The Perfect Christmas Gift


*Beep! Beep! Beep!* James flings his arm, turning off the alarm, and sat on his bed, waking up by staring at the bathroom across from him. James straightened out his legs, and lugged himself to the shower to get ready for his daily visit to Mai. James gets in the shower, and starts thinking to about what he has been through. Thoughts such as his parents’ death and Mai’s cancer. After all that has happened, he has gone from being a young 17 year old adult, to an old 17 year old adult. James gets out of the shower, and continues his daily morning routine. For breakfast, he cooks scrambled eggs.

‘Ok, so after breakfast I take care of chores, go to the hospital, visit Mai, pay the hospital. Then go to school, try to avoid Linda Watts, and work from 4-9p.m. Gotta’ stop at the grocery store and pick up a few things...’ As James slides the eggs on his plate, he remembered that Christmas is coming up in the next few days and he has to make sure that he gets the best gift ever for Mai this year.

"I wonder what Mai would want this year... I will have to go and ask her.."
James finishes scarfing down the breakfast; he sets his dishes in the dish washer, and turns it on to do its job. He grabbed his black heavy trench coat that had wool on the inside and leather on the outside that he got from a second hand shop on the square for $35. James put it on while he was walking out the door to his old run down truck that was red and had rusty spots all over it, making the truck look like it was ancient.

James drove to the hospital. He went every day. Practically all the staff knew him. They care a lot for Mai. As James walked into the hospital workers welcomed him. "Hello I am here to visit my sister, Mai."

"Oh yes, Mr. Haven that is fine, she is in room 23 A, but I am sure you knew that already," the concierge said.
He walks quickly, hoping Mai is doing well, and hoping she will someday soon be able to get out of her bed, and beat the cancer. James notices the light of her room is on when he was about to her door, and she is awake, so he goes on in.

"Good Morning Mai! How'd you sleep?"

"Good morning, alright, had those nightmares again, and I wish I could go to school again..." Mai said in her croaking morning voice.
James leans his body over with arms open, and his eyes that looked sorrowful as he looks directly at her. As James hugs Mai in his arms like a pillow, he said, "I just hope and pray that you become healthy, which I know you, will!"

"Hey ma'am, may I see the updates on Mai's profile?" James asks the nurse.

'Of course Mr. Haven." the nurse says while she heads over to a file of papers to sort out Mai's files.

"So Mai, what would you like this year for Christmas?" James asks.

"... I want you to be with me all day then.” Mai pouts to James

"Now Mai, you know I can't, I have school and a job!"

"Well why can't you just drop school and forget the stinking job, because I want you, my big brother to be with me.” Mai whines to James.
James rubs his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath and said, "I will see if I can take a day off work and ask school if I can skip a day...”
Mai's face dropped lower than the floor boards beneath her, and she grabbed her little white kitten plush, brought it close to her chest, and starting petting and squeezing it while saying "Fine, Mistletoe, Sherry and I will have a nice time without you, again."

"Here you go Mr. Haven." The nurse said handing the clipboard of papers to him.
"Thank You."
James skims through the paper, looking to see if any diagnoses had changed. "All seems well Mai!”
Mai messed with her stuffed kitten, as if she was thinking about what it would be like to have a pet, since they never had one in the past. "Mai, I am sorry to do this again, but I need to go to school, I will call later?"

"...ok..." she said with a scratchy voice with her innocent eyes looking directly at him.
James grabs his items, and walks calmly out the main desk and asks, "Hey is it alright if I can have a few days off to pay for Mai's medical bill?"

"Hmm, well I don't think I can." The nurse replies.

"Do you think I can bring Mai a kitten?" James pleads.

"James, I know you are trying your very best to keep Mai happy, and well, I don't think that the hospital will accept pets in this facility unless that pet is a guide for those who can't see. I will look into it, and let you know as soon as possible."

"Thank you!"
James hops into his truck, and starts heading over to school. While he drives, a ray of light shows itself from the horizon. James turns the radio on to a country station. It brings him back to the days he was younger, and when he, Mai, and their parents went out to a stable to ride horses for the first time. James remembers hearing a country singer play in the background while he and Mai were pretending to be cowboys. Moments like those were cherished.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

"Class quiet down!" demands the teacher. It is now third period. James walks calmly over to his social studies class with his teacher, Mr. Bull. What's so interesting is that Mr. Bull, back in his high school days, was in love with Margret Sanders, who was, Margret Haven, James’ mother. Mr. Bull treats him differently than the other students ever since his mom died.

"James, how are you and Mai? Anything I can help you with at all?" He would ask James everyday.

"We're fine, thank you...”James would reply. James felt awkward. Mr. Bull would watch him.
James decides to take some time after school to check out the kittens for Mai. He goes from class to class. Every once and awhile he would notice a girl scoping his every move from a distance. James knows who it was. She is not what he finds "attractive" in a girl.

Ding! Ding! Ding! School was finally out for James.

"Hey Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames!" she says.

"Hi." James replied while still walking.

"So… I miss you. I think we should get back together."
James walks faster, "Well I am not sorry to say this but I don't miss you. No. Leave me alone."

"Why not? I care so much about you. I could help you... remember the good days? When we were together, playing games, getting ice cream every Friday after school... Why can't we just go back to doing that again?"

"That's simple, because I don't need you to tell me what to do all the time, I don't need you to be obnoxious about all that you have just ‘cause you’re rich. I don't need your pity."

"I will change for you! Why can't I care for you and help you?”
James stops at his truck, turns around leaving snow prints in the ground and says, "Stop! Go away Linda you have no place left in my life anymore or will you ever!" he barks. She is a junior in high school and is a year older than James, but acts as young as Mai.
As James was about to get in his truck, Linda grabs his coat ".... You have been under a lot of stress. You should come to a party with me tonight at Boyd's house."

"Didn't you just hear me? Or do you just go on till you get whatever you want!"

"James pleaseeee come with me! It will be fun!" Linda says all cheer leader perky rubbing her snow flaked gloved hands together.

"I said No!"
Linda releases James's arm, she takes off one of her gloves, reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a little rectangular paper, "You're coming with me to this party, or you won't get this $1,000 check from me. Don't you need the money?
James hesitates looking down at the cold icy snowy ground ".. *sigh*... Linda, you’re a really stubborn person. But as my mom always said, when an opportunity is given, take it, you may never get another one like it again. Ok."

"Yay! Ok I will meet you at your place to pick you up at 10:30! Be ready!" she said jumping around with excitement. James turned around and hopped in his truck. He sat there for a moment trying to take in what he just accepted. He called Mai.

'Beeeeep. Beeeeeep. Beeeeep.' "Hello this is HealthCare Hospital, how may I help you?"

"Yes, this is James Haven, may I speak with Mai?" James asks.

"Oh it's you James, sure thing, hold on a sec.."

"Hey.." Mai said with a drowsy voice.

"Hey Mai! How has your day been?"

"Ok I guess, me and Nurse Sherry played eye spy and lots of other games. Would be better if you were here..."

"I know Mai, I know I would like to be there too.. But hey! I have to go to the store tonight! Know anything you would like for me to get you for tomorrow? Dolls? Games?”

"Hmmm... Like I said, I want you to be here with me."

"And like I said, I will do my best to be there with you!.... I won't mess it up like last time... Mai you know I never wanted to hurt you.."

And that is the truth especially since last Christmas, when James wasn't there because he had given in and went to Linda’s house for the holidays. He had an argument with his parents about not picking up Mai after school.

"... I know, I love you Mai!"

".. Love you too James."
He hangs up the phone and goes to work. When he got there, he clocked in, and started picking up trash from other co-workers. Plates, cups, cookies, and napkins were everywhere.

The boss leans against the door of a room and says. "Get to cleaning Junior. After this the bathrooms on the second and third floor needs to be, detoxified, if you know what I mean."

"Yes sir and sir..."

"Oh and don't forget to mop up too."

"Will do sir, but may I.."

"And to finish that question you were going to say, no you may not. I expect you to continue working from 8 to midnight tomorrow, no excuses. If there is an excuse, then there will be no pay checky for the poor little Junior and his 'problems'. Lock up once you are finished. This guy is going to Vegas for Christmas! Ha ha ha ha! Or I should say, Ho ho ho ho!..." He said while rubbing his stomach, as if he thought he was Santa.

".. Ok sir.." James replies depressed. James continues working, making sure everything looked clean and spotless. He had to work quickly to be on time to escort Linda, the ‘She Devil,’ to the party. A deal is a deal. After four hours of hard work, James turned off lights, locked the doors, and started heading home.

' buzzzzzzzz. buzzzzzzz. buzzzzzzzz..." James's phone buzzed.

"Who’s texting me.. Oh.. its Linda.. ' Hey good looking! I am on my way to your place! Tonight is your get away night, you’re welcome' “Ug” When he walked into his apartment he saw Linda was already there. She was wearing gold sparkly Uggs, dark washed ripped jeans, which showed her tan skinny legs, a hot pink shirt with sequins on the collar, and a brown winter coat. Her long blonde hair was curly.

“Hey James! You ready?” Linda said all smiley showing her white pearly teeth as she talked.

“Umm…. Uh.. sure but.. How did you get in?” James asked trying not to get angry.

“Oh! Well I went to your room and knocked but I got no reply, so I asked the landlord for your room key saying I lost mine! I thought I would wait in your apartment for you!”

“Let’s just get going.” James replies taking deep breathes.
James and Linda walk out of the apartment to Linda’s yellow bug; Linda hugging James’s arm. Off to the party! They walk towards a red brick building with a welcome mat. Music was pounding loudly. When they reached the oak wood door, they just opened it, and went in.

“Hey what’sup guys? Glad you could make it! Food is in the kitchen. Enjoy!” said Johnny, the host of the party.
Linda took James’ hand, and started to dance, wanting James to dance with her. But James just stood there, looking around, and trying to resist Linda.

“Ok I am here at the party, can I have the money and leave now?”

“You kidding me? We just got here. You need to dance with me first before you can leave.” She said demandingly.

“Jeeze ok, one song..”
So they danced for what seemed to James forever, and Linda feeling like they are together, when they really aren’t. At the end of the song Linda decided to leave a bright pink lipstick kiss on his cheek.

“Linda! You said just a dance! No kissing!” he said with the most flabbergasted expression on his face.

“What? I thought I would leave you with something to remember me by. Oh, here’s your money, $1000.” She said calmly.

“Good!” James said with exhausted relief as he grabbed the money. He then stormed out of the house, and started walking home.

As James walks by houses, he thought of the times his parents and sister were together, sipping hot chocolate and singing or watching old Christmas movies. He notices a flag sized sign that said, “Free house trained Kittens!” James runs up to the house and knocks. No one answered. James gives up and starts walking away. Soon he feels something rubbing it’s head on his leg. When James looked he found a black and white Siamese kitten looking back up at him.

“Meow!” the kitten cried as if it was saying hi to James. James bent down, picking up the kitten. He stroked its head. The kitten purred like crazy. It seemed as if the kitten didn’t have an owner because its ears were bitten on some parts, and its eyes were all covered in eye crud. This gave James the idea of having this kitten be Mai’s Christmas gift.

“Purrr, purrr, purrr…” The kitten sounded so happily.

“Huh, looks like you Mr. Kitty, is going to be part of the Haven family.” James said smiling. James puts the kitten down and was going to see if they kitten would follow. He starts to walk towards the end of the sidewalks stop sign. The kitten was practically walking with him, heading to his apartment. Passing the school’s parking lot on the sidewalk to James’s condo; two guys came along threatening,
“Hey punk, give me your money! Do it quickly before I slit your throat!”
James puts his hands up and said, “Man I only have $20, here take it!”

“Doug, check him!” said one of the masked guys. James just stays still as one of the masked thugs patted him checking for his “valuables” and the other pointing his dagger at him. They found his $1,000 check.

“Yo Randal, I got it.”

“$1,000 check? You lied to us kid!?” Randal said while Doug holds James’s arms tightly. Randal throws punches at him. James fell on the ground, coughing up blood.

“Punk! Teaches you not to lie to us!” He said while kicking James.

“Hey! You there!” a police officer said running out of the school with Mr. Bull.

“Lets go!”

“Calling code 22, repeat code 22! I need back up!” The police officer said speaking into his walkie-talkie. He knelt down at James’s side.

“Don’t worry son”
Mr. Bulls wraps his coat around James.

“Everything is going to be alright.”

“M-Mr. Bull? Is-is that you?” James asked.

“Help is coming.”
Sirens came closer. The paramedics took him to the same hospital Mai was at. Mr. Bull came with him and the kitten. When they all got to the hospital, the kitten jumped out, and walked inside with the whole group.
They set James in bed to rest in just the same room as Mai. The kitten jumped up into one of the guest. Mr. Bull called James’ work to tell them he wouldn’t be in.

Mai woke up.

“James is that you?”
“Mai, look over to your right, I think that James got you a Christmas gift.”
Mai starts clapping with excitement. James woke up.

“..good morning everyone..” James said.

“Thank you James!”

“Merry Christmas James.” Mr. Bull said.
“Here kitty kitty kitty! You’re sooo cute!!!!”

“Thank you Mr. Bull for helping me. I really appreciate it.” James said.

“I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty to calling your work to say you were quitting.”

“What?? I need that job.”

“Well the reason is I promised your Mom I’d take care of you. I haven’t done a good job. I’m going to start now. I am here for both you and Mai.” Mr. Bull said.


“… That sounds…I didn’t know… I don’t want to cause you any trouble.” James said.

“And you won’t be, enjoy Christmas, and being with the people you love and care about.”