A short story for a Christmas night

 

A keen wind whistled around the tower of St Saviour’s Church blowing away the snow and leaving the frost-covered spire glowing in the light of a full moon.

Inside, the church was full of happy smiling faces as the congregation enjoyed Christmas Midnight Mass.

It was getting near the end of the service, and sitting at the back, Maureen and Jim decided it was time to leave. They were feeling old and cold and wanted to avoid the rush to the car park.

Creeping out, they closed the church door quietly behind them and shivered in the freezing air.

‘Brrr!’ said Jim, his old bones creaking a little.

‘It’s rather pretty out tonight, don’t you think Jim?’ said Maureen.

‘I do Mo,’ he agreed.

Carefully crunching across the ground and avoiding the iced-over puddles, they found their car covered in a hard layer of frost. Jim was relieved he’d remembered his gloves and an ice scraper, he tended to forget so much these days.

Looking up at the starry sky he said, ‘It’s such a perfect night isn’t it Mo… and such a beautiful full moon, it’s even got a halo around it.’

‘Perfect,’ she said, smiling at him.

‘I always look forward to Christmas,’ he said. ‘It reminds me of all the happy Christmases we’ve enjoyed.’

‘It certainly does, Jim… it certainly does. Now hurry up and unlock the car, I’m freezing standing out here.’

It took several goes, and a bit of muttering, for him to get their car started. The old Ford had served them well, but like its owners, was now feeling its age. Eventually, the engine fired up and, with only a slight gear crunch, Jim drove forward.

They smiled at each other and then gasped when a snow-white owl flew over their car.

‘Mo, Christmas Eve night is such a special night isn’t it,’ said Jim, skidding the car as he swerved onto the road.

‘Careful, Jim!’ said Maureen.

 

‘I’ll take the back road,’ he said, slowing down to turn off the main road onto a single-track country lane.

‘Be careful of ice, Jim. No point in rushing at this time of night.’

‘I won’t rush, dear. Just thought it would be a nice idea to enjoy this beautiful road, with the moon shining down on the frosty hedgerow.’

‘Yes, Jim… it is a nice idea.’

 

A fair way down, just around a bend in the road, they saw a person standing tucked in the hedge. They were waiting patiently for Jim and Maureen’s car to pass them by.

‘Careful, Jim, the road’s very slippy here,’ said Maureen.

‘I will love.’

He pulled the car hard over to the other side and drove slowly passed the figure standing there.

‘Hang on a second, Jim… did you see? It was a young lady with not much on. She’ll be freezing dressed like that. Go on, reverse up and see if we can give her a lift.’

Jim gently backed the car, until they were alongside the girl.

Maureen wound the window down and asked, ‘Would you like a lift, love? You look cold standing there.’

‘Oh, yes please,’ she answered. ‘You’re right, I have got cold. Thought I’d take the back road and walk home, but it's taking much longer than I thought, and I’m now exhausted.’

‘Hop in then love! We’ll get you back quickly, it’s nice and warm in our car.’

The girl tried to open the car door but couldn’t budge it.

‘I think it’s got stuck with ice… I can’t open it.’

‘I’ll do it,’ said Maureen. ‘Stand back… I’m getting out.’

She pulled the rear door so hard, it swung back into a gap in the hedge.

‘Careful!’ shouted Jim from the front.

Maureen ignored him. ‘Quick into the car with you!’ she said.

 

The girl crawled into the back seat and sat down. Maureen spun forward, skidding a little on the ice, and then settled herself down in her front seat.

‘Come on then, Jim… off we go.’

‘Yes, yes..’ he said. ‘I’ll have us all home in a couple of shakes of a lamb's tail.’

He managed to drive off with only a slight gear crunch and soon had the car purring along again.

‘Where do you live,’ he asked.

‘In the next village, after you turn left at the end of this lane. Do you know Ashburn?’

‘Yes, we live in the village just after it, Ashford.’

‘I live in a cul-de-sac,’ the girl continued. ‘Pear Tree Drive, first left after the pub. House number 12.’

‘I know it well,’ said Jim. ‘Well, not your house,’ he giggled. ‘I know the pub.’

‘Jim, stop being silly and get this poor girl home quickly… and you can turn the heating up a bit, while you’re at it.’

‘It’s on full, Mo.’

‘Well then, turn the fan up higher.’

‘Yes, yes… of course I’ll turn the fan up higher.’

 

They drove on in what could have been silence if it wasn’t for the roar of the fan. Finally, they reached the turning into Pear Tree Drive.

‘Remind me, what’s the house number?’ asked Jim.

‘Number 12,’ said Maureen raising her eyes to the sky. He did seem to be getting so forgetful these days. She’d never thought of him as old, but he was heading for ninety.

They passed several homes aglow with Christmas lights, but when they reached the house, they could only see a light on behind an upstairs curtain.

‘Right, Jim… you pull up outside and,’ she said turning to the girl. ‘I’ll go and get your parents. Best if you stay in the warm car until we can bring you some blankets.’

But the girl didn’t answer, she had fallen fast asleep.

‘Won’t be long love, I’ll get your parents in a jiffy,’ said Maureen to the sleeping girl. ‘Looks like they’re waiting up for you.’

 

Maureen walked carefully up the snow-covered path to the front door.

She rapped on the door knocker. Nothing. She tried again louder and longer.

‘I’m coming… I’m coming!’ said a voice from inside the house. A light was stitched on in the hall and the door opened to show a man in his dressing gown.

Not sure she’d come to the right house, she asked. ‘This is number 12 isn't it?’

‘Yes, it is,’ he sighed.

‘We have your daughter, she’s in our car with Jim… my husband.’

‘I knew, one day, someone would bring her home,’ he said.

‘You did?’

‘Yes, we did try to do it ourselves, but she wasn’t there for us.’

‘She wasn’t?’

Tears filled his eyes.

‘No, she was dead. It was a terrible accident, she was walking home and a car skidded into her on the ice… It was a Christmas Eve, ten years ago.’

In shock, Maureen turned and looked back at their car, just in time to see two snow-white owls fly off into the distance, and Jim slumped in his seat… looking, for all the world, like he was sleeping.