The arrangements and setup was completely complete, the ornaments had been placed at every specific area she had wanted it to be, the twig stars had been hung above the LG C8- Series 4K OLED TV, the pine cone Christmas tree had been littered across the surface of the windows same with the twine angels she had specially asked the decoration shop to make and the tree was up and standing right between the television wall and the left window that overlooked the garden outside the house.

Eboseremen Irabor smiled as she admired her hard work. She had been organizing since the beginning of the month, she walked outside to look at the decorations put in place once more and she gave herself a good job pat, mentally. She wanted to be an event planner when she was done with school and after so much persuasion and pleading from both her sisters and herself to her parents, they had finally allowed her take the ultimate task of planning the Christmas ceremony for the year. The extended Irabor family consisted of three boys including her father and they took it upon themselves to host the Christmas events by allowing one Irabor son every year to be a host in his house. This year had been Eronmosele Irabors turn and Ebose had decided that if she was going to be world known as an event planner, she had better start with her home. Her parents had refused her straight up because this was one of those periods the men showed off to themselves as well as pull off a very impressive occasion to remember, they had given her instances where she had forgotten to do something important like add someone to the high table list on her Mothers 48th birthday when she was allowed to arrange the activity list only and when she had forgotten to book the cake for her sisters 20th birthday.

Eronmosle and his wife, Omozelle had three girls, the twins Efosa and Eghosa and her. She always wondered why her sisters treated her like she was a boy with how they told her not to wear dresses because she would look like a straight pencil and how makeup would be disastrous on her if they ever did whenever she asked them to 'beat her face up'. She knew it was because everyone had anticipated the birth of a male child after the twins and even the pregnancy scan her mother took detected she was a boy but somehow she had been born. Every picture of her one month old days had been taken in males clothing and she was always very embarrassed to show any of her friends that asked to see her throwbacks.

"Ebose," she turned around to see her across the street neighbour who had come out dressed in a pink robe and her hair covered up in net. Ever since they moved to the area when she was seven, Mrs Adetola always had the habit of coming outside of her house by 7:00am in that same robe and seat on the chair she kept at the front porch. Her parents had told her to mind her business but she had asked the woman who had no child out of curiosity. She had replied her sincerely 'I like seeing as children go to school, it helps calm my mind everyday,' since then, Ebose always made sure she was outside of the house by 7:00am so she could greet the woman when she came out too.

"Mummy," she called her that because her mother had also told her the woman was older than her by lots of years even if she looked younger than he especially with the way she did her hair and fixed long nails. It was an unwritten constitution in the Nigerian culture that anyone who was older than your parents was automatically called Mummy or Daddy especially if they had no child. All the houses in the area had an open frontage without gate, this made it easy for Ebose to cross over to the womans place. She smiled at her as she took her seat in her regular chair, the color of her nails this month were green and red to match the season.

"I like this your house o, you are really good at events decoration," the thick Yoruba accent her sisters used to laugh at was fully on display as she said her words. They both looked over at the creme colored two storey building she had decorated with dedication for the sole purpose of becoming a renowned events planner, she felt very satisfied with the work and knew if Mrs.Adetola was impressed, there was no one who wouldn't be impressed and nothing could stop this from being the most memorable Christmas for anyone especially herself. One day she would get to write her autobiography and she would state how her major career began from the best Christmas ever.

"I'll make sure to use you as the event planner for my 65th birthday party next year, you have eye for fine things," She smiled widely as the compliment made her head want to 'burst' from joy.

"Mummy mummy, I pray I won't be in school o but if I'm in school sef I will make sure to come back to organize just for you and daddy," the woman laughed a bit and looked at her nails in admiration. Ebose knew that the Adetolas traveled on Christmas eve to Abuja to go and relax in her husbands sons house. It was a twisted story that Ebose's curiosity never allowed her to ask but she assumed the man had cheated on her after he had found out she could not get pregnant and she allowed him allow the mother to raise the boy.

"Mummy I'm going to prepare for the guests that are coming as from 12, have a safe flight o and greet brother Jide for me," Jide was the name of the son whom she had met only twice since they moved here, she heard he ran a very big firm and was often busy than not.

"Osheey ojare, I will, nice work ehn."

She opened the door and walked in to meet her sisters who had laid comfortably on both of the long couches with their phones in between their clutches. The sitting room was large with four couches, two three seaters, one two seater and a single arm chair which was arranged right beside the two seater couch. Ebose walked to the one seater and plumped herself into it, feeling a bit exhausted, she had been up as early as 5am to finish the rest of the set up as the boys who were paid to assist her would not be coming again because she had told them their work was done.

"Planner," Efosa began her speech without looking up from the phone, she knew it was either her best friend, who apparently was opposite her on the other long couch or her boyfriend who she knew was on his way to his own house already, she was texting. "You smell, have you had your bath today? You don't want to spoil your whole event planning with bad smell o." Ebose frowned at her, she was the bossy sister out of the twin, she always treated her like she was 10 years older and not 4 years older.

"Yes ma, I hope you won't need me to run to the busstop to buy food for you or worse, get the remote from the table just beside you," She retorted and dug her phone out of her back pocket. She did feel stinky but she would not allow Efosa boss her.

"It is not like that na," it was Eghosa who half-laughed as she looked at her younger sister over her phone, it was a silent apology because everybody in the house knew how Efosa was the villain and Eghosa the hero in every situation.

"Whatever, there is food in the fridge, you people should not over eat it o, don't spoil my planning by doing over eating sha," she got off the chair and proceeded to head to her room which was at the top floor beside an empty room which would be allocated to one of her uncles, like every Christmas they had to accommodate them. The house had seven rooms altogether and she had chosen not to stay in the same room with her sisters or it would have been five guests rooms rather than four, she had the perfect arrangement for everyone who she expected to come. She decided she would take her time to bath and dress up before everyone began to come one after the other.

At about 2pm, she heard the doorbell ring and as the planner she was entrusted in allocating rooms to the various people who would make an appearance, she opened the door to the face of a woman with slightly visible wrinkles but a very sweet smile, she smelled like the mixture of vanilla and goldenmorn if that was a fragrance of perfume.

"Aunty Chisom," she was the wife of the her fathers eldest brother Iredia Irabor and the man stood right beside her with his arms open for his niece to run into. He knew Ebose was not the small girl who used to do that again but he expected it and she had to play along. He hugged her tight like he had not just seen her during Easter period when the whole family had gathered together for her grandmas remembrance ceremony. She loved the fact that they all lived in lagos and they could always easily connect with each other but they were also always very busy most of the time and they never ever missed special occasions such as this one.

"Uncle Iredia," she smiled at him as she finally had the chance to squeeze out of his tight embrace, she would have started frowning if she had not been hugged on her knees by their three year old daughter, Chetachi who had not yet began to pronounce her name correctly.

"Aunchi Bobo," she almost shed a tear at the attempt to pronounce her name, she had the sweetest voice ever and the nickname the girl had given ever since the day she drank her bobo drink or stole her rather, she had began to call her bobo. It was not in anyway relative to her name.

"My little sunshine," Ebose carried the girl on her body and tickled her with the free hand. Her laugh rejuvenated over the front porch and someone cleared the throat, forcefully. Ebose looked towards the direction and made her contact with her uncles first child Nnnena, she was the same age as her twin sister and was not the oldest cousin Ebose had but she always wanted to act like one. Iredia and his wife had had a hard time having children and it had taken some years after their last child to get the small girl.

"Nnenna, its so nice to see you," her cousin gave her a small smile and Ebose, still with the young child on her body let the family inside the house. There was one person she knew was missing and he was the joker of uncle Iredia's family, Eghonghon.

"Aunty Chioma what of Eghon?" She asked expecting nothing less than disappointment. That would mean the plan had gone shot of one person.

"Well, his Internship resumes immediately on Monday so he decided it would be best he stayed there for Christmas and new year," Ebose had forgotten he had a very serious internship in General Electric at Abuja and he had always talked about being a manager of General Electric, she never saw the importance of it but she always imagined if she was given the opportunity to intern at a very well known event planning organization she would rather give up Christmas and new year than to be in a black book. The woman saw the dejected face of the girl and patted her, "He said he would call you though."

The rest of the people had made their way towards the sitting room where her Mother and Father had made an appearance. The two brothers looked very similar except for the fact that her father had a more milder beard kept and a less baggy eyes. She watched as the two old men chest bumped and scare their wives in the process because she knew they often complained of back pains, or like her father did rather. The wives hugged each other and began to compliment the outfits they wore and their home and even little Chetachi fought her way out of her arms to go and meet the rest of her big cousins, Nnenna had also made her way to Efosa and Eghosa who had kept their phone and greeted everyone older than them.

"The decorations are so fine o, ah, Eron you've overdone it now," Iredia laughed and lightly punched his brother who laughed in response. They had all settled to seating and Ebose decided to seat close to Chetachi because her sisters would be busy trying to catch up with their age mate.

"It is not our hand work o, it s our event planner," Omozelle pointed to her daughter with a smile and a proud look in her eyes. The showoff had began and although showoffs were usually bad, the Irabor family always had a relatively healthy showoff.

"She did it all by herself?" Chisom was the one to ask this time with her mouth agape. Ebose wondered why it was surprising for her to do it, hadn't she always told them she wanted to be an event organizer and planner?

"Yes o, we just said we should try out her skills, lets know if the course she is studying was worth it," she almost coughed from shock, even her sisters laughed mid their talk with Nnenna.

Try out? When she begged them for almost a month before they allowed her, she had almost blurted out but Chetachi climbed her laps to play with her unattended afro. That reminded her, she needed to tend to the hair to make it look decent before the next day.

"Wow, I must say I am proud," Iredia smiled at his niece and then the little crowd began to catch up each of their various lives while she showed Chetachi funny videos she had always saved up on her phone, either that or she would have to begin to play hide and seek and she did not have extra strengths to waste on that. She silently prayed her other uncle came early so the child closest to the age of Chetachi would take over the babysitting. As much as she adored children, she did not have the patience to look after one.

And her prayer was answered almost immediately, she shot up from the seat and raced towards the door, her favorite family had arrived. She opened the door to a bored looking man-boy who yawned immediately he saw her, his two hands held a bag which he threw at her. She hissed at him and let it fall to the ground with a thud.

"Omoruyi will you carry that bag and take it inside, is she your butler?" a feminine voice came from behind him and the boy grumbled as he picked it. Nevertheless, Ebose hugged him when he had carried his load and welcomed him.

"Wooo, don't welcome me, this your house is always far," it was far to them because they lived on the Island and the rest of the Irabors lived on the mainland, she just chuckled in response and let him walk into the house.

"You better keep quiet there, I'm the one that had to drive all the way," a broad looking man scooped Ebose up into his arms and then put her down, her heart raced all through the effort because she felt he would loose his grip and she would fall, "The small girl," he called her the lame nickname he had always given her as his father and mother approached.

"Supo, I told you to stop carrying me like I am a baby and I am not small again," she sulked as he walked into the house also without giving a response.

"Uncle Osaze," she hugged him and moved to hug his wife, Adeshola. Their eight year old daughter, Osemudiamen also hugged her immediately after her parents had stepped into the house. Ebose closed the door and mentally calculated the number of persons that were in the house. Everything was a go and would be perfect for Christmas. Before she directed everyone to their various rooms, she told them to each have special acts for the Christmas Talent show she had set out alongside the Christmas Carol that would begin at 10pm.

At 9:49pm she had set up drinks around everyones seat area in the sitting room and awaited their appearance. She wished she had a whistle so she could blow loud like the Father in Sound of Music but she had to wait for them all to slowly come down stairs from their rooms, still chatty and oblivious to the event planners frustrated face. She arranged her mood and directed them to the seats she wanted them to seat on.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," she began with a smile even though she heard Omoruyi snicker, "I would like to call on someone to begin this Christmas carol with an opening prayer," She thought payback, "Omoruyi please."

She knew the boy would not have prayed in a long time and hoped he would get scolded by his parents especially his Mother as he gave her a glare as he stood up and walked towards where she stood.

"Lets close our eyes," thank you, next.

"Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us all here and ehm," he paused and she smirked because his lack of prayer had began to catch up, " Thank you for giving Ebose sense because she did not have before, Amen." He strolled back to his seat and she could see his Mothers eyes on him, although he had made the younger people laugh, he had also entered 'trouble'.

"Thank you Omoruyi, we'll be moving to special talents and I'd like to call Omoruyi to open the floor,"

"What? No na, what did I do to you Ebose?" He grumbled as he stared at her,

"Well maybe you can do Prayer as your Talent," Mrs Adeshola commented immediately he responded and he slowly got up from his seat as she went to hers which was close to her Mother. She prepared for laughter, everyone did.

"Ehn ehn Ebose, I forgot to tell you," her mother said to her as Omoruyi stood in the middle of everyone and thought of what he could perform.

"Tell me what?" The door bell rang immediately and out of duty for her work, she paused her mothers speech and walked to the door to see who would come to their house at 10pm. She expected it to be the next door neighbour as they went round each Christmas Eve sharing T-shirt the color of Christmas in the whole neighbourhood. She opened the door and in front of her stood unmistakable dark brown eyes, gentlemanish low cut, deep cheek dimple and the most devilish smile. She could see this because the porch was illuminated brightly. Immediately, she felt faint.

"Asike?"

°°°

Well guys, here is the first chapter of the long anticipated Christmas short story.
I'll be posting everyday until the last chapter.

So, what do you think?
Comment, Review, Share, Vote.

PS: you can read it fully on Pabpub👽

Emmanuella