A Christmas Eve to remember...

I have heard some people mention that ever fateful christmas that people would never forget. I knew that many people suffered tragedies, triumphs, highs and lows. I don't think our family had experienced one quite like that. Until Chrismas Eve.

We had a lovely dinner at my mum's place, then we all headed down to the local pub for celebratory drinks. It is bit of a tradition to bring in the festivities at the pub. We have been doing it for years. Lots of people were there, many who I knew, but did not recognise. It is funny how a mind can get stuck in a time warp. I remember what they looked like 15 years ago, but many had morphed into adults who I could not pick even if I tried.

A few beverages flowed. Most try not to drink too much, afterall, they'll be up at dawn with Santa's Been induced squeals. Though it probably would pay for someone to remind the local lads that too.

At 9.30 or so mum, my sister, Tara and I all went home. Tara was fast asleep - totally buggered. Alice's boyfriend was coming home a bit later. My brother would be home when he stumped there.

Santa propped some pressies into some stockings and everyone went to bed. I remember laying in bed thinking "Please let Tara sleep through - then it will be chrismas when I wake".

The next thing I hear is slamming doors. My mother screaming. My brother swearing and screaming.

"Look what they've done to me" "They all jumped me" "These are my so-called mates!" "Look at me! Would you F**king look at me!"

It was intertwined with my mother's cries.. "Who did this to you?" "Sit down!" "Let me look!" "Who was it?"

I flew out of bed like you would not believe. My sister followed, then her boyfriend and then Ally.

My little brother had been beated up at the pub. By is apparent friends. This is not the first time these people had done it. The main culprits had broken his nose less than a month ago. His mouth was bleeding. He had blood all over him. His jaw was red and already swelling. Teeth had gone through his lip a couple of times and he had scratches down his chest.

For ages he screamed "Look at what they have done to my face". The pain of his face was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. These were the people who were supposed to be his friends. They had once again taken to him.

We tried desperately to calm him down, but he was fuelled by anger and alcohol. Not a great mix. The next thing we knew was he took off back to the pub to try and get back at them. Mum and Ally tried to stop him in the driveway but he was gone before they could get him. Alices boyfriend went after him and dragged him back to the house and once again we started to try and calm him down.

At one point I grabbed him by the hands and started yelling at him to forget them. Forget these so called friends. Friends, real friends, would not do this to their mate. I told him he needed to shift his focus and realise he is with people who really do love him and care for him. Screw those at the pub, who cares. He did he kept saying. Over and over "Look at me though! Look at what they did to me! At Christmas! I'm going to look all beated up for Christmas!"

After a while longer we got him into bed - still swearing (which, despite my blogging, was scattered through ever second (or less!) word and could be heard down the main street. Ally and I guarded the hall way so that we could stop him if he got up again, and make sure he did not take off.

By this stage my Mum and Sister had taken off down to the pub to find out what had gone on. Alice's boyfriend was with them simply for protection in case they needed it.

They found out more of the story. David did not know why they did it but we found out it was him and one of the Culprits brothers who were messing around with bubblewrap on their hands. The guy hit David softly on the face and David did it back to him. However one of the Guys saw this and thought David was really hitting him. Came up and confronted David and David told him to go away and mind his own business. The Culprit guy kept asking to be friends and to shake on it. David told him to go away (in more colourful terms!). The Culprit Guy turned away then swung back with an elbow to my brother's face. Culprit Guy's Big brother saw this and jumped in. Their mother tried to break it up and another friend tried to hold David back to protect him. They all lost balance and the friend holding David and my brother went through the pub's glass door. The Culprit's mother caught the table on the way down. When David was on the ground they got stuck into him until he could get away. That's when he came home ranting and raving.

We are hoping that the pub has it all on camera, but the guys are new in the bar and probably forgot.

It would hopefully prove David was not in the wrong, but he is probably going to be banned from the pub, he'll be blamed by the other "Mates" and they'll all stop talking to him. And he'll once again get depressed and upset and abandoned by everyone.

The next morning his face was swollen and red. The bruising is coming out now.

Anyway. There was christmas eve. I'll do another post on Christmas Day later.

For now... hug your family, tell them you love them.