Holidays

Chapter 3: Christ-más: Joel

Christmas day Joel woke up to the sound of bells. Every year his mother and father jingled bells to wake him up.

“It’s Christmas, Joel. Come down and unwrap your gifts,” his parents shouted.

Joel rushed down the stairs and almost tripped. He saw the tree decorated and filled with garland, ornaments, and lights. The undercarriage of the tree was surrounded by presents.

Joel unwrapped the first box and it was a laptop. He thanked his parents since he will need one for school.

The second gift was a small box with gift cards in it. It was for various restaurants and coffee shops.

“Here mom, open this one,” Joel said as he handed her a big box with red wrapping paper and a bow.

She unwrapped it and it was a crockpot. “Thanks, the one I had just broke.”

“You’re welcome, I have been working more hours at MB.”

“You didn’t have to.”

They continued to exchange gifts, his father got him a skateboard, he got his father a set of cooking utensils, like a spatula and or big spoon. His mother got his father an expensive blender.

After all the gifts were opened, his mother cleaned up the wrapping paper. Joel took a nap and his father cleaned up the kitchen and started cooking Christmas dinner.

Joel woke up a few hours before the guests arrived, he took a shower, got dressed, and played one of his new video games.

The doorbell rang and Joel’s mom answered the door. His cousins were here. Joel rushed down the stairs and greeted everyone.

“So, have you told them yet?” Will asked Joel as they settled on the couch.

“No.”

“It’s been a month.” Will’s eyes widened. “You’re going to tell everyone today, aren’t you?”

“Tell us what?” Joel’s mother asked in confusion.

“Oh nothing,” Joel replied.

Joel’s aunt winked at them with her good eye.

“When we open gifts,” Joel whispered into Will’s ear.

His aunts and uncles set their gifts under the tree and Joel looked over at a small box marked “To Joel”. It had rainbow wrapping paper and it was from his aunt.

Joel thought about the gift as he ate his ham at dinner. What could it be? Would it help me reveal my true self to my family? he thought.

They finished dinner with full bellies and retired to the living room.

“So, who’s going to open gifts first?” Joel’s mother asked.

“I think Joel should open the gift I got him,” his aunt Janice replied.

“Okay,” Joel said with excitement, yet nervousness.

Janice handed him the little box, it was was small enough to fit a necklace or rings or even a watch. He shook it and heard jingling. He unwrapped it and slowly removed the cover of the box. and unwrapped the box. It was pins, pride flags pins.

He was afraid to show anyone, but then his mother asked, “What did she get you?”

He showed his mother and she said, “Oh, oh. They’re nice.”

Will looked over his shoulder as he saw the rainbow pins.“Oh no.”

“Why did you tell your mother?” Joel asked Will.

“What did you tell Will’s mother?”

“I’m gay, okay?”

“You’re what?” One of his innocent little cousins asked as he opened his new toy truck.

“I’m gay, are you happy, Will?

“Yes, but it should’ve happened this way.”

“Mommy, what does gay mean?” the same cousin asked.

“It means, he only likes boys, instead of girls.”

“Yes, I like boys. I’m gay!” Joel ran upstairs in anger.

“I’ll go talk to him. This is kinda my fault,” Will insisted.

Will walked upstairs and found Joel’s bedroom door closed and locked. He knocked and remembered what his father said to him when he came out.

“Unlock the door, so we can talk!” Will shouted.

“No, go away!”

“Come on, we need to talk about this.”

“What is there to talk about? I came out like you wanted.”

“No, this is not what I wanted.”

Joel unlocked the door and Will walked in. He sat on the bed, next to Joel.

“You should’ve come out at your own time. I shouldn’t have told my mother. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t accept your apology. You embarrassed me in front of my family.”

“Again, I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. You probably helped your mom pick out those pins.”

“I didn’t know she bought those, I swear.”

“Alright, but why did you tell her I’m gay?”

“I was sick of holding it in and I had to tell someone, so I told my mother.”

“But if you didn’t tell your mother, none of this would have happened.”

“I know, I know and I’m so sorry.”

“Let me get my gift for you.”

Will rushed downstairs and grabbed the blue envelope. He rushed back upstairs.

“Here.”

The outside of the envelope read: “To: Joel

From: Will

Merry Christmas!”

Joel opened it and the front of the card said, “Merry Christmas

to my favorite cousin.”

The inside had two male cousins ice skating on a frozen lake on the left side and the right side said:

“Merry Christmas to a cousin I can depend on and talk to. From, Will,” Joel said out loud. He pulled out a gift card from inside the card for twenty-five dollars to his favorite coffee shop.

“Aw, cuz, you shouldn’t have.”

“But I did.”

“I got you something too,” Will said as he pulled out a green gift bag with red tissue paper sticking out of the mess in his open closet.

Will removed the paper from the bag and found a metal water bottle.

“I know you run track, so I got you something you could use to stay hydrated,” Joel said with excitement.

“Oh, thanks,” Will replied in a careless tone.

“What? You don’t like it?”

“No, I do, but I already have one.”

“But look at the box. It keeps beverages cool at forty-three degrees.”

“That’s specific, but I’ll use it as a backup or when the other bottle’s in the dishwasher.”

“Fine.”

“Now, why don’t you come downstairs and finish unwrapping gifts?”

“I’ll wait until everyone leaves, I don’t think I can face them.”

“Well, I can. I’ll see you later.” Will walked out of Joel’s room and hurried downstairs.

A few hours later, Joel’s mother told him to come downstairs. Everyone had left, except for Will and his parents. He slowly came down the stairs in fear, sorrow, and embarrassment.

“Joel, say bye to your aunt, uncle, and cousin before they leave,” Joel’s mother said.

“Bye, Auntie. Sorry about running off earlier. I really do like the gift.”

“I’m glad and I’m sorry for putting you on the spot like that. William told me you needed a little push, so I gave you one.”

“Thanks for that,” Joel said sarcastically.

Joel hugged his aunt.

They said their final goodbyes and left.

“Can I talk to you guys?” Joel asked his parents as they cleaned up.

“Sure, buddy,” his father replied.

“Of course,” his mother said.

They followed him into the kitchen, which also had the dining room table.

“So now you guys know. What do you think?”

“I think — how long have you known?” his mom asked.

“For a few years now,” Joel replied.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” his dad asked.

“I wasn’t ready. I tried coming out on Thanksgiving, well, you know what happened.”

“Yeah,” his mother as she accidentally dropped a glass on the floor. She tried to shove all the glasses into one cabinet.

After they cleaned up the mess, His father hugged him and said, “We’re glad your out and proud and we accept you for who you are.”

“Yeah, sweetie, you’re our son and we’ll always love you no matter what your sexuality is.”

“Thanks, guys.”