Wednesday 23 December 2020

Snippets of Downshire Life – Feast of St Stephen

 

In the north of Downshire is the old market Town of Nettlebridge which was quainter and more peaceful than its neighbour Nettlefield, which was a Military Town whereas Nettlebridge prospered from the sheep and wool trade, which is evidenced by the road names,  Sheepfold Street, Woolsack Lane and Shepherds Bridge, and this trade had historically generated a great deal of wealth, and it was also the village where the family home of the Porthnall’s was which was where the family were expected to return to for Christmas.

There were four daughters in the family Julie, May, April and June, the older two were married and had been in Nettlebridge since the schools broke up for the Christmas Holidays but the younger pair couldn’t get there until Boxing Day because they were both Nurses at the Winston Churchill Hospital in Abbottsford and were both on duty on Christmas Day.

         

April and June lived together and were as different as chalk and cheese, June was tall, slim and blonde while April was shorter and brunette, in fact the only things they had in common were blue eyes, a surname, a profession, and a taste in men, in every other way they differed, and the best way to sum them up would be to say that April had a heart and a brain whereas June possessed neither.

 

They set off from Abbottsford at the crack of dawn after June’s boyfriend Dave Hicks pick them up from the hospital, he was medium height, black hair, gypsy eyes, a kind heart and April loved him.

As the sisters had been on duty all night they slept all the way to Nettlebridge and when they arrived, refreshed by a few hours’ sleep, they found there was a house full at the Porthnall’s and a great day followed, a huge family dinner and plenty of wine and as they were staying the night they all got a bit merry, apart from June who got hammered after gorging herself.

It was a big house but even so a reshuffle on the accommodation front was required, due to their mother’s insistence that June and Dave sleep in separate rooms, because their mother was a good Christian woman and didn’t believe in that kind of thing.

The result of the reshuffle meant that Dave shared the spare room with Cousin James while April was forced to endure her sisters’ constant drunken snoring and farting as they each slept on a sofa in the lounge.

April found it difficult to drop off, partly because of June and her horrendous snoring, but also because her head was full of images of her sister’s boyfriend.

After tossing and turning for about an hour her attempts to drop off were further frustrated by an acute need to pee so she got up and tiptoed her way upstairs to the loo.

April was yawning as she left the bathroom and stepped back onto the landing not really paying attention to what she was doing and subsequently bumped into David coming the other way, who wrapped his arms around her and carried her back into the bathroom where he planted a passionate, sensual kiss on her lips.

“We shouldn’t be doing this” she said coming up for air

“Why? You were enjoying it” Dave said and kissed her anew

“That’s not the point” she protested

“So, you admit you were enjoying it” he said “so let’s do it again”

“We mustn’t” April insisted and opened some distance between them

“But it’s really nice” He said wistfully

“I know but we can’t be doing it anymore” she said indignantly

“I know you like me” he continued as he leant against the door

“I’ve seen you looking at me when you think no one’s looking”

“Ah” she exclaimed and sat down on the loo.

David had been going out with June for about three months and April fell in love with him the instant she brought him home.

But the thought never crossed her mind to do anything about it, she had a strong moral compass and you didn’t do things like that, it wasn’t cricket, even if her sister didn’t deserve him.

So, she just worshipped him from afar.

“I’m sorry” she said

“Why are you sorry?” David asked

“For being too weak” she replied “I had no right to fall for you”

“I don’t think you’re weak” David said “Far from it, a weak person wouldn’t have stopped me kissing them”

“Maybe” she conceded

“Your sister wouldn’t have stopped” he added

“I’m not my sister” she pointed out

“I realize that only too well” he said and stepped forward

“I’d better go, but this is for Christmas” he said and kissed her gently

“Merry Christmas”

 

April went back downstairs and tried to sleep but she found it even more difficult after her encounter with David, than she did before.

“This is a real Christmas surprise” she thought as he lay wide awake with only her sisters snoring for company.

When June rolled over onto her side she let out a ripping fart, which was as a result of her skinny body trying to deal with all the food and drink she shoved into it during the course of the day.

A minute or so later a cloud of noxious gas drifted over April and was so foul she decided to leave the room and take sanctuary in the kitchen.

 

She walked out into the hall and turned towards the kitchen and just as he reached the kitchen door a voice from behind said 

“Hello again”

She turned around to see David sitting on the stairs.

“Hi David” she said, “Are you stalking me?”

“Would you mind?” he asked

“No comment, do you want a drink?” she said and went into the kitchen and David followed on behind.

 

She made the drinks and sat down at the table opposite him.

“So, you can’t sleep either then” she said

“I’m afraid not”

“Something on your mind” April asked

“Something” he agreed but didn’t elaborate so she didn’t pursue it any further.

But after five minutes he asked

“Would you go out with me if I wasn’t spoken for?”

“If you weren’t going out with June I’d go out with you in a heartbeat”

She replied

“Why?” David added

“Why would I go out with you?” she said

“Where do I start? Your hair, your eyes, your smile, your laugh but most of all your heart”

David gave her a dazzling smile when she had finished her catalogue and said

“I’ve broken up with her”

“What?” April asked

“We broke up” he replied

“When?”

“Last week”

“But why?”

“Well partly because she’s been seeing my best friend Kenny” he replied “or my ex best friend Kenny I should say”

“Was she?” April asked in disbelief

“You didn’t know then?”

“No, I didn’t, honestly” she said “she wouldn’t tell me something like that because she knows I’d disapprove”

“No, that’s because you are a better human being” David said proudly

“I don’t know about that” April said, “What was the rest of the reason?”

“What?”

“You said June and Kenny was only part of the reason”

“Oh yes I see” he said “well mostly I broke up with her because she’s not you”

April couldn’t believe her ears, did those words really come out of his mouth, it wasn’t possible that he was really attracted to her.

“So, if you broke up with her last week why did you still come today?” she asked

“Because you’re here” he replied and walked around the table, bent down and kissed her.

It was a long and lingering kiss and when it was over she enjoyed it so much she was feeling guilty.

“Does June know?”

“Yes” he said eager to resume

“So why didn’t she say something?” he asked “she’s rubbish at keeping secrets”

“Because I told her I’d send the nude selfie she’d sent me to all my friends if she didn’t, especially if it spoiled my chances with you” he replied and kissed her again before she could speak anymore.

The prolonged kiss showed no sign of abating until a voice said

“What’s going on in here then?”

It was Cousin James who David was sharing the spare room with.

“He’s just wishing me a Happy Christmas?” April said

“Result” James remarked as he poured himself a glass of water and then added

“I’ll leave you two alone”

“Good because I want to wish her a Happy New Year now” David replied

“I think that’s a given” April said

 

They left Nettlebridge shortly after lunch the next day and had a clear run back to Abbottsford.

David was driving and April rode shotgun while a rather fragile June sat in the back and judging by the aromas emanating from back there it was obvious her digestinal tract was still processing the garbage she consumed the previous day.

It was a very quiet and uneventful journey home with all of them lost in their own thoughts.

Aprils were quite philosophical as she pondered the difference a day makes, on the journey up she was envious of her sister and felt guilty for the way she looked at David, while on the way back she couldn’t stop smiling and looked like the cat that got the cream, which of course she had.

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