Chapter 6 #2
‘Ah, she used to love Christmas,’ Andreas reminisced with a happy-sad smile on his lips.
‘The big family gatherings down in London. She’d clean the house from top to bottom, and be baking like some crazy woman through December: melomakarona and kourabiedes biscuits, feta spinach pastries, and so much more.
You had to be prepared and have something ready to offer anyone popping by, as well as all the goodies for the main feasts. ’
‘Oh, heaven forbid a Greek-Cypriot mama not having a full pantry for the festive season,’ added Dan with a wink.
‘Oh yes, and Christmas Day, everybody was off to Mass first thing in the morning, followed by a feast of roast chicken,’ continued his partner.
‘It was great fun, if noisy and bloody chaotic,’ Dan confirmed with a grin, having been welcomed to the family and invited to many a seasonal celebration in his early years with Andreas.
‘And then New Year, St Basil’s Day – that’s a huge celebration in the festive calendar,’ Andreas continued.
‘That’s when we’d finally be able to open all our main presents.
Can you imagine, as a kid, your mates getting theirs on Christmas Day, and you had another whole week to wait?
Another feast that day, naturally, too. Oh yes, even living in London, it was a real Greek-Cypriot-style Christmas. ’
‘Sounds wonderful,’ said Cath, enjoying their reminiscing.
‘Then, when she moved up here, to be nearer us,’ Andreas continued nostalgically, his voice becoming a little thick, ‘living on her own – as Papa had passed away a few years before – it was a much quieter event. But she still used to love coming to us for her turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Ate like a horse, enjoyed a sherry or two, and then complained loudly about indigestion through all the best parts of the Christmas movies.’
Dan chuckled, remembering too. ‘And when it was time to ferry her back to her little bungalow,’ he added, ‘she’d end up taking home a goodie bag, with a plated second dinner all ready to warm up for the next day, along with gammon for sandwiches, boxes of chocolates, Andreas’s baklava, traditional cookies, and a feast of treats. ’
‘Hah, it was enough to keep her going for a week, bless her.’ Andreas smiled warmly.
‘Oh, it sounds great, and very much like you looked after her really well,’ observed Nikki. ‘You can take some comfort from that, for sure.’
‘Aw, and she used to love getting spoilt on Christmas Day, even when she was at the home. They’d give her the full turkey dinner along with the other residents there.’ Andreas was on a roll.
Cath’s mind flicked to the elderly gathered together there in the care home. The ones she’d briefly met when she’d called by to visit Maria. Some larger than life, others retiring to a quiet corner content with a little calm.
‘But even then,’ Andreas added, ‘Mama was determined not to miss out on coming to ours. So, a couple of days before Christmas we’d pick her up, and bring her over to Tilldale for a day trip.
An alternative festive feast, full of all the Greek-style things she loved.
’ Andreas’s eyes were twinkling, the food and the memories very much wrapped up in love.
‘Such lovely memories, chaps.’ Will had a glisten in his eye, too.
‘This year won’t be the same though, will it?’ Andreas was softly shaking his head.
‘Of course, it won’t be the same, but you can still celebrate Maria and her life,’ Lily suggested gently, with a wiseness beyond her years. ‘Perhaps you can think of something special she liked, or used to do around this time of year.’
That seemed to cheer Andreas up. ‘Oh yes! Dan, we can have a Commandaria wine toast in her honour before we eat. She used to love that drink. And I’ll have to make some melomakarona in her memory – cinnamon and orange cookies, with delicious honey syrup and crushed walnuts.
That was her absolute favourite at this time of year. ’
‘Oh, they sound lush. I’ll have to get the recipe for those!’ Lily beamed.
The group had grown to know and love the feisty, characterful Greek-Cypriot mama, who’d spent her last days happily, if a little frustrated that life was passing her by far too quickly, with all those amazing adventures coming to an end, in the nearby Kirkton care home.
‘Ah, that sounds lovely. Here’s to your gorgeous mama.’ Cath lifted her flute of fizz.
‘To Maria,’ added Nikki.
‘Maria,’ Lily echoed, raising her glass.
‘To those we have loved and lost …’ Will added, poignantly.
‘Cheers, everyone,’ said Dan.
Andreas wiped a stray tear with the back of his hand. ‘Now then, enough of me going on and getting all sentimental. What are you lot up to for Christmas?’ he asked the group.
‘Well, we’re doing “The Usual”,’ Nikki began.
‘The family at ours, so that’s both sets of parents, a day of Christmas chaos, far too much food, and Granda falling asleep and snoring in the chair, while I try to rally the boys and Kev – who’ll also be about to nod off – to help with the mountainous pile of washing up.
All followed by a very large Baileys for me, some choccy treats, and a Christmas movie. Manic, as ever … but I do love it.’
‘Sounds like fun.’ Cath could picture the family gathering in all its chaotic glory.
‘So, how about everyone else? What’s on the festive agenda?’ Nikki asked.
Lily, who was hoping to be heading out on Christmas Eve with her mates, said her mission after that was to keep awake through Christmas Day.
‘And I’m looking forward to making the yule log,’ she added.
‘I’ve found a cool new recipe to try using dark chocolate and rum.
I’ve already got the boozy brandy Christmas cake underway. ’
‘Anyone else notice there’s a bit of a theme going on here?’ Nikki raised her eyebrows.
‘Like how to get away with as much alcohol as you can in the name of baking?’ said Will. He had two girls of his own, just a little older than Lily, after all.
‘Yep, you’ve got me.’ Lily merely smiled.
‘Absolutely, I like your style, girl,’ said Andreas.
‘Yeah, we pop over to Auntie Nik’s for drinks mid-morning Christmas Day,’ Lily explained. ‘That’s a family tradition, but then we tend to do our own thing. Mum and Dad like things a bit quieter. Yawn.’ Nikki and Lily’s dad were brother and sister.
‘Hah, it’s a madhouse at ours,’ said Nikki. ‘No wonder they look to escape before the lunch!’
‘Mind you, I might actually be working over the festive season this year,’ Lily added, with a secretive smile. ‘Haven’t given the parents the lowdown on that possibility, yet.’
‘Oh, this is news. How come?’ Her aunt was curious.
‘We-ll.’ The young woman pulled an excited-anxious face.
They all knew of her hopes to work in catering, and her dreams of becoming a top pastry chef or artisan baker.
‘I’m actually waiting to hear if I’ve got a part-time job with Saveur.
You know, the new restaurant in Alnwick?
I’m already lined up for some work experience with them this term, which is so cool.
And I’ve now heard they’re looking for help over their pre-Christmas season.
So, I’ve messaged, and got my name down. ’
‘Wow, that’s great, Lily!’ Nikki was beaming.
‘I’m still really keen to go to catering college after finishing my A levels,’ she explained further, ‘and this’d be brilliant for my experience and CV. They’re trying to get a Michelin star there and everything. The food is meant to be a-mazing.’
‘Sounds like a great opportunity.’ Cath was delighted for her. Lily was talented and ambitious. They’d all enjoyed the fruits of her culinary labours recently at her fantastic Puddings and Patisserie Night. ‘They’d be lucky to have you, Lily.’
‘Oh yes, I hope you get lucky for the extra shifts, Lils, and that work experience sounds great,’ Dan said.
‘Yeah, I’ll have a few lunch sessions there on my work experience week.
Mainly washing up and stuff I think, and a bit of sous-chef prep.
But if I land this job for the run-up to Christmas, then I might get to be more hands-on.
They might even let me progress to plating up the desserts. ’ She gave a hopeful grin.
It was lovely to see the young woman so animated. She’d been quite shy when she’d first joined their supper group only a few months back, understandably as they were all a few decades older. But they loved having her.
‘Well, that’s fantastic, Lily. Fingers crossed for you,’ said Andreas.
‘You go, girl,’ reaffirmed Dan. ‘And what’s on for you then this Christmas time, Cath?’
‘Oh, I’m not quite sure yet,’ said Cath. It was lovely listening to all the jolly Christmas activities planned, but it had also left her feeling strangely unsettled. ‘I’m waiting to hear if Adam’s planning to be with me or his dad … or perhaps, jetting off somewhere else entirely.’
She really hoped he’d want to join her here in the village, but Adam was now an adult with a life and friends of his own.
Last year, they’d spent a ‘last’ Christmas together in the wreckage of the Leeds ‘family’ home, with the ‘For Sale’ sign up outside, and her ex-husband Trevor off in his love nest. They’d struggled through.
It hadn’t been the best day by any means.
So yes, this year would be very different for her too, and of course, it was the first in her new Northumberland cottage home.
Whilst that was exciting, she was still learning to adjust to life without her long-term partner, and the ghosts were bound to be there from all those family traditions from years past. A part of her was looking forward to any upcoming village festivities, but another part already felt slightly anxious that she might find it a lonely time, particularly the big day.
What if Adam didn’t come up for Christmas?
Her new friends would naturally have their own plans for Christmas Day, and that was how it should be.
Enjoying that special family and couple time together.
But for her, well, it might prove to be a tricky day.
She wasn’t sure what it was she was feeling about it.
It wasn’t envy as such, as she was genuinely pleased for them all …
it was just all so new and unexpected, this being on her own.
She had a lot to sit with emotionally. But hey, no point worrying about that now; she needed to think positively.
She wanted to make the most of this evening.
‘Crikey, I haven’t even thought of Christmas yet,’ confessed Will.
Cath saw Will’s face drop. It sounded like he didn’t even want to think about it.
He had his daughters, of course, but no doubt Christmas was a really tough time for them all.
It was so very hard to have lost a loved one, and Christmas brought that absence home more than any other time of the year.
She wanted to give Will a hug, but held back.
His grief was intense and so personal that it might seem too much, especially with the group there.
Instead, she laid a supportive hand over his.
He looked up at her, and tried a smile but it broke down into a look of barely disguised anguish.
Bloody hell, Christmas could be a tough time for sure, a time when loss was felt even more fiercely. There must be many lonely souls out there, finding the festivities difficult, or perhaps wishing they could join in and not be alone.
With that thought, the germ of an idea began to stir in Cath’s mind. And as she headed down to the kitchen to plate up the crostini starters, its roots were already growing.