A Table for One More

The family had gathered for their annual Boxing Day dinner, a tradition they had kept for as long as anyone could remember. The dining room was filled with the warm glow of candlelight, and the smell of roast beef wafted through the air.

As they began to eat, the conversation turned to memories of past Boxing Day dinners. They laughed as they remembered the year Uncle George had too much to drink and fell asleep at the table, or the time Grandma accidentally set the tablecloth on fire with a stray candle.
But this year, something felt different. The family had suffered a loss earlier in the year, and the absence of their loved one was keenly felt. There was a sense of sadness that hung over the table, and the usual lively banter was subdued.
As they finished their meal, the family sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Then, suddenly, there was a knock at the door. They all looked at each other, wondering who it could be.

The father got up to answer it and found a stranger standing outside. The stranger explained that he was a traveler passing through town and had nowhere to go for the holiday. He asked if he could join the family for dinner. Without hesitation, the father invited the stranger in and offered him a seat at the table. The stranger sat down, and the family welcomed him warmly, offering him food and drink.
As they ate and talked, the stranger shared stories of his travels and adventures. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the family found themselves laughing and joking once again.

As the evening came to a close, the family gathered around the stranger and raised their glasses in a toast. “To new friends and the spirit of generosity,” the father said.
The stranger smiled gratefully, and the family knew that this Boxing Day dinner would be one they would never forget.

It was almost 11 pm when the family finally wrapped up the after-dinner rituals, except that the father has a habit of finishing the day with the headline news given through his favorite TV channel. Habitually, the father switched the news channel in the idiot box, only to get everyone stunned by the urgent announcement in the TV show!

There was a bounty of half a million on sharing the information about a fugitive who has more than twenty homicides to his name.

The family did not bother to know the name of the stranger as it would have killed the charm of the table for “one more”, but they knew from the picture in the TV that it was him – the fugitive.
For the rest of the night and the several days that followed, the family wondered what if they switched the TV during the dinner. The choice between claiming the bounty of half a million and a very hearty and cheerful Boxing Day dinner with a nice stranger was a difficult call anyway.

Indeed, it was a Boxing Day dinner they would never forget.

Short Story by:

Sujoy Sarkar (December 28, 2022)

#flash fiction