Christmas in Red

There was an odd inanity in fingerless gloves that was hard to ignore when carrying a box through the cold. Noelle balanced the cardboard box on her knee to fumble the keys out of her coat pocket and pull the door open.

"You could have helped, you know?" She shouted down the hallway. It was a Sunday, so their little circle of reds was the only group using the community center. It was still dark in their meeting room. Maybe she was the first one to arrive.

"Who?" came the answer from behind the vending machine they had positioned to obscure the fusebox.

"Noelle." She identified herself "Did they shut off our power again?"

"Looks like it. Sometimes I can get one or the other to work. Do you want heating or lights?"

"Heating, please."

Noelle pulled the vending machine out of the power socket. There was no good reason to keep it running, now that they were low on drinks and the temperatures kept what they had comfortably chilled. Noelle heard Ben flick a few switches, then he pushed himself out from behind the vending machine. Noelle handed him a paper towel to wipe his hands with.

"You know Ari will throw a fit about taking notes in the dark again, right?"

"Then" Noelle pushed the vending machine back in front of the fuse box "Ari can change it herself, if she wants."

"Are we pretending like we found it like this?"

"Assuming the other two will be on time, there might still be enough daylight to take notes in."

"When have Ari and Wynne ever been on time though?"

"Well, I like heating." Noelle pushed the box she had brought into the corner with her boot "That's supplies until the end of the month."

"Oh, yeah?" Ben opened the box "Is it just me or does this look kinda meager?"

"I'm saving gas."

"You mean, you're saving money on gas?"

"Same difference."

Ben took a beer out of the vending machine: "Do you want one too?"

"Not this early, thanks. Maybe a cherry pop, if there's still some left?"

Ben scanned the rows with his index finger, leaning back. He found one in the bottom row and handed it to her. Noelle placed her phone on the low table in the center of the room next to her beverage and checked the points of order planned for that day. She assumed they'd get through the first four or five items before none of them were either able or willing to continue a structured conversation. It was good fun.

"You figure we should do anything for the Holidays?" Ben sat opposite her on the sofa. He was already quite a ways into his beer. Noelle raised an eyebrow: "Like what? I'm not singing Christmas Carols meant to sell you shoes."

"I mean, the anarchists next door are volunteering at a soup kitchen."

"Don't skim ideas off the anarchists." Ari backed into the room, pulling a box of drinks behind her.

"Finally! New drinks!" Ben waved her closer. Ari was immediately followed by Wynne with a bag of food and miscellaneous items "Did you start without us again?"

"Small-talk isn't _starting_." Noelle joined Ari in sorting the drinks into the vending machine.

"Why is it so dark in here anyway?"

"It's either lights or heating."

"And you chose heating?"

"Noelle chose heating."

Ari pulled the vending machine back the minimum amount to flip two switches on the fusebox.

"Oh, come on!" Noelle reached for the fusebox from the other side, but Ari swatted her hand away just as the lights flickered on.

"If it's cold, we'll finish faster."

"You know that's not true..."

Wynne and Ben had opened a packet of crisps and made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Wynne whistled at the two fighting over the proverbial thermostat.

"Easy, comrades." they began placing some items onto the table. They clicked their tongue in the theatrics that everyone there was used to: "All of you know how to make a molotov cocktail, but can't improvise some lights and heating?" they tore some cloth off the already tattered curtains and soaked them in a liquid. Then they found some dishes and built a small structure.

"I don't know how to make a molotov cocktail..." Noelle grumbled. Seeing the way this was going, she pulled up a chair and pulled the smoke detector off the ceiling to place it in the dedicated empty ice cream container where it went every time they wanted to light a fire or cook indoors. Ben had already got up to fetch some water, just in case and Ari was looking for a lighter. Of the four, she was the only one who kept one handy, due to a smoking habit she said she'd kick every new year's eve. When Wynne's construction had a lively fire lit inside it, Noelle was decidedly underwhelmed.

"You don't look happy." Ben nudged her further into the sofa so he could take a seat.

"It doesn't exactly compare to real heating, does it?"

"On the other hand, can you really call yourself a socialist if you haven't had to freeze at least once in your life?"

"That's a stereotype and I won't stand for it."

Ari crossed her legs and propped her notepad up against her knee, visibly satisfied with a familiar smugness: "Shall we start?"

They went through the normal motions. About what positions to take on current world events, considering the limited information available to them, what to do about it personally, while disavowing the "liberal individualism", and splitting hairs between personal decisions and political stances. Soon everybody had abandoned form once again and were working to empty the second packet of crisps. Noelle's toes were cold, despite Wynne's makeshift heater.

"Anyway, before we go today" Ben folded the empty packet of crisps into the bin "I was wondering whether we might do something for Christmas."

"I'm not singing Christmas Carols." Noelle reiterated.

"Something material, I mean."

"Material how?"

"Well, heating is expensive now." He said.

"And I'm guessing so is rent." Wynne added. They seemed generally on-board.

"I don't think we should go out of our way to do something because it's Christmas." Ben clarified "But maybe it's not the worst thing to help during the colder days of winter."

"So you don't want to do anything for Christmas, just around Christmas."

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me." Noelle shrugged.

"Fine. Around Christmas."

"I'm skeptical, but sure. Lay it out. Explain your reasoning."

"Well, look at it like this: Let's keep in mind, none of us are religious, yeah?"

Wynne raised their hand: "Mine does."

"But they're also not strictly speaking religious."

"Non-practicing."

"Fine. Anyway, all our families celebrate Christmas still though, right?"

"As a capitalistic ritual." Noelle crossed her arms.

"Yes, maybe, but" Ben raised his hands, trying to get through his explanation "maybe just because it's an ordinary being together sort of ritual, because we don't usually get to do that, if everybody has to work and whatnot."

Noelle bit back a snide comment, but limited reply to a noncommittal shrug.

"No matter our position, even if they're capitalists, we should still at least engage with them, right? Not just when it suits our convictions, but also on their terms. Culturally, for example."

"I get where you're going, but I'm not making that concession on the culture of an American brand soda pop."

"So then let's not talk about Christmas or whatever, let's just do something now, while it's winter, and people are cold, and maybe need some company. We can do something like this in July again, if it makes you feel any better."

"Okay, fine. But I'll hold you to it. I'm not just going to be nice to people three days in a year, out of obligation."

"Don't worry" Wynne chuckled "You don't have to be nice to anybody."

"Perfect."

"Honestly, I think it's not the worst idea." Ari reached for her notepad again "Did you have anything in mind?"

Wynne and Noelle exchanged glances "I'm not assuming it'll be anything grand?"

"Not with what's available to us, I don't think."

"What do we have available?"

Noelle got back to the community center several days later. She had borrowed a wheelbarrow from somebody living nearby. Their circle of reds had used it to cart supplies back and forth between their homes and the community center. It was her turn to do the last shipments. At least this time Wynne was there to help her open the doors in the way. It was mainly blankets and bread, the least cost-heavy measures they had to combat both hunger and cold. She could hear some music down the hall into the main foyer. They may or may not have left the doors to the community center open and placed blankets in the main foyer. Ari and Ben had been handing out food as long as there was enough left. Otherwise it was board games and chatter. It wasn't much, but it was all they - four university students working part-time to pay rent - had. The others had negotiated the concession from her that their little project start on the 26. She had originally wanted to wait at least until the 27. but in the end they got her with the whole 12 days of Christmas lasting until January thing, so she buckled. At least they didn't write for Christmas on the flyers.

"Hey. You're late." Ben waved at her from behind a game master screen.

"No, I'm not." Noelle motioned towards the wheelbarrow.

"You're not. I'm just craving chocolate. Give it here."

Wynne passed them and took half of the chocolate bar for themselves before handing it on to Ben: "How long do you think we have? People are already starting to give the building weird looks."

"Well, two weeks, tops. Although by then we'll have run out of food." Ari shrugged.

"Unless."

"Unless what?"

"You know, food runs?"

"You do the next one, if you want."

Ari shrugged it off: "I might. I might."

"Merry Christmas." Wynne sat back down and rolled his dice, only for them to come up snake-eyes.

"Well, Christmas anyway." Noelle plopped herself down on one of the remaining pillows and took inventory of the game board "What did I miss?"