Holly Christmas(Terry Sewell) HOLLY CHRISTMAS:


Holly looked out of her frozen iced bedroom window, “Yes!” she Shouted! Joyfully, “Mummy, It’s snowing!” The skinny ten year old rushed down the stairs to where her Mother was baking in the kitchen, “Mm that smells so nice Mum. It’s been snowing. May I go out and Play please Mum, Please?” Ruby Tubble smiled, “Yes but get some hot Porridge inside you first, then you Can go.” “Thanks Mum.” Holly Skipped away to sit at the breakfast table, not having noticed her Father through all the excitement who was already sat eating a full fried breakfast of sausages, bacon, mushrooms, egg, fried bread and beans.

“Morning, that looks good,” Holly greeted her Father, with a smile. “Yes its ok, what are you so happy about?” he snarled, “Get your arms off the table girl, how many times do you want telling?” “Sorry Dad,” the child said terrified by his sudden uncalled burst of anger. “You’ll get sorry one of these days,” Tom Tubble scowled at his Daughter. “There you are, get that inside you, there’s a good girl, and stop annoying your Father,” her protective Mother commented.

“It’s a bit lumpy this morning Mummy,” the pretty little girl complained, placing down a dish of steaming hot porridge onto the table in front of her. “Eat it all up like a good girl,” Ruby Tubble encouraged her with a comforting smile.

The whole atmosphere of the house stunk from a mixture of smoke by the fry-up, fresh baked sausage rolls and mince pies. Ruby always cooked every Christmas eve as she knew how much her husband and Holly enjoyed her Pastry. The home had been nicely trimmed with Christmas decorations both on the ceiling and walls of which several had been hand made by Holly at School. Cards from family and friends were placed around the room and mantelpiece which gave the place a traditional festive look.

“Dad,” What do you want for Christmas?” Holly asked excitedly. “You can forget about Christmas girl, you’re lucky you’ve got food on the table let alone anything else,” he snarled again at the child. “Stop bothering your Father Holly, you know he is out of work now,” Mrs Tubble reminded her. “Look girl, if I had a job I would give you the best Christmas ever, but we just do not have the money so let that be the end of it. We must be thankful for what we have and don’t you ever forget it,” he explained.

Holly sulked in her chair at the breakfast table. She had been so looking forward to Christmas and having lots of presents to open. It seemed unlikely now it was ever going to be a happy one as far as Holly was Concerned. Holly finished the last of the lumpy porridge which by now was making her choke from detesting it so much. Once permission had been given by her Father to leave the breakfast table, Holly quickly put on her second-hand clothes and boots to venture into a snow covered festive looking scene outside.

The wind was bitter with temperatures near on freezing point, as the youngster ventured out into the cold. The tiny village of Calingvale seemed almost deserted apart from poor old Burt Rudley who was giving his son Jack a ride on a sledge, they were having a lovely time laughing and smiling. Holly didn’t have a sledge as she’d asked her Father many times before in the past but the answer had always been no. She made a few snowballs and chucked them at Burt, one hitting him on the arm, “Hey you little beggar, I’ll get you for that,” he said jokingly. Holly ran off and up the village until she was a long way out of distance.

The village scenery looked magical like something on a Christmas card, with houses that looked like big cakes with icing on the top and the river under the bridge which Holly had now reached was frozen solid. “Better not try it out,” she thought to herself, though the adventurous child felt very tempted in trying to walk across it. Instead she walked along the head land of the fields, jumping in and out of deep snowdrifts like some daring explorer making her mark. Holly felt hungry and was getting very cold as she walked passed Chalk Pit Cottage down workshop lane, stopping by the waterfall which was completely frozen-over with big icicles hanging down over the river.

Holly hurriedly made her way back past the old Tudor manor house by its big black wooden gates which had always scared her by the village rumours of them opening and shutting on their own accord at 7 o'clock each night. By the time she turned into Hill Trap Lane her hands were frozen stiff due to the severe cold. There was a storm now which she struggled in seeing clearly in front of her due to the continuous battering of sleet pounding against her young vulnerable face. Never before had she been so pleased to see the sight of the family house and warm shelter of her home.

"Where have you been, girl? I have been worried sick about you all this time, you have been gone for hours, Look at yourself! Get those wet clothes off you now and into the bath or you will catch pneumonia. It's a Good thing your father isn't here, he would have told you off most severely child," her mother grumbled. Holly swiftly ran upstairs to the bathroom while her doting parent hastily searched the linen cupboard for clean warm clothes. Holly soaked her aching body a long time in the bath and by the time she was dressed to return downstairs she was feeling a lot better. "Do not know where your father has gone to, love, he is as bad as you were, going off without a word," Holly's mother complained while looking at the clock on the wall in the living room.

Ruby decided to start the baking after calculating in her mind just how long she had got to get some cooking done. Ruby traditionally baked mince pies, sausage rolls and beef tarts every Christmas Eve for the family and children as they all gathered for a family festive get together with drinks and a few snacks. Holly just loved to help her mother in the kitchen while the sound of the Christmas carols played in the background from their big old crackly radio in the lounge. Suddenly Holly jumped up in excitement, "Oh I adore this one mum don't you?" Holly then very sweetly began to sing along to the sound of Silent Night.

Ruby and Holly had almost finished the baking when the many family members began arriving. Everyone was in good cheer until Holly's Grandmother asked the question as to why they had no Christmas tree. Holly got very upset and stormed out of the door and into the cold cruel winter’s night. The snow had subsided with a clear moonlight night as she ran all the way to the place she always went to when she was upset, the village church. The external part of the building was lit up with flood-lights as she walked inside its magnificent interior, the whole place was alight with candles and a huge Christmas tree stood decorated with lights in ready for the midnight mass. Holly sat down on one of the pews with her whole body shaking from the cold evening, tears flowed down onto her face as she sobbed uncontrollably with her head in her hands leaned over in the seat.

Then something very magical happened to Holly, she heard a voice whisper in her ear that everything would be alright. Holly looked around expecting to see the priest but no one was there. She noticed that the candle light began to fade all around her, as she blinked her streaming tearful eyes in disbelief she found herself transported back in time by an Angel to a distant place of a stable from long ago where they hovered above hand in hand in witnessing the birth of Jesus.

"Don't be afraid child for this is the meaning of Christ and all that he was born for, to bring peace and joy to the world," the angel reassured Holly. The angel then placed a crown of holly around her head, "This is a sign of the Lord for you on this holy night." Holly looked towards a bright shining star that dazzled her eyes, glorifying the whole scene, a star of great beauty and magnitude. She looked down to the stable to see that shepherds were there and three wise men which the angel said were guided to the place from Bethlehem. All of whom brought gifts which were that of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Joseph and Mary watched over Jesus where he lay, wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger on a bed of hay.

"Holly are you alright?" Mrs Bewes, the W.I. Lady from the village who always looked after the flower decorations to the church, asked worriedly. "I am now." Holly answered with a smile, then ran off back home as quickly as she had run up to the church only minutes before. Something pricked her young legs as she fumbled to find the back door knob of her home. Upon entering the porch inside she put the outside light on as it was now pitch dark. Holly's eyes stared in surprise at a Holly branch the size of a small tree laying on the ground at the foot of the door in front of her. The atmosphere was a very happy one as Holly tried to enter the living room quietly without being noticed, with everyone with party hats, drinks and even some of the family singing carols. Tom Tubble had returned back from the pub, to his wife's discontentment due to his drunken state in front of the family guests. Holly approached her intoxicated dad to tell him about the tree she had found and asked him if they could have it as a Christmas tree. To her surprise, he planted it straight away into a pot and all the family joined in to decorate it.

Once it was all finished they all took time to admire it. Holly put her arms around her dad to thank him in an emotional show of gratitude in front of everyone. “Thank you Daddy, it is the best Christmas tree ever,” she said with a smile to hug him firmly. "What is that on your head Holly?" Her father asked curiously while spilling beer over her arm. She touched her head with her hand to feel a prick on its skin, "Oh I had forgotten all about that," she claimed. “It was a gift by an Angel who took me back to Bethlehem to see the birth of Jesus, daddy. But that could never have happened...
Could it?”

Terry Sewell © Copyright 2018

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