Chapter 24: Clay and Lynn's Christmas Gifts
"What's this Clay? Some kind of soup or something?" Lynn asked. "Nahh, it's supposed to be a baked mac but i overcooked the macaroni so it looks like a mess" Clay replied. They laughed. "Well, let me introduce you to...umm...my dish" Lynn said. It's steak that looks like delicious. "Woah, this is unfair, you can cook!" Jean complemented Lynn. "Well mine's the perfect meal here i guess" Mark said. It's a salmon. "What did you do with it?" Clay asked. "I baked it" Mark replied. "Baked? Gross" Jean said. "Mine's here! It's a fruit salad" Jean said. It really looks like mixed fruits. "You play safe huh?" Mark said.
They ate dinner with laughter and joy. They missed this kind of get together. The one without anything in mind. The one without someone to budge in. The jokes without intending it just to wriggle Clay out of his stressful situation, but the jokes that makes them genuinely happy. A moment of fun. They ate their own made food. "I thought this was supposed to be a steak Lynn" Clay said. "I thought so too" Lynn joked. They all laughed. The steak was too salty and unevenly cooked. Some are very rare which they take as a gross type of steak. "This salmon taste like water you know" Jean said. Observing the baked salmon. Mark did not put anything on it, he just baked it. "Yeah, it just looks fancy but it taste like...rice"Lynn joked while looking at the salmon on her spoon. They once again laughed. They all knew that they are not a good cook so they just choose who the winner is by tasting who taste not the worst. "Let's taste jean's then" Mark said. They all grab a small bowl and served themselves. They all tasted Jean's salad then Clay coughed. "This is sweet as hell" he said. "Instant diabetes" Lynn added. "At least mine tastes" Jean teased Mark. They laughed and laughed again. They spent the rest of the dinner with joy. Joy they missed. A genuine joy setting aside their problems.
By 8 PM, they finished eating and was full of their own food. They don't actually liked their dishes, they just ate all of it while they're laughing. They stood up and cleaned the table. Tomorrow is christmas and they don't like to leave Clay with dishes to wash. They all washed the dishes and it was a mess. But they had fun. They had fun all night. A night they will always remember. They then gave their gifts for each others. Lynn's all in a big paper bags. Jean's all in a medium sized boxes. Mark's all wrapped with a fabric, like the asian wrappings. Clay's all in a box, smaller than Jean's. They then greeted each other. "Merry Christmas idiots!" Jean said. Lynn, Mark and Clay smiled and all muttered a Merry Christmas. Clay then joined them outside the house. No one felt like leaving, but they have to. Jean, Mark and Lynn waved their goodbye to Clay. Clay watched them as the car they're in is rapidly going away from his sight. He then let out a deep breath and got inside the house. It does not look like a lonely house now. Now every time he looks at the house, he remembers his friends. It's Christmas tomorrow which means it is a family day, Jean, Mark and Lynn won't be with Clay. Clay will then spend his Christmas with his mother. He entered his Mom's room and cleaned her for the last time of the day and easily felt tired. He climbed up his room and slept as soon as he got into his bed.
By the next morning, Clay woke up at 7 AM. It's Christmas Day. He felt so fragmented. He averted his gaze to his bed side table where he put his gifts last night. He then unwrapped each of them. He first unwrapped Lynn's which was in a paper bag. A very good looking paper bag. His eyes bulged out when he saw what it was. A pair of shoes. White and very light weight. It looks so expensive that Clay lifted it like a new born baby. This was the first time Lynn spent a fortune for him. He was so shocked and grateful in Lynn's gift for him. Inside the paper is a Christmas card too. "Merry Christmas Clay! I know life's been rough for you in the past few months. I just want to tell you this, we've seen how you handle the situation, we've seen you grow and most importantly i want to tell you that we'll always be by your side. That's a promise." The card says. A smile sprung from Clay's face.
After placing Lynn's gift back to its paper bag for safe keeping, he then unwrapped Mark's. This looks like an interesting gift because of it's wrapping. Wrapped in a silk is a box. A plain brown box. After unwrapping the fabric, he opened the box. Inside it is a weird looking hourglass with oils inside instead of sand. It also has a letter. "Hey Clay! Life's been tough lately huh? The girls must've probably told you that we'll be here for you and i guarantee it to you. We'll always be by your side. Don't ever ever feel unwanted, your mom needs you. I made this myself you know, it glows in the dark. A reminder that there's always light somewhere in the darkness. Merry Christmas!" Mark's letter says. Clay then smiled in appreciation. Among the four of them, Mark is not the most nostalgic, not Jean. They all know that Jean's not a tough girl like what she always display.
Clay put the hourglass on his bed side table. Then He continued with unwrapping the last gift, Jean's. Packed in a beautiful looking box. He untangled the ribbon and unboxed it. Inside has many protective papers, and a bottle. A bottle of perfume. It is in a clear ones and inside, the liquid is violet. With another letter attached he read it. "I made it myself, it's what i usually wear when i feel so vulnerable. Whenever i smell that, i felt so secured somehow. You're my strength Clay. We'll continue life even if shit's happening right now. We're always here for each other. Merry Christmas!" Then confusion struck Clay. What does she mean with I'm his strength? He asked himself. He then uncapped the bottle and smell the bottle. It smelled so manly and dominant. Clay reminds himself of being a bad ass boy when he smell it.
Lynn's POV
I was once again waken up by a knock on the door. "Lynn get up already, it's Christmas!" Elizabeth exclaimed happily. It's Christmas day! I then got up and before i even got to my shower, my eyes saw three boxes. Jean, Mark and Clay's gifts. I then took it and decided to open them first before going to shower. I got back to my bed with three boxes. I first unboxed the smallest, Clay's. Inside it is a necklace. A pendant that looks like a weighing scale attached in it. I then received a message from Clay, Jean and Mark. I opened Clay's text first. "Hey! I didn't expected you to give me a letter so i'll be texting you my message. The pendant symbolizes equality to me. I accept you whoever you are. Rich or poor, straight or not. Also, a reminder to always chose what's best and not what's easy. Merry Christmas!" The message states. I smiled, this prick became deep.
I then unboxed a pretty looking box, Jean's. Inside it has shredded papers to protect a bottle. A crystal clear glass bottle with a pink liquid inside. I was curious about it so i read the card. "Hey Lynn! I made it myself. It's a new fragrance that i just made for you. I always smell different according to what i feel actually but since it's new for me, i can say that i'll be wearing that whenever i wanted someone to talk with. Can you be my adviser some time? Merry Christmas! P.S. i didn't know that flowers are very hard to draw but whatever"
I looked at the letter after reading it. It was neatly handwritten. The floral borders were also handwritten but it looks so pretty that way. I then opened the bottle. It smells like an infusion sweet candy and rose. Of course i will be there for them. They're all i got outside this house.
I then opened Mark's box. I don't know if Mark's having an asian fetish right now. I unwrapped the fabric. I saw beautiful patterns in the fabric. I then unboxed it and inside it is a pendulum. Lame. This guy has not met my taste with aesthetics. It looked so boring. Jus six balls with one on either side to hit the other so the cycle starts. I've seen it to my Dad's office once. I then saw a letter inside. "Girl! I don't know what to give to you. Pendulum might not be your thing but it's what i can perfectly describe you. That's you, you're a pendulum. Whenever there's a driving force to continue, you continue. I just hope that when life seems so dark and you couldn't find a force to continue, you'll not slowdown like what pendulums do. Don't let the forces inside you escape. Merry Christmas!" The letter says. This guy is a real Scientist from the four of us. I thought he would give me one of his Harry Potter things but i guess this is more sensible than what i used to think of it minutes ago. I then placed the pendulum in my table beside their letter and Mark's fabric, that i plan to frame. I watched the pendulum continue hitting each other. It goes on and on and on until it starts to slowdown then...stopped. It just stopped. What does he mean with the forces inside me? What should I not let escape?
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