Christmas With Papa

Dear Diary,
It’s that season once again; just weeks before Christmas. I was returning late home today, late because I was running some last minute errands, caught in the usual traffic snarl, worried, as I had to make dinner and then write an article for a magazine that was pending for so long, gosh, I also had to call up mum to ask for her homemade remedy for stomach ache; must have been the quick bite I had for my lunch. Lord bless all Mums for their herbal cures!
I looked out to see how bad the traffic was, then my eyes caught a Christmas star brightly lit up over a building. How time flies. Can’t believe its Christmas time once again. As I sat back a rush of memories swept through my mind. Papa! My heart cried out. The lone Christmas star reminded me of my dear Papa. Christmas with Papa always felt like a real Christmas. Every Christmas he would be the first to put up a star in our neighbourhood. I remember assisting him many times, as a child and even as a grown up, probably because I was daddy’s girl.
“How high you want it dear?” he would call out from the roof top.
I would say, “Higher Papa, higher! It’s got to be higher!” He would give out a Santa laugh (that warm and amused kind), then he would look at my excited face and smile.
He made sure a fresh Christmas tree always stand in our common room. Sometimes it would be so huge, it would cover half of the room! When budgets were low, my sisters and I would put up hand made decors, as scanty and pathetic as it looked,  Papa would always lit it up with lights. Papa made sure of it. We always had a bonfire on Christmas eve and we would sing Christmas carols around the bonfire. Papa always arranged for the bonfire and made sure we were all entertained.
But we grew up, we all went away, for studies or for work, but whenever we returned home for Christmas, a Christmas star always welcomed us. After all it was Christmas with Papa.
How time flies…
I opened the door to my room, switched on the light. I called up mum first of all.
I said, “Mum, can we put up a Christmas star when I come home for Christmas this time?”
There was a silence on the other end, then she said softly, “Yes dear, just as you and your Papa use to have one…”
Its seasons such as these Papa, that I miss you most. Four Christmas without you has never been easy. You will always be the Star of my life.
Merry Christmas Papa.