Snippets of Downshire Life – Advent

The traditional seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea with its Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, has all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park and it was in the grand neighbourhood of Granite Hill, which in a nod to San Francisco, the locals had nicknamed Nob Hill, where the new Curate of St Lucy’s, 35 year old Russell Glavin, was headed.

And the reason he was going up to Granite Hill was to have dinner at the home of a local bigwig, and he was muttering to himself and shaking his head for virtually the whole of his walk, as he reran an incident that happened earlier in the evening.

 

He was at the home of the Church Warden Henry Appleby for a meeting about the beginning of Advent, when he needed to pee, so he discreetly slipped away from the meeting and went to use the down stairs bathroom and no sooner had he gone inside and locked the door than he spotted a woman sitting on the toilet, with her tights and underwear around her knees and her skirt hoisted up her thighs.
“I'm so sorry” he said in a fluster “I didn’t think, I am so, so sorry”
He was in such a state that he didn’t know where to look, but when he noticed her smiling at him he got all flustered and turned to leave, but his hand was shaking so much that he couldn’t unlock the door and then he heard her get up and replace her clothing.

“It’s ok I’m not angry” she said, and he turned around to face her

“But I’m so terribly sorry” he said, and she smiled at his discomfort and he got all flustered again and this time when he turned to unlock the door he succeeded and returned to the meeting, just in time for the end, despite the fact he still hadn’t peed.

 

But as he made the steep climb up to Granite Hill all he could think of was the incident with the young and beautiful young woman with the dark skin and bobbed brunette hair and dark, almost black eyes, and that glorious smile.

 

When he reached the house, he knocked on the door and was greeted by Henry Appleby, who he had met at the earlier meeting at his home.

“Hello Russell, the lady of the House is in the lounge” he said and pointed the way

“Thanks Henry” He responded and then headed to the lounge as directed, and no sooner had he gone inside and closed the door than he spotted the woman who’d been sitting on the toilet at Henry’s and she flashed him her glorious smile, a smile that reached her dark, almost black eyes, sharp and intelligent eyes behind her gold rimmed spectacles as they sat on her aquiline nose and with her finely chiselled features she was the beautiful side of attractive, and despite his embarrassment from earlier he found himself drawn to her.

“Ah Russell this is our hostess Alesha Khan”

“Alesha, this is our new Curate, Russell Glavin”

“Hello Russell” she said offering her hand “It’s nice to see you again so soon”

“Likewise,” he said shaking her hand and he felt a tingle of electricity pass between them.

“Oh, I didn’t realise you’d already met” Henry said

“It was on a brief hello” she said without elaboration

He knew that she wasn’t at Henry’s for the meeting, she was only there to go through the Parish accounts, so he wasn’t quite sure how they’d met.

“Alesha Khan?” he said “the Children’s Writer”

“Yes” she replied

“I just bought my niece “the Wayward Wiccan” for Christmas” he said “She’s a big fan”

“She has impeccable taste” she said with a laugh

“Now you must excuse me while I check the food”

 

He was conciderably less embarassed after having met, and been formaly introduced to her, especially as she was fully clothed, so he was able to relax and mingle with the other guests.

In addition to the hostess Alesha, there was a skinny young woman of a similar age, Kim Labuschagne, an illustrator, who was an old school friend of the hostess, and she also assisted in the kitchen, Alesha’s brother Zach, an artist, Henry Appleby, Church Warden at St Lucy’s, Literary agents, Jayson and Kathryn Mercer,

Actresses Kerry Freeborn and Sharon Blackburn and Tim Street who was a Local Historian, so it was an interesting bunch.

 

When the time came for them to take their seats he found that he was seated between the Actress, Kelly Freeborn, and Alesha, and as the actress seemed to be focusing all her attension on the man across the table from her, Jayson Mercer, he found he spent most of the meal talking to his hostess.    

She was a delightful young woman, intelligent, witty and a very good cook, toboot, he thought of her as a young woman but she was only younger than him by a year or two.

“So tell me about you niece?” she asked

“Amanda is my sister Liz’s daughter, 12 years old, incredibly bright, a voracious reader, and she can twist me round her little finger” he said proudly “and as she is an only child, I spoil her”

“Is she local?”

“Relatively, they live in Shallowfield” he said “So I see them fairly regularly”

“And do you have any other nephews and nieces?”

“No, just the one” he replied

“What about children of your own?” she asked

“No, sadly, but then I am a batchelor”

“So you’re not the marrying kind eh?” she said and winked

“I wouldn’t say that. I just havent met the right person yet” he replied

“Perhaps you’ve been looking in the wrong places” she said and raised her eyebrows, in reference to their first meeting and they both laughed.

 

Over coffee Alesha said

“As your niece Amanda is a fan, why don’t you pop round with the book some time and I’ll sign it for you”

“That’s very kind but I wouldn’t wish to presume on your good nature” he protested

“Nonsense, I insist” she said and touched the back of his had, and he felt that tingle of electricity again and he could tell by her expression that she felt it too.   

“Thank you” he said after she removed her hand

“That would be great Kudos for me, She’ll think I’m the best Uncle in the World”

“I’m sure she does already” she said and smiled and then people started getting up to leave so he felt that he should too.

 

Alesha was at the front door saying goodbye to her guests and Russell was the last of them

“So I know you’re going to be busy for the next few days at St Lucy’s as it’s the first Sunday of Advent, and then I’m in Abbottsford for a couple of days, seeing my publisher among other things, so is Wednesday eveing ok with you?”

“That would be perfect” he said and shook her hand, “Good night”

“Good night, Russell I’ll see you Wednesday”

  

Alesha was right about him being busy on Sunday, St Lucy’s was such a well attended Church that they ran three services, at his previous Parish they barely had enough Parishioners to run one.

When he called round to her house on Wednesday Evening he related his thoughts to her while they sat in her lounge drinking coffee.

“So how did you motivate yourself to so few, was it Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them”” she asked

“No I used an old joke that my Uncle Walter told me many years ago, he was also a clergyman, and a very funny man” he said

“Well do tell” she said in ernest

“Ok then” he said “It was a bitterly cold and bleak Christmas morning and the snow had been falling heavily for hours, and the Vicar stood at the door waiting to greet his congregation, but none came, then just as he had decided to cancel the service, one solitary parishioner arrived, a farmer named John, “Merry Christmas john”, the Vicar said, but alas you’ve had a wasted journey because even though it’s Christmas day I’ve decided there’s no point in having a service today”

“Well Vicar when I go to the fields at feeding time and only one cow turns up, I still feed it””

“That’s a great analogy” Alesha said and laughed delightfully

“Not as poetic as Matthew but very funny”

 

“Now wheres that book?” she asked and put a lap tray in place in preparation and he gave her it to her and she opened the fly leaf and began to write, and write.

“That’s a very long inscription” he said

“Hush, I’m busy giving you more kudos” she said and chuckled

“There” she said offering the book to him, and snatching it back imediately

“No peeking until she’s read it, promise”

“Promise” he said and she handed the book to him which he put straight in his bag.

 

When it was time for him to leave Alesha took the cups to the kitchen while he slipped his coat on and when she came back she said

“Its absolutely bucketing down out there”

“That’s ok I don’t have far to go”

“I’ll drive you in the car” she offered

“I’ll be fine really”

“Nonsence you’ll catch your death, and you’ve got a busy time ahead, you still have three advent services, St Lucy’s Day, the Carol Concert, Christingle and then theres Christmas itself, so if you think I’m going to let you get soakd to the skin you are very much mistaken” she said forcefully and found herself buttoning his coat when she was finished “So we’ll go in the car”

“Ok then” he conceeded

 

As she walked him to the front door he added

“I have to confess I was surprised to find the Author of “the Wayward Wiccan” was a christian”

“Do you mean because my heroine is a pagan?”

“Yes I suppose so”

“Well first of all despite her being a Wiccan she is also a force for good” she said

“And its very difficult to completely sepearate paganism and christianity, especially at this time of year, Christmas itself takes place at the time of the old Roman festival of Saturnalia”

“Well yes that’s true” he agreed

“And the bringing of evergreens in to the home, a wreath on the door, holly boughs, Christmas Trees and of course this…” she said pointing upwards to the mistletoe hanging above them.

“Ah” he exckaimed

“A very potent pagan symbol” she said

“I don’t suppose we could just ignore it” he enquired

“Not really”

“We could pretend we havent seen it” he suggested

“I wouldn’t recommend it” Alesha said gravely

“You wouldn’t?”

“No, it might anger the Gods”

“The pagan Gods?”

“No, the Christmas Gods” she said and kissed him, and it was a gentle tender kiss that made his knees go weak.

“Oh my, that’s very potent” Russell sighed

“Well I think that should appease the Gods” she said and opened the door “For now”

“Oh I think so” he agreed

 

When she pulled up outside Jubilee Court he was hoping for another taste of pagan potensy but he was to be dissapointed

“I’m off on my travels again” she said “but I should be back on St Lucy’s Day”

“Ok, good night then, and thanks for the lift”

“My pleasure, good night, I hope to see you at the party” she said

 

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER 1 to 15

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER

In Budapest, Hungary, Matuschek and Company’s store is owned by Mr. Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) and the bachelor Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) is his best and most experienced salesman.
But everything seems to go awry when Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) is hired by Mr Matuschek, but from the first moment Kralik and she do not get along.
Over the weeks that follows the lonely and dedicated Kralik has an unknown pen pal and through their correspondence he falls in love with her and intends to propose to her.
However simultaneously his relationship with his employer deteriorates and he is fired without explanation by Mr Matuschek on the night that he is going to meet his secret love and propose.
He goes to the bar that night regardless where they have scheduled their meeting with his colleague Pirovitch (Felix Bressart) and he surprisingly finds that Klara is his correspondent, he chooses not disclose his identity to her because he feels ashamed after being sacked.
But following a shocking incident, Matuschek has a change of heart and hires him back again but this time to manage the shop.
However as Klara is still fascinated with her correspondent she pays little or no attention to Alfred so it would take all his guile and cunning to work out a plan to reveal himself to Klara's who his is.
But anything is possible, it is Christmas after all and everyone loves a happy ending.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SMALL CHAIRS

Family friends Sam Reed (Dustin Milligan) and Kat Patton (Danica McKellar) spend every Christmas Eve at the Children's Table from the age of three.
Over the years they grew up together, sharing the highs and lows of young adulthood.
But at the age of thirty, Sam realizes that Kat is the one...but he's afraid that the past will get in the way.
A real gem of a Christmas movie and Danica McKellar is an absolute delight.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – DIE HARD

NYPD cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) goes on a Christmas vacation to visit his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles where she works for the Nakatomi Corporation.
He is picked up from the airport by limo driver Argyle (De'voreaux White) who drops him at the Nakatomi Tower where the office Christmas party was taking place.
While they are there amidst a tense reunion, a group of bank robbers, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) takes control of the building and holds everyone hostage, with the exception of John, who escapes up the fire escape while the bad guys plan to perform a lucrative heist.
Unable to escape and with no immediate police response, John is forced to take matters into his own hands.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS NOTE

Gretchen Daniels (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) moves back to her hometown with her son Ethan (Dylan Kingwell) but without her serviceman husband and finds her life in disarray as Christmas approaches.
But she discovers new purpose when she helps to deliver a message to her neighbour, Melissa McCreary (Leah Gibson).
Thanks to her son, a friendship begins which ends with her being an ally in the quest to find the neighbour’s sibling she never knew she had.
The women become bonded not only by the search, but by the understanding that being there for each other means they're no longer alone and this friendship becomes the greatest Christmas gift of their lives.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SCROOGE (1970)

Albert Finney stars as miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical retelling of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol”.
The classic tale in which he is taught the true meaning of Christmas by three Spirits who visit him, revealing to him the truth about his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current catalogue of cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways.
Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold, death or redemption.
The Spirits are played by Edith Evans (Past), Kenneth More (Present) and Paddy Stone (Future)
The other key characters and portrayed by Alec Guinness (Marley), Suzanne Neve (Belle), David Collings and Frances Cuka (The Cratchit’s), Richard Beaumont (Tiny Tim), Laurence Naismith and Kay Walsh (The Fezziwig’s), Michael Medwin (Fred) and Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Aunt Sally's Christmas Cookie Company is sold to a large conglomerate and executive Hannah Harper (Jill Wagner) must seal the deal and shut down the factory in the small town of Cookie Jar, which is the lifeblood of the town.
What was supposed to be a simple assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake Carter (Wes Brown), the factory owner, who is determined to keep the factory in the town.
Despite Jill not being a fan of the holiday, the Christmas spirit in this small town is infectious and she gets swept up in the joy of the season while also falling in love.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1988)

As World War 2 rages on in Europe the Bundy family are making plans for a Christmas reunion in the small town of Rockport.
The matriarch Martha (Eva Marie Saint) cashes in all of her ration-stamps to purchase the best Christmas dinner she can with everyone expected round the table.
Rockport is a small town where everyone knows everyone else and the tough times bring them even closer.
But the one person no one wants to see at their door is the Western Union man, because most of the news he delivers are telegrams from the War Department, reporting the death of a loved one and sadly he makes his rounds far too often.
This is a wonderful Christmas movies with happiness and sadness in equal measure and some strong performances, Hal Holbrook as head of the family, Joseph, Courteney Cox as expectant daughter in law Nora, and the strongest of all Nancy Travis as young widow Leah.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

Molly Logan (Lacey Chabert) and Lucas Bishop (Corey Sevier) were childhood friends and high school sweethearts in Danbury Falls, Vermont, where Molly's family founded the town two hundred years earlier, and with her immediately family still living on the same property, where her parents, Gordon and Betty Logan (Eric Keenleyside and Lini Evans), have continued the family business of operating a Christmas tree farm.
Since they were children, Molly knew she wanted to become a writer, a dream which her parents supported while Lucas knew he wanted to become a photographer, something his banker father, Elliot Bishop (James Kidnie) vehemently opposed him pursuing as a career, he believed only in careers like his own, and making money by any and all means.
When he would not follow her to New York, where they would have pursued their professional dreams together, Molly and Lucas broke up and had not seen each other since.
After getting an MBA, Lucas returned to Danbury Falls to work at the bank for his father.
Molly works at a publishing house, where she is treated more as a 24/7 PA by her recently widowed boss, Walter Dunlap (Jim Thorburn) at the expense of her writing career.
When Molly hears from her brother Ryan (Matthew Kevin Anderson) that the bank is foreclosing on a mortgage for the tree farm property they both head back to Danbury Falls to help their parents save the farm from being turned into a golf resort.
On her return, Molly runs into Lucas, who is heading the search for investors for the development proposal and then Christmas begins to work its magic.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – NOVEMBER CHRISTMAS

This is the beautiful tale of love and generosity of spirit where neighbours go above and beyond with their wonderful surprises to make a little girl happy.
At the heart of the story is Vanessa Marks (Emily Alyn Lind) a brave young girl who is battling cancer, which has an effect on the people around her.
In particular her parents Tom and Beth (John Corbett and Sarah Paulson) and her brother Gordon (Max Charles).
But when it looks like she may not see Christmas her parents decide to bring Christmas forward so that she will see another Christmas if the worst came to the worst.
Which is how they came to meet Jess and Claire Sanford (Sam Elliott and Karen Allen) who had themselves lost a child, and high school student Tammy (Elizabeth McLaughlin) who between them made sure Vanessa had Christmas in November.
The look on young Vanessa’s face when she sees the result is an absolute joy, Emily Alyn Lind’s performance in the film steals the show, and I say that despite the fact she is in very esteemed company.
November Christmas is a lovely family movie, a real, hot chocolate, warm fuzzy blanket kind of film, oh and a box of tissues for all those tender moments, of which there are many.
If you only ever watch one Christmas movie in your life, make sure it’s this one.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – I’M NOT READY FOR CHRISTMAS

Holly Nolan (Alicia Witt) lives in a world where lying has become second nature for her. However, she finds after telling a few too many lies and disappointing those around her once too often that her life's about to change, because Holly's niece, Anna, (Mia Bagley), asks Santa Claus (Dan Lauria) to make Holly incapable of telling a lie as her Christmas wish.
The engaging story that follows is a tale of how telling the truth changes Holly's life in ways she could never have anticipated before.
It’s an enjoyable Christmas movie especially with Alicia Witt’s performance who never disappoints.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A HUSBAND FOR CHRISTMAS (2016)

Two co-workers, American Brooke Harris (Vivica A. Fox) and Brit Roger Burkett (Ricco Ross) agree to a loveless marriage of convenience, but as they become acquainted, an unrealized chemistry grows between them.
But when a work colleague informs on them to immigration it looks like their world was falling apart, but Christmas and love have a way of redressing the balance.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – FINDING CHRISTMAS (2013)

Sean Tucker (Mark Lutz), who runs an advertising agency in New York City, and Owen Harrison (J.T. Hodges), a small-town handyman and musician, swap homes for the holidays. Mia (Cristina Rosato) works for Sean and is asked to help Owen get settled into his new apartment while Ryan Harrison (Tricia Helfer) meets Sean after Owen asks her to fix a broken heater, and then finds herself helping Sean find the charm of living in a small town.
Holiday romance ensues in the charming Christmas tale with misunderstandings soul-searching and secrets along the way.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHRISTMAS REUNION (2015)

Madison Avenue executive, Amy Stone (Denise Richards), discovers a rather unusual Christmas surprise when she inherits her Aunt's hometown bakery.
But that’s only half of it as the real surprise comes when she learns that the other half of the bakery was left to her long-ago boyfriend, Jack Evans (Patrick Muldoon).
Inevitably the unresolved personal issues of their past together resurface, as the exes return home to co-manage the store as well as its traditional holiday cookie bake-off.
It’s a nice holiday romantic comedy but the wonderful Catherine Hicks is the star as cunning Aunt Linda.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

Newly widowed Kathy Howard (Kellie Martin) has no plans to “deck the halls” or “trim the tree” on her first Christmas without him, so she tries to avoid anything that will bring back memories of her late husband.
The only Christmas tradition that she will allow is baking cookies for her friends, a passion of hers since she was a child.
When Kathy meets handsome Christmas tree shop owner Tim Pierce (Cameron Mathison), there is an instant spark and an undeniable chemistry, and that along with an ornament Tim gives her that symbolizes hope, actually helps Kathy open up again to the joys of the season.
Aided by the support of her best friend Jenna Lowe (Jewel Staite), and the budding relationship with Tim, Kathy begins to embrace the hopeful message of the ornament but there is still a rough road ahead because although she wants to take a chance on Tim, she struggles to find the balance between preserving the memory of her late husband and moving on with her own future, so is the Christmas ornament a sign that she can have a hopeful future? Watch and enjoy as you find out.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (2004)

Sarah (Tracey Needham) and her estranged sister Beth (Natasha Gregson Wagner) are reunited after their father Buddy (Ronny Cox) suffers a mild stroke.
Buddy, who's never accepted the loss of his wife Lorraine (Meredith Baxter), wants only one thing and that is to return home for Christmas.
With sweet memories of a life gone by, Sarah makes an impossible wish that her mother could be there too and by morning it is as if a winter prayer had been answered and bearing a message of hope, healing, and everlasting love, a miracle has arrived in the form of their mother Lorraine.

Uncanny Tales – (005) – Chapter 05 – The House Guest with the Spirit of Christmas

Two days later the last of the timber was removed revealing the full extent of the damage to the boundary fence, the garden shed and what used to be the lawn, miraculously the wishing well sustained only minor damage.

Paul was on site and talking on his mobile organising the next phase which would be to remove all the debris and replace the fencing, erecting a new shed and generally tidying up.

The new lawn would have to wait until spring and the replacement shrubs and plants would be replaced at the same time.

Julie went out into the garden just as he was finishing his phone call and I was standing by the remains of what used to be the shed, the shed erected by my own two hands, I was amazed it had lasted twenty years, I never did master DIY.

I was too far away to hear what Paul and Julie were saying but they were headed back inside the house, I was already in the kitchen when they arrived.

“We’re cutting Christmas trees on the estate at the moment I will have them cut you one by way of an apology, what size would you like?”

“I don’t really do Christmas” She said “It’s just an empty commercial festival”

“But thanks anyway” She added.

“Oh, and when did you become so cynical?”

“From the moment I discovered Father Christmas doesn’t exist”

“Who says he doesn’t?” he asked

“Ho, ho, ho” she said sarcastically

“I think everybody has a little bit of Christmas in their heart” Said Paul

“That would be tiny in my case” she said, and Paul looked a bit deflated after she said that but perked up when she added.

“A meal would be a perfectly acceptable apology though”

 

It was a week later when Paul picked Julie up and drove her over to Abbotsford for their meal, I would say their date, but Julie kept insisting it was not a date.

It was quite late when he brought her home and I was a little disappointed when the evening ended on the doorstep with a peck on the cheek, I had high hopes, but Julie was holding back for some reason.

“Good night” Julie said and came in and closed the door.

“Nice evening?” I asked

“Yes, very nice”

“Good meal? Good company?”

“Yes, to both questions”

“But?”

“I really like him, but I don’t know if I want to go through it all again”

“Nothing ventured nothing gained” I said

“I’ve done my share of venturing in the past and I haven’t yet gained” Julie said

“I’ll probably just screw it up again Harry so it’s probably best if I stop it before it starts”

She waved away any protest from me and went up to bed.

“Night Harry”

“Night Julie” I replied and to myself I added

“That won’t do at all”

 

The next day before Julie was up and about I sent a text to Paul from Julie’s mobile.

It was quite exciting as I’d never done one before, even while I was alive.

I was quite surprised that it was more difficult than it looked and really rather complicated to get the letter you wanted and then it kept changing the word.

I came very close a number of times to throwing the damn thing across the room, but eventually I managed to write:

“Thank you, Paul, I had a wonderful time last night I really would love to do it again. Julie x

PS, just ignore me if I play hard to get, Lol”

Within a couple of minutes, I got a reply.

“I had a wonderful time too I will call you soon. Paul”

Then I quickly deleted my text to him and his reply and then put the phone back in Julie’s handbag with only minutes to spare before I heard Julie coming down the stairs.

 

I felt very pleased with myself and my subterfuge and I thought it was just a matter of time before the two of them got together again, however when a week had passed, and nothing had happened I was not so confident.

There had been a couple of texts which I didn’t get to see before she deleted them and there had been a phone call, but it didn’t last long, so it was to be another evening of chess and conversation.

I set up the board as Julie entered the room from the kitchen carrying a glass and bottle she opened a bottle of wine the first she’d had for several weeks.

I frowned at her and nodded in the direction of the wine.

“It’s ok I haven’t taken any pain killers for three days, so this is by way of celebration”

“Excellent” I said “I wish I could join you”

“Bad luck” she said taking a long sip

“But I would prefer Christmas Ale” I added

“Oh, don’t start on Christmas again”

“Why do you hate Christmas so much?” I asked

“How long do you have?” She replied without humour.

“I have as long as it takes, I’m dead remember” I said trying to inject a little humour as I sat down opposite her.

“Where should I start” she looked around the room as if seeking inspiration.

“Christmas has been a disappointment all my life, I grew up with the constant disappointment of not getting the presents that I asked for” she said with a wry smile “Which I blamed Santa for”

I started to speak but Julie interrupted me.

“I know that’s very childish and pathetic” she said and even laughed a little.

“When did you stop believing?”

“I believed right up until I was seven, that was the year I discovered Santa Claus was actually my drunken father” She said flatly and took a long drink

“So, with a drunk for a father and a violent bully for a mother my childhood was just full of Christmas joy”

“Not brilliant then” I added

“Then three Christmas’s ago at one of our merry Christmas family gatherings my own sister stole my husband and my mother took my sisters side” she paused thin lipped remembering the pain of it, feeling it fresh as if for the first time, she gathered herself then continued.

“My dear mother said if I’d kept him satisfied in the bedroom he wouldn’t have strayed, not that he had to stray too far with my slutty sister sniffing round him like a bitch on heat”

“What did you say to your mother?” I asked

“I said that if she’d kept my father satisfied in the bedroom he wouldn’t have turned to drink”

“Oooh”

“I haven’t spoken to her or my sister since” she confessed and took another drink.

“Then last year two weeks before Christmas a drunk driver ran a red light and broadsided me shattering my hip and putting me in hospital for months”

She reached out and grabbed her cane.

“And now I still have my trusty stick as a constant reminder of what Christmas means to me”

I wished I could have given her a fatherly hug, but I couldn’t, so we fell silent after that and concentrated on the chess for a while.

 

I was out and about in the garden early next morning it was less than a week before Christmas and I was beginning to despair that as far as we had come together it was not going to be far enough to save us both.

But it was more than that, when I started it was about helping Julie in order to cross over and be reunited with Rose.

But I had come to care about Julie more than I thought possible and furthermore I had come to realise just how much I had wasted the final months of my own life.

I had brought her back from the brink and I resolved that I would succeed in opening her heart, not for my own sake but for hers.

I transported myself to the sitting room only to find it empty but there was the sound of cooking coming from the kitchen and perhaps more alarming the sound of singing.

When I appeared in the kitchen I found Julie frying bacon and singing along to an Eva Cassidy song playing on the radio.

“Are you ok?” I asked with false concern.

“Yes why?”

“I thought you must have had a relapse and your hip was hurting”

“Very funny Harry” she said with a smile.

“Would you like some bacon? Oh, I forgot you can’t eat can you I’ll have to eat it all myself then”

“You can be a very cruel young woman” I said indignantly and tucked the newspaper under my arm and withdrew to the sitting room.

After she had devoured her bacon, which I was denied the pleasure of eating, but perhaps worse even than that  

I was also denied its smell, she came into the sitting room and sat opposite me and we started a tug of war over the newspaper.

“You’re in a very playful mood today” I suggested after I had lost custody of the paper.

“I feel happy today, I don’t know why, I just do”

As she was in a good mood I decided to chance my arm and enquire as to the state of play between her and Paul.

“Have you heard from Paul?” I said directly.

“Don’t start”

“What? It was an innocent enough question”

“Hmm, well as it happens he did phone me”

“Really?” I said keenly

“He invited me out for dinner on Christmas Eve”

“That’s great”

“I declined his invitation” she said

“Why?”

“Look Harry I’m sure he really is a nice guy and I do like him” Julie said

“But?”

“But, I am finally getting my life back on course, and that’s due in no small part to you, and I don’t need any complications”

“That really is a shame” I said sincerely.

“I just don’t think I’m ready” She added

With that she handed me the paper and returned to the kitchen I left it ten minutes or so and then joined her just as Bruce Springfield’s gravelled tones emanated from the radio and I dueted with him in a fine rendition of “Santa Claus is coming to town”.

When we had finished more or less together I took a bow or two.

“Ha-ha I do love a good Christmas song”

“Oh God protect me from the happy Christmas ghost” Julie was laughing.

“What is it with you and Christmas anyway?” she asked rhetorically, then she stood and looked at me, my portly build, white beard and the hateful red sweater, shaking her head despairingly.

“In fact, come to think of it you even look like Santa, in a rather jaded retired to the old folk’s home kind of way” she said and then chuckled her rich velvet chortle.

“Oh, and why is that, just because I’m a jolly fat man with a white beard?”  I said striking an indignant pose.

“No, you have a fair point you would only qualify on two out of three” then her chuckle morphed into a full belly laugh and then I was laughing with her.

Our merriment was interrupted by a knock at the door and Julie was still wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes as she opened the door.

It was a smiling Paul Warwick who had knocked, and his expression instantly changed to one of concern when he saw Julie’s tears.

“Is everything alright?” he asked with genuine concern.

Realizing what she was doing Julie quickly dispelled his concern with a tale about something hilarious on the radio.

Suitably reassured Paul’s smile returned to his face and he briefly gathered himself before revealing the meaning for his visit.

“I know you said you didn’t do Christmas” He began.

“But as I said everyone has a little Christmas in their heart”

Julie was about to cut him off in full flow, but he put his hand up to stop her before she could start.

“So, with that in mind” he said ducking down to retrieve something from the floor.

“I thought of this”

He was holding in his hand a small live Christmas tree in a pot, complete with tinsel and baubles, standing about two feet tall and it was even topped by a fairy.

“A tiny Christmas tree for someone with only a tiny bit of Christmas in her heart” He said as he presented the tree to Julie.

“That’s so sweet” She said “Thank you”

“You can plant it in the garden after Christmas, so it will keep growing and hopefully your love of Christmas will grow with it” he said and there were tears in her eyes again, as she looked at the tiny tree and then Paul excused himself as he had some estate business that he needed to attend to, which I later found out was delivering hampers to the homes of his workers.

Julie stood looking at the little tree with a silly grin on her face as Paul said goodbye and was heading up the path.

“I told you he was a nice man” I said.

“Yes” she said looking at me with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Oh God I can’t let him go I have to talk to him”

“Well run after him then” I suggested

“I can’t run” She said.

“Go and slow him down somehow”

Julie set off walking and I transported myself to the gate just as Paul’s hand reached for the latch.

As he tried to open the gate I held it shut and no matter how much he shook it, the gate wouldn’t move.

Julie was only a few yards away now.

“Paul!” She called, and he turned around to see where Julie was calling from.

“Hi, you appear to have a problem with your gate” He said just as I let go of it and the gate swung open.

“That’s odd” he said.

“I’m glad I caught you” She said wincing a little at the effort of pursuing him.

“About dinner on Christmas Eve, is it too late to change my mind?”

 

On Christmas Eve I sat in the solitude of the cottage for what I hoped would be the last time, hoping that the person I had come to care so much for, would not need me anymore, while at the same time regretting that I would no longer be required to spend the long pleasant evenings in her company.

In the beginning I thought that I was left stranded on earth solely because of the way I withdrew from life, and that my having to help someone escape my fate was my penance, but in fact I came to understand that my predicament was less about a punishment for me but rather more about salvation for Julie and a last chance for her to find happiness.

In truth no matter how, fond I was of her I did not belong there, and though tinged with regret I hoped soon to be moving on.

I became aware of voices outside and thought, was this the moment of a tender kiss goodnight on the door step, but instead the door opened, and Julie stepped into the darkness and my heart dropped and I thought we were back, perhaps not to square one, but we had definitely gone into reverse.

But then the light went on and following Julie was the tall figure of Paul who closed the door behind him.

“Make yourself comfortable while I get us a drink” Julie said before disappearing into the kitchen.

Paul headed in my direction and I had to move quickly before he sat on my lap.

I stood invisible in the corner by the stairs and observed as Julie came out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine and a glass, then she stopped in her tracks and turned on her heels and briefly returned to the kitchen before reappearing with a second glass. She smiled to herself at the force of habit and glanced around the room to see where I was.

Julie set the bottle and glasses on the table then before she could sit Paul stood up and took her hand and pulled her gently towards him and beside the tiny two-foot Christmas Tree he kissed her tenderly and she kissed him back.

At the precise moment she returned his kiss on that Christmas Eve a bright light emanated down the stairs and I knew my moment had come.

I looked up the illuminated staircase and standing at the top was my dear Rose with her hand outstretched towards me.

I turned again to look at the embracing couple, Paul had his back to me and as their lips parted I allowed Julie to see me one last time.

“Good bye Julie it’s time for me to go now, have a happy life” I said and waved.

Then as she stood holding onto Paul her head resting on his shoulder she mouthed the words “Merry Christmas Harry”

I left the young couple and walked up the stairs and took Rose’s hand and we were instantly in another place.

Now I spend most of my time with Rose and all those who went before me, but I still look in on Paul and Julie from time to time, I can do that now I’m a proper spirit, but that is a tale for another time. 

Uncanny Tales – (005) – Chapter 04 – The House Guest and the Divine Wind

Despite my losing the “battle of the bonfire night party” I knew that the war was far from lost and that I had made great progress and what was now more important than anything else was to pick very carefully the battles I chose to fight.

A victory however small was still a victory and therefore was invaluable.

So, during the month I chipped away at the immovable object that was Julie, in small subtle ways and I felt I was making some progress, but as well as I felt I was doing I couldn’t quantify it.

I couldn’t measure my success unless I could get Julie and Paul in the same place at the same time.

I had absolutely no idea how I could manufacture a circumstance that would bring the two of them together and I was left with the feeling that it would take divine intervention to get them together and as it turned out I was right.

 

We were almost at the end of November and Julie had made so much progress she was hardly using the stick in the house even to get upstairs although she still took it with her whenever she went out, but it was extremely unlikely that she would ever be free of it entirely.

She had made progress in other ways as well, she seemed less frightened of the outside world and had started to take a daily newspaper again and one morning a radio appeared in the kitchen.

We had taken to spending every evening together where we spent the time playing chess or cards and we would chat casually on a variety of subjects though I would often try and steer the conversation into areas I wanted to explore as part of my long-term strategy but quite often we would just listen to the radio.

It was during one of these very pleasant evenings, that I came to enjoy greatly, that events took a change of direction.

There had been a ferocious autumn storm battering the cottage all day, the storm was so bad we had to switch the radio off because the reception was so poor, and it was as we were sitting playing chess when there was an almighty rumble and crash outside.

“What the hell was that?” Julie said gripping the arm of the chair until her knuckles went white.

“I’m not sure” I said standing up. “I’ll go and investigate”

“Well, be careful Harry”

“Unless it’s the Ghostbusters I think I’m probably safe” I said giving her a bemused look.

I transported myself outside and for the first time since my death I was not sorry to be dead the weather was just awful with a fearsome storm was blowing the rain horizontally and I was grateful not to have to feel it

It didn’t take long to find the source of the almighty crash, the gale had uprooted an old horse chestnut tree and dumped it into Julie’s garden missing the cottage by a few feet.

I walked the full length of the tree to find the root end and which sprang up out of the darkness about ten feet the other side of the crushed wooden fence that marked the boundary between Julies garden and the land owner responsible for the removal of the fallen tree, Paul Warwick.

I smiled to myself and then looked up to the heavens and nodded in admiration.

When I reappeared in the cottage the room seemed to be empty.

“Is it safe?” Julie asked.

I couldn’t see where the voice was coming from at first then I found Julie hiding behind her armchair wielding her cane like a weapon.

“What are you doing behind there?” I asked incredulously “Of course it’s safe”

Then she came out from her hiding place suddenly feeling rather foolish.

“I was scared” she added meekly.

“Well there’s no need to be” I reassured her

“What was that noise then?” She asked urgently

“The storm has brought a tree down and the good news is, it missed the cottage, but your shed is only good for firewood”

“Is that all? I knew it would be something simple like that” she said, suddenly confident again.

“What should I do now?”

“Well, have a mug of cocoa and go to bed” I said

“No about the tree, I mean”

“There’s nothing much you can do about it tonight, just have a good night’s sleep and phone Paul in the morning”

“Paul?” She asked coyly.

“Yes Paul Warwick, it’s his tree, he’ll arrange everything”

“Oh” she said disinterestedly

“But don’t worry you won’t have to see him he’ll do everything by phone”

“Oh” She said trying to hide her disappointment but failing.

 

The next morning Julie and I went outside to inspect the damage in the daylight, Julie in her dressing gown and wellies and me in my revolting red jumper, though Julie couldn’t get very far due to the tangle of branches, so she went back inside.

When I had finished my inspection, I went back inside myself and found Julie standing in the kitchen, her mobile phone in front of her, tapping the counter with the edge of a business card.

“He won’t bite you know” I offered “Unless you want him to”

I laughed to myself, but she apparently didn’t hear my little joke.

“I said he won’t bite you know”

“What? I’m not worried about talking to him that’s a preposterous suggestion”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“There isn’t a problem, I was just thinking that’s all” she said then she picked up her mobile and keyed in the number.

“Hello, its Julie Molesworth here, is that Mr Warwick?”

“Ok Paul”

All the time she was talking she was fiddling with her hair with her spare hand which amused me greatly.

“I’m fine but I have a bit of a problem I have a rather large tree laying in my garden”

She noticed me watching her, scowled and turned her back to me.

“No, the house is fine”

“Yes”

“No”

“Oh yes that would be fine”

“Ok thank you, bye”

She switched off the phone and put it down.

“Well that sounded quite amicable, not scary at all” I said.

“I wasn’t scared to talk to him” she retorted.

“So, what was the outcome?”

“He’s coming around this morning” She said matter of factly “in about an hour”

“Excellent” I said, “That is good news”

Julie nodded her agreement.

“And I think he’s just going to love your outfit” I said, and she gave me a puzzled look, then glanced at her dressing gown and muddy wellies, and looked back at me again though the puzzled expression had been replaced by panic.

“Oh God” She exclaimed then kicked off left boot, so it flew across the kitchen, a technique she was unable to employ with the other boot due to the bad leg.

So, she sat down and lifted her foot off the floor and shouted.

“BOOT! QUICK!”

“Alright calm down” I said as I removed her boot.

“Yes calm” she took a deep breath “Calm is good”

Then she jumped up and rushed out of the kitchen, she was still unable to run despite the progress she had made but she covered the ground quite swiftly anyway.

 

She reappeared forty-five minutes later looking much more presentable in a smart skirt and blouse and I noticed she was wearing makeup.

“Is that better?” she asked.

“Very smart but you really didn’t need to go to all that trouble for me”

“I didn’t” she replied shortly.

“I did it for….” She tailed off

“For Paul Warwick? Is that what you were going to say? Why on earth would you care what he thinks?”

“Shut up” she said and tried to punch my arm playfully but not for the first time her hand went right through me and she nearly fell over.

“That’s really annoying Harry” She said when she had straightened herself up “I hate it when that happens”

 

A little over ten minutes later Paul Warwick’s Landrover pulled up in the lane outside the cottage.

Julie was looking out the window as he got out of the vehicle and opened the gate but instead of coming to the front door he went straight to the site of the damage and out of her line of sight, so she went into the other room which afforded her a better look and she watched on as he clambered up onto the fallen tree and then he disappeared down the other side.

“I don’t think he’s going to come in” she said still trying to catch sight of him amongst the branches.

“Oh, he’ll be in when he’s done” I said

It was obvious, if only to me, that he hadn’t rushed round to the cottage on a job he could quite easily have delegated only to go off again without fulfilling the real purpose for his visit which was clearly to see Julie.

Julie spent the next five minutes craning her next to get a better view then she moved away from the window and headed back to the kitchen just in time to see him heading back up the path to the gate.

“He’s off now” She said unable to hide her disappointment.

“What?”

She went back into the sitting room and sat down in her chair and I just didn’t know what to say I couldn’t believe I’d got it so wrong I would have put money on it.

I sat down in the chair opposite her and tried to think of something clever to say.

“Well it’s probably for the best, it was bound to end in tears”

“That’s not helping” she said flatly, and I was just about to say something full of wisdom in response when there was a knock at the door.

Julie opened the door to find a rather dishevelled Paul Warwick the other side of it.

After a brief exchange of polite greetings Julie invited Paul into the kitchen with the promise of coffee and then she turned to look in my direction and mouthed “Not you”

So, I sat alone in the sitting room for the next twenty minutes trying to decipher words from the low rumble of conversation interspersed with small bursts of girlish laughter.

I had just come to the conclusion, that as I was a ghost I could have been in the room with them all along and she would never have known, when the kitchen door opened, and Paul walked through.

“So, the guys will be here first thing tomorrow” He said as he opened the front door.

“And I will see you later in the week”

“Ok thanks Paul, bye” Julie said then closed the door.

“Well?” I said

“Like you weren’t in the room eavesdropping all the time” She implied

“No, I was not” I said suitably indignant even though I would have been if I’d thought about it sooner.

“Oh, sorry Harry” she said and went on to fill me in on the bones of the conversation doubtless leaving out any of the flirtyness.

Paul was sending a crew round to cut and clear the timber which due to the size of the tree would take two or three days.

Then he would return and assess the rest of the damage to the garden, something else that could easily be delegated I thought.

 

The next day was the 1^st of December and the men were hard at work cutting up the fallen tree and I thought to myself as Julie came down the stairs that she looked like a different person, her body had been getting stronger day by day for weeks but now there appeared to be a new spark within her, a new hope.

I just hoped I was right about her and Paul, because I feared if that spark were to be extinguished again it would never relight.

I had just returned to my reading when she said, “Hi Harry they’re a bit noisy aren’t they?”

“Harry!” she repeated then she shouted

“HARRY?”

When I didn’t answer she picked up her cane and poked the book I was reading.

“Oh hello” I said.

“I’ve been talking to you, are you deaf?”

“Not exactly I turned the sound off, so I didn’t have to listen to the racket outside”

“You can do that?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Cool” She said “Unfortunately I can’t do that so I’m going shopping for the day”

“Great don’t forget the decorations”

“Decorations for what?”

“Christmas” I said “It’s the 1^st of December the advent calendars go up today”

“No, no, no” She said firmly “I don’t do Christmas”

“Why not?” I said shocked

“I don’t like Christmas” she replied

“Why don’t you like Christmas?”

“Well let me see, it’s a waste of money for one thing”

“And?”     

“The whole thing is just a sham, people don’t even believe in what they’re celebrating and if you believe what the papers say half the country don’t even believe Christ existed” She stated angrily though at the time I was unsure quite what she was angry about, whether it was the season itself or peoples’ ignorance.

“Well that’s just nonsense we know from the Romans that Christ existed, they were great record keepers the Romans, people might argue that he isn’t the son of God or that God himself doesn’t exist but they can’t deny Christ’s existence” I said but I don’t think she was really listening, it would not be the first time I’d lost the attention of the person I was conversing with, boring conversation was a bad habit of mine throughout my life and apparently after my death as well.

“And what do you believe?” She asked more calmly.

“I believe in the whole nine yards, Father, Son and Holy Ghost” I said trying to lighten the mood without success.

“What about you?”

“I must believe in him because I hate him so much” she retorted and with that she slipped on her coat and picked up her bag.

“I’ll see you later” she said and left.

I knew from the start of this exercise that she had some serious issues in her life but what I didn’t know was that Christmas was one of them, if in fact it was.

Perhaps her dislike of Christmas was actually masking something deeper, only time would tell unless I were to push the right buttons.