GET OUT OF THE BLOODY ROAD

 

Santa Claus crossed the road

To get to the other side

“Get out of the bloody road”

The drunken driver cried

But the red suited man

Was the victim of Santacide

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (186) New Years Eve

 

When they first moved to Spaniards Creek, Molly was hoping

St Clara’s would suit her rather more than the main churches on the island in St Pierre.

So, when she and Danny walked inside, she was apprehensive, but she was not disappointed with the church she’d chosen and felt immediately at home, and they had been regulars ever since.

It was a small church by Norman standards and was full of catholic iconography and a spectacular stained-glass window behind the dais was a joy to behold.

 

It was a gloriously bright morning, on New Year’s Eve, with a clear blue sky and not a hint of breeze or the snow which was expected by the next day.

The Church was well attended and there was a hum of chattering among the congregants as the news of Arielle’s blessing was spread among the faithful, they spotted Arielle sitting on the front pew with Harry in protection mode and they assumed the other woman with them was Justyna Krajewska.  

She and Arielle were the same age, but very different in appearance, both were attractive women, Arielle was a small and delicately featured woman with bobbed brown hair, and pale complexion due to her condition, whereas Justyna Krajewska was a tall willowy woman, with shoulder length brunette hair, intelligent green laughing eyes, a broad toothy smile and a warm open manner and altogether a very pleasant demeanour.

“Hello Arielle” Molly said and stooped down and kissed her.

“Hi Molly” she responded “Have you met Justyna, she is a fellow cleric”

“Hello,” she said and shook her hand “How do you like our little church?”

“I love it, I felt immediately at home as soon as I set foot inside” Justyna replied

“Yes, it had the same effect on me” Molly responded and smiled at Arielle.

 

Reverend Henry Noble took the service, but Arielle did the reading, however that would be the last time either of them attended St Clara’s for a while and the following Sunday Reverend Justyna Krajewska was in the pulpit.  

 

The Shaw Brothers Ferry Company were holding a New Year’s Eve party at the Mablethorpe Spa Hotel in Pipershaven.

Bernie Keach worked at the St Giles Island office and travelled to the Hotel in the morning and was the first to arrive and had booked in early, so he could enjoy some of the facilities.

Later when he was on his way down to the bar to have a drink before going in to find his table, he heard a commotion at the function’s check in desk, and he recognized one of the voices as one of his colleague’s, Ewa.

He paused on the stairs and drank in the scene, though his eyes were focused on her, and he thought she looked gorgeous in her evening dress.

“What do you mean I’m not on the list?” she shouted

“My name is Ewa Szczepaniec”

“I can’t see it” the receptionist said as he perused his list “Can you spell it?” 

“S.Z.C.Z.E.P.A.N.I.E.C” she said slowly and deliberately

“No that hasn’t helped” he said, “Can you write it down?”

Reluctantly she printed her surname on a piece of paper and handed it to him

“No that hasn’t helped either” he said and then laughed

“Wow that would score big on scrabble, perhaps that’s what we should call you Miss Scrabble”

“My name is Ewa Szczepaniec” she repeated slowly “S.Z.C.Z.E.P.A.N.I.E.C”

“Yes, I understand” he said “but I must just ask, do you lot have something against vowels”

“My lot, my lot, what do you mean, my lot?” she said angrily, which was when Bernie arrived, and stepped between them before Ewa brained him.

But it quickly became apparent that she was not calming down, so he steered her away from the fray and she left reception like a marauding bull, with him right behind her carrying her pashmina and clutch bag.

Once Bernie caught up with her, he walked Ewa around the courtyard and calmed her down and soothed her temper with his comforting words and a reassuring hug.

 

After half an hour her mood had lightened sufficiently for him to propose they make another attempt to gain entry to the function and she concurred, so they walked back to the Hotel arm in arm and he stayed by her side all night, and she had never in her life been happier, so at the end of the evening on the terrace in the moonlight she kissed him.

They often joked over their long life together that the entire night had been something of a cliché, but they didn’t care.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (185) New Years Eve, Eve

 

On Saturday just after lunch there was a knock on the door at Cliff Haven and when Danny opened the door Reverend Arielle Archer, and her husband Harry were standing there.

“Hello, you two” he said “Come in out of the cold, you look perished”

“Thank you” Harry said

“Go through into the lounge” Danny said

“It’s lovely to see you” Molly said, and they embraced but she thought Arielle looked very pale

“But I don’t think you should have come out on a day like this”

“We have some news that we wanted you to hear from us first” Arielle said

“Oh?” Molly asked with concern

 “It’s a good thing” Harry interjected

“We’re having a baby” Arielle said

“That’s wonderful news” Molly said and kissed her

“Congratulations” Danny added and shook Harry’s hand before giving him a hug.

 

After all the kissing and embracing was over Arielle said

“There is some bad news”

“Oh?” Molly asked with concern again

“Yes, the Doctor has advised complete rest” Arielle said

“Is everything ok?” Molly asked

“It’s precautionary” Arielle replied

“It’s Preeclampsia and acute anaemia” Harry corrected her

“Then you must rest” Molly said “We’ll get someone else to cover for you, I’ve been thinking for some time that we need to get a curate to assist you”

 

If St Clara’s had still been a Church of England Church a locum would have been supplied, but they weren’t, so they had to make other arrangements.

In the past Henry Noble, for whom Arielle had been curate for several years, had stood in for her, and over Christmas, but he was working at the St Giles retreat on St Giles du Cabot so he couldn’t cover all of her parochial duties.

However there was a someone who had spent a prolonged period at the retreat following a long battle with cancer.

Forty-year-old Justyna Krajewska who was ready to leave the retreat but was unsure where her future lay so Henry Noble had suggested St Clara’s, and had introduced her to Arielle.

 

Arielle liked her and in turn suggested her to Molly, but obviously Molly would need to meet her for herself, however there was a slight complication, as only a very select few knew that Molly owned the Church, so a chance meeting had to be engineered, it was decided that the New Year’s Eve service would be the best time.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (184) Suggesting Change

 

Molly and Danny had enjoyed Christmas and planned on enjoying the New Year’s Weekend in the same vein but in the meantime, they were planning their trip.

The itinerary for the book signings was already set in stone, and they had just received it by email that morning, so the planning involved finding suitable accommodation in each City and some research into what to see and do while they were there.

Also as they were going to Australia it gave them the opportunity to see Danny’s brother and family again. 

 

On the Friday before New Year’s, Sam Archer was taking his girlfriend Nikki Harrison, her mum Katie, her other half George Wood, her aunt Louise Stratford and her husband Neil, Shepherdess Hayley Stock and her boyfriend Jamie White, out to dinner at the Beaumont Manor Hotel.

So he drove from Spaniards Creek to Beacon Farm with Jada Ellington in the passenger seat who was going to babysit the Stratford’s Twins for the evening.

George answered his knock which was quite fortuitous for Sam to get George on his own and allowed them to have a brief, yet important, conversation before joining the others, while Jada went straight in.

 

Katie was in the lounge and kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Sam,” she said, and she was filling up, he wasn’t sure what exactly she was thanking him for, was it for the meal or just for making her daughter happy.

It could have been either, but it certainly could not have been for what he and George had just been discussing.

He patted her on the back, and she released her grip and turned away to wipe her eyes, and a few minutes later Nikki came into the lounge, and he thought she looked as lovely as ever.

“Hello darling” she said as she walked over and kissed him

“I didn’t know you were here; I didn’t hear the door”

 

A short period of small talk followed and then Nikki looked at her watch and said

“I think we should make a move”

“Yes” Sam agreed “But before we go, I want to ask you something”

“Can’t it wait until dinner? I’m starved, I’ve been looking forward to my roast duck all day”

“You’re going to have duck again?” Sam asked

“Of course,” she replied with a confused look on her face

“There are other things on the menu” he pointed out

“I know” she retorted

“You could just give something else a try” he teased

“I have tried other things; I had a stroganoff once” she retorted indignantly

“Just the one time?” he said

“Yes, but that’s because I don’t like change” she replied

“You don’t like change?”

“No, I don’t”

“Then we might have a problem” Sam said and glanced over to the sofa, George was smiling broadly, and Katie looked bemused.

“What do you mean?” she asked in alarm

“Well, I was going to suggest that you change your last name” he said and fished out a ring box from his pocket.

“Nikki Harrison, will you please marry me”

“What?” she exclaimed

“Will you marry me?” he repeated,

She just stood and stared at him for a full minute, and he was beginning to worry that he had been premature and then all of a sudden, she screamed and threw her arms around his neck.

“Is that a, yes?”

“Yes” she replied

George and Katie were hugging, as Katie watched her daughter’s joy unfold, no doubt remembering long passed moments from her childhood, then Nikki rushed over and hugged and kissed her mum, then she looked over her shoulder and said

“I’m still having the duck”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (183) The Hairdresser and the Toyboy

 

Mobile Hairdresser Maria Jenkins was 36 and had been unhappily married for fifteen  years to a gambler and womanizer, she had known about the former from the beginning, but the latter was a much more recent revelation.

She is widely respected on the island and known to be a kind soul and everyone that knows her has a tale to tell of her generous nature.

She retaliated to her husband’s infidelity by embarking on an affair of her own with a man ten years her junior, Mark Duff, and it was on the door of his cottage in Spaniards Creek that she knocked at 8pm on the day after Boxing Day wearing her best posh frock, and behind her a taxi was pulling away.

“Hello” he said with genuine surprise

“Hello” she responded, “Can I come in? Its bloody freezing”

“Of course,” He said fussily “come in, come in”

Once inside she slipped off her coat and walked through to the lounge and he thought she looked absolutely gorgeous.

“You’re a bit overdressed for my humble abode” he observed mentally undressing her.

“I know” she said as she sat down “I was going out to Dinner but…”

“But?” he asked

“I couldn’t face everyone quizzing me about Bill”

“About what?” he quizzed

“I’m divorcing him” she replied, “I don’t want him back, I’m moving on”

“I’m sorry,” he said inadequately

“I’m not” Maria said surprisingly “though it’s your fault in a way”

“Then I should be sorry,” he admitted

“No, you opened my eyes and showed me that I’m still an attractive woman, still a sexy woman, Bill didn’t appreciate that, and I need to be with someone who sees me the way that you do”

Richard raised his eyebrows in response and Maria laughed

“Oh, don’t worry I’m not looking to move in with you, having you at my disposal with your appetites would probably kill me”

She laughed again then continued

“Love making with you is like Zumba and Pilates rolled into one and you would “appreciate” me into an early grave”

“So, what do you have planned?” Mark asked

“I’m going on a cruise” she replied

“Really?” he asked, “on your own or with a friend?”

“I’m going with a gentleman admirer” she replied and blushed

“Good for you” Mark exclaimed

“So, when do you go?”

“I’m leaving next week” she replied and gracefully got to her feet “So in the meantime I’m going to let you answer the question you’ve been asking yourself since the moment I walked in”

“Which is?”

“Is she wearing tights or stockings?”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (182) St Stephen’s Day

 

It was Boxing Day and Dave Radcliffe and Charlotte Pickford were on their way to the Sword and Shield, and the reason they were on their way there was because they showed live football in the bar and United were playing Liverpool.

Dave was a Man Utd fan, from a long line of United fans and it was an important match, well to be honest it was always an important match when United played Liverpool, but this one was more important than normal.

“I have a confession to make,” Charlotte said.
“Oh? What?” he asked her “Are you married?”

“Not that I remember” she replied “and I would hope if I were, I wouldn’t be standing in a bus shelter kissing another man”

He thought about it for a moment, and she could have been married for all he knew, he hadn’t known her for long and they’d only had their first proper date on Christmas Eve, so there was a lot he didn’t know about her.

Her name was Charlotte Pickford, and she was new to the island, her family had moved into the house next door to his parents, two weeks before Christmas from somewhere in Downshire.

He liked the look of her from the first minute and asked her out the first chance he got, but it took him almost 2 weeks before he wore her down and she said yes.

It was kind of an instant attraction thing, certainly for me, and since the first attraction had gradually deepened, he was now head over heels in love with her.

But on Boxing Day they were on their way to the pub to watch the match when they stopped for an intimate interlude in the bus shelter.

“What then?” he asked
“I’ve been dreading saying this” she said, and Dave was really worried and wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but Charlotte took a deep breath, and he braced himself

“I’m a Liverpool supporter” she said and closed her eyes and grimaced, but it took a moment for the full implications of her statement to sink in.

“I think I would have preferred it if you were married” Dave said, so she moved close into him and asked

“Do you mean you would prefer a married woman to be in love with you rather than a Liverpool supporter?”

“She loves me” he said to himself, and he wasn’t sure if that shocked him more than the fact, she supported Liverpool.

“I'm sorry,” she said “Not much of a Christmas present for my new boyfriend I’m afraid”
But she couldn't have been more wrong, it was the perfect Christmas present, Charlotte Pickford loved him.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (181) Christmas Day

 

Christmas morning began with a frosty glaze decorating the rooftops and lightly dusting the evergreens and as the bells rang out to celebrate the birth of the Lord the joyous faithful arrived under a clear blue sky.

It was a most glorious Christmas morning and spirits were high.

At St Joan of Arc’s, Reverend Cheryl Mackender was in great form conducting her first Christmas Morning service in front of Reverend Matthew Lines smiling in the front row. 

Arielle was not in attendance at St Clara’s in Spaniards Creek as Midnight Mass had taken too much out of her so Reverend Henry Noble presided over the service.

Afterwards it took some while for the Church to empty as everyone wanted to give their best wishes to Arielle.

 

In the days preceding Christmas Molly and Danny had been inundated with invitations to share Christmas dinner and were quite overwhelmed by people’s kindness, but in the end, they decided to decline all the invitation’s so they could enjoy a wonderful Christmas lunch, just the two of them, where they ate too much, drank too much and then had the present opening after lunch as per Molly’s tradition.

 

Back in June on one of their walks when they were crossing a stream, Stuart Cameron caught sight of something glistening in the water, so he knelt on the bank and reached down and picked it up, it was an irregular shaped piece of aviation Perspex about the size of a cigarette packet.

He assumed it originated from a German World War Two aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably, and likely fell to earth as a result of cannon fire or flak.

 

Following the find Stuart began fashioning it into two items,

He had done everything he could do himself, but he needed help from one of his patients, Daniel White, at Longlake Farm, who made jewellery as a hobby so one Sunday he drove out to the Farm so that he could finish off the pieces with gold mountings so they could be worn on a chain.

One of the items he had given her was a perfectly crafted Dolphin for 39th Birthday and the other one he had kept for Christmas. 

“It’s beautiful” she exclaimed as she took the Celtic Cross from the box.

Deborah Woodward had a faith, but she was not a churchgoer, it was hatches, matches and dispatches only for her.

“You are amazing” she said and kissed him “I really love you”

 

In mid-December Dale Power offered to take Eden Hills Christmas shopping on the mainland one afternoon and they had a great shopping expedition which culminated in a tender kiss.

There were many more dates and many more kisses between then and Christmas Day.

They had to spend Christmas Morning and have Christmas lunch with their families, so they didn’t get together until 4 o’clock at her parents’ house which was when they opened their presents, Eden had never done Christmas presents with a boyfriend before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the shopping trip when he kissed her in the Shopping Centre.  

Her parent were in the lounge watching TV, so Eden took Dale into the dining room.

There was a small Christmas Tree on the table, and she had placed his present under the little tree as Dale looked on.

“Happy Christmas” she said excitedly and handed a little gift bag to him. 

“Ok” he said laughing and he took the package and inside the gift bag was a little bundle wrapped in tissue paper, and inside that was a little square gold embossed jewellers’ box, and when he opened the hinged box, he found a pair of platinum cufflinks bearing his initials.

“They’re lovely” he said and then he joined Eden and kissed her.

“Your turn” he said and placed her gift under the tree and brought out a small parcel.

“I’ve never had a Christmas present from a boyfriend before” she said

“Well you have one now, open it” he urged “Open it”

“I want to enjoy every second of it” Eden said

When she had carefully removed the paper, she put it on the table and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold charm bracelet, bearing five charms, an anvil and a horseshoe, (symbolizing how they met while he was blacksmithing), a heart inscribed with her name (for love), a Christmas tree (to mark the season), and a crucifix (as a mark of faith).

“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s beautiful”

“You can add to it as a record of our life together” Stephen added

“What forever?” she asked

“For ever” he confirmed before adding “I love you”

“And I love you too” she responded, and they embraced, and the nature of that embrace led to them having to adjourn to her bedroom.