Read Online Red Dirt Heart 03.5 by N R Walker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: N R Walker
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stopped, not sure where to start looking. “Um…”
“Check the linen cupboard,” Ma called out from the kitchen.
“Thanks!” Of course that’s where they were. Behind the spare blankets on the top shelf was an old plastic tub filled with tinsel and ornaments. I pulled it out and blew the dust off as I walked back into the lounge room.
“Good Lord,” Travis mumbled. “When was the last time these were used?”
I shrugged and put the box on the floor. “Dunno. Years, probably. I told ya, we don’t really do much in the way of Christmas decorations, Trav.”
“You don’t do much in the way of Christmas-anything,” he mumbled. He reached into the box and pulled out the tinsel. It kind of fell apart in his hand. “Jesus. How old are these?”
I shrugged. “Dunno exactly. Probably as old as me.” I rummaged through the box and found some Christmas art I’d done as a kid. It was some Paddle Pop sticks glued into a square with red and green cellophane paper stuck to it with a pipe cleaner looped so it would hang on the tree. I handed it to Travis and rummaged some more. Next thing I pulled out was a glass bauble thing that was faded and all the glitter had long ago fallen off, but you could still read my name.
Travis took it from me. “Oh, Charlie,” he said softly. “Is this from when you were a baby?”
“I think so. It’s been here forever.”
“It has to go on the tree,” he said, putting it right on the middle branch. “What else you got in that box?”
I pulled out a knotted string of ball-things. “I think these are older than me.”
Trav cringed. “You know, it’s too late to order Christmas decorations online and hope to have them delivered before February, but I promise you Charlie, after Christmas, I’m ordering a shit-ton of stuff for next year.”
I’d never get tired of hearin’ him talk of our future together. “Fair enough.”
“Do you really not do anything for Christmas?” he asked. Then he looked at the box of dust-covered ornaments. “Never mind. I can’t believe you don’t even do gifts.”
“Well, we just never really saw a reason for it,” I admitted quietly. I was starting to feel guilty about it. “I mean, things are different here now, since you got here. It’s more like a family than it ever was, and there were a lot of years even when my dad was alive we still never really did anything. It was just another day.”
Travis was frowning. “I know. I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that Christmas is such a big deal in my parents’ house.” He tried to smile. “I don’t care about gifts or anything like that, but I just thought a tree would be nice.”
“The tree’s great.” And it was. “And who knows, maybe we can start doin’ it every year. Or something.”
“Like a new tradition?”
“Sure! I mean, it’s like I told ya before. We still have a breakfast, then do morning chores, but we usually have the afternoon and evenin’ off.” I shrugged. “It’s different here to what you’re used to, I guess.”
“I get that, I do,” he said gently. He rubbed his hand on my back. “Can I see what I can make out of these?” he motioned toward the box of decorations.
“Go for it.”
Just then Nugget put his two front paws on the oil tin that was holding the tree, reached his little nose up as high as he could and sniffed it. Then he tried to climb up to sniff a little better. “Oh no you don’t,” Trav said, grabbing Nugget. He shoved him into my arms. “Take him before he trashes everything.”
I walked to the door with the fussin’ wombat, then turned back to face Travis. “And Trav?”
“Yeah?”
I looked over his naked torso and licked my lips. “I really do like my presents unwrapped.”
* * * *
Knowing Ma would be yellin’ for dinner any time soon, I headed back to the house. It was stinkin’ hot, my throat was dry and full of dust, my face felt baked by the sun. To be
“Check the linen cupboard,” Ma called out from the kitchen.
“Thanks!” Of course that’s where they were. Behind the spare blankets on the top shelf was an old plastic tub filled with tinsel and ornaments. I pulled it out and blew the dust off as I walked back into the lounge room.
“Good Lord,” Travis mumbled. “When was the last time these were used?”
I shrugged and put the box on the floor. “Dunno. Years, probably. I told ya, we don’t really do much in the way of Christmas decorations, Trav.”
“You don’t do much in the way of Christmas-anything,” he mumbled. He reached into the box and pulled out the tinsel. It kind of fell apart in his hand. “Jesus. How old are these?”
I shrugged. “Dunno exactly. Probably as old as me.” I rummaged through the box and found some Christmas art I’d done as a kid. It was some Paddle Pop sticks glued into a square with red and green cellophane paper stuck to it with a pipe cleaner looped so it would hang on the tree. I handed it to Travis and rummaged some more. Next thing I pulled out was a glass bauble thing that was faded and all the glitter had long ago fallen off, but you could still read my name.
Travis took it from me. “Oh, Charlie,” he said softly. “Is this from when you were a baby?”
“I think so. It’s been here forever.”
“It has to go on the tree,” he said, putting it right on the middle branch. “What else you got in that box?”
I pulled out a knotted string of ball-things. “I think these are older than me.”
Trav cringed. “You know, it’s too late to order Christmas decorations online and hope to have them delivered before February, but I promise you Charlie, after Christmas, I’m ordering a shit-ton of stuff for next year.”
I’d never get tired of hearin’ him talk of our future together. “Fair enough.”
“Do you really not do anything for Christmas?” he asked. Then he looked at the box of dust-covered ornaments. “Never mind. I can’t believe you don’t even do gifts.”
“Well, we just never really saw a reason for it,” I admitted quietly. I was starting to feel guilty about it. “I mean, things are different here now, since you got here. It’s more like a family than it ever was, and there were a lot of years even when my dad was alive we still never really did anything. It was just another day.”
Travis was frowning. “I know. I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that Christmas is such a big deal in my parents’ house.” He tried to smile. “I don’t care about gifts or anything like that, but I just thought a tree would be nice.”
“The tree’s great.” And it was. “And who knows, maybe we can start doin’ it every year. Or something.”
“Like a new tradition?”
“Sure! I mean, it’s like I told ya before. We still have a breakfast, then do morning chores, but we usually have the afternoon and evenin’ off.” I shrugged. “It’s different here to what you’re used to, I guess.”
“I get that, I do,” he said gently. He rubbed his hand on my back. “Can I see what I can make out of these?” he motioned toward the box of decorations.
“Go for it.”
Just then Nugget put his two front paws on the oil tin that was holding the tree, reached his little nose up as high as he could and sniffed it. Then he tried to climb up to sniff a little better. “Oh no you don’t,” Trav said, grabbing Nugget. He shoved him into my arms. “Take him before he trashes everything.”
I walked to the door with the fussin’ wombat, then turned back to face Travis. “And Trav?”
“Yeah?”
I looked over his naked torso and licked my lips. “I really do like my presents unwrapped.”
* * * *
Knowing Ma would be yellin’ for dinner any time soon, I headed back to the house. It was stinkin’ hot, my throat was dry and full of dust, my face felt baked by the sun. To be
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