The World Out There - 29. Twenty-Nine

His first Christmas on the ward seemed such a big deal: people were making so much of it, and that surprised him. Paper decorations started to appear over the ward, mainly along the ward’s main corridor. They were mostly flat, paper cut outs of Christmas trees, Father Christmases, Christmas presents, robins and such, all of them liberally highlighted with glitter. Added to these were paper chains and long strands of crepe paper generally twisted into a spiral, hung above doorways and windows, and all in bright colours. There was even a plastic Christmas tree set up in the corner of the Dining Room. One evening after dinner as everyone else left the room, he took a moment to have a closer look at it. The tree and its furs were all plastic, shiny and thick plastic coloured bright green, but all its decorations were plastic too. Plastic baubles with thick seams running around them, plastic Father Christmases, snowmen, reindeer and such, all with the same thick seam running around their lengths. There were even streams of tinsel on it, or a plastic copy of tinsel, strips of clear plastic that had been impregnated with glitter. As he looked at those plastic decorations on that plastic tree, he saw that they were all firmly glued to the tree’s branches.

There had always been decorations at school, but school would break up for the holiday five or six days before Christmas. On the ward, it looked as if the decorations would be there right through the holiday. However, he didn’t know what would happen: What was he to expect? He considered asking Chrissy and TJ, but he didn’t want to look stupid in front of them. He didn’t know how they’d react if he told them about how he’d spent his previous Christmases. But there always was Aiden. It was Aiden’s job not to judge him - well not to his face anyway.

The week before Christmas as he was having one of his regular meetings with Aiden, they were sat together in one of the ward’s Quiet Rooms. He decided to finally ask Aiden.

“What happens here on Christmas?”

“Christmas Day?” Aiden asked him.

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s a bit like your Christmases at home were like.”

“My mum wasn’t that big on Christmas.”

“Yes, of course,” Aiden replied, giving him a little nod. “Well, everything starts with a cooked breakfast, and for once, it’s usually a decent one. But I could be wrong this year. Then everything is really relaxed. You can watch television, read in your room, whatever you want. Then there’s Christmas dinner at around one o’clock. It’s a full one with all the trimmings and everything. Afterwards everyone gets to open their presents.” Liam just stayed quiet. He’d have to hide in his room because there was no chance he’d get anything from his mother. Aiden continued, “Then, we usually all watch television together. We have a light tea because we’re all usually stuffed from Christmas Dinner. We all watch television in the Common Room. Janet is really big on everyone being together for the evening, even if we are just watching television. This year the Doctor Who special is on Christmas Day evening, so that will be a must. And you can explain the plot to Janet.”

“Why?”

“Janet really doesn’t get science fiction, so someone gets the job of explaining the plot to her.”

“Janet works on Christmas Day?”

“She loves working Christmas Day and always does.”

“Okay,” Liam replied.

<><><><>

The ward had been buzzing with excitement all day on Christmas Eve. Patients and the nurses all seemed to be swept up in it all. It seemed like school had been on the last day of term, everyone excited about the forthcoming holiday. Liam had liked the school holidays - no school and his mother away at work so he could just read in peace, hidden away in his bedroom. He had never been that excited about Christmas though. His mother had never made much of it.

Their home had never been decked with Christmas decorations and his mother treated the day as if it were just another Bank Holiday when she didn’t have to work. She always brought home from work two ready-made Christmas Dinners - frozen into a foil tray in different sections - that she always got cheap or free from the supermarket where she worked. He knew she did because she would always boast about it. He liked those ready-made Christmas Dinners, though they had that slightly watery feel that frozen food in their home always did, but they also had different and interesting flavours, and he loved having each different element of his Christmas Dinner held in a separate compartment of the foil tray. He also enjoyed the television programs that were on that day - they always seemed the best of the television available, and he happily watched it from as soon as he got up until whenever his mother chased him off to bed. If she was going out to some party or other, in the evening of Christmas day, then he could watch television as late as he wanted, or until tiredness or boredom swept over him. For the last handful of years, his mother always said that she was off to a party on Christmas Day evening. At the time he’d just accepted it because she told him it was so. Since he came to Nurton Cross, he’d been more and more questioning the things his mother had told him, the things he’d accepted as the truth because his mother had said so. Had she really gone to a party those Christmas Day evenings? She barely had any friends to speak of, so who would invite her to a party, or had she gone to spend the evening with her latest boyfriend? Why had she lied about the simplest of things?

Their exchanging of presents had always been simple. From what pocket money he got, he saved up and bought his mother the box of luxury chocolates she said she wanted. In return, his mother had bought him whatever item he needed for his school uniform - a new blazer, a new pair of trousers, or new shirts, and always new socks and underwear. At school, in the new year, he’d hear other kids boasting about their Christmas presents - their new games consoles, new mountain bikes, new fashionable jeans, even new leather jackets. Liam just remained silent, his usual defence. There was no use complaining or pleading with his mother. She would have just smacked him and shouted at him that she couldn’t afford whatever he wanted. It was always her response, so he just faked pleasure when again his Christmas present turned out to be a new item of school uniform.

As a child he’d never seen the point of Christmas: like so many things, it was a good thing that happened to other kids and not him. There was no use in getting upset or angry about it.

On that first Christmas Eve, at Nurton Cross, Liam just watched all the excitement but did not take part in it. What was everyone so excited about?

Chrissy was bubbling over with excitement, that day: she was talking endlessly about what would happen the next day and how wonderful it was all going to be. All Liam was looking forward to was Christmas dinner. At least it wasn’t going to be a frozen TV Dinner overly re-heated.

<><><><>

Christmas morning, he was awakened by the general noise on the ward. It wasn’t just people talking loudly in the main corridor, though there was a lot of that, but someone was playing tacky Christmas music loudly from somewhere.

As normal, he got up, washed and dressed, just putting on a pair of jeans and one of his shirts, before he left his room. Out in the corridor he found a bustle of activity. There, he was greeted by Nurse Elizabeth who was wearing a bright blue jumper with a large white snowman on the front of it, knitted into the very pattern of it, and a headband of silver tinsel sitting on top of her hair.

“You haven’t got your Christmas jumper on!” Elizabeth exclaimed when she saw him.

“I don’t have one,” he replied.

“I’ll have to see what I can find. Chrissy and TJ have already got their breakfasts in the Dining Room.”

“Thanks,” Liam said.

The Dining Room was alive with activity and chatter. Someone had placed a silver boom box on one of the tables in the room’s corners, and it was playing out tacky Christmas songs. Chrissy and TJ were already sat at a table, eating their breakfasts. So, he walked over to the serving hatch to collect his own.

Aiden had been right: it was a very nice cooked breakfast. Fried sausage and bacon, scrambled eggs and baked beans, and it was all still hot. With his plate full of food, he went and joined Chrissy and TJ.

“Mornin’ sleepy head,” Chrissy declared as he sat down at their table.

“Leave him alone,” TJ said. “It’s Christmas Day, he’s allowed a lie-in.”

“Mornin’” he replied to them.

Chrissy and TJ already seemed dressed up for the day. TJ was wearing a bright red jumper that was decorated with a red robin and red and green holly, and it looked horrible, it certainly didn’t suit him. Chrissy was wearing a green top with a printed pattern on it to make it look like an elf’s costume, which she’d decorated with a necklace of tinsel.

“Where’s your Christmas jumper?” Chrissy asked him as he swallowed his first mouthful of breakfast.

“Elizabeth asked me that,” Liam replied.

“Where is it then? It’s traditional to wear one, everyone does,” Chrissy said.

“I don’t have one,” Liam replied.

“Don’t worry about it, I hate this one already. It’s shit,” TJ told him.

“You look sexy in it,” Chrissy said, making a mock pouting expression at TJ.

“Liar,” TJ replied, with the jokey sound in his voice.

Liam smiled as he took another mouthful of his really very good breakfast.

<><><><>

Their Christmas Dinner was at one o’clock, as Janet had called them all into the Dining Room.

When he first saw her that day, Liam had been surprised how different Janet looked and yet still she looked like she always did: she was wearing trousers and a shirt, but her trousers were a casual pair of canvas ones, a dark slate grey in colour, and her cotton shirt had a soft and rounded collar and was a rich red colour. Pinned to the shirt’s pocket, over her left breast, was a little green, plastic Christmas tree badge, the lights of which were lit up with tiny bulbs, flashing away like actual Christmas tree lights. Janet was smiling, looking happy and relaxed.

The Dining Room had been decorated, softening its institutional edges. There were square paper table cloths covering all the tables and most of them had been laid out ready for people to sit at. Knives, forks and spoons were all laid out in a neat square for each place setting, with a small plate and a glass on either side of them. In the centre of each table, stood in a small jar, was a plastic red rose, some roses were a brighter red than others. The room looked like a restaurant, but Liam had never been inside one, he had only seen them on television programs.

He followed Chrissy and TJ up to the serving hatch, where they were handed their dinners on large and full plates. It was a full Christmas dinner, with roast turkey and roast potatoes, several green vegetables, stuffing and cranberry source and pigs-in-blankets, and rich hot gravy. From there he’d followed Chrissy and TJ to one of the decorated tables.

“This looks good,” Liam said, as he looked down at his dinner on the plate in front of him.

“And it tastes good!” Chrissy announced with a mouthful of food.

“She can even talk with her mouth full.” TJ smiled at Liam.

“I heard that!” Chrissy exclaimed.

“What are you lot arguing about?” Janet’s voice cut through their conversation.

Liam looked up to see her stood next to their table.

“They’re being nasty to me,” Chrissy said with that mock pout in her voice.

“She was talking with her mouthful of food, disgusting,” TJ added, his faced pulled into an expression of mock disgust.

“Sounds like this is the table to join then. I’ll get my dinner and be with you in a minute,” Janet said, before she turned away and headed towards the serving hatch herself.

“Great, Janet’s going to be eating with us. We won’t have any fun,” Chrissy protested, though her voice remained low.

“Janet’s cool,” TJ replied, “and everyone says she’s really cool at Christmas. Look at that mad, light-up Christmas badge she’s wearing.”

“It is bad, in a stupid way,” Chrissy admitted.

Liam just smiled back at both of them as he chewed on his tasty Christmas dinner.

“What’s bad?” Janet replied as she returned to their table, now carrying a full plate of food for herself.

“Your Christmas badge,” Chrissy replied.

“This thing?” Janet said as she sat down on the empty chair at their table. “My niece gave it to me. She dared me to wear it. She said it is so naff that I won’t dare wear it today. So I had to wear it, especially when I saw it had flashing lights too. It’s very horrible.”

“Are you really into Christmas?” Chrissy asked her.

“No, not really, but I enjoy working at Christmas because we get to make it as special as we can for you,” Janet replied.

“For us?” Chrissy asked.

“Yes. For most of you, this is your first time away from home at Christmas,” Janet told them. “So we have to make it the best we can, and to make sure Christmas dinner is really good.”

“It is,” Liam happily told her.

“Is it as good as the ones you have at home?” Janet asked them.

“We always went to my Gran’s for Christmas dinner, and she made such a big fuss about everything that you couldn’t enjoy yourself. And my Gran asks you questions about everything,” Chrissy said.

“And this turkey ain’t anything like the turkey my mum cooks,” TJ said.

“This isn’t as good?” Janet asked him.

“This is better,” TJ said. “My mum dries it out, it’s dead gross.”

“My mother can dry out turkey so much that a desert would be more moist,” Janet said.

“Gross!” TJ laughed.

“What’s your family’s Christmas like?” Chrissy asked Janet.

“My mother loves to have a big, family Christmas dinner. She insists that my sisters, their husbands and partners and their children all attend. She complains about all the work she has to do but she invited everyone and refuses any help. Then she spends the whole meal reminding me that I’m not married and therefore failed her. Sixty years of feminism and my mother still sees the only life for a woman is married with children.”

“But you’re working on Christmas Day. Doesn’t that piss off your mum?” TJ asked.

“Royally so, which is another good thing about doing it,” Janet replied.

“You don’t think of you nurses having screwed up families too,” TJ said.

“Screwed up families are far more common than you’d think,” Janet told him.

“Yeah, it’s dead common around here,” TJ said.

“Why aren’t you married?” Chrissy asked Janet, though Liam could hear that the tone in her voice was quizzical, not accusing.

“I have very high standards,” Janet smiled back at Chrissy as she replied.

“Good one,” TJ laughed, a fork of food halfway to his mouth which was stopped by his laughter.

“Did you always want to be a nurse?” Liam asked Janet after TJ had stopped his short burst of laughter.

“No, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was at school,” Janet replied.

“But they’re always wanting to know what you want to do after school when you’re at it. It used to really piss me off. I don’t know what I want to do either. I just don’t want to be a hairdresser like my mum,” Chrissy said.

“It drove my teachers mad too. They kept saying that I could be a teacher or a secretary or an office worker - and none of them interested me,” Janet said.

“But how did you get to be a nurse?” Liam asked. Didn’t people have their lives mapped out by the time they’re thirteen or fourteen? That’s what they had told him at school too.

“I did my A Levels, but I didn’t go to university, I still didn’t know what to do with my life, so I took some time off,” Janet replied.

“You had a gap year, God you were lucky,” Chrissy said.

“We didn’t have gap years back in my family and my mother said I had to get a job. Best advice she ever gave me because I got a job in a local nursing home, and I loved it. That led to me going on to do my nurse training,” Janet told them.

“How did you get into mental health nursing from working in a nursing home?” Liam asked. How did she get from nursing old people to working here? There seemed no logical path.

“It was a nursing home that specialised in caring for people with dementia,” Janet replied.

“I bet that was hard work,” Chrissy said.

“No,” Janet said. “You had to learn to take your time and treat everyone as an individual. Someone might have dementia, but it doesn’t mean they turn into someone completely different or into some miserable old git. You have to be patient because everything can take twice as long. Also you have to get used to answering the same question over and over, and not be precious if someone cannot remember your name.”

“Like working on here as well,” TJ said.

“Not quite,” Janet replied. “Those elderly people had better table manners.”

“I think I just got insulted,” Chrissy said. “You’re not supposed to insult us, you’re supposed to care for us.” Chrissy smiled broadly back at Janet.

“I don’t know who told you that, but they were lying,” Janet replied, with an equally broad smile.

“Sounds like you really enjoyed working in that nursing home,” Liam said, carefully watching Janet as he did.

“Yes, I really did,” Janet replied. “Working there helped me find my career and I’m so grateful for that.”

“Bet your mum was happy you became a nurse,” Chrissy said.

“No, she wasn’t happy at all. She thought I’d only wanted to be a nurse so I could marry a doctor. I told you my mother’s a dinosaur,” Janet said.

“You and your mum don’t really get on, do you?” Chrissy asked.

“Simply because a woman has a child doesn’t automatically mean that she will love that child,” Janet replied.

Liam looked down at his nearly three-quarters eaten Christmas dinner. Janet was right, but he didn’t want to be reminded of it. He didn’t make his mother’s list of priorities. He certainly wasn’t one of her top ten priorities.

“You know it’s Christmas Day,” Chrissy obviously said to Janet.

“I had kind of noticed it was,” Janet replied.

“Why can’t we all have a glass of wine to celebrate? It is Christmas?” Chrissy said.

“Do I look stupid?” Janet replied to her.

“No, but it is Christmas. My mum used to let me have one on Christmas Day,” Chrissy said.

“Everyone on the ward is on medication and most of them interact with alcohol,” Janet said.

“So we all get off our heads? You nurses will have to do some work,” Chrissy said.

“No, alcohol won’t interact like that. You’ll all go to sleep and probably be incontinent,” Janet told her.

“Ugh!” Chrissy protested.

“It’ll be like you were back working in that nursing home,” TJ laughed.

“Exactly,” Janet agreed.

“You’re putting me off my food!” Chrissy protested.

“Nothing will do that,” TJ replied.

Liam looked over to see TJ smiling back at him.

<><><><>

Liam pushed his half-eaten pudding away from him. His stomach was so full of food, he could feel it pressing up under his ribs, he couldn’t eat anything else. He’d had two helpings of Christmas dinner - there seemed so much food available - but the food tasted so good, and his appetite was at full strength. Usually he’d eat his meals out of a desire not to feel hungry, not out of any desire for his food. This Christmas dinner was so different. The food was full of flavour, not the usual dull washed-out mix sort of flavours the food normally was, and the different tastes and textures of it had surprised and delighted him. This was what a Christmas Dinner was. This was why people always went on about it.

“Don’t you like your Christmas pudding?” Chrissy asked him. “I love it. It’s the best part of Christmas.”

“You like it more than presents?” TJ asked her.

“I like nothing more than presents,” Chrissy replied.

“I really like it too, Christmas pudding,” Liam told them, “But I’m really full.”

“You had two Christmas dinners,” TJ said.

“It tasted so good,” Liam replied.

“You eat it like you’d never had it before,” TJ added.

“I hadn’t, sort of,” he replied.

“Never had Christmas dinner?” Chrissy’s voice was heavy with disbelief.

“My mum isn’t big on Christmas,” he said.

“So what did you have on Christmas day?” Chrissy asked him.

“We’d have these TV dinners my mum got from work. She worked in a supermarket.”

“God, your mum sounds a real bitch!” Chrissy exclaimed.

“Hey, it’s Christmas Day - happy thoughts!” TJ told her.

“Sorry Liam,” Chrissy said.

“I liked those TV dinners, I liked the way all the food was in different sections of the metal tray,” Liam said. Grab onto something positive and he didn’t have to remember the bad things.

“It’s Christmas dinner - you have to eat too much - it’s nearly a law,” TJ said.

“Where’s Janet got to?” Chrissy asked, quickly looking around herself.

Janet had left their table when they had gone to get their Christmas puddings, saying something about she had to check the office. But she had spoken so quickly that Liam wasn’t sure that was what she said.

“You said you didn’t want her sitting with us,” TJ said.

“Yeah, well I didn’t know she was so cool. She ain’t boring,” Chrissy admitted.

Then the Dining Room’s doors opened, sounding noisy as they were pushed back, and Janet re-entered the room. She stood just inside the door and said, in her loud and commanding voice:

“Everyone, can I have your attention!” She paused for a moment as everyone turned towards her, Liam did. “You’ve all finished your Christmas dinners now. If you go back to your rooms, you’ll find your Christmas presents waiting for you. But clear away your dirty plates first. Now, Happy Christmas!”

Janet then stepped away from the open door.

The room burst into loud and excited noise, the sudden volume of voices filling the empty space there.

“Presents!” Chrissy excitedly said, jumping up from her chair.

“Dirty plates,” TJ replied, smirking at her.

“Do me a favour, and take mine back with yours,” Chrissy asked him.

“Why?” TJ said.

“Because I’ve got presents,” Chrissy relayed while hurrying away from their table.

“Shit! She always gets me to do her work,” TJ said, as he reached for her empty pudding bowl.

“I can do that,” Liam offered.

“Don’t sweat it,” TJ replied, giving Liam one of his broad and handsome smiles.

In a fast moment, TJ had collected all three sets of dirty dishes, whisked them off to the service hatch and was rushing back to him.

“Come on,” TJ said, giving Liam a light tap on his upper arm, “Presents!”

“Sure,” Liam replied.

He followed behind TJ as they all rushed out of the Dining Room. What was the point of rushing to his room? There would be no present for him. His mother had made it clear to him, months ago now, that she was having nothing more to do with him. There was no chance his mother had sent him a Christmas present for sentimental or even loving reasons. He would go to his room, stay there for a while, before rejoining Chrissy and TJ in the Common Room and lie about receiving a present.

Janet was still stood at the room’s door as he walked up to it, the last person to leave the Dining Room now.

“What are you waiting for? You’ve got presents waiting for you,” Janet said.

“Sure,” he replied but he couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice now.

“Liam, would I lie to you?”

“My mum isn’t going to be sending me any Christmas presents.”

“No but someone else has,” Janet said. “Go and open them.”

“Oh, right,” he replied.

He walked out of the room and out into the corridor there. From there he headed towards his room.

He found his room’s door slightly ajar, but he always made sure it was closed whenever he left it. He pushed his door open and stepped into his room.

On his table sat three, brightly wrapped Christmas presents. They were all wrapped in bright and very gawdy Christmas paper. For a moment he just stood there and looked down at them. There were three Christmas presents and they were for him! Three whole presents just for him! Carefully, he reached out and touched the nearest one, a flat and oblong shaped one, wrapped in green paper that was covered in holly and reindeers. The parcel yielded to his touch, soft and cloth-like under the wrapping paper.

Next, he looked at the labels on them. He turned over the label on the first one, the one he’d pressed. It said, “From South Ward.” It was from Janet and the other nurses. They did work hard at making Christmas special. He looked at the label on the next present. It was another flat and oblong shaped parcel, slightly thicker than the one from the ward. This was wrapped in silver, metallic paper, decorated with small and dark green Christmas trees. Its label read, “Happy Christmas, Mark.” Mark had bought him a Christmas present and he hadn’t got Mark anything. He felt a stab of embarrassment. How could be get Mark a present now?

The last present was oblong shaped too, but it was not as wide but much taller than the other two, and much more solid to his touch. It was wrapped in bright red wrapping paper which was embellished with a haphazard array of snowmen, Christmas trees, robins, tiny, wrapped presents and other Christmas images. The label on this one read, “Best wishes from Bernie & Gerry Stewart-Graham.” Who were they? He had no recognition of these names. They seemed to be a husband and wife, but he couldn’t remember any couple with that name. Certainly not any of his mother’s friends and the only relative he had was his Aunt Sadie, and… His barrister, at his trial, was Mrs Stewart-Graham. This was from her? Why?

He opened the first present first because that seemed what he should do. It was the one from the ward. He didn’t rip the wrapping off, the way his mother had always done with the box of luxury chocolates he’d always bought her. Instead, he eased his index finger under the tape that sealed one end of the wrapping. Something told him not to damage the wrapping paper, but he didn’t know why, or even question it. The tape pulled away easily from the paper, though it did cause two small rips in it. He folded back the flaps of the paper and reached inside of it. His fingers touched smooth and soft cloth. He pulled it out.

He found his hand holding two new t-shirts. One was white, very white and bright, very clean and new. The other was very clean and new too, though it was a rich, bright blue. Both t-shirts felt so smooth and rich, not like the cheap ones his mother had always got, the ones that were always so thin and always started to split first under his armpits. He ran his finger over them, they must have been so expensive. They felt so expensive. The label inside the collar said they were made by Fruit of the Loom. That was an expensive brand, wasn’t it? he would save these for best. But tomorrow was Boxing Day, so he could wear one of them then. It was a special day.

He next turned his attention to the present from Mark. Again, he eased his index finger under the sealed end of the present. The wrapping paper seemed to be made of some sort of tin foil and the tape holding it down pulled easily away, no rips or damage to it. The folded ends of the present almost sprang open by themselves, Liam only having to slightly ease them open to slip his hand inside. His fingers touched something warm and soft there, but he didn’t try to guess what it was. Instead, he carefully pulled it out of its wrapping. It was a dark blue jumper, with a ribbed pattern running horizontally over its whole length, actually woven into the fabric. Was it called “cabling”? Had he heard Mrs Devine call it that in the Education Centre when she was talking about someone else’s jumper. Yes, it was called cabling and it was wonderful. He ran his hand over the front of the jumper, it was soft and yet the cabling pattern rippled under his fingers. Mark really had good taste. This jumper was amazing!

He looked at the label in the back of the jumper’s collar. It told him it was made from cotton and not wool. That was why it was so soft, and the pattern was so fine, and that it was a GAP jumper. Wasn’t GAP one of those expensive clothes shops? Their adverts on television had always looked expensive. He had never dreamed of having GAP clothes: they always looked expensive, well out of his league. He couldn’t not wear his new jumper now. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

He took off the shirt he was wearing, quickly hanging it over the back of his chair, and then pulled on his new jumper over the old t-shirt he had been wearing under it. The jumper slipped easily over his head and down over his body, it fitted him so comfortably and so well. It felt so warm and comfortable against his body, so smooth against the skin of his arms. He hadn’t worn something so soft and comfortable before. It must have been so expensive. It was so expensive, and he hadn’t got Mark anything for Christmas. He didn’t have any money. He couldn’t get Mark a present.

He gently stroked the front of his new jumper. It was so beautiful and soft. He’d never had anything so wonderful before. He’d have to save it for very best. He couldn’t let it get damaged. It was now his best piece of clothing. But today was Christmas Day and he could wear it for the rest of the day, but he’d have to be careful.

Lastly, he turned to his one unopened present, the one from Mrs Stewart-Graham. He went to open it from one end, but it was firmly stuck down with tape. There seemed to be a lot of clear tape all over the parcel, securing the wrapping tightly in place. He carefully picked at a piece of tape that seemed to end on the side of the parcel. As he pulled it the tape suddenly gave way, ripping the wrapping paper as it did, rapidly ripping the wrapping into two halves. It was easy now to just rip away the paper. There was no point in saving it now, so rip away he did.

Inside the parcel were five paperback books. The first three were the three books in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Mark had recommended the books to him, telling Liam he had heard so many good things about them. When he’d looked them up on the internet, during his internet time in the Education Centre, he’d been fascinated by what he read. It sounded such an interesting story. He knew he wanted to read the books but did nothing more than that. The Education Centre’s library was limited: it had the books that were on his curriculum but rarely anything outside of it. They certainly didn’t have the His Dark Materials trilogy. He had left it at that. There was no point in getting hung-up over books he wouldn’t have the chance of reading. Now, here he was being given them as a Christmas present. Mark must have told Mrs Stewart-Graham about them, and now he could read them. He stacked them up on his table, the first book on top of the pile. He wanted to start reading them now, but he was only halfway through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He promised himself he wouldn’t start reading his next book until he’d finished reading his current one - he couldn’t have half a dozen unfinished books. He had to keep to his plan, but sometimes it got difficult. He just wanted to start reading the first His Dark Materials book now. He had to finish the Harry Potter book first.

He examined the other two books in the parcel. They were the first two books in a series called The World Portal books by Gerry Stewart-Graham, who must be Mrs Stewart-Graham’s husband. The World Portal books were about something called a World Portal through which people could travel between parallel worlds. The first book was about a brother and sister who use World Portals to search for their missing mother. He stacked them up next to the His Dark Materials books. He’d read the first The World Portal book after he’d read the first one of them.

He'd never had so many books waiting to be read by him. Before, he’d only had the two books he’d been allowed to borrow from their local library. Occasionally, he’d have a second-hand paperback to read too, one he had found in the local charity shop, when he had enough spare pocket money to buy books from there. Now there were five new books, never read before, just waiting for him to read. He ran his finger along the spines of the His Dark Materials books. They were his to read.

The knock at his room’s door made him jump with surprise. He’d been so caught up in himself, admiring those books. Someone was at his door. He turned his head towards the door.

“Liam, are you all right in there?” Elizabeth’s voice called out as she slowly pushed his door open.

“Yes, yes,” he replied.

Elizabeth appeared in the room’s now open door.

“You’ve been in here for ages,” Elizabeth said.

“I’ve been opening my presents. I… I was enjoying that.” He didn’t want to admit the excitement he’d felt. Would that make him sound like a silly, little child?

“Everyone’s already in the Common Room.”

“Yes, yes.”

He followed Elizabeth into the Common Room. The room was already alive with noise and activity. The television was on but so many people were laughing and talking and ignoring it. Janet was stood next to the pool table laughing with Wayne & Arron, though no one seemed to be playing pool. His eyes searched the room where he quickly found Chrissy and TJ sat on one of the sofas in front of the television. Liam quickly walked over towards them.

Chrissy looked up at him, as he neared their sofa.

“What are you wearing? That’s new, isn’t it?” Chrissy said.

“It’s my Christmas present from my friend Mark,” he told her. He didn’t want to hide the pride he felt that Mark had given him such a beautiful jumper.

“That looks expensive,” Chrissy added, as Liam sat down on the sofa with them.

“I don’t know. Is it?” Liam replied.

“Of course it is. That friend of yours is going to want something for that. No one buys no one something that expensive without wanting something,” Chrissy said, smiling some silly and broad smile at him.

“What?” Liam said.

“Leave him alone, you mean cow,” TJ told Chrissy.

“It’s Christmas!” Chrissy protested.

“Someone’s bought him something nice. Leave him alone,” TJ carried on telling Chrissy. “Ignore her,” TJ now told Liam. “That’s a real cool jumper and you look great in it.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, sitting back on the sofa.