Thursday 17 December 2015

WISH YOU'D BEEN HERE

Well, it's Christmas again. And for those of us who love stories, it's the perfect time of year. Ghost stories, love stories, traditional stories, folk tales, family stories, magical stories, they all come under the theme of Christmas. And the one story that is central to them all, of course.




I have a Christmas story, just a very little one. I'm posting it here with my very best wishes for everything that is blessed, peaceful and joyful for you at this special season.



WISH YOU’D BEEN HERE
Carol Ann Martin
So, this is Christmas, Joe.  How do you like it so far? Wish you’d been here last year. That was some Christmas, for sure.
  On Christmas Eve, Holly and I were supposed to be in a play. She was an angel with silver wings.  I was a sheep in Gran’s rug.
  We were getting ready when Mom called out, “It’s time! Come on quick, let’s go!”
Dad grabbed his phone and called up Gran and next thing we were off in the car. We roared down the road, but then, gurloop, gurloomph, we were swallowed by a thick fog.
   “Keep going! Keep going!” shouted Mom.
  “Keep going to where?  asked Dad. “We’re lost and I can’t see a thing.”
  “Well I can see lights up ahead,” Holly said. “All golden and fuzzy and blurred.”
  Then we heard the sound of voices. All is calm, they sang … all is bright.”
  “That could be angels,” said Holly. “They’re sure to be out tonight.”
Well all wasn’t calm inside our car and all wasn’t bright outside. Dad wound down his window. “Is there anybody there?” he cried. “We need to get to Saint Mary’s and we need to get there fast!”
  The fog swirled in at the window, but a round, whiskery face appeared, too. “Sure, just follow our lanterns. We’re going to the same place as you.”
  So we followed the lanterns through the fog and we followed the carollers’ song. Slowly, slowly, until at last, there in front of us dozens of lights shone out.
  “St Mary’s, yeah! We made it!” cried Dad.
  “But only just,” said Mom.
  Gran was waiting for us inside. Mom and Dad were whisked away. Everything was warm and shiny bright, the carollers stood round the tree. Gran gave a hug to Holly and me. “Happy Christmas, darlings,” she said.
   “An angel and a sheep!” someone laughed. “Just what we needed tonight!”
    We sang Away in a Manger, which somehow seemed very right.
    I wish you had been here last year, Joe. Boy, was that an exciting night? But I guess you were here, little brother. It was the night that you were born.