Isaac
I couldn’t believethat Max spoke Portuguese. I’d traveled over three thousand miles, and here I was, exploring New York with someone that spoke my language. I smiled to myself as I sipped my coffee.
“What are you smiling about?” Max asked.
“Nothing,” I muttered into my cup. “Just how out of all the random things in the world, you happen to speak Portuguese. Where are we going, by the way?” We seemed to be walking in a straight line, which I had come to learn was quite the standard in Manhattan. Lisbon, my home city and the capital of Portugal, was so different with its web of streets and hills.
“We’re going to Bryant Park. They have the best Christmas Winter Village in the city.” Max sounded excited. I smiled, trying to take in some of his enthusiasm. I thought maybe we might see a museum or visit the landmark buildings the city was known for, but it seemed I was getting Max’s Christmas tour.
All of the bad things in my life had happened at Christmas. I'd come through the bad times but still couldn’t connect with this holiday. Of course, Max didn’t know that, so I was determined to have a good time.
Not that I was a Scrooge or anything. I usually celebrated Christmas with my brother and his wife—we had dinner together and exchanged presents—but somehow, I was always the least joyful of the three. Of course, now with my niece Sofia joining our family, I wanted to put a lot more effort into it for her. Speaking of which.
“Max, is Macy’s nearby? I saw a sign.”
“Yeah, it’s not far. Why, do you want to go in?” he asked.
“If it’s okay. I became an uncle last night, and I’d love to buy my niece a present from New York,” I said.
Maybe I could make this a new Christmas tradition. I could buy her something Christmassy from every place I visit, and she could collect them.
I was thinking about it when suddenly big, strong arms came around me, making me lose my breath in a whoosh.
“Congratulations, Isaac! Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Max stepped back from the hug with a big smile on his face as though he was the one with the newborn niece. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the big department store, but the moment our hands connected, I felt a jolt of electricity.
It was so unexpected, I withdrew my hand and apologized immediately, cursing the static. Max looked at me, his face tensing but then going soft, his brown eyes slightly darker than earlier.
“Which way is it?” I asked.
“Um… this way, it’s not far.”
I followed him a few yards, spotting Macy’s well before I saw the sign for 34th Street. Well, it was hardnotto miss the gigantic building and the more prominent sign saying Macy’s. I really hoped I’d find a nice present for Sofia there.
As we walked in, my senses were assaulted by the brightness of lights, colors, and even the smells. Behind a roast chestnut cart, a man dressed in a red and white striped suit and a straw hat was roasting chestnuts and offering samples to customers coming in. I didn’t care much for roasted chestnuts, but I did love the smell and all the memories it brought back to me.
In Portugal, we celebrated Saint Martin’s day by roasting chestnuts in November, a tradition that carried on throughout the cold winter months.
“This smell reminds me of people in my hometown getting together to make a bonfire and roast chestnuts on the street,” I said. “Doesn’t happen so much anymore since people started socializing online rather than in person, but you can still get roasted chestnuts on the street from independent vendors.”
“You get them here, too. I love the smell but don’t really like the taste,” Max said.
“Really? I’m the same,” I chuckled.
We went straight to the jewelry department where I bought Sofia a beautiful child’s bracelet that was engraved with her name and date of birth, and then Max insisted on visiting the Christmas floors. Yes, floors, since there were two floors completely dedicated to Christmas decorations, trees, and everything anyone might need to make their Christmas season perfect.
As soon as we got to the top of the escalator on the second floor, the first of the Christmas floors, I could see the display of decorated Christmas trees. They were of various sizes, some small, but others were easily taller than me, and the decorations were so intricate that I was certain they would cost more than I make in a month.
“This level needs a warning for bright, flashing lights,” I said, turning to Max whose face was lit up as much as the Christmas trees. He seemed so happy, his eyes coming alive and his smile telling a thousand stories of Christmases past.
“Look!” Max yelped. “They have a My First Christmas ornament. You should get that for your niece and put it on your tree this year.”
“That’s actually a great idea.” I grabbed one of the ornaments and realized they were made of blown clear glass that reflected a spectrum of colors. This would be something that Sofia could keep forever. Her first keepsake from me.
I took it to the cashier to pay. I was already in line when I realized that Max was gone. It wasn’t until I had paid and had the ornament carefully wrapped in a box that he appeared again holding a small bag.
“I see you did some shopping, too,” I said, seeing a speck of red in his cheeks. Was Max blushing? His face was a spectrum of emotions I couldn’t quite read. He was avoiding looking at me, but I could see he was also excited about something.
“Come on, let's get out of here,” he said. “The park isn’t far.”
