2 Surprise Visit

A few centuries later...

The smell of frankincense fills the air. The gentle breeze brushes against the bells. The jingles give out the sense of Christmas. "All I want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey is blasted out of the speakers, filling the mall with festive cheers. It is a song that transcends all eras and Noelle can't help but hum along the song. Well, what would Christmas be without the distinct rhythms from Mariah Carey.

It is the most magical time of the year. Christmas is the joyous festive that gives you the warmth feeling and makes you able to do anything that your heart desires. Every year, Noelle would never miss the chance to check on the decoration made by the malls in town. Living in a tropical climate, one only can wish that they can have this jolly decoration all year around. Because nothing could go wrong having a cold weather which is perfect for cuddling. Despite not having snow in Malaysia, the romantic feeling from the season still can be felt here.

This year, Pavillion Kuala Lumpur came up with Dior Tree Of Life which stands tall at the entrance. The tree looks like it is brushed with gold and the light is sparkling like the star in the night sky. Noelle stands on her toes in front of the trees because it feels like she can pluck out a tiny star from it. When she walks towards the entrance it almost feels like she was heading into a magical forest.

If this is a Christmas movie, she might be bumping into a charming prince and fall in love at first sight. All this but a wishful thinking. Because Noelle is just a normal girl just like any other girl among billions of humans.

Today, Noelle has just finished her shift in the office a few blocks away. She thought that she could wind down from the stressful day.

"I don't care! I have been the most loyal customer here because I have been purchasing since the first day this company was established!" The lady screamed over the phone.

Noelle's ear is red from controlling her anger however smile has never left her tiny lips. "We understand your frustration with this situation, Madam. However, we are trying our level best to expedite within our capabilities." Noelle tries to calm the lady who is losing her mind because the shipment was delayed due to reduced flight frequency to her area.

"I can't accept your explanation. On your website, the promise is the items will arrive within three to four working days. Now tell me how are you going to compensate me as my little girl has nothing to wear to a wedding?" The lady kept raising her voice and started bawling.

"Madam, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Rest assured as we will escalate your request to our relevant department and we will get back to you via email the soonest we can."

This is how Noelle's typical day at work. Comforting customers who are affected by the disrupted supply chain. She landed a job as customer service representative for an online shopping company in the city after she graduated in November 2019. Time flies when your day is made up of the same routine.

She slowly walked towards the bakery in the second level. The scent of gingerbread gently envelops the area where Noelle stands. Variety of pastry neatly organized in the glass display around the bakery is always a great temptation to bring all of them back.

"Ehem. Do you want the bread Miss?", an old lady approaches Noelle from the side because she has been contemplating on which bread she wants for the day.

"Ah Yes! I do." Noelle smiled towards the old lady beside her.

Noelle took another glance at the fresh bread and gave them a gentle nudge and the bread bounced back up. She giggled at the sight of the cute bread. This bakery has always given out the best bread in town. Every bite feels like you are eating clouds. She picks one out and proceeds to pay for the bread. The counter has a glass display full of cakes with Santa Claus and Rudolph the reindeer decoration.

"That will be RM 3.50. Kindly put the amount in the tray.", said the cashier.

Realizing that it is getting late, she hastily runs towards the train station that is not far from the shopping mall. She will need to get back to her home before the last train for the day. Ever since the pandemic started, public transportation working hours has been limited to 11 P.M.

Her studio apartment is eleven stations away from Bukit Bintang MRT(Mass Rapid Transit) station which will take around 30 minutes. Noelle was lucky since the crowd is lesser today. This is why she prefers to avoid the peak hours. The train just opens its door when Noelle reaches the train platform. She chose the front row seat because she wanted to enjoy the night view of the city. There is something about the glowing light in the city during night that feels serene.

"Surian Station. Surian Station. Kindly watch your steps when exiting the train." That familiar robotic sound plays as Noelle reaches her destination. As the condominium is connected to the train station thus she feels safe to walk alone even in wee hours.

"Welcome back Miss Noelle." The friendly security guard greets her as she enters the lobby. Her lips pursed and her big eyes got smaller as she smiled back at the guard which opened the elevator. She pressed 23A on the elevator button.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" The door opens with a swipe of a card. Her apartment was decorated in white and rose gold. Noelle put down the bread on the counter top then walked straight to the corner of her living room where she kept two Hulstlander rabbits. Yuki and Mai both have white coats and pale blue eyes. They have a multiple tier cage which looks like a mini castle inspired from Neuschwanstein. The designs are used in Cinderella and Sleeping beauty castle. Noelle and her friends are so invested in making a perfect abode for the rabbits ever since they save them from the pet rescue center.

Noelle took out a handful of Timothy hay from the cabinet and filled up their hay tray. She scoop out the poop and put in the compost bin. Her herbal plants in the balcony will sing praise for this high nitrogen fertilizer. Great thing about rabbits is that their excrement is not malodorous compared to cat and dog.

"I should do my annual Christmas splurge for decoration tomorrow. I bet Yuki and Mai will love having Santa and reindeer." She thought to herself.

Noelle opens the cage door and lets them roam around for 15 minutes as they love to explore the house.

"Yuki~ Mai~ Come here." She called for both of them while holding two small pieces of carrot. They hops towards her hand. Yuki took a bite from the carrot stick and received a head rub from Noelle. Mai was slightly left behind and slowly ate the carrot stick on the other hand.

"Alright. Time to go back to your cage." Like an obedient child, both of them enter the cage.

"Good night Yuki. Good night Mai."

She heads towards the bedroom and makes her way to the walk in closet. Noelle admires herself in front of the full length mirror. She removes the black bardot top, which reveals her round bosom. The 38C is a blessing which Noelle is proud of since the genetics runs in her family. After she is done undressing as bare as the day she was born. She proceeded to cover myself with a bathrobe and start lighting the scented candle at the side of the bathtub. The aroma of candied apples, crisp pears and oranges start to fill the air. As the water fills up to the desired level, Noelle slowly lowered her feet in the warm water and immersed herself underneath the bubble.

"Fuwahhhh!" she exclaimed while raising her head from the water. Noelle take a deep breath of the aroma from the scented candle. "Warm water are great to relax one muscles after exhausting day.", she thought to herself. Noelle pick up the sponge on the side of the tub and scrub herself. Once rinsing herself, Noelle always takes some time to clean the bathtub every shower session to keep it clean from the gross gunk.

Noelle took the candle snuffer and brought it close to the candle wick to put out the candle. Taking good care of scented candles is a good investment because Noelle doesn't really like the way smoke emitted from blowing the candle.

"Pat. Pat." Noelle tapped the toner to her skin. Pampering yourself with skin care routine will provide a great canvas for make up. Noelle gets irritated easily because of the long hours in air conditioned office buildings.

She took her one piece Pikachu pyjamas from the wardrobe then put them on. Nothing defeats sleeping in fleece pyjamas on a cold night. Noelle heads to the main door to ensure that it is locked and ensure that her security alarm is on. You never know what could happen when you lived alone in the city.

"Slosh~ Slosh~"

The water from the dispenser slowly fills up her glass. She brings the cup close to her mouth and takes a sip while walking around the house and admiring the night sky by the window which covers from the floor to the ceiling in the living room. The moon looks massive and brighter than usual tonight.

"Alexa, close the curtain and turn off the light in 30 minutes."

"Give me a moment. The curtains in all rooms are closed. Your 30 minutes timer for light is on", Alexa replied Noelle from the Amazon Echo next to the television.

Noelle put down the glass on the vanity table and straightaway slammed herself on the mattress.

"This is the best! I am glad I fork out a huge sum of money on this soft and springy mattress". Noelle squeals while hugging her bolster.

She took her phone out of her hand bag and began scrolling the pictures that she took at the mall today. Noelle upload several image of herself and the Dior Tree Of Life to her Instagram. As she was scrolling through Twitter for today's trending subjects, her eyelids gets heavier as the time went by.

Slowly she drifts away in slumber engulf by the cloud-like mattress.

"Jingle. Jingle. Jingle." The sound of the bells woke her up with chills creeping to her spine. When Noelle turns toward the right side of her bed, her eyes widen. She can feel like her jaw dropped to the floor as she saw a figure lying down on the floor in fetal position.