The Christmas Gift

Jacqy sat at the side of her bed, tearing and mumbling some Bible verses under her breath. Her cheeks were as red as her eyes. She was tired of the stagnation in her relationship with her 8 years boyfriend, Eric. It was now ten days to the end of the year.

“I can’t believe I’ll walk into another year as a spinster. All my friends are married, some even have kids. Lord, why have you forsaken me?” Jacqy cried. She loved Eric irrevocably and couldn’t confront him about this matter. She wanted to become his wife and bear his children, but was running out of patient with her high school love. A few months ago, they went shopping in the mall and she showed him an engagement ring that would cost over a year’s saving for Eric to afford it. Eric chuckled and told her it was too expensive. Maybe if he won a jackpot or something of that sort. He always said he could not see himself with another girl, yet he hadn’t put a ring on her finger.

As she cried, a Samsung Galaxy 4 beside her bed rang. She glanced at the phone and returned to her previous posture. She wasn’t bothered to attend to anything or anyone at that very moment. Her phone rang again. And again she ignored it. Then it rang for the third time, but this time she reached for the phone. She didn’t speak at first, as she waited to hear the caller’s voice.

“Hello, is this Jacqy?” said a deep voice.

“Yeah, Jacqy speaking.” She smiled willingly. The caller’s voice sounded like that of a choir member. She was trying to recognize it, but was still stuck in the limbo of admiration. “Who’s this please?” she asked.

“It’s me, Jude,” he said.

“Oh my Gosh, are you kidding me?” she screamed. “How are you? How have you been?”

“I’m good, thanks. How are you? I hear you’re now married?” he said.

She grimaced. “Not yet. What about you, any wife or kids?”

“No, not at the moment. I have been busy with other matters. I’m ready to settle down now though. Are you seeing someone?” he asked.

Jacqy took deep breaths in attempt to pick up the courage to tell him the truth. “Yes and no,” she replied.

“Why is that?” he asked.

“Let’s just say it’s nothing serious. So tell me more about you, do you still keep your afro?” she asked.

“Nah, cut it a while ago,” he replied, and the two old friends discussed on the phone for over an hour as they caught up with each other’s upbeat. Jacqy was overwhelmed with joy throughout their conversation on the phone. She could hardly sleep that night as she kept thinking of Jude, Even when Eric stopped by her place to spend some time with him, she didn’t give him her undivided attention like she mostly did.

It was Christmas Eve and Jacqy was expecting Jude at her house for dinner. It was the first time she was going to see him in person for over 3 years. As she opened the front door of the house, her eyes met with the tawny brown eyes of Jude. He was more handsome than she’d imagined. He seemed to be almost a foot taller than her and his broad shoulders and well trimmed hair drove Jacqy into a state of lost. Soon, they began eating, after which they moved to the living room to watch a movie. Jacqy was enjoying his company, so bad that she had forgotten about her boyfriend.

As the romance part of the movie reached its climax, Jude pulled Jacqy closer to him, holding her by the waist. Jacqy’s feelings grew intense as she loved the smell of his cologne and most of all -  his touch. He glanced at her. “I’m glad I called you,” he said.

“Yeah, I’m glad you did,” she muttered, and suddenly, he reached for her lips and kissed her. It felt soft. It felt hot. It felt good. Jacqy was slowly being worked into some sort of hormone frenzy. She loved the touch of his lips on hers, his broad chest pressed against hers, his right hand running up and down her neck, and his left hand running down her torso.

Just then, Eric walked into the room and froze. Jacqy wasn’t expecting him until the following morning because he had stuff to do with his family. She was distraught. All the feelings she had begun to feel for Jude vanished within the twinkle of an eye. She was now sad and didn’t even know what to say to her boyfriend who didn’t do anything to deserve such infidelity. Before Jude or Jacqy could say a word, Eric turned around, dropped a red small box on the stool closest to him and headed for the door. She was still in a state of shock that she couldn’t even run after him.

She asked Jude to leave her apartment and never return, as she remembered why they had stopped talking for over 3 years. He was a player and often wanted only one thing from women. She felt stupid as she walked back to the living room, having walked Jude out of her house. As she entered the living room, she noticed the small red box on the stool and reached for it. Behold, inside the box was the same ring she’d showed Eric a few months ago. How sad. 

Happy Christmas Everyone.