The dinner guest

Out of all the things Jenny imagined doing at New Year’s Eve, this was the last one.

The dark wooden cabin at the top of the hill was covered in snow.

It didn’t look real.

It looked as if it was painted on an old moldy canvas.

The wind was blowing but the trees around it didn’t move at all.

Even the snowflakes seemed to be frozen, just suspended in the air.

-“Are you sure about this?”-

Gabriel tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

The hill was rather steep and still driving a FWD, they were going really slow.

-“I’m sure”-

Jenny put her hand on his leg and he put his hand on hers.

-“I know things like these are not easy… family… and… well… everything…”-

-“I’m ready”- she looked at him with a mixture of fear and excitement.

They finally arrived.

The smell of the home-cooked meal coming from the cabin was a nice contrast to the sharp cold wind.

-“It is so sunny and yet so cold”- said Jenny as she held on to Gabriel´s arm.

-“Yes, it is always like this in here”- he sighted.

Gabriel opened the dark iron door and two red-haired girls not over 12 years old with knitted hats and velvet dresses looked at them.

-“Grandma! Uncle Gabriel is here!!”-

They ran to the kitchen, where voices and the sound of plates and some silverware falling down caught her attention.

It sounded like a lot of people.

Gabriel did say he had a big family.

She was starting to feel a little restless.

-“Sit down, let me see if they need any help in there”-

-“Do you want me to…?”-

-“No, stay here, I’ll be right back”- he interrupted her mid-sentence. 

She took her scarf off and watched Gabriel disappear behind the same door the two girls got into.

Everything was exactly as he had told her.

The cabin looked like it was made from wood but was entirely made from stone.

It was so cozy and warm that it almost made her forget the unusual artic cold temperature outside.

A big wooden table that looked like a slice from what might have been an incredible big tree was in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by 7 chairs on each side and one at the end.

The kitchen door opened and Gabriel came out followed by a small crowd, some of them were carrying bottles of wine and other things.

A tall elegant woman went to greet Jenny while the others went to put the dishes and bottles on the table.

-“Well, you must be Jenny! I am Saoirse, Gabriel’s grandmother.”-

-“Yes, Jenny Townsend, nice to meet you”-

The other family members came along with Gabriel to greet Jenny.

There were name tags on the table in front of every plate which were covered by serving dish covers.

Everybody sat down and a tall man dressed in a black suit poured wine and water on the glasses.

The chatting noises and the smell of food were mind-soothing for Jenny who; although was trying hard to enjoy the moment, was as nervous as she had ever been.

-“Thank you”- said Jenny to the man in black that filled her cup with red wine.

-“You don’t want to talk to him”- whispered one of the twin girls that was sitting next to her.

-“Who is…?”-

Gabriel answered in low voice before she finished the question.

-“She’s right, don’t talk to him, he’s not one of us”-

He took a sip of wine; she did the same.

The tall man dressed in black put a stone candle holder with a black candle in front of everyone.

He was missing some fingers from both of his grayish hands.

Suddenly, grandma Saoirse stood up and raised her glass, an immediate and complete silence followed.

-“Well, everything is ready! Let’s begin!”-

Everybody stood up and raised their glasses.

-“May this meal be the best one! May we all be thankful for the year that has passed!”-

Everybody repeated grandma´s words, all at once and the unison of voices echoed and lingered in Jenny’s head.

They all sat down and uncovered their dishes, everyone had something different, except the twins, that both had the same dish: cheeseburgers and fries.

Jenny looked at her dish, spiced baked fish with mashed potatoes and black olive salad.

-“We all get our favorite meal on this night”- Said the twin next to Jenny.

-“Well yes, it might as well be your last one”- said the other girl.

They both giggled.

Jenny looked at Gabriel who was already looking at her with a worried look.

-“You don’t have to eat”- he said –“ it’s just a formality…”-

Jenny put her hand on his leg under the table, he put his hand on hers.

-“Maybe just the mashed potatoes”- She smiled at him and he shily smiled back, his black eyebrows curved in a worried frown unlikely in him.

She looked at the rest of the people at the table.

Some people were eating, others just moved the food around the plate.

But they all seemed chatty and happy.

The only thing that looked out of place was the tall man in black.

His sunken eyes went from one person to the other.

He was eating his fingernails; or so she thought.

To her horror, she noticed he was eating a piece of his own finger as well.

She felt repulsed and terrified, but nobody else seemed to notice, or they pretended not to notice.

Suddenly, the lights started to flicker and the room was in complete silence again.

Gabriel held Jenny’s hand.

The lights went off.

Nothing but dark and silence.

All the candles on the table lit at once.

The tall man cleaned his hand on his jacket and walked towards the table.

He stood behind aunt Lili.

Everybody held their breath.

Grandma Saoirse crumpled the tablecloth under her hands.

Gabriel tightened his grasp on Jenny’s hand.

Jimmy, Lili’s son, closed his eyes tightly as tears ran through his face.

Edgar, Jimmy’s father and Lili’s husband tightened his jaw and closed his eyes.

The rest of the family tried to control their tears both of relieve and sadness.

They had been spared.

Lili stood up.

The tall man opened a door that led to a narrow small hall.

-“Do not look”-

Jenny remembered Gabriel’s warn and kept her eyes shut.

She heard how the wooden door that led to the hall was closed and the sound of a bigger heavy metal door being closed behind the wooden one made her startle.

She opened her eyes slowly.

Some of the guests were opening their reddened eyes, others still had them tight shut.

The tall man opened the wooden door and said with a sound clearly imitating a human voice:

-"The sacrifice has been accepted, you have been granted a year of immortality, you may go now."-

He entered in the hall and closed the door.

Grandma Saoirse stood up and raised her glass.

Everyone wiped away the tears and lifted their glasses with shaky hands.

-“May we…”- Grandma’s voice broke and she lowered her glass a little.

She cleared her throat and continued:

-“We’ve been granted one more year!”-

-“WE WILL LIVE FEARLESS!”-

Everyone drank from their glasses.

They all stood up in silence, put on their coats and scarfs and patted Jimmy and Edgar’s shoulders before leaving.

Gabriel and Jenny drove in silence for a while.

-“What happens next?”- whispered Jenny.

-“We live-"

-“For a year”- she noticed the tone in her voice and sighted- “I’m sorry”-

-“It’s okay… we won't die for a whole year, we have that certainty...

also I ‘ve been to those meetings since I was ten… now I am twenty-seven, I’ve had a good run”-

He smiled at her, not a worried shy smile; but his usual charming warm smile.

It amazed her how she started to see life in a very different way since she met Gabriel.

The “fearless” Gabriel, as everyone called him.

And she knew she was undoubtedly in love with him when he told her his secret, and she still said yes.

They were given a year to live.

Or maybe more, who knew?

But he made every day count.

Was that what she needed? A death sentence?

He had told her about it, but she had never been through a meeting before.

Now she was a part of it.

What if she was next?

-“This is going to be the best year ever”-

Gabriel’s husky voice brought her back from her thoughts.

His dark green eyes sparkled again and she felt a warm feeling, it was hope, she felt hopeful.

She felt happier than ever, happier than ever to be with him, to be alive, and she was definetly going to stay that way from now on.

Well, until next New Year’s Eve, that is.

Fingers crossed.