Two
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Christmas Eve, Eve.
Unfortunately, Friday was when it all hit. After feeling fine for three days after being exposed to strep throat, Collette felt it come on by late Friday afternoon, just in time for Christmas. OLeif made her eat an orange that night, one of the thirty from the box. Who would have thought that three days later, she would finally be infected. The incubation period was obviously much longer than she had thought.
Beforehand, OLeif had picked her up Friday evening, lugging with him a long thick homemade pumpkin roll (a gift from the owner to all the employees). OLeif’s name was even written on the package.
Come nine o’clock that night, Collette’s throat had taken a beating and she was sore all over. It kind of felt like she had been hit by a truck. After a call to the medical exchange, OLeif picked up her medicine, and she had begun the road to recovery by eleven o’clock. Meanwhile, it was a rough night of it – waking up often on the couch over the soreness of her throat. It was a night she wouldn’t care to relive.
Come light of morning at eight o’clock, she did feel better, thankfully. Unfortunately, she was still contagious. And to her frustration, she found that she would be missing for the first time in her life – the Snicketts/Black Christmas get-together. It was a sad day. There would be no seeing how Australia-fied Jashub had become from another year down under, no meeting Polly’s Hispanic “intended” (as Grandma would call him), no seeing big red-headed Samwise and Schroeder and watching the pranks that Samwise and Carrie-Bri might concoct for the day, no seeing Brit and Lilli before the baby was born, no actually being able to meet Bristol’s Nerissa… at least she would not be crooned over because of the baby; that could be rather embarassing. Lilli would likely receive enough of that to cover for the both of them that day. Even Joe couldn’t make it that time, not being allowed to get off work. Instead, OLeif and Collette would be quarantined. Still, it was a little consoling knowing that the entire family would not need to see how awkward it was for Collette, being an expectant mom.
So instead of the Christmas festivities, Collette ended up taking a hot shower and putting together a breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese, a slice of pumpkin roll, and orange juice – foods that went down the throat a little easier. Meanwhile, OLeif ran to the post office and the library (which ended up being closed already at noon), although Collette decided that it wasn’t the best idea to let him hang around anyone either, until she knew whether or not he had also caught the annoyance. He came home and made chocolate pudding and watched clips from an advertising campaign for a turbo blender that chopped up matchbox cars, cornish game hens and fruit cakes, Coke slushes, and golf balls.
By one o’clock, Collette wondered how the party was going over in New Town. No doubt with Uncle Balthasar and Aunt Tuuli as hosts, there were enough activities or funny things planned to keep everything lively enough. And there was also the planned game, most likely Rob Your Neighbor, seeing as everyone had been requested to bring a $10 gift card, wrapped. Rose had tried to get a gift card from the wig shop, but Mom intercepted that idea and purchased something more conventional. Uncle Balthasar – he never could get used to the idea of not exchanging gifts anymore, a tradition which had finally been broken at Dad’s suggestion, three years earlier. Uncle Balthasar was still a kid at heart.
Meanwhile, OLeif left the door to the balcony open all day, which left the rooms pretty cold despite the mildness and early winter sunshine. Collette eventually fell asleep on the couch, dreaming of odd things. OLeif woke her some time later with a plate of grilled cheese, oranges, and red grape juice. Surprisingly, her throat was feeling wonderfully better, with promise of feeling nearly normal for church the next morning.