A Christmas Revelation
Sarah Barry
Egg Flip and Mince Pies
The light from the big house
glowed yellow in the distance. Every year since I could remember I had wondered
what it would feel like to spend Christmas up there, the allure of such a
different life feeding my childhood imagination. As children we had always
marvelled at the swathes of decorations adorning the gates and grand entrance
to Marley Hall, and wondered how many glowing lights filled the house with
splendour. In contrast our worn cottage on the edge of the rambling estate was
warm, sparse in furniture, yet crammed with life. I had revelled in the
security of sixteen Christmases here, but this might be my last. I fondly
remembered our enthusiasm as we transformed our gamekeeper’s cottage with the
holly and ivy we gathered noisily every Christmas Eve morning. The painful
pricks from the holly leaves forgotten when our proud faces surveyed our
creativity. Occasionally we were lucky enough to have some red ribbon to really
embellish our home.
Secretly I had
always wished I could spend Christmas Day up in the spacious warmth of the
house, running through hallways dressed in the heaviest velvet leaving a wake
of presents to mark my adventure. I had dreamt of cream kid boots and matching
gloves smoothed over my rough skin and a never ending supply of candy. My
innocence persuaded me that contentment came from indulgent parents and a
plethora of servants answering my imaginary whims.
Now I realised
every Christmas Day had been joyous here with my mam and my dad and my three
brothers and four sisters. Of course there had been fights and frantic orders
as the time of dinner approached. I marvelled now at the feast my mam always
prepared for us in the cramped kitchen with a baby at her feet. She never
failed and the fullest feeling that my belly had all year reassured me
Christmas was happily here again; my precious gift a new ribbon for my hair or
maybe a pretty dress if it had been a good year. In the midst of today’s
celebration I realised our gleeful delight came from each other. My dreams of
being allowed to skip freely alone through echoing rooms and vast hallways
would have brought me a minute’s pleasure. This smoky stone room encases my
happiest memories.
The New Year will beckon me to my
adult life. I am leaving for service on the 1st January, 1931. My new home will
be a big house thirty miles from here. I do not know when I will next cram
around our proudly scrubbed table and laugh and cry and wish my family Merry
Christmas. “Josie get over here and get those spuds off the range.” The command
fractures my daydream and I jump up to do my bit. I know this Christmas will be
my happiest ever, as I appreciate what I truly have, the love and kindness of
all around me.
Bio
Sarah
Barry lives in Co. Kildare, Ireland where she recently completed a creative
writing course with the inspirational author Niamh Boyce. Sarah has been
focussing on writing Flash Fiction and Short Stories, as rapid bursts of
writing have to fit around caring for her four children. Sarah’s first
published work was a flash fiction included in the anthology Once Upon A Time:
A Collection of Unexpected Fairytales (ed. SJI Holliday and Anna Meade) and
another flash fiction was included in the “Flash Flood” that cascaded
throughout the 12th October, 2012. Sarah’s blog can be found at www.relishingwriting.blogspot.ie
or follow her on twitter @saraheebarry
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