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Suey or special fried rice."
We both laughed.
"Why don't we make it a tradition here? I've always done the supermarket shopping on a
Thursday evening as well. It wouldn't take us too much out of our way to get Chinese on the way
home."
"Could we? That would mean a lot."
"Then that's what we'll do." I kissed Mark on the top of his head. He wriggled contentedly in my
arms.
Flicking through the four TV channels we had in those days this was before cable and satellite
came on stream we decided there wasn't anything worth watching. Mark decided he'd like to
watch a video.
"So, what would you like to see?" I asked him.
"Have you got Carry On, Doctor?"
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54
"Yes. It's my favourite one of the series."
"Mine too. I know it isn't a quality film, but it makes me laugh," Mark said.
"When it comes down to it, that's all that matters."
"True," Mark replied.
We cuddled up and watched the film. It was good to see Mark laughing after the painful
revelations he had disclosed earlier in the day.
As the tape was re-winding, someone knocked at the door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I
slipped on the security chain before opening it.
"Can we sing a few carols for yer, mister?"
Three little boys, and an older boy, possibly a brother of one or more of them, stood on my
doorstep.
I smiled. "Okay then."
In most places the carol singers would sing first and then knock on the door. However, this being
the north of England, no bunch of carol singers worth their salt would sing to an empty house, or
to anyone who hadn't promised to pay them after they had sung. Mark came and stood next to me
by the partially opened door. We listened to a couple of carols like all children, including
myself at that age they only knew the first verse of any carol. However, that didn't matter. It
was one of the things which marked the beginning of Christmas for me. That and the Salvation
Army band playing in the town square.
When the carol singers finished, I gave them 20p. Mark and I then wished them a Merry
Christmas. I turned round after locking the door to face Mark. He was smiling.
"Aw, wasn't that sweet?"
"Christmas is certainly coming now."
"Do you think we could get a tree? I don't mean a real one. Just a small artificial one, with some
lights and stuff?"
"Why not? I've never bothered with one before, but it would make a nice symbol of our first
Christmas." The first of many, I hoped.
Mark's whole face lit up.
"And I suppose you'll want miles of tinsel, baubles and flashing lights too?" I asked, a smile on
my face.
Fireside Romance 1: First Flames
55
"But of course!"
"We need to go out tomorrow to get your bandages changed, so we can get all the stuff then. I
think Woolies was having a sale on decorations the last time I looked."
"Great. Can we have a fairy for the top, too?"
I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Why not?"
Mark laughed excitedly. Which to my ears was a wonderful sound. I'd buy the whole of
Woolworth's Christmas department if it would make him happy.
Just then the phone rang.
"We are popular this evening." I said as I walked towards the instrument. "Hello?"
"Hello, Simon." It was my mother. We rang each other on alternate Sundays as it was cheap rate
at the weekend. We were Yorkshire folk, so of course we were careful with our money.
"Hello, Mum, how are you and Dad?"
"We're fine, love. I was just ringing to ask if you were coming down here for Christmas."
"Err, no, I've got someone staying with me this year."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he would have been on his own, so I invited him to stay."
"That's nice. What's his name? Where did you meet him?"
My mother knew I was gay. Both Mum and Dad had accepted my coming out. However,
accepted was about the best that could be said. I guess it was something to do with the ending of
their dreams of having grandchildren. I was an only child.
"He's called Mark. We've known each other for a while now."
I wasn't about to embarrass Mark by telling her any details. It really wouldn't have helped any of
us. My mother, although providing me with an excellent home, lacking for nothing including
love and affection, was rather traditional in her thinking. Dad was a bit more broadminded, but
would never go against her. So it was a case of what she didn't know wouldn't harm her.
"Although your father has arranged time off, you know what will probably happen." Dad was an
inspector with the West Midlands Police Force. He would often be called in at short notice to
deal with some emergency or other.
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56
"I know. It happens too regularly. He ought to put his foot down."
"I've been telling him that for years, but you know your father."
The conversation dragged on as it usually did, with mum passing on bits of gossip, which frankly
didn't interest me, but she thought I should know. At one point I turned to Mark and moved my
fingers and thumb, imitating mum's constant talking. Mark cracked up, but managed to keep
quiet.
Eventually the conversation died down, and I was able to terminate it without offending her. I
had a few words with my dad, then we disconnected the call.
"Phew, she does go on a bit," I told Mark, collapsing on the couch beside him.
"I'm sure her heart is in the right place."
"Don't get me wrong. She's a good mother, but why she thinks I'd be interested in what next
door's cat was getting up to on top of Dad's garage with the Tom from across the road I'll never
know."
Mark chuckled.
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