sense of contentment washed over Emily. She sat on the terrace outside her room, sipping on a cold drink and watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sound of laughter and music drifted down from the upstairs terrace, mingling with the gentle rustle of trees that surrounded the pool in the garden below. She realised the house was built into the hill and their whole house and garden stretched across four levels.
‘Here you are,’ cried Tom. ‘She’s down here,’ he shouted up to the others. ‘Come on, it’s time for our Christmas eve boxes!’
‘What?’
‘We get Christmas eve boxes, always have, since we were little. Tradition. And we’re never too old for that,’ he added with a grin.
They went upstairs, and Deano stood up, clinking his glass for attention.
“I just want to thank everyone for being here tonight. It means the world to have family and friends together during this special time of year.” His gaze lingered warmly on Emily, making her feel truly welcome. ‘And even though these kids are way too old for Santa,’ his words interrupted by sounds of protest from Tom and Janey, ‘but the Christmas eve boxes are over there,’ and he motioned 5 boxes on the kitchen island.
Tom quickly went over. ‘Why are there 5?’
‘Read the names on the labels!’
‘This one’s mine, one for Janey, one for Zac, one for …. Emily!’
‘Oh you really shouldn’t have gone to the trouble,’ said Em, ‘but thank you so much.’ Her boss and his wife had gone to so much trouble to make her feel welcome.
‘Who’s the other one for?’ asked Janey, walking over to where her brother was reading the label.
‘Someone called Mark?’ His tone was questioning. ‘Who the bloody hell is Mark?’
‘Me!’ cried a young man, being led into the room by Chelle. Emily stood still, shock registering across her face, as she wondered how the hell her brother was standing in her boss’s lounge, 10,000 miles away from where she thought he was. And then in the next instant, he was beside her, enveloping her in a big hug, in the way only big brothers can. She melted into him, the tears falling down her face.
‘Oh god Mark, I am sorry, I am so bloody sorry.’ All the hurt came flooding out of her, of selling her parents’ cottage, the disappearing to the other side of the world, her rejection of everything including him. He shushed her tears and stroked her hair, as they made their peace without the need for more words.
Deano explained, ‘this is Mark, Emily’s brother. He and I have been planning this little surprise for weeks. He told Emily he was going away for Christmas, but she didn’t realise it was to here. Welcome to our home,’ passing Mark a cold beer.
He looked at his sister, ‘well, we couldn’t be apart on Christmas, could we?
The group gathered around the kitchen island, each opening their Christmas Eve box to reveal a thoughtful assortment of gifts and treats. Emily’s box contained a beautifully bound journal, a scented candle, and chocolates, plus a card game and a hair scrunchie with reindeers on it. It reminded Emily of the ones her parents had done for them, when they were little. she looked across at Janey, who had the same but her scrunchie had a Christmas Koala on it. The boys opened theirs and found socks and chocs and card games and a shot glass.
They were so engrossed that they barely heard the distant rumbling, but then it got louder and louder. It was the unmistakable sound of a motorbike engine, and it was very close, like on the driveway out front. Chelle looked at her husband, not daring to believe, as the two of them rushed out and there were sounds of laughter and tears. A few moments later, they both returned with a tall young man, dressed head to toe in full leathers. He had removed his helmet, his tousled blond hair catching the last rays of sunlight.
‘Zac!’ cried Tom, looking over at his cousin.
‘Is one of them for me?’ Zac asked his cousin Tom, who was still holding his Christmas eve box, in disbelief that his cousin, absent from the last 3 family Christmases, was actually here.
‘Absolutely mate, welcome home,’ smothering him in a big hug.
Emily watched with curiosity as Zac greeted his family warmly, his easy smile and friendly demeanor clear to see. She wondered why he had chosen to be absent from this warm, inviting family but whatever his reasons, now was not the time. Nor she surmised was it any of her business! He was handsome in a rugged, outdoorsy way, her stomach doing a flip when he met her gaze.
‘And you are?’
‘I’m Emily, and this is my brother Mark. I work for your Dad, and he flew my brother over as a surprise for me. Nice to meet you.’
‘Well, what a houseful we have, but it’ll make for a great few days. Merry Christmas!’ and he raised his glass around to the group, smiling a big smile at his mum, Chelle, whose eyes were still ashine with tears.
‘Happy Holidays’ said Emily and she was very glad that it wasn’t a ho effing ho!!