Downshire is a
relatively small English county but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in,
a short but beautiful coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of
Dancingdean and Pepperstock, the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the
Pepperstock Hills National Park, the rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the
beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm land as far as the eye can see from the
Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the south to the home of the Downshire Light
infantry, Nettlefield, and their affluent neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton in
the north but our story takes place in the southern town off Abbottsford which
was the biggest in Downshire, its administrative capital and the seat of the
Downshire government.
It was also a
place of learning thanks to the Downshire University and was a Cathedral City and was also
home to Abbottsford Town football club.
Abbottsford was
also the location of the Abbottsford’s Phoenix Shopping Centre and
Hanratty’s Department Store therein.
It was at
Hanratty’s where lifelong friends, Kristine Perrin and Lily Parsons, worked.
Krissy was the
eldest of the pair by two weeks and was
a very slim, very pretty girl with dark brown pixie cut hair, while Lily was
a small skinny girl with long curly chestnut hair.
Neither of them
had particularly happy home lives so they were naturally drawn to each other
from an early age.
So, they did
everything together and were seldom ever home as they were always off on some
adventure or other.
They spent all
their spare time together and when they were at school and college they also
worked together, evenings and weekends at Stephenson’s Supermarket.
Most of their
adventurous escapades were during the holidays and they chalked up a lot of
happy times and their friendship was their most precious possession and they
loved each other, and they complimented each other.
Although
there were similarities between them, they were both pretty for a start, their
likes and dislikes, their sense of humour, but really as individuals they couldn’t be more
different.
Kristine had
no fear whereas Lily would tremble in the shadows on her own.
Krissy was an
extrovert, confident, self-assured and brave, though not cocky in any way.
Lily on the
other hand, was shy and she lacked self-confidence but being with Krissy made
her feel more confident, daring to do things she would never have done alone,
such as leaving Northchapel and moving to Abbottsford.
Abbottsford was
a place of particular significance to the girls because it was on one of their
adventures, to see the Mardis Gras Parade, where they both declared that the
unquenchable love they felt for each other was not one of sorority or
friendship.
When they had
finished college, life at home for Krissy became intolerable so she left, and
because of the love they shared, Lily left too.
Luckily Lily
had a maternal Grandmother living in Abbottsford who had also fallen out with
the family, so they went there, and Grandma Alice was hesitant, from past
experience, to get involved but she reluctantly agreed they could stay for a
couple of weeks, it was only sleeping bags in the spare room, but they didn’t
mind that, they had had plenty of experience of sleeping bags.
Staying with
her was conditional upon them getting work, and paying their way, but that
didn’t bother them as they had always been hard workers.
Despite the
two-week limitation they were still there six months later, because her worst
fears were not realised.
Initially the
girls got work at Stephenson’s because they had a history with the stores and a
couple of phone calls to Northchapel had them vouched for.
On the other
hand, Alice Parsons, worked for Hanratty’s Department Store, and had done for
more than twenty years and once she knew how reliable they were she was able to
get them jobs at the store, which gave them full time hours, and Hanratty’s
paid better than Stephenson’s.
They really enjoyed living with grandma
Alice and working at Hanratty’s and as their lives were so content there had
been a curtailing of their adventures, apart from the night they got drunk at
the Christmas party and fell asleep in the disabled toilet and got locked in
the store for the night.
Other than that, they had grown into very responsible
young women and had impressed Grandma Alice and their employers which earned
them a Christmas bonus.
The store had been dressed in tinselled
Christmas garb and twinkling lights almost from the beginning of October and the
girls found it very exciting as it was a constant reminder of the fact that
they were heading for their first Christmas as a couple.
But they knew that their happiness was due
in no small part to Grandma Alice, so they wanted to use some of their bonus to
get her something special for Christmas, and it didn’t take long for them to
decide on the very thing, a Clock.
Or to be more precise a Stylish chiming Mantel
clock with Roman numerals and a wooden case, and a loud tick because Grandma
Alice always said a ticking clock was the heartbeat of a home.
They used some of their bonus and their staff
discount to buy it and they had it gift wrapped at the store as well, as they
were both rubbish wrappers.
They bought a few other little bits over the weeks
as well, but they wrapped them themselves.
The girls had
to work right up until six o’clock on Christmas Eve, but Alice had the 23rd
and 24th off so she could get ready for the best Christmas she’d had
in years, ever since her estrangement from her daughter she had celebrated
Christmas alone, but this year it was going to be different, plus there was an
important delivery to the house on Christmas Eve.
It was a really
busy day at Hanratty’s and the girls were exhausted by the time they got home
at 7 o’clock.
“Hi Grandma!”
Lily called “We’re home”
“Hello
darlings” she retorted as she came to greet them “Dinner is almost ready”
“Great we’re starved”
Lily said and laughed
“Have we got
time to change?” Krissy asked
“Yes, but before
you go up I’ve got a surprise for you both, a joint Christmas present, but you
have to have it today because, I can’t keep it hidden until tomorrow, you’ll
understand what I mean when you see it” she said “go up and see”
“It’s
upstairs?” Krissy asked
“Yes”
“Tell us, tell
us” Lily insisted
“All I will say
is that I’ve got you something to sleep on” she said, and the girls waited for
her to elaborate.
“Well you’ve
been sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags for six months, so I’ve got you
something proper to sleep on”
And the girls
looked at each other and then ran upstairs, but then they stopped at the top of
the stairs.
“Go on, in you
go” Grandma urged
So, Lily pushed
open the door and then they stood open mouthed as they looked at the King Size
bed with a pink velvet Queen Anne headboard and made up in contrasting shades
of pink, with a Patchwork quilt Duvet
Cover decorated with Flowers & Butterflies
“It’s a bed” Lily
said “A beautiful bed”
“What were you
expecting a hammock?” Alice asked and laughed
“I was
expecting bunk beds” Krissy said
“Why would I
get two beds, when you’d only use one of them anyway?” she retorted
“You know?”
Lily asked
“Oh darling, I’m not blind, it’s clear to anyone who
cares to look at the two of you” she replied
“And you
don’t mind?” Krissy asked
“Why would I
mind? I’m hardly going to chastise you for being in love”
“You can tell
that too?” Lily asked
“You are
adorable” Grandma Alice said
“She is,
isn’t she?” Krissy said
“And so are
you”
“We love you Grandma”
they both exclaimed and they all merged into a hug fest
“This is going
to be the best Christmas ever” Grandma said
“It already is”
Lily said
“For me too”
Krissy agreed
After a few
minutes Krissy said urgently
“Ooh, you have
to open yours now”
“Yes, yes” Lily
agreed “Come on it’s under the tree”
By the time
Alice got down the stairs Lily was already on her hands and knees
under the tree
“This is the one” Lily said and pushed the
brightly coloured beribboned package towards her.
“Ok but let me sit down first” Grandma
said laughing
When she was seated, Krissy sat beside
her, and the she took the package and began unwrapping
“Open it, open it” Lily urged her
“I’m savouring it” Alice said
When she had carefully removed the paper and
put it aside she opened the box.
“Wow” she exclaimed and began to cry
“Do you like it?” Lily asked
“The beating heart” she replied “that’s
what you girls are to me, you are the beating heart in my life”
Then all three were hugging, crying and
laughing.
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