Free Fiction Friday: Holiday edition

Happy holidays to all!

Zoom

Holiday Dinner

by Michael Yoder

copyright 2021 Michael Yoder

Margaret had her turkey dinner plated and waited for the others. The screens all popped one by one. Chelsea, he daughter was holed up in her bedroom on her cell phone; her boys were sharing a laptop at the table near her; her mother was there with her small plate and her brother Arthur was sitting there with a large glass of something alcoholic.

"I'm so glad we could all be here for the Holidays," Margaret said. "Does everyone have something to eat? Chelsea?"

"Yeah?" Chelsea said. "I have a tofu stir fry. I'm not touching that dead crap you serve up. It's animal abuse. Can we get on with this? I have to be on Instagram in a half hour."

"Oh, you!" Margaret giggled. "I know you're vegan now, but that's no reason to be rude about the turkey! And I don't know why you don't sit at the table."

"Yeah, whatever," Chelsea replied and muted her microphone.

"Arthur? Do you have something to eat?"

"What?!" Arthur yelled into the microphone. "Yeah! I got a dinner here." He showed them a frozen chicken dinner, still in the box. "And another thing...I think this is all fucking bullshit. We never talk and now you want me to be all happy dappy!" He took a drink.

"Well, the boys have their dinners ready and mom, do you have something?" Margaret asked.

Her mother held up a plate of food.

"Can we get on with this?" Chelsea piped in.

"First we say grace," Margaret said. "Mom, would you say grace?"

Margaret's mother started to talk but there was no sound.

"Mom? You need to un-mute your microphone."

"Jesus!" Chelsea muttered.

"Mom, there's a little picture of a microphone. Press that button and then we can hear you."

"Who wants to hear that old bat?!" Arthur yelled again.

Margaret watched as her mother peered over her glasses trying to find the icon on the screen.

"Never mind, mom. I'll say grace. Dear Lord, we thank you for the food you have provided and the chance to be with family, even if it's over the internets. Amen."

"Can we eat now?" Chelsea piped in. "My tofu's getting cold."

"Yes everyone dig in," Margaret offered from her screen. She noticed her mother still trying to find the un-mute button.

"What a lovely time we have here, pandemic and all." Margaret said.

"And another thing!" Arthur yelled again. "I don't get all this Cronaviral shit!" He took another drink and continued."It's all a hoax from the government! That's what I say! I've been watching the YouTube and listening to that Alex Jones guy. It's all a hoax to get us used to a world lizard conspiracy! You know the Queen's a fucking lizard? There's proof! That's what I say!"

"That's a load," Chelsea muttered.

Margaret reacted. "Chelsea! Don't talk to your uncle like that."

"Uncle Arthur fell off his chair," Chelsea replied.

Sure enough, Margaret looked and Arthur wasn't there anymore, but she heard the distinct sound of loud snoring.

The boys finished their dinners and were leaving the table when Margaret spoke up. "Whoa, boys! Where are you going?"

"Mom!" they whined. "We're at the fifth level Demon Kingdom! Gotta go!"

"But there's pie!" Margaret said.

"Later," the boys left the session and ran to the computer upstairs.

Chelsea finished her tofu and said, "Bye. Merry Whatever. I'll be down in a while for pie. I'm doing Facetime with Kay." Her screen went blank.

Margaret watched her mother taking small bites from her plate and still leaning into the camera to try to un-mute the microphone. "What a disaster," Margaret thought. "Mom? I know you can hear me. Just finish your dinner and have a Merry Christmas. I'm going to end the session now, so you won't see anyone. Good night."

Just as Margaret was hitting the button to end the session she heard for one last time...

"And another thing!..."