Albert is all alone in his warden assisted flat on Christmas morning.
He has eaten his breakfast, alone, as he does every morning. The TV set flickers in the corner of the room, the sound off, as Albert sits in quiet thought.
He is remembering Christmas’s past and reflecting on his long life. He is feeling … yes, loneliness, but also a quiet pride at the 93 Christmases he has lived through to be here today.
Suddenly the “pring” of the doorbell shocks him from his reminiscences.
“Who can this be on a Christmas morning” he mutters to no one in particular as he slowly and painfully pads his way to the front door.
Outside is a beautiful young lady. Her heavy black overcoat is unbuttoned, revealing a short black Chanel dress. A discrete necklace glints alluringly in her ample cleavage. The cigarette in her hand and her long legs, cased in the sheerest fashioned nylon stockings together with her high heeled black court shoes remind him momentarily of a Christmas long ago as a soldier in wartime France.
He looks at her fresh, young face. Her bluest blue eyes, her long flowing blonde hair that falls in soft, loose curls around her shoulders, her white teeth and her deep red lips…
“Are you Albert?” She asks.
“Y-yes, Albert. That’s me”.
“Hello Albert. My name is Suki. Your friends from the club all chipped in and then went on to a website called Adultwork, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. … “
Albert almost imperceptibly shakes his head.
“It’s where girls like me …. Anyway …. They did … and they …. Well they bought you me for you … So to speak … I’m like …. I’m your Christmas present Albert.”
Albert struggles to get his mind around what was happening. He feels himself getting a little hot. His ears are buzzing and his vision wavers slightly. Suki goes on.
“So, anyway, here I am Albert. Merry Christmas Albert. I’m here to give you Super Sex Albert!”
Albert’s poor mind is stumbling around in a mental fog for the longest of moments. He is trying to make sense of that which makes no sense at all.
Then…. Meaning crashes in on him. Understanding floods through his tired mind. At once he grasps the possibilities of the opportunity now standing before him.
He again shakes his head. But this time it is to bring himself fully into the moment.
He straightens his bent back and looks Suki squarely in the eye.
“Okay”, he said. “Just one question before I decide …What flavour is the Soup?”
Merry Christmas gentlemen. Have a good one. See you on the other side.
