Merry & Bright
Mary’s per fect festive recipe
Takeoneharassedmum. Mary couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed Christmas. Perhaps it was when the girls were young. It was an endless round of parties and Nativity plays that always ended up with her blubbing into a tissue.
The ex would whisper, “Pull yourself together” but she couldn’t help herself. The twins, with their long blonde hair, were always cast as angels and looked so cute.
Unfortunately, she tended to reflect on Christmases past as being somewhat perfect. She glossed over the bits she didn’t like. All that driving around the supermarket car park trying to get a space due to everyone deciding to do their shopping at the same time. The stores selling out of the latest must-have toys for the girls. Then the long drive to visit the mother-in-law…
From quite early on, Mary realised that no woman was ever going to be good enough for her son. He could do no wrong in his mother’s eyes.
They were a happy little unit of four – or so Mary had thought until the ex went on the run. Now they were older, the girls were encouraging her to “get out there and get back into the dating scene.” Their words, not hers!
“Those pesky lights on the tree keep going out,” Mary said to herself. “I hope they’re not going to give up on us.” Add one tipsy Gran. “How long have you had those lights, love?” Mary’s mum asked. “They keep going out.”
She had been a tower of strength over the years, a shoulder to cry on when Mary’s ex left her for his secretary. Mary had provided the same support when her father had to go into a home and left her mum bereft of the love of her life.
The girls adored her and enjoyed hearing her stories. They loved seeing the photos of her blonde beehive and mini-skirts. In fact, she was quite a glamorous gran. The latest fashions highlighted her trim figure and you’d never catch her without full make-up.
“Could you just put another gin in that, dear?” she called out from the armchair in the corner.
“Mum, that’s your third,” Mary exclaimed reprovingly.
“I didn’t know you were counting.” Mary caught her winking at Uncle Mike.
Mix with one jovial uncle. Uncle Mike was actually her mum’s uncle and now a widower, so Mary thought it right that he was included in the family Christmases. With no children of his own, he always looked forward to spending the festivities with his niece, great-niece and the twins.
“Never mind your crackers. I’ve brought my own,” he announced on his arrival. “These are luxury ones and they’ll have better jokes.”
Every year Uncle Mike could be relied upon to regale them with his gags that had seen better days. After the Christmas lunch, Mary would sit him down with the TV listings, tell him to choose something and then observe him nodding off. It was then all clear for them to put on a decent film to be watched in peace.
On waking, he would say something like “Good film, that.” Mary and the girls would look at each other knowingly.
“What’s wrong with these Christmas lights?” he called to Mary in the kitchen. “They keep going off.”
Stirintwotaxingteenagers. “Mum, Uncle Mike’s asleep now. Can we draw a moustache on him?” giggled the twins. “We can put it on Instagram.”
Holly and Ivy were at that difficult age. The shift from girls to becoming young women is never easy. Although identical, Mary encouraged their independence. She never dressed them alike and fostered their individual characteristics. Both grew up with completely different interests with a huge network of friends between them. “Spirited” was the word that appeared to best describe them on their school reports.
Christmas tended to be a chaotic time because the girls were born on Christmas
“Can we draw a MOUSTACHE on Uncle Mike and put it on INSTAGRAM?”
Day. Mary chose their names, much to the ex-mother-in-law’s chagrin.
“Why not call them Stella and Joan? They were my mother’s names.”
“I’d prefer something Christmassy,” Mary responded, and put her size three foot down. “Perhaps Stella for the next one,” she offered, but she could tell from mother-in-law’s tight-lipped grimace she wasn’t totally convinced.
The girls had coped well with the separation and consequent divorce and saw their father regularly. While he had moved on with a new wife and new family, Mary had remained on her own.
“You’ll meet someone one day,” Holly would say whenever she thought Mary was feeling down. Ivy had offered to get her into internet dating but her Mum’s horrified reaction soon made her back off.
“Mum, these Christmas lights are rubbish. Where did you get them?” Holly complained.
“They keep flashing on and off and then staying off,” agreed Ivy.
Mix well with one kind neighbour. Joe had moved into the apartment next door a couple of months ago. Mary had only seen him on a few occasions but he seemed really friendly. He always spoke to her and the girls when he saw them.
Mary, unsure who the new neighbours were going to be, took a plant round to find out it was only him. Just divorced, he’d bought himself this new bachelor pad, but told her he didn’t feel much like being a bachelor. Still licking his wounds, he said. Mary told him she knew how that felt.
“I’m an electrical engineer,” he explained when she asked what he did for a living. “I work more on the commercial side of things. I can do domestic stuff so if you need anything looking at, just call.”
Suddenly there was a loud pop. Then darkness. Uncle Mike jumped out of his chair with a few choice words. “Brilliant,” said Holly, sarcastically. “That’s all we need,” Ivy muttered under her breath.
“Where will we find an electrician on Christmas Day?” Mum asked. “Hmm. I wonder…” Mary mused. Sprinkle with sugar. Twelve months later found Mary and Joe putting up a brand new set of lights on the Christmas tree they were decorating together. And Mary knew that this year had all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas.