Chapter Text
Lovino felt the Ghost fade away and he was soon in his bedroom again. He fell into a deep sleep and only woke up when the clock struck one.
“I must’ve slept through a whole day!” he said to himself, then shrugged. “It wouldn’t have been the first time. But at least I’ve woken up in time. Jacob’s bastard messenger will be here soon. This time I won’t hide under the covers like a coward. I don’t want to be taken by surprise again.”
However, when the clock struck one no shape appeared, although a stream of light flooded into his room. Lovino began to tremble violently. A quarter of an hour passed by, but the ghost didn’t come.
“Where is the bastard!” he cried to himself. “He must be in the next room, the bastard!”
Lovino stomped towards the door. As soon as his hand was on the handle, a strange voice called out, “Come in, Lovino! Come and see the awesome me!” Lovino peeped around the door. It was his own room, there was no doubt about that. But it had changed. The walls and ceilings were covered with holly, mistletoe and ivy. An enormous fire blazed and roared up the chimney.
Piled high on the floor of the room were turkeys, geese, chickens, mince pies, Christmas puddings, red-hot chestnuts, fruits and bowls of hot wine. On top of this pile sat the Ghost. It held up a glowing torch to Lovino’s face. He looked familiar.
“Come in Lovino!” it cried again in a friendly, but obnoxious, voice, “and get the know the awesome me better. I’m the Ghost of Christmas Present! Look at me!”
Lovino looked up. The Ghost wore a simple red robe edged with white fur. Its feet were bare and it wore on its head a holly wreath sparkling with shining icicles. Its messy white hair hung loose.
“What took you so long?” Lovino cried.
The Ghost smiled sheepishly. “The awesome me got lost. I haven’t been a ghost for long.”
Lovino nodded. This Ghost reminded him of Gilbert. “Take me where you wish.” He said. “I was forced to travel last night and I hated it. If you have anything to teach me, teach me, bastard.”
“Ok! Just take the awesome me’s hand!” the Ghost ordered.
Lovino held onto the hand tightly. The room vanished at once and they were standing in the streets of the city on Christmas morning. Snow lay everywhere. The sky was gloomy. But there was a feeling of cheerfulness everywhere as people shovelled snow from their doorways and children threw snowballs.
The Ghost took Lovino straight to Antonio Fernandez Carriedo’s house. Antonio was walking home from church carrying his son on his shoulder. Poor Martin couldn’t walk without a crutch and iron rods on his legs, the Fernandez Carriedo’s couldn’t afford to right his limp. As soon as they reached the house, everybody got ready to eat their Christmas dinner.
Mrs Fernandez Carriedo paused and looked at the carving knife in her hand. She was a beauty of light brown hair and green eyes. Lovino’s eyes touched with tears, Antonio’s wife was his ex-fiancé. He had never forgiven him for marrying her. Mrs Fernandez Carriedo plunged the knife into the goose and a gasp of delight ran along the table. Even Martin beat on the table with his knife and cried weakly, “Hurrah!”
“I have never eaten such a finely cooked goose, mi amor,” Antonio declared when his plate was empty.
Mrs Fernandez Carriedo brought in the Christmas pudding, her face flushed and smiling proudly. In her hands, the pudding blazed with lighted brandy and was bright with holly.
“It’s a wonderful pudding!” Antonio cried. “The best one yet!”
“Thanks, Toni,” Mrs Fernandez Carriedo replied. “Big brother gave it to me, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to afford it.”
After they had eaten, Antonio, his wife and three children gathered around the fire where chestnuts spluttered noisily.
“A Merry Christmas to you all, mi amors,” their father said. “God bless us all.”
“God bless us every one,” Martin said.
Lovino stared at the scene in front of him. Martin looked exactly like Antonio’s wife. “Tell me if Martin will live,” he begged. “Please.”
The Ghost stared at him in mute surprise. “If something is not done in the future, he will die,” he replied.
“No, no!” Lovino cried. “No, Gilbert! Tell me that he’ll live.”
“What did you call the awesome me?” the Ghost questioned.
Lovino thought back. “Gilbert.” He replied.
The Ghost looked back at the Fernandez Carriedo family. “Let the boy die,” he said. “There are already too many people on the Earth.”
Lovino hung his head in shame at the sound of his own words.