Twenty five year old Abbie Parkes worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the
Abbottsford Phoenix Shopping Centre, and was a very popular and hardworking member of staff, unfortunately
she was also a very willing worker and seldom said no when she was asked to
work late.
Which was why she missed the coach to Sharpington for the St Patrick’s Day
Parade, and she was desperately unhappy about it because, Mike
Ranson, the love of her life was on the
coach and she wasn’t.
Abbie had been after him for months even though they were oposites.
She was a skinny little waif and was only 4’ 11” and was a talkative
little livewire with raven black hair, while he was a great bear of a man, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall, had a
barrell chest and hands like shovels, and an abundance of corn coloured hair.
Although she was a chatter box who never shut up she got all tongue tied
with him when it came to trying to ask him out.
She thought he was probably looking for someone as quiet as him anyway,
but that trip to the parade was make or break time for her.
But she wasn’t going to let a simple thing like missing her coach derail
her so she went straight to Abbottsford station where she caught the first
train she could.
When she
reached her destination she wandered around Sharpington for about an hour
looking for her group, or more specifically him, she found all the floats
parked in the Football Stadium car park but no sign of the Hanratty’s coach
party.
To make
matters worse she lost her phone at Abbottsford station so she couldn’t even call
them.
Eventually
she gave up looking and went up to her Aunt’s Caravan up at Whitecliffe
Hill.
She had a
restless night with images of her gentle giant Mike Ranson in her head so he got
up early and made the walk down the hill.
It was the 12th
annual St Patricks’ day Parade in Sharpington and it was getting bigger every
year and ran the length of the promenade, and it was very busy and very noisy
and she didn’t think she had a hope in hell of attracting his attention, even
if she spotted him.
Her first port of call was a café for a hearty breakfast and then she had
to figure out the best place to wait for the Hanratty float to appear.
Her problem wasn’t so much seeing the float as the people on the float
seeing her, and that was because it was very crowded and she stood less than 5
foot tall, and on top of that it was a cold day and she was wrapped up against
the cold.
As the the first of the floats came into view she began to panic because
the crowds swelled and she couldn’t see a thing, but then when she caught the
first glimpse of the Hanratty livery she had an idea.
So she shinned up one of the ornamental lampposts to get a better look and
to be more visible as the float approached.
She easily spotted Mike Ranson’s giant
figure and began shouting.
“Hey Mike, over here”
But she couldn’t make herself heard over
the noisy crowd and all she managed to do was to attract the attention of the
stewards.
Who made a beeline for her lamppost and
one of them was loudly shouting
“Oi you, get down”
And one of them tried to grab her leg so
she wriggled higher up to evade his grasp and then she heard the welcome sound
of Mike’s booming voice.
“Abbie! Abbie!”
She looked in the direction of his voice, and he was leaning out from
behind the cab with one arm outstrected
“Take my hand” he shouted and she grabbed his great paw without hesitation
and he plucked her off the lamppost as if she were a rag doll and pulled her
onto the back of the float, and being an oportunist she took the chance to
emrace him and so she jumped up and wrapped her skinny limbs around his neck
and he enveloped her with his strong arms.
“I’m glad you made it, I was dissapointed when you missed the coach” he
said, because in truth he was as mad about her as she was about him, but he
always doubted that a beautiful little thing like Abbie could ever be
interested in him, but now she was in his arms things might be different.
“Were you really?” she asked
“Yes, I tried ringing but it kept going to answerphone”
“I lost my phone at Abbottsford station, I looked for you when I got here
last night but I couldn’t find you” she explained
“You looked for us?”
“No, I looked for you” she said and hugged
him tighter
“For me?” he retorted, doubting his own
hearing
“Yes, just you, you’re my gentle giant”
she said
“I can’t tell you how often I’ve dreamt of
hearing you say that to me” he said
“You mean you “do” want me?” she asked
lifting her face from his shoulder for the first time to look at him
“Of course”
“Then why haven’t you asked me out?”
“I was scared” he admitted
“Of me?”
“Yes”
“But you want to go out with me?” she
asked
“More than anything”
“Not because I’m hugging you, I mean, you
really do like me?” she asked but he hesitated before replying so she lifted
her head from his shoulder again
“It’s worse than that I’m afraid” he said
“I love you”
Abbie sighed
on hearing his declaration and a second later she retorted
“I love you
too”
And then they
were kissing as the spectators cheered.
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