Christmas mornings long ago, I would wake up first See the others sleeping still in the barely dawning light I’d quietly get up and try to tiptoe down the stairs To see what Santa brought us that magical night
And then I’d hear a little voice, calling to me there Standing in her nightgown on the very top stair
She said,Wait for me, I wanna come too Wait for me, I want be with you I stopped in my tracks, turned and grabbed her hand When she said wait for me, I would wait for you
Years goes by, I’m twenty-five and coming home for the holidays A suitcase full of presents on the earliest flight My youngest sister runs to greet me, hugging her hello We rush home and she asks if she can sleep in my room tonight
And when the week is over and I’m flying back to work I see her teary wave goodbye, and hear her from the curb
Saying: Wait for me, I wanna come too Wait for me, I want be with you And I turned and looked back, Thinking someday she’ll understand But I wonder if I really want her to
Can it be I’m thirty three and raising my own family College plans and a brand new man have swept my sister away I want to tell her everything, to warn her, help her find her way, But she’s dressed for a party and I can’t ask her to stay
As she leaves, I watch her go and think of years gone by I wonder how they disappeared and try to keep the tears inside
Thinking, wait for me, I wanna come too Wait for me, I want be with you Then she turns and smiles, saying Mare don’t wait, I got a feeling it’ll be too late And I wonder if it already is
It was only nine when she came in, a glamour girl with an silly grin, I said, “You’re home early, did it go alright?” “It was fun,” she said, “but it’s your last night And I was hoping for some good advice. . .” She didn’t need to ask me twice We made a pot of tea and settled in. . .
It was almost one when we slipped upstairs, I can swear the ghosts were lingering there Whispering, “wait for me I would wait for you . . . “