2 #3
‘There’s a certain order to these things,’ Belle said.
‘Aye,’ Edina jumped in. ‘Start by telling Santa your name and age,’ she explained loudly, as Belle nodded at her to continue.
‘Tell him if you’ve been good; perhaps you could even let him know some of the nice things you’ve done.
For example’ – she tapped the red pencil against the white paper set in front of her – ‘I’ve told Santa that I’m seventy-seven.
I have a donkey called Bob who I usually visit every day, because he enjoys the company.
Recently I’ve been trying to find Bob a friend – I’m worried he gets lonely in his barn all by himself. ’ Her lips pursed.
‘I’m six,’ Lennie said loudly, shoving his sister away as she tried to read his letter. ‘Bonnie is too. We have the same birthday.’ He pulled a face. ‘I made my nana a card when she was in hospital and when she came home, she brought it with her. She told me it helped make her better.’
‘I made a card too.’ Bonnie frowned at her brother. ‘Mine had glitter on it and a picture of a princess. She told me it made her feel happy inside.’
Edina nodded seriously. ‘Then you should tell Santa about your cards. Those sound like very good deeds to me.’ The older woman went back to writing her list and Belle wondered what she might be asking for.
More visitors perhaps? She obviously adored having the children here and she was great with them.
‘You haven’t told Santa about any of the good things you’ve done,’ Nessa whispered to Belle. ‘Or told him how old you are. Did you forget?’ Her brow furrowed as she stabbed a finger at Belle’s letter.
‘Oh.’ Belle picked up her pencil again and wrote, I am thirty years old, adding the school’s address onto the top-left of the white paper. She tapped the pencil against her chin before writing.
This year I: raised over six hundred pounds so the village playground could be repaired; organised the spring and summer school fete; helped my best friend repaint her beauty salon; knitted twelve blankets for premature babies in Morridon Hospital; gave blood; adopted a penguin, mountain gorilla, donkey and a polar bear.
She paused, trying to remember if she’d forgotten anything. The list of good deeds seemed inadequate compared to all the life-saving work her da did.
‘Wow!’ Nessa gasped. ‘Santa will definitely give you a lot of presents. Now you need to tell him what you want. I asked for a pink canopy to go over my bed, like Bonnie has.’ She stabbed her pencil at her list. ‘How do you spell giraffe?’
Belle told her before turning back to her letter.
She stared at the page for a few minutes.
My Christmas list is, she wrote before looking up; Edina was scribbling something onto her paper.
The children were quiet now, a few thinking, some asking the parent helpers for ideas or assistance with spellings.
Belle watched them, feeling her insides warm.
Her life was already full enough; aside from wanting to see more of her da, there wasn’t much more she could want.
Besides, there was always that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach she had to contend with whenever she asked for anything. Like she didn’t really deserve it.
‘You have to think of something,’ Nessa said, frowning.
‘Okay.’ Belle picked up her pencil.
1. I want the MacGavin family to find their forever home.
2. I want my best friend to find someone who makes her happy.
Belle didn’t write Kenzy’s name, aware Nessa might read her list again.
3. I want Ms Lachlan to recover from her ankle injury quickly and for her grandson to visit.
She glanced at Nessa who was still engrossed in her own letter.
4. I want Bob to find a special friend.
So far the donkey and Jinx hadn’t hit it off. Not that they’d had much of a chance – the cat had spent most of his time burrowed under Belle’s bed, refusing to come out aside from at mealtimes or for a quick dash to the litter tray. What else did she want? Belle grimaced before writing.
5. I want my da to come home for Christmas.
He’d not left Kenya for years. When Belle had been younger, just after her mam had died, he’d told her the children he worked with needed him more than she did.
He’d been right, of course. Her godmother had given her plenty of attention while she’d been growing up and Belle had adored her.
But Annie had been a doctor with a million other important pressures on her time, which meant Belle had often felt in the way.
‘There’s not much on your list,’ Nessa grumbled, leaning over Belle’s letter again. ‘You need to add something else. My mam says if you can’t get to six, you’re not trying hard enough.’ She hmphed, turning back to her letter.
Belle stared at the blank paper.
6. I want someone to…
Her pencil drifted over the page as she thought about the thing she most wanted. She wrote put me but then scribbled it out, shaking her head and putting the pencil down. She didn’t need anything. Not even that.
* * *
Keep reading here!