Tevun-Krus #118 - A Very Merry Lost World Christmas

Christmas With Dinosaur - A Short Story by @jinnis

Christmas With Dinosaur

By jinnis

When we found the voucher for a discount on the Lost World Christmas Night Ride in our letterbox, Stephen and I had a good laugh. Why would anyone wish to spend Christmas in an entertainment park beneath plastic fern and in the company of fake dinosaurs? No, we would enjoy the traditional dinner with his family—and later celebrate in each other's company.

That was two days before I found out about Melissa. Well, I'd known her for years, as she worked in Stephen's company as an accountant. We'd met at several events and I'd actually liked her. So did Stephen, it seems. After my dentist appointment, I went to pick up a gift for his mother, as I knew he was too busy to remember himself. Stephen and Melissa stood near the jewellery counter in the warehouse, too engrossed with themselves to pay attention to passers-by like me.

When he came home late that night, I'd already packed most of his stuff. He moved to her place the next day.

Of course, I could have—should have known long ago. All the late hours he worked these last months, the frequent business trips abroad. When I told my friend Tessa, she called me naïve. I guess she was right. And while I should have been used to live in an empty apartment by then, it turned out I wasn't. I'd wake late at night, waiting for the sound of his key in the door lock. It never came.

With the holidays approaching, the loneliness became oppressive. My friends were busy and set in their own ways. I buried myself in work, but then the last school day came, and while I sent my beaming pupils on their way, I got Tessa's text from the airport. She and her partner left on their annual holiday at a beach somewhere.

Bleakness invaded my mind, and I broke down. To cheer myself up, I rearranged the apartment. A fresh setting would help me move on. The voucher turned up while sorting through the mail. Close to tears, I threw it into the wastepaper box. But five minutes later, I retrieved it—perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to spend Christmas Eve in the company of strangers.

~ ~ ~

When I arrived at the theme park, the diversity of the public attending the event surprised me. Aside from elder couples and singles in all age groups, there were several families with children and a group of teens. An exotic buffet in a tropical garden setting awaited us in a hothouse.

To my surprise, the palm trees and colourful flowers were real and so were the butterflies. After two glasses of punch, I relaxed enough to start a conversation with a woman my age. She was here with her two children, a boy of eight and a girl of ten in full explorer mood.

Alice, the mother, smiled as she watched them chase a huge blue butterfly. "At least they can forget their dad for a moment."

"What happened?"

She sighed and ran a hand through unruly black curls. "The big C. We were supposed to go on a holiday, but with him gone and all the unpaid bills for his treatment, I couldn't afford it. This here is meant as a brief distraction for the kids."

"I'm sorry."

Her smile was faint, but warm. "Thank you. We will manage, in time, but let us talk about something more cheerful."

I was happy to comply, and we spent an agreeable conversation during dinner. When the time for the actual night cruise arrived, it was clear we would stick together.

A theme park employee in khaki shorts and a pith helmet ushered us to a boardwalk. "Pease don't forget your coats. The cruise is outside, so you might get cold."