Packages, The Last Resort, and Christmas

I ordered a gift from a catalogue and inadvertently sent it to myself.  I had avoided hysteria only to end up at the last minute in line at UPS wondering much it would cost to ship the package in time for Christmas.  I was relieved to learn that the regular rate would transport it magically.  

Now everything is done.  Christmas tree up, presents wrapped and sent.  And the novel I'm reading by one of my favorite writers happens to have a couple of chapters about an ordinary Christmas.

Pamela Hansford Johnson

Pamela Hansford Johnson's The Last Resort features a realistic Christmas scene that is more true to life than sentimental scenes in traditional Christmas books.  The narrator, Christine, relates:

"Gerard happened to remark to Aveling, who had recently become a member of his club, that I did not welcome Christmas.  It had been agreeable enough when Mark was a little boy, when it was his day, worth the planning, but he was nearly fifteen now and passing through a phase of aggressive religious orthodoxy.  He remarked grandly to me that Christmas had entirely lost its original significance:  it was simply an occasion for pigging, spending too much money and wearing silly hats.  "Of course," he added with his usual redeeming realism, 'I wouldn't want not to have presents.'"

The family, urged on by Aveling, a recent widower, spends Christmas in a hotel with complicated, unhappy friends.  Celia, who has had a long affair with Aveling, lives in the hotel part-time with her parents.  Since Aveling's wife's death, he has not had sex with Celia, and we, the readers, are waiting for him to dump her. Celia's smothering mother will do anything to break them up.  Celia's loud father makes everyone uncomfortable: he plays table tennis with Mark, accuses him of cheating, and gives him 10 pounds.  All seems like a real Christmas--who hasn't played ping pong on Christmas day?--especially the dinner scene in which single people and couples in the hotel awkwardly exchange nods and conversation, not wanting to set a precedent.  

And Celia, so unhappy herself, insists to Christine that they make a special gesture toward two of the lonely old women residents.  Celia orders special port, and, as the four women drink, it seems to break the ice between the older residents.

"The old ladies finished their port and thanked us again.  They rose in unison, said good night and went together toward the lift.

"'That is the very first time I have seen them side by side,' Celia said, 'they're always in single file.  Isn't it wonderful?'"

The kind gestures at Christmas seem realistic to me. People make contact with difficult family members.  They invite solitary people to their homes.  I wish to goodness someone would invite me to a hotel.  Some give money to charities and others volunteer at church suppers, though of course the food kitchens need volunteers the rest of the year, too.  

But of course some do nothing.  Or just plain make it worse.

It is kind of a horrible time of year for a holiday.  It's dark and cold.  It is a good time to stay inside and read Christmas books.

And I do intend to do some REAL Christmas reading.  I have my Dickens Christmas books out and will randomly read one I haven't read before or at least a short story.