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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