But not for everyone. I've personally been pretty lucky not too have too many tough Christmases, but I have spent time with those who have. This story is for those who have nothing, nowhere to go, no-one to turn to. Winter is always harsh, and midwinter is always dark, and only after the darkest night comes the light of a new day.
To Hear an Angel Sing
"It’s one of those nights, and here I am, leaning on a gravestone,
squinting up at the church and struggling to breathe. The cold is the kind that slices into your
lungs and so you hold it in a little, just enough for your head to stop reeling
and to delay the pain of its nails as it rasps its way out of your throat.
I pull my scarf up to cover the tip of my nose and exhale into it. That way its warmth stays with me a little
longer.
It’s pink and fluffy. The scarf, I mean. I didn’t choose it. It’s not really my colour; clashes terribly
with my red curls. Not that anyone can
see them. It’s the longest it’s ever
been, my hair. Mum always kept it
cropped close to my scalp. Saved hassles
with lice as she dragged me from school to school, always one step ahead of the
man that fathered me. Kept its real
colour hidden too. Life’s not always
easy for a skinny Scots boy with red hair and freckles. God knows how much fighting my knuckles could
have taken if those Geordie lads had seen ginger curls. They’re tucked neatly under the matching hat
now.
I’m not complaining. To be
honest, I would have cried with delight when the woman clipped past me and
dropped them into my lap - if I hadn’t been too dozy for tears. That’s the problem out here. You need the daylight for scavenging in bins
or looking out for a better spot to spend the night. Or, if you’ve got the energy, to look out for
a handy coffee morning where you can warm up and fill your belly with Garibaldis.
But at night you have to watch
out for yourself and you sleep as deep in whatever bits of rag you can gather
together. You sleep with one eye open
and look out for Old Bill, or dogs or drunks, so during the day you sleep. You can’t help it."
The rest can be read by downloading the story from Amazon. I'm still startled at how easy it was to upload it and have my friends and family across on both sides of the Atlantic purchase and read it. I got feedback within minutes - all of it positive so far, glad to see, my sensitive ego can only cope with "constructive" criticism.
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