Christmas day

Ana Nebel
Characters:

Alice- grandmother

Francis- grandfather

Isabel- mother (the eldest sibling)

Frank- father

Anthony- eldest son

Louis- youngest son

Emily- youngest girl

Jennie- aunt (the middle sibling)

Peter- uncle

Sophie- eldest cousin

Henry- youngest cousin

Daniel- uncle (the youngest sibling)

Rebecca- Daniel’s girlfriend

Alfred- butler

Elizabeth- maid
- Are we there yet? asked little Emily looking at her mother.
Isabel looked back at her daughter saying:
- We’re almost there!
- So, who’s ready to see grandma and grandpa? asked the dad with joy in his voice without
taking his eyes off the road.
- Meeeee! said Emily lifting her hands above her head. Her two brothers, caught in some sort of
game on their phones, didn’t seem as happy, rolling their eyes and not responding to their dad’s
question.
After two turns the car stopped in front of a huge white house. It looked like something you
would see in a fairy tale. It was covered by a climbing flower named Wisteria, which became
Isabels’ favorite because it reminded her of childhood, of all the memories she created in her
parents’ house. Even though the plant surrounded the whole front of the house, it was well taken
care of, not covering the large and tall windows or the main door through which you could fit a
horse with no problem. The house was so tall and old, but very well maintained, that people
thought it was a castle although it only had two floors. The garden was also impressive. The path
of bedrock was surrounded by bushes trimmed in a rectangular shape and different types of
flowers, matching the ones on the house. The icing on the cake was a tall, gorgeous fountain in
the middle of the garden.
Not so far away, in the door frame were two people waving at the family. The family waved
back but Emily ran to them with no hesitation and hugged them tightly.
- I missed you so so so much, said the little girl breathing heavily.
- Anthony, Louis, please be nice, said the mom who was still next to the driveway. And give me
those phones! You won’t see them until we leave. This action made the boys sight but there were
no complaints because they were very well mannered. Also, she said turning to Frank, her
husband, don’t forget the presents and the food in the car.
Frank was about to open the trunk.
- You don’t have to worry about that, sir, a familiar voice said. I will take everything to the
manor.
- Alfred! Frank exclaimed and then shook the man’s hand. You are my savior! I haven’t seen you
in a long time.
- Since Thanksgiving! Alfred said laughing.
Alfred was one of the only helpers left at the manor. He and the other 5 maids have been
working for the Whitlock family for the last 40 years. There were all kinds of other helpers who
served Alice’s grandparents. They grew up with Daniel, Jennie, and Isabel and were raised to
work for the family. Even thou they were employed, the 3 children treated them like family.
After a few minutes, the whole family hugged each other and entered the house. They went to
the dining room where at the furthest side of the table were four other people.
- Oh, Jennie! I haven’t seen you in ages! said Isabel while hugging her sister. Merry Christmas!
The two dads shook hands and started talking about something only they were interested in.
A boy about Emily’s age ran to her and hugged her screaming:
- Emy, I want to show you something! Come! Henry said while dragging the girl into another
room.
Only one person was left sitting, Sophie, Henry’s older sister. She didn’t seem sad but she surely
wasn’t happy. She waved at the boys and, without saying a word, they went to sit with her. They
got along well, but they it didn’t seem like they were best friends.
Although it was barely 5 o’clock, the sun was set. After a few minutes, they were all sitting at the
table, next to the ones they were the closest with. Of course, the grandfather, Francis, was seated
at the head of the table. On his right was his wife, Alice. On his left, were the two daughters,
Isabel and Jennie, and next to them were the husbands, Frank and Peter. Next to Alice were the
little ones, Emily and Henry, and the older siblings, Anthony, Louis, and Sophie. Although the
table seemed surrounded, there was still one chair left.
- Mom, are you sure Daniel is coming? He hasn’t responded to any of my texts…
- Or calls, completed Jennie also looking at her mother.
- I’m sure he’ll be here. He promised, said Alice looking down.
Just at that moment, the door opened and a tall man entered.
- Uncle Daniel! screamed the little ones running to the man.
- Hi, guys! He said looking down at Henry and Emily who were each hugging a leg.
He walked to the table and yelled:
- Merry Christmas! And look who Santa brought! he said, then went outside and came back
holding a girl’s hand. You must remember Rebecca! The two walked to the table.
Rebecca was Daniel’s girlfriend and she has been for a while. The family didn’t quite like
Rebecca because they knew she wasn’t what Daniel deserved. She was always asking for money
and they guessed she wasn’t true to him. They tried to tell Daniel but he would always refuse to
listen to them because he was so in love with her.
Daniel went to kiss his mother and father and showed everybody that he didn’t come empty-
handed. In his right hand was a casserole and Rebecca helped him by holding the presents, which
she put next to the others, under the tree.
Daniel took a chair, for Rebecca, from the kitchen and placed it next to his. Then he asked:
- So… what did I miss?
- We were about to open the presents! said Henry with an impatient voice while jumping on his
chair. Right?
- I was thinking about waiting to do it after dinner, but I think I can make an exception, just for
you, my little Beep Beep, said Francis looking at his grandkid.
Grandpa gave all his grandkids a nickname but this one was the most accurate. “Beep Beep” was
a nickname Francis gave the little kid years ago and there is a reason why it is so perfect for him.
When Henry was one year old, he started watching with his grandpa a cartoon named Wile E.
Coyote & Road Runner. Road Runner was an ostrich that, before running, it would say “Beep
Beep”. Henry watched the cartoon so many times that his first words were “Beep Beep”. He was
as energetic as the ostrich so the grandpa decided that no nickname could describe Henry better.

The kids ran to the tree and picked out everybody’s present. Everybody looked very pleased with
what they received. Even the older siblings were happy because Sophie got a perfume she’s been
talking about for months and the boys got a PlayStation.
If you ask any of the members of the family, the happiest one is Alice. She always likes anything
she gets, even if it’s candy or a simple object, so she is the easiest to buy gifts for. Everybody got
her something, even the kids who decided to make her a very beautiful painting. She also likes to
use everything she gets as soon as possible. For example, she used right away the perfume she
got from Jennie and Peter, and the hand cream she received from Daniel. She is already wearing
the butterfly headpin she got from Isabel and Frank and the lipstick that her husband bought her
in her favorite shade.
After everybody opens their gifts, they sit down at the table, while Grandma and her helpers, the
kids, and Alfred and Elizabeth, one of the maids, place all the food and the cutlery on the table. It
all smelled so good and looked delicious. Everybody was eating.

They are all having a great time, laughing and talking about what happened since they last saw
each other. All of a sudden, Alice takes her husband’s hand and squeezes it saying:
- Honey, I can’t breathe …
After that, she collapses on the floor. Everybody stood up in shock.
- Mom, are you ok?
- Alice!
- Grandma?
- Alice!
Henry and Emily immediately start crying.
Peter tries to help her but she wouldn’t move. Frightened, Francis checks her pulse. It was so
slow he could barely feel it. Then he yelled.
- Rebecca! Take the kids upstairs! Go to Sophie’s room! Now!
- Why? What happened? asked Louis with a worried face.
- Just go! yells Francis while holding back tears.
- Someone call an ambulance!
Daniel called 911 and his voice was shaking. An ambulance came right away and in no time all
the adults were in the waiting room, worried about Alice as they had never been before.
A long time passed and a woman wearing a white robe entered the room.
- The Whitlock family? she said with a face that didn’t show any emotion.
- Yes? Is she alright? asked Peter.
The other members of the family stood up from their chairs waiting for the nurse’s answer.
- I am so sorry…She didn’t make it.
Everyone’s faces froze in that second. No one could believe it. Jennie and Isabel cover their
mouths with their hands while tears stream down their red cheeks. Peter and Frank are still in
shock not expressing any other emotion than disbelief. Daniel’s face freezes and his legs go
numb so he has to find a chair. He is already sobbing but he doesn’t want anyone to see him so
he has to turn around.
- Can I see her? Said Francis looking down.
- Yes. Follow me.
The two of them entered a room. By the window was a bed covered in a white sheet. Francis
slowly pulled two of the sheet’s corners and revealed his beloved’s face. He runs his fingers on
her soft skin.
- It’s going to be alright… he says while looking down at her face. It’s going to be alright… he
repeats now to assure himself. A tear drops down on her face and he wipes it right away. It’s
going to be alright… he says again, leaning to kiss her lips for the last time.
- We managed to find the cause of death, the nurse said while looking in her files.
- Yes, I know, chocking, Francis replied without making eye contact.
- No. It was poison.
Francis turned around quickly and his expression changed.
- Poison? he asked in a louder voice, hoping he heard wrong.
- Yes. I am very sorry.
They were all back home. They explained to the kids what happened and they were devastated.
The parents tried to calm them even thou they were hurting too. After a long time, they all
stopped crying and the kids finally went to bed, with their cheeks still wet.
- I want to talk to all of you, Francis said to the parents.
In no time they were all in the living room, the grandpa being the only one standing.
- It was no accident what happened to Alice. The nurse said she was poisoned.
A new expression appeared on their faces. The sadness became confusion, and then fear. They
were a happy family, with no issues whatsoever and only thinking that someone could have done
something like this was terrifying.
- It is one of us. No one else could have done it and no one is going anywhere until we find out
who did it, completed Francis, and then sat down on his chair because he couldn’t take any more
of his emotions.
The family looked at each other for a while and the first one to speak was Daniel, who could
barely say a word because he couldn’t stop crying, unlike everyone else.
- She was the perfect mother, wife, and mother-in-law. She was my mommy. She always took
care of us, offered us anything we wanted or needed, she loved us from the bottom of her heart.
He stood up.
- And one of you killed her! he yelled, but not loud enough so that the kids would hear him. How
could you? he completed on a lower tone, looking at everyone in the room.
They all looked at each other frightened but Jennie had another emotion taking control of her.
She was mad?
- Stop acting like you are the innocent one and like you loved her the most. You were the most
absent in her life and you two haven’t spoken in two years. You didn’t show up on her birthday,
Easter, Thanksgiving, or any other occasion. Ever since that huge fight about your relationship
with Rebecca and how she didn’t give you her blessing to get married, you two had simply
disappeared for her life, our lives. I am surprised that you came this time. And I’m wondering
why. Maybe you and your sweet girlfriend killed her out of revenge.
- I loved her! he answered offended while another tear rolled down his left cheek. Rebecca didn’t
say a word because she was too scared to speak.
Jennie wanted to say something back, but then, Isabel stood up.
- Just stop it, Jennie. You weren’t the perfect daughter either, she said without taking anyone’s
side. You and Peter barely visited her, and when you did, you would ask for money. I know she
refused to give them because she told you that you have to put your life together and figure out
things on your own. After you lost the house, I am very surprised that she let you move in with
her. You two would have a very good reason to kill her, so that you would inherit all the money
she had, and, someday, the house.
- Your family is no better, said Peter who didn’t struggle to stand up, but he crossed his arms and
looked directly at Frank.
- You didn’t like Alice or ever Francis one bit.
- What? Why? Isabel asked turning back to her husband.
- I will tell you why what he told me, Peter looked at Frank and then again at his sister-in-law.
We all know he came from a poor family, but what we don’t know is that he hated the rich,
especially Alice.
He looked again at Frank.
- You told me yourself that you despised them, that they had everything while you had nothing.
We all know how Alice treated you when she first meet you, like a scum all because of where
you came from and what you owned. I know it still bothers you. even thou you hate the rich, you
want to become one of them so you would have two reasons to kill her. Revenge and money
Isabel looked horrified.
- I could never do that. Yes, I hated her, but she has been so kind to me and my kids for the past
16 years that I could not even think of doing such a thing. She meant the world to me, she was
the one who offered me the things I never received, not only material but also sentimental. The
love she shared was like no other.
They all remained silent until a voice was heard.
- Isabel did it!
Isabel was relaxed on her chair but hearing the accusation made her sit straight. She looked
around the room to see who called on her.
- What? Isabel asked.
- Oh please, you have the best reason.
It was Jennie.
- The family business, said Jennie while her sister remained speechless. You are the oldest, so
you would have had the right to receive it, only that mom never wanted to give it to you. Even
thou she retired years ago and you were the perfect one for the job, she still chose to leave the
company in Daniel’s hands. He wasn’t made for the job but his mom forced him to take on the
family tradition. When he started, he almost went bankrupt until you helped him up the sales. I
know you told Mom how you fixed it, and how this shows you are the one who deserves the
company but she said no. Of course, you couldn’t take the company from Daniel, who
desperately wanted to give it to you because Mom still owned it. 10 years have passed, and you
still don’t own it, and Daniel, with your help, managed to keep it going. Maybe you have had
enough and you thought that, by getting rid of Mom, you could finally make your dream come
true.
Isabel looked her sister dead in the eye but she didn’t say anything.
No one trusted no one. They were all sat down when the grandfather said:
- You are all like leeches. The only thing you all wanted was everything that is written in the
will. We could blame each other for days but we won’t solve anything without proof. She was
poisoned! he yelled. What poisoned her? Did one of you put something in the food?
- It couldn’t have happened. We all ate from the same dishes, Jennie said stuttering. I took a
spoonful of mashed potatoes right from where she took them. If it was the food, we would all
have been dead by now. It must have been something else.
- Maybe it was something she touched, someone said. But what?
- I know what it was! Jennie said. Your hand cream, Daniel. She used it right away; you could
have put something in it.
- That’s absurd! he answered. What about you? The perfume you gave her could have had poison
in it.
- Oh, please. It was sealed. You all saw her open it, Jennie answered rolling his eyes.
- Well, so was my cream, Daniel said.
- You know what wasn’t sealed? asked Peter without waiting for an answer. You hairpin, the
butterfly one, he said looking at both Isabel and Frank. You could have put something on it.
Frank chose to ignore what Peter said and he turned around to Francis.
- We are all missing the prime suspect. What about you, Francis? I know you also had problems
with Alice. Isabel used to come crying to me about the difficulties you two had in your marriage.
- Yes, Isabel agreed. She used to cheat on you with anyone she could so I guess, after so many
years, maybe you have had enough. And the lipstick you gave her must have had something on
it.
- That is simply stupid! If I were the killer things would have happened so much more
differently. If I wanted to cover what I’ve done I would simply not have told you that she was
poisoned.
- Maybe you did it for the fun of it, Isabel said.
- Except he could not have kept it a secret,
Rebecca, who had been silent all along, finally had something to say. She turned to Francis.
- I know Alice never liked me, or any of you for that matter, but I couldn’t just stay in the
waiting room, so I came to see her one last time and tell her that I was sorry I wasn’t good
enough for her or her son. So, when the nurse told you about the poison, I was standing in the
door frame, looking at you. At first, you didn’t seem sad or ever scared but, when you finally
saw me, your face changed, like you had to hide your actual expression.
Everyone was looking at Francis in disbelief. Then, a sound was heard. They all run to the dining
room. They all yelled. A thick rope was hanging from the chandelier, and that rope was coiled
around Alfred's neck. His face was purple.
- I am so sorry, were his last words.
They couldn’t believe it. Why would he do something like that?
Frank and Peter got him down and laid him on the floor, knowing there was nothing they could
do.
- What is that? said Rebecca after a few minutes, pointing at a white corner coming out of
Alfred’s left pocket.
Isabel took the object, which was proven to be a letter, a letter that was addressed to all of them.
She read it out loud while another tear ran down her cheek.
“I am so sorry for what I’ve done and the impact that my actions have on you all. As you all
know, I grew up in this manor, and, as much as it is your home, it is mine also. As he came from
a very poor family, my father had no other choice but to start working for Alice’s parents. Times
were tough, as he didn’t make much money, but he at least had a home and people who would
always welcome him with open arms. Alice was the pride of her family; a very beautiful, kind
woman, with a rich husband and a bright future. She and my father became friends and, after a
while, their friendship became a little more. After a few months, the two of them discovered that
Alice was pregnant with me. They kept it a secret, and no one ever found out what happened. My
father was happy, he wanted the two of them to elope, but Alice was afraid to lose all the wealth
she had so she immediately refused him, breaking his heart. She told her parents she wanted to
take a vacation for a few months, all alone. That was the place where she would stay for nine
months and then give birth. She returned me to my father and refused to acknowledge my
existence. My father passed two months ago and, on his deathbed, he told me the whole truth. I
went to Alice and told her that I knew everything that happened and even after that, she still
refused to accept me. When I wanted to leave the room, I noticed in the corner of my eye that
someone was listening. It was no other than Francis. I waited for him to confront me, to kick me
out of the manor, but he did no such thing. Instead, I saw him a couple of days ago doing an even
worse thing. He was in his study holding his things, a small glass bottle with liquid and lipstick.
He poured the substance on the lipstick and then he placed the lipstick in a beautiful box. I knew
exactly what was happening. The next day I went to buy the same lipstick and replaced it with
the poisoned one. It was not because I cared for my mother, but because I knew that, if someone
was looking forward to killing her, I would be that person. I looked through his trash and found
the glass bottle, which wasn’t empty, so I took it. On Christmas day, before placing the cutlery
on the table, I made sure to pour the liquid on Alice’s fork and knife. I thought that, after getting
rid of her, I would feel better, but I didn’t, because I proved to be a worse person than she was. I
am sorry for everything that I’ve done and I hope that, someday, you will find it in your heart to
understand the suffering that made me do such an o horrible thing and I hope you could all
forgive me.”
- I can’t believe it! Frank yelled. The butler did it!
- You tried to kill mom! Daniel said while his face became red.
Even thou Alfred killed her, the anger they all felt wasn’t towards him, but it was towards
Francis. They didn’t know what to do.
When the sun rose, everyone was silent. Birds were singing and butterflies were wandering
around the large estate. Everything was calm like nothing had ever happened. They were all
outside, returning to the barn. The couples were holding each other’s hands and walking slowly
to the barn. The tears they shed some time ago were long gone and the anger they felt had
evaporated. There was no trace of either Alfred or Francis.
- I am so over this Christmas, said Isabel while everyone threw their dirty shovel in the barn.