Page 24 of Yours for the Season
Tom ended his message with a big-eyed emoji, and Sameera couldn’t resist replying.
So how longHasit been?
His reply was immediate:I’d rather not answer questions that will incriminate me. Would you like to know how many different types of souffles I can make?
Sameera smiled to herself.Nope. How long, Romeo?
Don’t you have people to sue?
Sameera stuck her tongue out at the screen. While it was frustrating not knowing exactly when the great Andy Shaikh would grace them with his presence, she would do her best to use this extra time to prepare. Besides, Tom had warned her: The rich could be unpredictable. She flipped the phone over and tried to concentrate, for about thirty minutes. Until her family’s conversation filtered through her door.
“Let’s watchHome Alone,” Esa said. “It’s a classic for a reason.”
“Elfis the obvious choice,” Naveed argued.
“What aboutA Christmas Carol?” Tahsin put in. “I like the black-and-white classics.”
“Let’s ask Sameera,” Naveed said, and seconds later, her door opened and her dad poked his head inside. “Which movie should we watch tonight, Samu? Come out, the popcorn will be done soon. You know your mother cannot resist.”
“I have a lot of work to catch up on. Why are you watching Christmas movies, anyway?” she asked, trying to soften the rejection. She stood up and wandered into the sitting room, where her family had gathered on the couch. “Are you all in desperate need of a Christmas tutorial?”
“Clearly,” Esa said, cackling. “Unless we want another chocolate crucifix episode.”
“It was a joke!” Tahsin protested. Her tone turned sober. “We want to make a good impression on Tom and his family. For your sake, Sameera.”
Despite herself, she was touched by her mother’s words, however misguided. “Tom and I are only friends,” she repeated.
“Friends with benefits?” her mother asked, and both Sameera and Esa stared at her, appalled.
“Mom,ew,” Esa said.
“Do you know what that means?” Sameera asked.
“It means you are friends, with the possibility of it turning into a real relationship,” Tahsin said indignantly. “I know things.”
Sameera closed her eyes. “I have work to do. Have fun. And you should definitely start withHome Alone.It’s a classic.”
It was hard to concentrate with her family laughing in the sitting room, and she needed more coffee to counteract the jet lag. She ventured outside in search of caffeine and took her time preparing a cup, peeking at the television while the espresso maker puttered. On screen, Macaulay Culkin, a.k.a. Kevin McCallister, was telling his mother that he didn’t want his family, that families sucked. She felt a pang at this and hurried back to her room.
“You’re working so hard,beta. Why don’t you join us?” her father called twenty minutes later, and Sameera hesitated.
“We saved you some popcorn,” Tahsin wheedled.
A few minutes might make her feel more refreshed, Sameera thought. She settled between her parents on the sofa, reaching for the popcorn. Soon, she was laughing alongside her parents and Esa at Kevin’s antics, and she couldn’t force herself to get up once the bowl was empty.
“I don’t understand how this is a Christmas movie,” Tahsin said. “A white, upper-middle-class child is left alone in his house by accident and thwarts robbers by mutilating them. It doesn’t seem very festive.”
“It’s funny. Humor is very Christmas,” Sameera said.
“Kevin has every advantage—youth, intelligence, the privilege of a large home with plenty of resources, not to mention familiarity with the terrain. No serious scholar who watched this movie would assume those clueless ‘robbers’ had the upper hand,” Tahsin argued. “Home Aloneseems anti-Christmas, if you ask me.”
“Firstly, it’s a children’s movie,” Sameera said. “Secondly, it made a gazillion dollars and spawned an entire franchise. There’s snow, Santa, and twinkly lights. Ergo, Christmas movie.”
This started a lively debate over what was considered a Christmas movie versus a movie only set during the holidays. Sameera grabbed her yellow legal pad to list the essential ingredients for a holiday movie, according to the Maliks.
“We’re agreed, then,” she said. “It’s a Christmas movie if there is a scene in a church, a holiday song, culturally specific accoutrements like Santa or an elf, and most importantly if it includes ...” She checked her notes. “The central Christmas themes of love, charity, and forgiveness.”
“Instantaneous redemption appears to be another common theme,” Naveed mused. “Think about Ebenezer Scrooge. He wakes after a night of being terrorized by ghosts with a sudden change of heart and a complete personality transplant. In reality, change is difficult, and redemption only possible after much effort and time.” He looked thoughtful, then added, “Most modern Scrooges, our modern billionaire industrialists, are so far removed from their lower-level employees, this level of empathy would be nearly impossible.”
