Memories of William Horton’s childhood flashed through his mind as he
approached the Christmas Market in Shallowfield.
Although the memory that filled his head was a distant one, in more ways
than one, as it happened many years earlier when his father was an Army Colonel
stationed in Berlin.
Their Nanny Gisela took them to the Spandau
Christmas market and she indulged them
with food and drink, he could almost taste the spicy sausages, fried onion and
tangy mustard, the recollection was so vivid.
He knew that the
Shallowfield Market was a pale imitation of its German counterpart but he
wasn’t there for Gluwein or spiced sausage nor was he looking for marzipan novelties
or tawdry decorations.
His interest was in
the centre piece of the market, the Christmas Tree, a mighty thirty foot
evergreen dressed to honour the season and when he got his first sight of it, it
made him sigh.
It was a magical place
for him and looking upon it brought him back to the moment he had last seen it
a week earlier and he felt the joy of that moment instantly, when he kissed
Georgia for the first time in the glow of the trees lights.
But that kiss had not
been repeated since because he was a soldier of the Downshire Light Infantry
like his father before him, and he had been away with the regiment, but a
promise was made to meet again, a promise he hoped they would both be keeping.
He stood by the tree
and scanned the faces in the crowd looking for a tall willowy red head, but
after ten minutes he began to think she was going to let him down.
But then he felt a tug
at his elbow and when he turned around Georgia was smiling at him.
“Hi” she said
“You came” William
said
“Of course” Georgia
retorted and kissed him as the Snow fell softly and the lights of the tree
twinkled and their hearts became entwined.
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