Tamales

     Opening the door to my parent’s house sent a surge of warmth and aroma of tamales shooting straight at me, rejuvenating my Christmas spirit in one whiff. Both my brother and I arrived to a pair of smiling parents and delighted sister, constructing dinner and setting the mood to entertain the two most pampered people in our family (my brother and I). It took a couple of minutes for my eyes to completely adjust to the bright Christmas decorations glistening and reflecting off of the wine and tequila bottles in my dad’s bar. The greetings were quick and comforting with hugs, kisses, and technical handshakes.
     While the tamales were steaming we began our holiday mingling, something that happens three times a year: my mothers birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s quite a site, observing a family of secrets and mixed emotions trying to be intimate and personal with each other in front of one another. It’s a challenge for all of us, considering we are not used to sharing our sensitivity with one another: A shy family. The night continues like all holidays, my brother bullying me all night and my mom ending the fight with me getting the blame (because somehow I put myself in that situation), my sister and I making dumb jokes to entertain my mother, my dad trying to get some personal time with my brother, and my mother in the middle of all of our craziness.
     Finally it was getting late and my reunion with my co-workers was inevitable so we pursed in opening objects covered in paper boxes finished with sparkly colored paper: Materialism wrapped in materialism. There was nothing special given but instead we used those gifts as an excuse to take pictures with each other (something we are too scared to ask in a “regular day” in fear of rejection). These couples of minutes were the most uncomfortable and best minutes of all Christmas (I get to hug my brother!). The night was over and it was time for me to head to work, giving our goodbyes and gathering our presents my brother and I headed back towards our home. I dressed quickly and headed towards work on the eve of Christmas.