He did not despise the lights and trees that began appearing in gardens and houses in late November, but the display of Christmas gewgaws in shops since summer had made him immune to their charms.
Down the road he heard an electric pump breathing life into a vast snowman. Reindeer hauled a sleigh along the edge of a roof, Santa looked furtively over his shoulder as he climbed a ladder up the wall, and blue and white icicles hung flashing from the bay window. Tacky, perhaps, but not without humour, and what struck him was the effort and expense that had gone into their purchase, deployment, and the electricity to power them. A few more houses like that and the council could switch off the streetlights until New Year. He might suggest it if he saw his councillor in the pub. The night had come early, as they did this time of year. Lights draped over a hedge not only flashed on and off in what seemed a random sequence but also danced around in the cold wind. The natural world was co-operating with human efforts to brighten the dark season. As, day by day, one house after another acknowledged the coming of Christmas he began to wonder if people noticed and judged his own home’s lack of adornment. Was he being marked out as a miserable old git? Well, if people looked carefully, they would see his Christmas cactus carefully tended and in full bloom, even if the daft thing did insist on coming out when the Americans give thanks for the good harvest they enjoyed in 1621. With any luck it would still be flowering at Christmas. He would bring in the fir tree which had been growing in a pot in the garden for the past few years, but not yet. As the years went by it seemed increasingly perfunctory. He remembered housefuls of people, laughter, excitement. That was how it should be. Now it was fragmented. They would all come, but at different times, on tight schedules. Perhaps the keen decorators truly believed in what they were doing, that Father Christmas really would be more likely to call at a house where a sign read, “Santa, please call here”. Maybe they just wanted to create some magic for their children, magic they remembered from their own childhood. No doubt they would eat the carrots and mince pies, drink the sherry they encouraged their children to leave by the fireplace. What about those with underfloor heating? What story did they make up for the appearance of presents on Christmas morning? On the bus people took up more room than usual, their bags stuffed with stuff. One man brought on a Christmas tree, squeezed into stockinette. Now, he thought, that would hold a lot of presents if you tied up the end. A group of teenagers sat at the back, faces all a-glow from their phones, scowling under their Santa’s hats. Must remember to block up the chimney, he thought. He arrived at work for the late-evening shift and made his way up the back stairs to the staff room, where he changed into his uniform. That it should come to this, he thought. Words from the Scottish play came to mind, “that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not.” He would not utter them, even here, but they steeled him for the fray, grounded him in the art of performance. He tightened his belt, rouged his cheeks, applied and checked his beard, pulled on his boots and arranged his hood around his yellowy white curls. Assuming a benevolent expression, he made his way into the grotto, his sonorous, “Ho, ho, ho!” evoking gasps from small children queuing for their turn to tell him what they hoped he would bring them in a week’s time. Old hands had told him of the days when children came in on their own and took possession of Santa, climbed all over you. No physical contact now, even after a Disclosure and Barring Service check, and parents kept up running commentaries, making sure child and Santa knew what to say and how to behave. Deep breath. Now for it.
0 Comments
Christmas starting in September?!
There was a time that I remember When December was early enough to see Lights in Oxford Street; Trafalgar Square the tree Am I growing grumpy? Is it me? **** **** It seems to me, (I could be wrong) The summer’s hardly been and gone Before the shops drag out their sign Telling us it’ll be soon be time To post our cards to foreign climes. Bah ! Humbug The television’s just as bad And makes me feel a little sad To be told I know I really oughtta Order now that brand new sofa For festive visitors to sit and lofa. **** ****Supermarkets say it’s not too early To sell us cakes with icing swirly It’s enough to make you wheeze and cough Cooking programmes? I’ve had enough So they can go and just Bake-Off. Bah ! Humbug Posting signs for poor old Santa To stop here, is the latest mantra Competing neighbours lights outbid Pushing demand on the National Grid Enough’s enough ! It must be said ! **** **** Getting gifts is just too trying In the shops or on-line buying Keep the receipt; just to be sure In case it’s returned back through the door Where you queued hours days before. Bah ! Humbug Check names to send cards from last year Cross out the ones no longer here Buy the stamp and write the card It really shouldn’t be that hard No sonnets - you are not the Bard **** **** Boxes make it easier to wrap Those awkward gifts so if you lack The expertise to be a winner And your wrapping resembles a dog’s dinner Disguise with ribbons, tags and shimmer. Bah ! Humbug Homemade presents can be more unusual And can save hours of perusal But did Granny think her jumper chunky (Albeit it quite unique and funky) Needed sleeves to fit a monkey? **** **** From the kitchen mother’s shouts Alert us to impending sprouts As saucepans jostle to form a queue There really is too much to do So many owed by all too few. Bah! Humbug Extra chairs for extra bums In-laws, family, neighbours, chums Dad and brothers disappear To the pub for Christmas cheer Just returning when all’s clear. **** **** Mum’s specs are steaming in the kitchen While guests are drinking and just sittin’ In the lounge their chatter louder Children squealing getting hyper Running, squabbling; what a caper! Bah ! Humbug Dad’s now been called to carve the turkey It’s tradition; not malarkey Plates piled high with veg and stuffing Chairs squeezed round with huffing and puffing Crackers ready now for pulling. **** **** Children prised away from toys That flash and whizz for girls and boys Makes them scream and sometimes cry I really wonder why oh why I can’t wait to say “Goodbye.” Bah ! Humbug In a flash the dinner’s gone It’s time for pud with brandy on Custard, cream or brandy sauce Cholesterol nightmare which will force Your heart to falter on its course. **** **** And not to mention all the calories You’re chewing on those poor old cavities All washed down with loads of booze You seem unable to now choose But tightening waistbands should be clues. Bah ! Humbug It seems the kitchen is a TARDIS Refilling plates, replenish! Replenish! There seem no end to all this gluttony The constant noise of clattering cutlery Swamps the speech made by the Monarchy **** **** At last the feasting now subsides With plates pushed back with gasps and sighs The cook is thanked for all her work From washing-up they cannot shirk From piles of grease out in the murk. Bah ! Humbug The tables cleared; chairs put away Belts are loosened; I’d love to say That I’d really enjoyed this but Rather than lie or sit and tut I’ll refrain; just keep my mouth shut.**** **** Remembering those missed around this table Who I’d recall if I were able Finally, I really do digest The warmth and love of every guest I realise I am truly blessed Perhaps I AM - BAH ! HUMBUG So, CHEERS EVERYONE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS The new UKNOW party swept to a surprise victory today and is poised to implement its controversial CANCEL CHRISTMAS policy. When challenged by Christmas supporters, the Prime Minister said “Bah Humbug” and set fire to his Santa hat. A gaggle of turkeys on the Minister's farm were reported to be heard gobbling appreciatively apparently wishing each other a “Happy Unchristmas”.
The implications of UKNOW's policy soon came into play… with no play, just work, at Xmas: No Xmas parties for office hearties Or drinking to excess No boss to impress No Xmas stress No Xmas crackers with funny jokes in No pubs with drunken blokes in No Xmas sweaters of wrong sizes No stockings filled with surprises No Xmas bonus Now the onus Is on us to work not play for there is no Xmas day No Xmas nativity play where fond parents say How Johnny pleased us When he played baby Jesus No carols on Xmas eve from King’s No more of that song of Bing's No Xmas cards, mince pies or sherry Nothing that will make us merry No bells that jingle No chestnuts roasting in the fire No Xmas pudding all alight Not even a Silent Night No red nosed reindeer Just no Xmas pain dear All is not well When there is No Noel Xmas cancelled just like by Cromwell No Xmas carol with old Scrooge No peace on earth and lots of goodwill Now all has changed for our own good When challenged by the Xmas Resistance, the Prime Minister responded with “Bah Humbug – uknow it’s all for a better UK that we have cancelled Xmas day. Bah Humbug rules ...OK.” 7.30am. 25th July. Christmas Day. God I hate Christmas.
9.15am. Arrive at the house. One of those big white town houses you get in west London. The interiors stylist, Polly, is already here. In fact, she tells me from her step ladder as she fixes an oversize star to the top of an oversize tree, she has been here since 5.30 this morning. OK, she has transformed the house. Fake frost icing the windows. Fairy lights round every doorway, bowls of chestnuts and mandarins, artfully scattered snowflake patterned cushions. The lounge is a triumph. It’s totally Scandi – grey walls, white fluffy rugs and pale leather sofas. Polly has amassed a forest of white candles in glass holders along the marble mantelpiece while the huge mirror reflects tinsel and garlands everywhere in shades of orange. Orange? “It’s this year’s colour!” she snaps. “Who’s the featured celeb?” It’s Carly Pinkerton, I say. Have you brought baking stuff? We want her making her famous mint choc-chip Christmas pudding. “Yeah yeah,” says Polly. “I’ll get the kitchen set up.” 11am. Carly Pinkerton is an hour late. Leon, the photographer, has set up the X-box in the lounge and is playing Zombie Apocalypse with Gary, the hair and make-up guy. Polly is drenching packs of economy apple pies in icing sugar to make them look like mince pies. Carly Pinkerton is our December issue cover. Celebrity homebody, winner of ‘I’m a Master Pastry Chef Get Me Out Of Here’. Glamorous mother of four and designer of the Belle Maman range of adorable tableware. 11.40am. A taxi pulls up. Out steps Carly Pinkerton. I say steps. Falls would be a better word. She totters into the kitchen on five inch heels. Glassy eyed, lank haired. “Better get to work Gary,” I say. Carly is followed by her publicist, a hawklike woman in black leather trousers. It’s 28 degrees today - she must be roasting. 12.05. I ring my features editor. “She’s here but nobody else is”. “Is there a problem?” says the eavesdropping leather-trousered publicist. Well actually yes. This is supposed to be Carly Pinkerton at home with her charming family. Where’s the family? Husband, kids, sister, kids. We were promised. “Of course her sister isn’t here,” says the publicist. “They haven’t spoken for five years, they just troll each other on Twitter.” Features editor says Jonno, the husband, is on his way with the four kids. But that’s only six – we’ve got a groaning dinner table laid for 12! We need extended family. I’ll get you people, features editor promises. 1.30pm. Gary is trowelling another layer of make-up on to Carly. The sun is beating down outside and Polly has lit a blazing fire. The publicist arranges Belle Maman plates on the dining table and sniffs the glasses of red wine. “Is this real?” she demands. “Are you mad? You want red food colouring in water. Now.” 1.40pm. Carly staggers into the dining room. She is not happy about her dress (white cashmere with reindeers). “I’m too hot. Oh God it’s even hotter in here!” She picks up a wine glass and downs the red liquid in one. Her face screws up in disgust. Jonno arrives. “Hello Dumpling!” he yells. “Brought the sprogs. God it’s hot in here!” He picks up a wine glass and downs the red liquid in one. His face screws up in disgust. 2.30pm. I round up the kids. The four year old and six year old are playing Call of Duty Black Ops on the X-box. I find the older ones down the bottom of the garden, smoking dope. I order them inside. 3.40pm. Features editor rings to say supplementary family are on their way. The publicist says let’s do the interview while we wait. She starts dictating. 4.10pm. Six people turn up, a nice looking man and woman and four children ranging from eight to 13. They look remarkably like Carly, except that they are smiling. I wonder if they’re a real family. “No way,” says the man. Ben. (Quite hot). 5.45pm. Leon is finally happy with the Christmas dinner shots. Next we do the lounge, unwrapping presents under the tree. Carly is completely plastered. The publicist missed the bottle of vodka in her handbag. The kids are gone. I find them all down the garden, the older ones giving the younger ones a smoke for one pound a puff. I shriek at them. Children dash into the kitchen and scoff the economy pies. 5.50pm. Everyone in place. Jonno and older kids in comedy Christmas jumpers, Ben and fake family smiling, little kids clutching presents. Little kids clutching stomachs. Smallest one looks green. Where the hell is Carly? Carly lurches in, publicist yelling “Do you want to sell your pointless plates or not?” The combination of marijuana and cheap pastry proves too much and the smallest child is horribly sick. Carly slips on the puke in her Manolos, grabs the orange tinsel on the mantlepiece and brings down 20 candles in glass holders. The white fluffy rug goes up in flames. 9.30pm. The last fire engine leaves. I reach for a glass of red wine…no…!! On the up side, I did exchange phone numbers with Ben. And Gary exchanged numbers with Jonno. 11.30 am. 30th July. Editorial meeting to choose the pics. Carly looks gorgeous in them, radiating Christmas joy in her perfect home, at the head of a table of mouthwatering food, her adoring husband, children, sister, sister’s handsome husband and sister’s children at her side. The features editor reads Carly’s interview: “I love Christmas. It is absolutely my favourite time of year. I go overboard with the tree and decorations and presents. We always sit round and sing ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ before anyone is allowed to open the first parcel. “My house is always packed at Christmas. You never know who’s going to turn up! It’s all quite mad but it works! I don’t know how - that’s the magic of Christmas.” Our best ever says the features editor. Christmas. Thank God it’s over for another year. There’s an alien in my fridge. I saw him there in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
I came downstairs for some water, opened the fridge door for a bottle, and there he was. He was sitting on the second shelf, using an ice cream spoon to work his way through my crème caramels. He was small, like a child’s toy, with smooth green skin and huge bat ears. He was so engrossed in his task, he didn’t look up. I closed the fridge door, shocked at what I’d seen. I paused for a moment, and then quickly opened the door again and the alien had disappeared. Only the debris of his feast remained. I was the first awake as usual and was washing up the alien’s pots and spoon when my husband and Davey came down to breakfast. Simon reached into the fridge for the milk and his face changed. He didn’t say anything, but I caught his expression and could guess what he was thinking. “OK,” he said, perhaps a little too brightly. “Who’s for cornflakes?” “It’s Becky,” he said to the voice console. “I’m going to have to take a personal day. Yes, I know. And I’m sorry about that, but I’ll make it up with overtime when she’s better.” “No,” I said. “Definitely not. You tricked me into going the last time, and that won’t happen again. I’m not going.” Hum-bug. “Becks,” he stroked my shoulder. That’s what he does when he wants me to be reasonable. I shook him off. I didn’t think it was very reasonable to be told I was going shopping. I didn’t think it was very reasonable to be confronted with a teenager telling me that I needed a new prescription. “He had spots and was wearing jeans,” I complained. “He was bearded, in his fifties and wearing the same slacks my dad wears,” said Simon. “What are you seeing?” “I’m not seeing anything.” Hum-bug. Simon ran his hand through his hair. “Becks, I know what’s happening. What are you seeing?” “Nothing.” Hum-bug. “You keep saying ‘humbug’.” “Oh, that’s not me, that’s the spacecraft. What you can hear is the motor; it whirrs and pops, like hummm bug.” He’d tricked me. Simon’s clever like that. “So the aliens are back?” He sighed as if all the cares of the world were on his shoulders. “It’s not like they’re expecting anything of you,” I pointed out. “They’re only curious about us and after the journey they’ve had, it’s only natural that they’d be hungry.” “So, where are they?” “One is standing right behind you,” I said, pointing. This one was a lot larger than the one in the fridge. He was completely naked apart from a brightly coloured headdress, and he must have eaten the majority of our food, because he was carrying an empty food bowl. Simon reached out and took the bowl and yanked the headdress away. “That’s not where underwear goes,” he said. “Go and put them on properly, Davey. That’s not nice.” Simon thinks I’m mad. He thinks that sometimes I’ll raid the fridge at night. He thinks I’ll leave windows open and doors unlocked and set fire to the kitchen, but that only happened once and it wasn’t my fault; Davey’s evil teddy bear did that. “Where’s the spacecraft?” I pointed to the top of the fridge. “That’s the rice cooker I bought you last year. That’s what this is,” he said, lifting it down. “Stress is always the trigger. Now that the run up to Christmas has begun, you’ve stressed yourself again.” He shook the spacecraft. “See, it’s only a rice cooker.” “You mustn’t do that!” I took the craft from him carefully and put it back. “You’ll hurt the occupants.” “It’s a rice cooker! Look, there’s the plug.” “That’s their recharging unit.” “Ugh! God, I hate this time of year! I hate the expense, I hate the stress, and I hate what it does to people. I hate the pressure. I hate seeing you like this.” Hum-bug. Simon took my hand. “Come with me.” He led me back upstairs and sat me on the side of the bed. He picked up the aliens control box and slid out the motherboard. “One, two, three... God, Becks! You’re five pills up!” “They don’t like me touching their control box,” I whispered. “It makes them nervous.” “Why are you whispering?” “They’re eavesdropping.” The big naked alien had followed us upstairs and was standing in the doorway of our bedroom, this time with his headdress somewhere around his middle. “Go back downstairs, Davey,” said Simon. “It’s ok. Here, Becks. I want you to take this.” He broke a piece off the motherboard and gave it to me. “Take it where?” “You need to swallow it, Becks.” “But you’ve damaged their control system and if I swallow that, they’ll track me. I don’t want them to track me.” “They won’t track you. You have to swallow it.” Simon’s voice was becoming impatient. “But I don’t want to.” “Becks...” Just then the big alien came into the room and picked up the water bottle that was still sitting on the bedside table. He picked up the component and put it in my mouth, and then handed me the bottle. I looked at my husband. “He wants me to swallow it,” I said with a component in my mouth. “Yes, Becks. He wants you to swallow it.” So I did. When I woke up the aliens had gone and my son and I were curled up on the bed like spoons in a tray. On Simon’s bedside table was an early Christmas present from his colleagues; a jar of black and white sweets cuddled by a small green toy, with giant ears. Davey saw me looking at it. “Humbug,” he said. Ebenezer Scrooge is misunderstood. His name has been traduced. He has been blackened by a political polemicist. History, it has been said, is written by the victors. More than that: it is given very existence by the publicists. If people only know of one version, how are they to understand what else can be said? - perhaps to the contrary? Guard yourselves:
Skulduggery walks the land. Dickens was a publicist, he had views and he had borrowed money; what struggling artist, novelist, poet or painter has not? In one of his early days, having scratched with his quill, all day, and to great effect; having produced soaring prose that could not fail to move his readers to a wonderful generosity of spirit; he had visited his pantry. Time for his reward. He had swung open the door, as one might, swing open the door on to the bounties of state. He had reached into the shelves for his supper. Merely a moment’s scratching, this time of the wooden boards and with a fevered fork, found him: nothing. The writer’s week had ended and so had his cheese. Dickens was a clever man: a modicum of thought, and he had an answer: he had a friend: A friend along the road, around the corner, down the hill and off an alley way. A money lender, a small banker, a man with a little shop, that had a dusty counter behind grimy little window panes. A man who had no wife, no friends, a menagerie of mangy cats who thought only of themselves, and who kept a clerk - who made mistakes; an old man, bent, constantly harangued by the impecunious, the promisers, the foolish and sometimes, just sometimes those who made good and repaid the loan with that margin of interest that kept him, the cats and his clerk. This man was Ebenezer, Ebenezer Scrooge, a man of uncertain origin and uncertain permanence. Ebenezer was old, ailing and unhappy. He made trade by providing for his fellow man, as had his father before him. Alas, they resented their need and therefore: him. Perforce, he dealt in a commodity that he could take with him if he had to go, if he had to leave in a hurry, if: life in the soot of London with no one but fair-weather-friends, did in fact break his windows and turn him out. Dickens stroked these thoughts, like fleas in his beard; he could borrow from this man. The man would be glad of his business; he would be his grateful friend. Money lenders are always your friend. Consider a hypothesis: supposing this man, this generous, this indulgent lender had, in the warmth of his heart, advanced a substantial sum to Charles Dickens, impecunious writer, What then? Now you know that Charles eventually became famous. Ebenezer could not know that, not at that stage. At that stage the young, as yet unacclaimed, Charles was just another attic scrivener – much like his own helpless, hopeless, clerk. What were the prospects for getting his money back, let alone his interest, - the pence he would need for his own sliver of cheese? Would there be cheese? Do writers garner gold from their labours? No, I hear your thoughts. No, writing is work, work that oft goes unappreciated and usually unrewarded. No. A pittance might come to some perhaps, and much later. You begin to see, think. Ebenezer explained that risk to the aspiring Charles, and that he must charge a rate of interest that balanced it. What would you have done? There are those who say that fixed interest is usurious, that the lender should instead share in the risks of the enterprise. Perhaps Ebenezer should have demanded to stand by Dickens’s desk, prompting and advising him. Charles might have welcomed that, or, then again, he might not. What would you have done? Charles, having been made to feel grateful, embarrassingly, grateful, accepted the terms, wrote his name and took the money. Now think on this: something had reversed, something had changed; the moral landscape had had a tectonic shift. Before, Charles had no money, now he had some money. Whereas the lender previously and much money now, well, he still had some money, if not quite so much. To fill the difference he also had a piece of paper that, when one comes down to brass tacks, was intrinsically worth nothing. By contrast, the chinking of silver in Dickens’ hand was a solid substance. Pride swelled the waistcoat once more and prompted a thought: He could reverse his embarrassment. What if the honour gradient were to be reversed? What if the lender were be denounced as a fraud and usurer? Who in the world would come to his defence? Who of the skulking friends, who had borrowed money, would support him? Better, they would say, that he should go, leave, depart, or, or, disappear under a carpet of disapprobation. Who would have the money then? Come Christmas Eve, and Ebenezer, sitting by the two coals in his grate, whose flame did little more than throw light on his clerk’s empty stool, wanted to eat. His stomach ached but he had only a crust of rye bread, long gone stale. He could not stumble his way to the baker’s shop, the baker did not loan bread. He could not stumble to the vegetable stall, that man would not lend carrots, or potatoes or, anything. Their money had to be paid on the spot, but he had none. The loan he had made to that bumptious writer had not been repaid. It was overdue. What was this Spirit of Christmas? Bah ! Humbug. He called it from the door way and he called it from the window. Folk looked askance and veered away from him. What did they know? At last a saddened man reached for his crust, crumbled it and swallowed it with water, cold water. The stale wheat had festered ergot. Ergo, when his eyes closed on his bed, as dark descended, he dreamed. His mind was griped by a delirium that was a visitation of horrors. By morning he had woken three times with burning in his limbs. By morning he was convulsed and confused; his mind was like a pot of maggots. How would you have fared? Ebenezer leaned far out of the window, escaping, in his hallucination, the dread rattling of prison chains. . . . . A splat of cold woke him - the butcher’s boy had seen his distress and thoughtfully lobbed a snow ball that had caught his cheek. Realizing the danger he had been in and that he had not been able to give his clerk the usual Christmas hamper, he called to the boy. “Take that big bird to Thomas Cratchit.” Would you have done that? Later that day Ebenezer walked the slippery pavements to the tall narrow house occupied by the young Charles Dickens. Ebenezer asked for his money, so he could buy a little Christmas cheer. Charles Dickens was embarrassed, cross, haughty, rude, unkind, and ruthless. He had spent the money – on drink. He was flying; he did not care. He would nullify the debt with his own slicing word skills; history is written by the victor. He would be revered long after the poor, shambling, old man had gone to his quickened end. He told him that a great and glorious story would appear in the newspaper denouncing Ebenezer for literary ever: Poor Scrooge. Ebenezer returned to his bare office and lay upon the wooden floor, in the cold. His good works would be forgotten; his staff would despise him; his foolish kindness would be slapped back at him. He would be remembered only as a miserable miser. Poor, poor Scrooge. Baa Humbug moved closer to the high drystone wall. The rest of the flock by now was three deep against the field walls. The night air was still and dry. It was too cold to snow and the sky was clear.
Baa Peardrop began to bleat. “It’s been a frightful day. That terrible dog Glen fixed his eye on me and I was turned to stone, Mr Thackeray grabbed me and shoved me in the trailer and took me off to the village church. I had to stand at the nativity play with a red bow around my neck for an hour. The children forgot their lines, the vicar as usual fussed over trivialities and the competitive, anxious parents were all dewy eyed when the carols were sung. I was even made to pose for photos. What a way to celebrate Xmas!” She began to quake. Her kind Baa sisters leaned hard against her. Baa Humbug was comforting: “Calm yourself, just fix your eye on the Northern star and breathe deeply, Christmas eve is a good and special time.” The night grew quieter and blacker on the hill. The lamps on the country lanes had gone out. The farmhouse was in darkness, the sound of barking dogs and passing vehicles had ceased. There was no more hollering and laughter from the revellers staggering home from the local pub. Some of the flock were becoming restless, stamping their feet and curling their lips back to smell the night air. Others stood motionless gazing towards the east, anticipating, patient, watchful. “Is it time yet Baa Humbug?” whispered Baa Sherbert. It was only her second Christmas eve on the hill and she was feeling unsure. “Not long now, start counting the stars, time will pass quickly, ” replied Bah Humbug The temperature was falling. Bah Humbug shuddered, it was time to move She started leading the flock out into the centre of the field. When they were all gathered, they faced east and dropped to their knees. The earth was hard, the position uncomfortable, but they had to wait, showing reverence. They waited. All eyes searching the eastern sky. In their silent hearts and minds they knew it would come. The thinnest shard of purple and blood orange light split the night sky. Baa Humbug slowly bowed her head and all her Baa sisters followed suit. The light grew. Frost glistened on the grass and the wall tops. Cattle bawled in the barn. White, freezing mist hung low in the valley. This was Christmas on the hill, an acknowledgement and celebration that Christ’s light came to drive out the darkness, as his flock waited on bended knee and with bowed heads. |
HWC
Enjoy new writing from HWC authors. Archives
December 2017
Categories
All
|