Snow glistened like candy floss on the frozen ground, crunching footsteps creating mental images of giants feasting on the sugary confection. Multi coloured lights, sparkled, twinkled and winked from neighbourhood homes, unusual plastic shapes in garish colours, placed in unusual environments gazed blankly from white filled gardens. Santas with bulging bags climbed precariously on garden walls, perched dangerously atop chimney stacks, nodding bravely in time with the windy weather. Christmas! A joyous and expectant time of the year, made even more so for young Teresa Killen and her baby brother Josh. For tomorrow they were going to see the Big Man himself,  bringer of gifts, jolly person in a frozen world, bright red suit lighting up the dreary season.

Perhaps not so for parents and guardians, who had the mind blowing job of scraping together enough cash to fulfil Santa’s promises to the excited children. But hardship and sacrifice were forgotten when Christmas morning dawned and the glow from young faces lit up homes brighter than the tall pine tree in the corner.

Sleep evaded Teresa as her little heart raced and morning seemed a lifetime away. The sonorous snores of her Dad, the soft sighs from Mum and the fiddly fidgeting from Josh eventually guided her into the Land of Nod, safe in the bosom of the family unit….

 

Mummy’s voice roused Teresa from her dreams of  tinsel and toys and stretching  she anticipated the day ahead. Giggling dizzily, she quickly washed and dressed , listening to the  ceaseless chittering of her sibling. Three year old Josh was a constant thorn in Teresa’s side, although she loved him with a fierce protective sisterly devotion but not when he was trying to tag along with her and her friends. One Halloween past, Mum insisted they take him trick or treating, he wore Dad’s overcoat and cap with face blackened with soot and to their chagrin completely outshone their carefully applied makeup and fairy wings  ending up with a sack full of goodies they could only dream of.

 

At long last, the family trooped out the door, over muffled like Eskimoes, ready to brave the Winter blasts.  Teresa held Dad’s hand while Mum suffered Josh’s relentless questions:

“Where does Santa live, Mum!”

“ Does he know where I live”

“Will you tell him, promise!”

“Quiet now, love here’s the bus” Mum succeeded in silencing him for a while until they were seated on the top deck AND thankfully the rocking motion of the tram lulled him to sleep and they were saved. Teresa was different. Her excitement was hidden within her, anticipation bubbling inside. She was a quiet child, not known to show outward emotion but gifted with an incredible imagination fed by her avid reading capabilities and love for books. Teresa kept dairies into which she poured her heart, even at six years old, surveying and storing information garnered from everyday life, opinions of folk and activities around her, translating them into simple language and hence into small poems and tales she kept in her secret journal. Mum had become concerned about Teresa’s continual reading and had consulted her primary school teacher to seek advice.

“Mrs Hillen, don’t stop Teresa reading. It is so good for her, it is something she loves and will stand her in good stead in later years. If she wants to read the back of a cornflakes box let her.”

Words of wisdom to alleviate a mothers worry concerning her child’s mental health. Teresa wasn’t withdrawn and strange, she was literary and caught up in the magic of the written word. Future Christmas presents would now always include a book!

Today would be different, though. A trip into town on the No. 12 bus, a meeting with Father Christmas, a present and lunch in a café. Rare treats indeed!

Teresa was  a happy child, nearly always happy, except when Josh clung to her apron strings when not wanted,  but sometimes her child’s mind sensed a darkness in front of her and she would sit quietly, book in hand and lose the bad feeling in wonderful words.

 

Soon they arrived in downtown Belfast and with Dad shouldering the still sleeping Josh , they proceeded on foot to Robbs Department store. Teresa was numbed by the number and size of the shops and horrified by the hurrying hordes of humans intent on finishing their Christmas collections. Armed with umbrellas and walking sticks, pushchairs and prams, shifting and shoving, pushing and pulling, the spirit of the season all but forgotten in their quest for the Holy Grail!! With daring determination Mum directed her family through the door Robbs. There were no simple sentences to describe the sights, sounds and sensations that assailed them on the shop floor.

Christmas carollers chorused from overhead speakers, candy canes and coloured lights cascaded from every available ceiling fixture. Glass shelves groaned with gorgeous goodies, garish garments vied for space with beautiful boots and not so sensible shoes.  Perfumes pervaded the atmosphere,  several samples of smoky smells and flower fusions. Best of all the scents of the season, cinnamon combined with orange, ppine with peppermint, spices speared on savoury scones and sweets. A magical world for Teresa, enough visual variety, vocal cacophony to feed her imaginative writing skills for quite some time.

“Teresa, stop dithering. Do you want to see Santa at all. C’mon, love, hurry up. Josh is getting restless and your Da and I could do with a cup of tea.”

That said they joined the queue for Winter Wonderland. Robbs had outdone themselves this year. A white wooden Santa sleigh with rubber reindeer, stood ready and waiting, decorated in shades of Christmas red and pine tree green, to whisk excited little ones through the enchanted forest to Santa’s home in the store’s basement. Tiny faces, tinged with cold, shone ruby red with delight as the sleigh slowed at each glittering grotto, each painted piece presenting a picture pertaining to the season. Industrious toy making elves, hammering heartily  and hastily to hurry along production, jolly jumbo cooks concocting candy canes and creamy cakes, fairies flitting hither and thither fanning the weary workers and toy tin soldiers guarding the entrance to Santa’s sanctuary. And there he was! Childrens’ chatter ceased! Toddlers tears turned off! Bonny babies instantly slept and even grown ups grew quiet.

He smiled and the children Oooohed!

He waved and the children Aaaahed!

One by one he named them and they felt such a sweet terror.

Teresa was transfixed and when her name was called she had a little trouble moving.

 

TO BE CONTINUED……