It was a week before Christmas. I returned home from school and warmed my freezing hands by the fireplace. “Mum.” I said. “Jonny's Mum said I could go to their house on Boxing Day to play video games.” I excitedly told her. “Can I go?” I asked.
“We'll be at Auntie June's on boxing day.” she told me. “You can visit Jonny after we get back.”
“In the evening?”
“No on the twenty-eighth.” Mum replied. “So maybe the day after that... if it's OK with Jonny's mum.”
“You mean we're going to stay Auntie June's?” I quizzed.
“Yes. From Sunday. I did tell you.” Mum claimed.
“You said we were going over Christmas but I thought that was just for the day.” I replied.
“No love, we're going to stay over Christmas, from the twenty-third to the twenty-eighth.”
“But that's a whole week!”
“Almost, yes.”
“Why?” I asked. “We usually just go for the day.”
“I know but you're dad's working over Christmas and he's got a lot of night shifts, and so has Anna.” Mum told me. “I'm certain I told you.”
“You did but you didn't say we were going for a week!”
“I'm sure I did.” Mum replied. I recalled what Mum had told me about the Christmas arrangements this year and figured that maybe she had told me, but I must've got the wrong end of the stick. When Mum said we were going to her sister's over Christmas, I thought she meant for one day over Christmas like we do every other year. And she didn't mention my Dad would be working a string of night shifts, which isn't unusual since he's a hospital doctor and works long hours both day and night. My big sister Anna is a nurse and will also be working all sorts of unsociable hours over the Xmas period, which means it'll just be me and Mum visiting her sister June and my cousins Peter and Jasmine.
I considered the prospect of a week at my Aunt's house. “It's gonna be weird coz I'll be the only boy.” I grumbled.
“Peter's a boy as well you know!” Mum bluntly told me.
“Yeah but he's...” I retorted before quietening my voice to a mere whisper. “...petticoated.” I gulped.
“He's still a boy despite his clothing.” Mum said. “Which raises the subject of what you're going to wear whilst we're there.” she added.
