Favours

The holidays were around the corner. Shops all over town had started decorating with the festive colors and giving out sales. Holidays have never been my thing. Yes, I have spent most of it with my family but who doesn’t know that sometimes having your family together is disastrous?  I decided to have a positive attitude this time around. Fred and I had already planned on what we would be doing. Since we had used a large sum of cash for the wedding, we wanted a low key affair for Christmas. Fred had suggested we go to his parents’ home on the twenty fourth, we spend the Christmas holiday with them then we can travel to my parents’ home by thirty first so that we can usher in the New Year with them. I agreed. Now the task at hand was to figure out gifts to buy for them. Fred’s parents were rich. What would I buy for them that they didn’t have? What if I brought them a present and they thought it was too cheesy for them?

I decided to call up Ann and asked her for a few tips. She was at home resting. Apparently, it seemed I had called her at a bad moment; she was in a bad mood. She answered the phone shouting at me. I hanged up and walked over to her flat. Her door was closed but not locked so I pushed it in and walked in. She was on the couch.

“Why were you shouting at me like that?” I asked. “What did I do?”

“Sorry about that. It is the hormones.” She replied hugging me back.

“How is the baby doing?” I asked touching her belly. It was about five months now.

“The baby is doing fine. It is already kicking.”

“Wow! That is good, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the doctors said it is normal and a sign that the baby is doing alright.” Ann replied. “So what were you saying on the phone?”

“Oh, I was meant to ask you about getting gifts for the family before you shouted at me.”

Ann chuckled.

“Sorry about that. What are you planning to get them?”

“I don’t know. They seem to have everything.” I replied. “What do you think?”

“Maybe you can go simple on the gift but it should be able to impress them both.” Ann said. “I think you should get them a good bottle of red wine.”

“Really?” I asked not sure about it.

“Yea, it is the only safe way to go about it. They love wine so they will love it. It is better you go with that instead of giving them something that they won’t use or loathe it.”

“You are right. I’ll go to the stores and get them one.”

“You see, problem sorted.” Ann said with much delight. “Now you have to do something for me.”

“What is it?”                          

“Can you massage my lower back?”

“Seriously?” I asked a bit shocked at the request.

“Yes.”

 
I didn't have a choice.