Christmastime
She sat in the church and listened to the small choir practising for the carol concert that was happening that evening.
It was Christmas Eve.
It should have been a joyous time .
She had planned the whole day .
A day for letting them do the things that made Christmas special for each of them, and instead she was sitting here trying to forget that hey were lost.
Goniff and Casino should be putting up the tree and sorting through decorations, telling each other what they would be doing if they were at home.
Craig and Chief should be outside chopping the wood as they always did , laughing at the antics that were going on inside , and enjoying the freedom that the outdoors availed them.
She had planned for Actor to help her wrap the presents that she had been hiding in the attic and then all together they would put them under the tree , and then having had an early supper they
would all have headed for the Carol Concert.
Even Chief had said he would come , his present to her,
Now as she sat in the church, cold and miserable without them, she wished that she had not listened to the small voice in her head that had told her that this was a good idea.
She had not been in a church since she had buried Sarah.
There had never been any reason to be thankful after she had lost all that mattered to her. She thought it was then that she had stopped believing.
She shivered, and decided that it was time to go home, maybe make a start on some of the things that she had planned for them , just in case they some how managed to find a way to get back.
She turned and looked at the statue at the front of the church, Mary and the Christ Child, she closed her eyes ,and said quietly.
` Please let them find their way home`.
As she turned and left the church she hoped in her heart that someone was listening.
She closed the door as quietly as she could and then headed to the back of the churchyard to put the flowers she had gathered on the grave.
It was peaceful here and the only sound was the choir singing softly.
She stood and listened , then put the flowers against the headstone and whispered.
`Merry Christmas, take care of each other`.
The tears slid slowly down her cheeks , and she knew , no matter how many Christmases there were , she would always miss them .
She brushed the snow from the top of the stone lovingly, as if in a caress, and then slowly walked away.
She started to walk home, thinking of them all so far away this Christmas, like so many others, she knew that. But it was different, they were her family and she wanted them home and safe , not lost
in the snow somewhere.
She pulled her scarf closer round her neck. The cold was getting worse now, and she could feel the frosty nip in the air.
It would look beautiful in the morning, a white Christmas, just like on the cards,
As she walked towards the cottage she realized that she had been out for most of the afternoon, it was almost four o'clock ,and it was dark now.
She had walked this road so many times over the years she didn't need light to show her the way home
As she rounded the corner she reached the cottage and opened the gate. She stood and listened , she could hear Christmas Carols.
They were coming from the cottage.
She unlocked the door and then closed it behind her and pulled back the blackout curtain across before reaching for the light switch.
The room was suddenly enveloped in a soft glow, and she stood for a moment trying so see further into the room.
She turned on the light and looked at the Christmas tree standing in the corner, and all the decorations that had been hung around the room, and then at the five men that stood before her.
`Thought you'd got lost`. Said Craig
Thought we'd brighten the place up a little`. Said Goniff
`Yeah, Christmas Eve and no tree , just unthinkable , said Casino.
She looked at Craig
`Sorry , couldn't stop them`. He said.
He wiped the tears from her eyes.
`You're supposed to be glad we're back, not upset `.
She laughed and threw herself into his arms.
`Oh I am so very glad, it wouldn't have been the same without you, all of you`, she said
`Well show us how glad you are then and find some presents to put under this tree`, said Goniff, `We do have presents , don't we?
`Haven't wrapped them up yet`, she said
`Then why are you still standing there then woman, get going ? Said Casino
She laughed,
On my way ` she said `be grateful for some help if anyone's free,
`Thought you'd never ask`, said Chief and Actor together.
`I'll make some coffee`, said Craig, you look frozen.
`Should just about be finished in time to get to the concert,` said Casino
`Yeah, can't have Christmas without carols, now can we.? Asked Goniff.
She looked at them all now engrossed in what they were doing, forgetting the war for a little while.
She would enjoy the concert tonight, now that she had her family round her, and she had tomorrow to look forward too.
She would say thank you too,
Maybe it was time for her to start believing again, after all it couldn't hurt to hope that someone was watching over them and keeping them safe.
They had returned home this time against all odds.
Yes maybe this was the right time after all
Christmas was a time for miracles, now wasn't it?