Under the Christmas tree

My parents, who live overseas, have just bought themselves a Christmas tree.

They sent me the news in an email, which I passed on to Mr Maiyuu.

‘I would like one too!’ I exclaimed.

Maiyuu heard me, but said nothing.

Last year, I was so busy working over the Christmas and New Year period that the festive season almost passed me by.

Later, I felt upset that I had missed out on the Christmas spirit. We did nothing at home to mark the occasion.

This year, the same thing threatens to happen again, as once again I am working.

My words about longing for a Christmas tree must have made an impact on Maiyuu.

A day later, he went to Silom to buy one.

He did not tell me anything about his surprise, but turned up with the kitset tree in a box.

He assembled the tree, and decorated it himself. It now occupies pride of place in our living room.

We have no presents to put under it, as Maiyuu asked for cash as his Christmas gift this year, which I have already handed over. If he has bought me anything, it has yet to appear under the tree.

I am not sure if he is aware of this custom, however, as in our 10 years together, we have never put up a tree to celebrate Christmas.

For some reason, I thought we had owned one in the past, but it had disappeared when we moved home, or threw it out. Wrong.

'We have never owned a Christmas tree,' Maiyuu said, looking at me strangely.

I am too vague to recall such details, it seems.

I passed on this gay christmassy tale to a colleague, including the part about how the tree's undercarriage, if trees have such things, lies bare.

‘But you’ll still put a stocking at the end of your bed, won’t you? You do that every night anyway,’ he quipped.

My colleague is straight. Because he is also a friend, I spared him the sharp end of my nastiest straight jokes as a retort to his gay suspenders and stockings remark.

Actually, I doubt I could have thought of a witty response in time anyway.