The Flower Of My Heart

See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
What are all these kissings worth, 
If thou kiss not me

~ Love's Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me.

~ Song of Solomon 2 4-6 (King James)

 

One rose by( biljana1313 deviantart.com)

The Last Dance

Bucklebury, West Berkshire

Nina Sander must have been walking for hours.

But she had lost track of time.

It was dusk now.

She leaned against a tree.

Nina Sander closed her eyes to shut out the pain.

Memories were tumbling over themselves in her mind.

Bitter sweet memories.

Nina was twenty-three again.

Petite and exotic looking in a little black Betty Jackson shift dress.

Her dark hair tumbling about her shoulders. 

And she was sitting alone at the bar in a club in Birmingham.

The Summarrow; the ultimate luxury clubbing destination. 

Nina had left her lively girlfriends at their table.

Unable to hide her sadness any longer.

Now Nina was copiously wiping away her tears and trying hard to forget the man who had rejected her.

And she was losing the battle.

"Can I buy you a drink?" A sweetly accented voice asked her.

Those were the first words he ever spoken to her.

Nina turned to see a tall man.

6 ft. 

Lean and athletic.

Scandinavian looking with white-blond hair.

He was boyishly handsome with an open face and the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen.

Then he smiled at her.

And Nina knew with all certainty that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

It was simple. 

"I don't drink ..." Nina said quickly looking bashfully away "my girlfriends thought they could coax me out for the night ... "

"This is the worst place to be alone" the man said as he grabbed a stool and sat beside her.

His warm voice was reassuring.

Suddenly Nina felt completely safe.

She was glad he was there. 

"Sorry to pry but you look like you've been crying" the man added gently.

There was a sincere note of concern in his voice.

Nina looked up at him with big tragic eyes.

There was an earnest expression on his handsome face.

"It's a man ... what else could it be?" Nina answered trying to soften the edge in her voice.

She was trying desperately hard to the stem the flow of tears that were filling her eyes.

But the tears kept falling anyway.

"Sorry" he said simply.

And she knew that he meant it.

The couple fell silent for several moments.

There was a note of expectancy between them.

The young man noticed how warm Nina's hazel eyes were.

And how vibrant her olive complexion was and how lustrous her dark hair was.

Her pouting rose-bud lips were full.

She was as fragile and innocent as a May flower.

As exotic as a jasmine flower.

And she looked like a little lost girl.

The young man's heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly he wanted to be her knight in shining armour.

He wanted to protect her.

To kill dragons for her.

And take her to live in his big castle.

Suddenly this alluring creature was the woman he had been waiting for all his life.

This tragic beauty was the woman he was going to marry.

Nina could feel the man looking intently at her.

And she liked it very much.

His gaze was suddenly very precious to her.


"My name is Nina" she said "Nina Toscano ... I'm half Spanish"

papaveri  (by absinth88 deviantart.com)

She tentatively held out her hand and he took it gently.

His big hand was was firm and warm.

When he looked at her, it was as if he was looking right into her soul.

Nina's heart was racing.

He held her hand for the longest time.

"Great!" He answered jovially "My name is Mark  ... and I'm half Swedish!"

They both giggled together.

Suddenly it all seemed absurd.

And Nina's tears were already a memory.

They were destined to meet.

It was written in the stars. 

"You see ... you can laugh!" Mark pointed out cheerfully.

By the end of the evening Nina Toscano had forgotten about her treacherous lost love.

And that was how it all began.

"Do you know who he is?" Sara Romero asked Nina one evening. 

Romero was half Spanish like her friend and she was an engaging brunette with large green eyes and an infectious laugh. 

Sara had known Nina since they were toddlers.

They were curled up on the sofa in her smart Maida Vale flat. 

"Take a look at this" Sara said opening a glossy magazine and handing it to her friend.

Essentials Magazine.

Nina's eyes widened.

The article was about him.

Mark Sander the handsome Formula One champion is winning hearts in Sand Diego as he enjoys a brief holiday before preparing for the San Moreno Grand Prix. There was no shortage of admirers as Sander sunbathed beside the pool at The Grand Del Mar hotel. "He's a gentlemen" a star struck holidaymaker informed Glitter magazine "He's so cute and polite" The 6ft sportsman is one of the most eligible bachelors today and has already entered the hall of fame.

Nina was smiling now.

There was a picture of Mark Sander.

Black Gucci sunglasses.

Black Speedo swimming trunks

Tanned and muscled.

Sipping a cocktail beside the pool.

Nina was lost for words.

She could barely contain her excitement.

"I think you've found your Prince" Sara Romero declared.

Nina had no idea that Mark Sander was a famous racing car driver.

The realisation had taken her totally by surprise.

He was so unaffected.

Mark was just the most handsome man she had ever seen.

The kindest man she had ever met.

And shortly after he called her.

And a new world opened up for them.

They spent hours talking to each other.

It felt as if they had always known each other.

Everything fit together.

Mark Sander treated Nina Toscano with the utmost circumspection and respect.

He was a gentleman. 

And he was ushering her into a privileged world that she had never known before.

A world she only ever dreamed about.

Saw in the movies. 

On the TV.

In magazines.

Suddenly it was her world too.

And it took her by surprise.

Before she knew it, Nina Toscano was caught up in a whirlwind.

They were the couple of the time.

They were mobbed. 

Photographed everywhere.

They waited for her at her London beauty salon.

Bonita. 

Her old life was gone.

Nina Toscano began to see her picture in magazines and newspapers.

She could hardly believe it.

It was like a dream. 

The media interest was intense.

Worldwide. 

There were endless TV appearances and interviews.

And soon Nina was attending glittering parties and movie premier's on Mark's arm.

People wanted to speak to her.

They admired and envied her.

Nina's life had been turned upside down.

Every girl dreamed about marrying a Prince.

And it seemed that Nina really had.

Mark Sander was the most selfless man she had ever met.

He bought her parents a house in Highgate Wood..

And he helped her sister Marianna set up her own travel business.

He showered her with presents.

Delighting in her joy. 

There was nothing he would not do.

"I've never been so happy" Nina told him one night.

They were on the balcony of his luxury Chelsea flat.

The whole of London glittered before them down below.

There was a full moon that night.

"People love me for who they think I am" he replied "they love Mark Sander the racing car driver. But you love me for who I really am"

They were soul mates. 

They made love for the first time in a hotel in Paris. 

Mark had been holding off.

Until it felt right.

The perfect timing.

They made love in a huge bed. 

In an opulent hotel room.

The Champs Elysees Plaza Hotel.

A Parisian palace.

They sealed their love.

And barely left the hotel room for three days. 

Mark Sander was the perfect lover.

Nina Toscano wept with joy as she nuzzled her face into his taut and muscled chest.

She had never tasted ecstasy like this before.

The couple dreamed about their future together.

The kids they would have.

Life could not be sweeter. 

Fame cocked a snoop at Mark and Nina's private life together.

And she took it all in her stride.

Because with Mark at her side, Nina felt completely invincible.

She clung to him.

She clung to him as they ran through the streets of Paris to their limousine as camera's flashed away and reporters vied for their attention.

She clung to him as they walked down the red carpet at the Oscars ceremony. 

And she clung to him at the funeral of his beloved father in Sweden.

She shared his grief like no other. 

And now Nina Sander clung to her better-sweet memories.

Each precious to memory.

Not even the beauty of her surroundings could shake Nina  from her reverie tonight.

She was trying to assuage the growing ache deep down in the pit of her heart.

But she was losing the battle.

Everything hurt like a physical wound.

It smote her.

The whole of time began the moment Nina Toscano met Mark Sander at The Summerrow. 

And the whole of time ended when ...

It was getting colder now.

Nina hugged herself against the rising winds.

She ached for him.

Memories.

Nina was lying in Mark's arms beneath the old oak tree.

"I think I'd die if I lost you" she said.

The dying light had cast his handsome face with a golden glow.

"Then why don't you marry me?" Mark replied with a smile.

"Really?" Nina said excitedly.

"Will you be my wife?" He asked her.

"I will!" She answered him.

Then they kissed.

"We were meant to be together"

Everything was beautiful. 

Nina stared at the spot where they had lain that night.

Sweet memories.

Mark bent down and picked a daisy.

The symbol of purity and innocence. 

Then Mark gently placed the flower in her hair.

"You are utterly beautiful" he whispered in her ear.

Mark took her hand and they walked hand-in-hand to the waiting limousine.

Nina smiled when she saw daisies growing beneath the tree.

Tears filled her eyes.

"How can they still keep growing?" She whispered.

Didn't they know?

She closed her eyes.

Mark was making love to her in his big bed.

Nina was transported.

Every erotic love play drew her deeper into him.

And even now Nina could still taste Mark in her mouth.

She could still smell Mark.

On every inch of her body.

He was under her skin.

He was a part of her.

She could still feel his warm touch.

Kiss (by Teddy-bear1 deviantart.com)

The big firm grip of his hands.

His muscled chest.
     
The white-blond hair as it fell across his brow. 

She could still see his beautiful smile.

And hear his heart beating.

Nina lay on the ground beneath the tree.

Where they had once lain together.

The ground was sodden and damp.

Nina Sander opened up her arms.

Like Jesus on the cross.

She surrendered. 

Sweet memories.

Mark and Nina.

Running barefoot through the lapping waves on the day of their wedding in Maui.

Laughing together. 

They were both dressed in immaculate white.

Nina was a vision of loveliness in an elegant silk Chloe wedding dress.

She was holding a bouquet of pure white rose and her dark tresses were piled high upon her head with white oleanders in her hair.

Mark was a picture of dashing elegance in his pristine white Prada suit.

They were like a couple of angels.

And it was a brave new world. 

Everything was brand new.

Pure and white.

Like the sand.

The sand the couple tumbled into as hundreds of cameras flashed around them and wedding guests and admirers cheered them on.

"We love you!" They cried. 

The whole world was sharing in Mark and Nina's joy.

And they wanted to share their happiness with everyone.

The beach was crowded with hundreds of people clapping and cheering.

But Mark and Nina were lost in each other.

They only had eyes for each other.

Nina had said a little prayer.

In Sacred Hearts Mission Church.

She was counting every blessing.

Because her life was so beautiful now.

One moment she was running a little beauty salon in Notting Hill and the next she was a media darling with the most eligible bachelor in sport.  

A man with a huge following. 

A role model to countless people. 

The whole world seemed to be at Nina's feet.

"Thank you" She whispered in the quiet church.  

She had stepped off the roller-coaster.

All was still. 

Nina Sander could still feel the peace she felt that day.
The fountains mingle with the river

And the rivers with the ocean, 

The winds of heaven mix for ever 

With a sweet emotion

Now she saw herself racing through the lapping waves with Mark.

They were laughing.

And everyone was laughing with them.

The entire world was on the beach that day.

That night they stood on the balcony of their luxury hotel suite and Mark Sander looked deeply into the eyes of his new bride.

"You look absolutely beautiful" He said.

 Then he kissed her tenderly.

The sun was setting.

Mark led Nina over to the big silken bed.

"I want this moment to last forever" she said.

It was perfect.

Now Nina's eyes filled with tears at the sweet memory.

A large crow suddenly squawked loudly as it flew overhead.

And she was taken back in time.

Nina was watching the race at the Formula One World Championship. 

She had already seen Mark give the thumbs up.

Nina was sitting with the other wives in the stalls.

She was wearing a purple cotton Christian Dior dress. 

And Nina could barely speak because she was so tense. 

The other woman seemed to be taking everything in their stride as they talked animatedly among themselves and looked out for their loved ones. 

But Nina Sander was not like them.

She could never relax until she knew Mark was okay.

Until he was in full view.

Until she saw his handsome smiling face before he put on his helmet.

Until he gave her the sign that everything was okay.

Only then could she settle.

The loud vibrating noise of the racing cars that sounded like thunder in the streets.

The smell of diesel.

The mounting sense of high expectations.

It was the breath of life to Mark Sander.

But it frightened Nina.

She sat restlessly in the stalls with the other wives.

Her almond-shaped eyes feverishly searching for her husband.

And a red and white Ferrari. 

Then she saw him.

Mark Sander grinned broadly.

He gave Nina the thumbs up. 

"I love you!" Mark mouthed. 

Nina blew him a kiss.

Today she was particularly anxious.

Her hands were protectively cupping her swollen belly. 

She was heavily pregnant.

Carrying their child.

The fruit of their love.

The baby had been stirring and discomfort had been steadily mounting all day.

Before the end of the race Nina was already in a private hospital in London.

The Portland Hospital.

They had taken good care of her. 

Smiling faces.

The nurses encircled Nina as she groaned and writhed on the hospital bed.

The agony and the ecstasy. 

"You're doing great, Mrs Sander!" Nurse Judy Gray informed her "Just a little push!"

The scream came from somewhere deep within her.

Fading into the sound of a new born baby's cry. 

And the squawk of a black bird. 

Nina stared up at the noisy bird as it let out another shrill cry.

Perched on a spindly branch.

It stared down at her with its nonchalant eye. 

The bird of ill omen.

Portent of doom. 

Then she remembered.

Mark being interviewed after the race.

Questions were being fired by enthusiastic journalists and camera's were flashing from all directions.

It was half an hour into the press conference.

Ryan Lewis, Mark's capable PA, promptly entered the room and whispered into his ear. 

It was news of great portent and the champion racing car driver gave a yelp of victory.

"I'm sorry to cut the party short, ladies and gentlemen!" Mark unexpectedly announced "But now I am going to go home to my wife and our new baby boy!" 

A cheer arose from the press.

Mark Sander was beside himself with joy.

That evening he held baby Oliver in his arms for the first time.

The couple were back in their Berkshire mansion. 

And life was sweet.

"He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" Nina declared as she lay curled up on the white leather sofa.

Still exhausted from the exertion of childbirth.  

"Beautiful like his mother" Mark Sander replied.

Then he handed the child to Lucia, the maid. 

Nina looked so drawn and fragile.

Mark took his wife in his arms.

"Our family is complete" he said. 

Nina closed her eyes again.

The sky had darkened and the ominous black bird had flown away with a piercing screech.

Bitter memories.

"Let him go" Mark urged her gently.

But Nina Sander refused to give up her child.

He had only lived for three months. 

Little Oliver. 

He would never be forgotten. 

Nina was sitting on the edge of the bed and gently rocking herself and the dead baby in her arms.

But her eyes were fixed straight ahead.

As if in a trance.

Their beloved son could not have wanted for more.

But they had still found him dead in his cot.

Little Oliver looked as if he were sleeping.

Only sleeping. 

Nina was overwrought.

Not even gentle Lucia the maid could soothe her. 

Only Mark could reach her. 

Nina had not stopped tormenting herself over little Oliver's tragic end.

She blamed herself.

"I should never have left him alone!" Nina kept repeating 

"It's all my fault"

Mark gently removed the child from Nina's grasp.

And the waiting medic quietly took away her baby.

Forever. 

Then Mark gathered his distraught wife up in his big arms.

Nina watched over his shoulder as they took her son away.

Little Oliver. 

She clung to her husband.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me!" Nina urged him.

"I will never leave you my love" Mark Sander assured her.

Gradually the nursery had become full of family members and friends.

Mark's mother Lottie had flown over from Stockholm in Sweden.

Nina's parents, Charity and Santiago Toscano had flown over from Álora in Spain. 

Mariana was standing beside Sara Romero and her partner Mickey Carter. 

And there were countless other family members and friends crowding into the bright yellow nursery room with its little rocking horses and mountain of teddy bears. 

All grieving for little Oliver.

Nina Sander would never forget the face of her son.

It was burned into her soul.

The memory of his smile.

The bright blue eyes of his father. 

As they lowered his tiny white coffin into the ground.

As Nina clung to her husband.

On that sad day. 

Nina Sander was inconsolable. 

Little Oliver had gone.

But he hadn't really left them. 

The pain of his loss engulfed Nina like a tidal wave.

She rose from the ground and for several moments she stood looking up at the starless sky.

The moon had risen in a starless sky.

How lonely she looked.  

Like Nina Sander.

An isolated figure against a tragic sky.

The sad face of the moon. 

She must know how it felt.

The ancient graveyard looked so peaceful illuminated by the moonlight.

Audi Heineken Formula One (by motionmedia deviantrt.com)

It beckoned to her.

Called to her. 

And Nina Sander obeyed.

She walked towards the graveyard as the day she walked towards Mark Sander in the beautiful church.

She could see him now.

Standing beside his best man, Jake Aaker.

Mark was like the Prince in a fairy tale.

Handsome and brave.

Then Nina saw herself dancing with Mark to Louis Armstrong.

We Have All The Time in The World.

Eternity stretched out before them.

Mark was holding Nina close and looking deeply into her eyes.

Their souls were dancing too as they glided gracefully across the floor.

He spun her around and around.

And their audience erupted into cheers and terms of endearment.

The wedding party was carrying them along on a great tidal wave of love.

But Mark and Nina only had eyes for each other.

How she longed to dance with him again.

To be held in his arms.

To look once again into his beautiful eyes.

Such as the night of their last dance.

Alone in their beautiful Berkshire palace three days before ...

Just three days ...

It was the last dance.

Roberta Flack.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. 

Time had stopped.

It had become obsolete. 

Love was all that mattered.

Now Nina Sander walked through the graveyard.

She walked past endless gravestones and memorials stretching through time.

People of the past.

The fragrance of countless flowers filled the night air.

Flowers placed upon the graves.

The aroma of love. 

All was peaceful.

All was still.

Somehow Nina Sander had anticipated it.

Perhaps it was because Mark had insisted on racing this time.

That Nina had begged him not to do it.

But he was daring and courageous.

Mark Sander had wanted to ride the Grand Prix one more time. 

Before retiring. 

The smile on his handsome face.

The look in his shining blue eyes.

They had kissed so passionately on the steps.

And she would not let him go. 

"I will never leave you my love" Mark Sander whispered to her.

And then he was away.

Pausing at the limousine.

As if something were pulling him back.

Mark turned and bounded back to Nina on the steps of their beautiful palace.

Nina was crying with joy.

As Mark spun her around and around.

And they kissed each other over and over again.

Their golden world.

Mark had paused before getting into the limousine,  as if something were pulling him back.

Then he gave her one last look.

His eyes calling out to her.

No words.

Just heart speak.

Then Mark Sander disappeared into the limousine.

And he was gone.

And a part of Nina went with him. 

The birds had stopped singing.

Bucklebury Cemetery

Nina Sander.

Surrounded by a sea of sleepers.

There beneath a sheltering oak tree was the small grave where a little one was buried.

Oliver Sander.
1 year 
Our Little Angel.

Beside it slumbered the one who needed no fanfare.

A heartfelt inscription upon the marble headstone.

Mark Sander
Died 35 years.
"One short sleep past, we wake eternally 
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Nina's journey was finally over.

And at last she gave full vent to her grief.

Harsh sobs racked her body as she knelt at the grave of her husband. 

The moon looked mournfully upon her. 

Silently grieving with her

"I miss you so much" Nina Sander cried.

Tears streamed down her face.

Now she hugged herself against the rising winds.

Golden leaves swirled around her.

Mark had been killed on impact when his racing car veered off the track and crashed. 

"He knew nothing" Jake Aaker assured Nina gently.

But she was too overcome to take it all in.

It was too much. 

"You were his world" Aaker added.

And he was hers. 

It had begun to rain now.

Then Nina remembered.

And her hands instinctively cupped her belly.

There was another life growing within her again.

A candle had been lit.

It was the child of their love.

Nina Sander remembered.

She discovered she was pregnant three days after his death. 

There was a part of Mark living on through her.

And she could see him now. 

"I will never leave you my love"

Epilogue

Nina Sander gave birth to a boy.

And she named him Mark.

Now Nina lay the bouquet upon her husband's grave.

White oleanders.

Like the ones she wore in her hair the day they were married.

Her mother held the newborn in her arms as she watched her daughter spend precious moments at the grave of her husband.

Mark had gone.

But he had never left her.

"I will never leave you my love" Nina Sander whispered.

Love had conquered death.

Nina Sander never remarried.

No one could ever replace Mark.

And  she would lay a bouquet of white oleanders upon his grave for the rest of her days.

Sadness (by biljana1313 deviantart.com)

      

           

A Harmony Of Spirit

Dr Maya Angelou (www.washingtonpost.com)

Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues.

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Over unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.

It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.

Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.
Peace.
Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
Implore you, to stay a while with us.
So we may learn by your shimmering light
How to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.

On this platform of peace, we can create a language
To translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.

At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope.
All the earth's tribes loosen their voices
To celebrate the promise of Peace.

We, Angels and Mortal's, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.

Merry Christmas friends and family!
 
By Dr. Maya Angelou


         

Angels

Oh, my love, it will not be
My broken heart cannot see
My way through the halls of time
When I begged to make you mine
And now, my love, alas, alas
I must let this moment pass
In tears I let this moment……..P A S S

~ You Let The Moment Pass by Eileen Manassian Ghali

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the
glory of the LORD is risen upon you

~ Isaiah 60:1 (King James)

Manchester 2 (by nzo100vin deviantart.com)

Harry and Peggy

Ordsall, Salford, Greater Manchester

Harry and Peggy Wood had been married for sixty years.

They had lived in the same little terraced house in Salford for much of that time and were a devoted and contented couple.

Harry was a war veteran.

He had not long finished his Royal Navy service when he met Margaret (Peggy) Baker in a cafe.

She was working at the Mcvities biscuit factory and living with her parents in Eccles when they met.

He was twenty-four and she was just shy of twenty.

They were soul mates.

Everything happened very fast and the couple were married at St Clement's Church, Ordsall and honeymooned in Brighton.

A daughter would follow later and they named her Carole.

Carole lived in Australia with her husband Mitchell and they had two grown up daughters, Grace and Emily.

One Week Before Christmas

Harry Wood had settled into his favourite armchair by the large living room window.

The grey winter sky was streaked with red and purple.

Harry sipped his sweet tea as he pondered the empty corner of the living room where the Christmas tree was always placed.

This year was different.

And he just didn't have the heart to do it.

It was Harry's wife who always dressed the Christmas tree.

And she took great delight in doing it.

It was Peggy Wood's favourite time of year and it was her ritual to decorate the Christmas tree and she relished doing it.

She particularly loved to place the Christmas star on top of the tree.

"There we are!" She would pronounce proudly.

It was her favourite time of the year.

But with one week to go before Christmas day, the tree was still residing in the cupboard under the stairs.

Suddenly it felt very cold.

Suddenly Harry Wood felt very alone.

He took another sip of sweet tea and looked across the room.

Peggy was sitting in her favourite armchair; the green velvet one which had taken an entire afternoon to choose in Debenhams thirty years before.

Her face was partially illuminated by the street lamps from outside.

She was knitting a little winter hat for Harry and her gold spectacles were perched on the end of her nose.

Peggy looked up at Harry and smiled.

Then she slowly shook her head.

Harry's heart jumped.

Suddenly she was the pretty auburn haired lass he had met in a cafe.

The green eyed girl who was too shy to look directly in his eyes.

Margaret Baker.

The beguiling auburn haired goddess.

The Deborah Kerr of Salford.

A woman so full of grace that it tore Harry Wood's heart out. 

She was the only woman he had ever known and they went on to live a quiet life in their modest terraced house in Greater Manchester.

The years had evaporated.

Now Peggy looked at her husband with a knowing look in her eye.

"Don't you think it's time to put the Christmas tree up?" She said.

Harry almost spilled hot tea into his lap.

"Peggy ..."

"Aye, love?"

All words had suddenly deserted him.

"Nowt ..."

There was a resplendent glow in Peggy's face that seemed to come from somewhere deep within her.

He remembered the day he married her as if it were yesterday.

Peggy was dressed in a Jenny Packham ivory silk wedding dress with a fine tulle veil and she looked like an angel as she walked down the isle on the arm of her father Albert. 

"You're so beautiful" Harry Wood whispered to her.

Peggy smiled.

"Everything is going to be alright" she replied.

And he knew it would be.

Peggy had always been a good Irish-Catholic girl.

It was her innate rectitude that often moved Harry Wood and it seemed to shine out of her.

"My angel" Harry declared.

She was too good for this world.

He wasn't sure at what point he had fallen asleep, but Harry awoke with a jolt to find the whole house flooded in darkness.

"Only me!" Came the female voice as the front door closed behind her.

It was Luiza Wozniak, the home help.

She was a slim Polish woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"What are you doing sitting in the dark?" Luiza gently chided Harry as she flicked on the light.

The Heart, Salford Quays (by Belafon deviantart.com)

He squinted and rubbed his eyes.

Then he looked up at the clock on the wall - it was 7:00 pm.

He had been sleeping for over three hours.

"Hello Luiza!"

Luiza Wozniak was holding a large covered plate in her hand.

"Irish stew!" She exclaimed brightly "Apple crumble for afters. Lucky you!"

Harry liked the woman.

She always seemed to brighten up the place and nothing was ever too hard for her.

Luiza Wozniak had been assisting Harry Wood for three years now and she had acquired a lot of affection for him regarding him as a surrogate grandfather.

"Peggy will like it too" Harry informed her "Irish stew is one of her favourites"

Luiza smiled.

"Of course it is"

"Aye"

"I'm sure you're looking forward to your daughter coming to stay"

Harry Wood nodded enthusiastically.

The weather had changed dramatically the following day with biting winds and frost on the ground.

Harry Wood had put on his woollen coat, Harris Tweed cap and the blue and mauve scarf which Peggy had meticulously knitted for him a couple of years before.

He still had the 32' inch waist that he had had for most of his adult life and he was as nimble and agile as ever taking a brisk every day if he could.

Harry was heading for his favourite place - Ordsall Park.

The park was opened in 1876, and was the second oldest park in Salford.

Harry braced himself against the rising winds as he found a bench and sat down.

The sky had considerably darkened and the park was virtually empty but Harry Wood was already immersed in his own thoughts.

He had sat in exactly the same spot a year before.

Now Harry mused on the dreamlike passing of time.

"Hello Harry!" A female voice hailed him.

It was Julie Chadwick from Lloyd's Pharmacy in town.

She was taking her little Yorkshire Terrier Milo for a walk. 

"Hello, love" Harry replied.

"You'll catch your death in the cold!" Julie cried.

Then she realised what she had said and suddenly felt shamefaced.

There was an uneasy couple of moments.

"I'm quite happy here" Harry Wood assured her.

"Why don't you come back to mine for tea? There's plenty to go round"

Julie lived with her husband Gavin and three year old daughter Lisa in a splendid house with a pool and games room.

"Oh my, is that the time!" Harry fretted as he glanced at his watch.

"It's quite alright. You'd be most welcome" Julie insisted.

"I'd better be going love. Peggy will be wondering what happened to me!"

Julie Chadwick smiled.

Then she helped Harry Wood rise from the bench.

"Perhaps another time" She said.

Wood doffed his hat.

"I'll hold you to it!" Julie Chadwick added.

Three Days Before Christmas

The living room had been completely transformed into a festive haven with garlands, candles and strings of cards across the walls.

Now Harry Wood stepped back to look admirably at the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room.

It had been adorned with flashing Christmas lights and gold tinsel, glittering bells and pretty baubles that sparkled when the light caught them.

"Wonderful!" Luiza Wozniak pronounced proudly.

Then she laid a hand gently on Harry's shoulder.

"But there is just one thing ..."

She placed the shimmering Christmas star in his hand. 

For a few moments Harry Wood was too overcome with emotion to speak.

Then he saw Peggy standing in the doorway.

She was dressed in a white satin dress and she motioned to him.

Harry took the Christmas star and placed it carefully on top of the tree.

"Perfect!" Luiza Wozniak declared "Let's have some tea!"

The whole living room seemed to be bathed in light.

"Everything is going to be alright" Peggy whispered into Harry's ear.

He could smell her perfume.

Palma Violets.

Harry Wood closed his eyes.

He remembered walking hand in hand with Peggy across the beach in Blackpool.

They had been married for ten years but had been unable to have children.

The couple had become resigned to it.

They had each other and that was all that mattered.

"I have summat to tell you" Peggy Wood informed her husband.

Her face was glowing and her eyes were shining brightly.

"Aye, love"
   
"I'm pregnant"

For a few moments Harry was lost for words.

The beach suddenly seemed very quiet with only the sound of lapping waves.

"Aye, four weeks gone. I'm expecting a little one!" Peggy declared proudly.

"Why love, that's amazing!" Harry Wood exclaimed lifting her up and spinning her around until they tumbled into the sand.

They were both giggling and suddenly Harry went quiet.

Peggy knew how conscientious her husband was.

He must be worrying about whether he would be a good dad.

"Are you okay love?" Peggy asked him.

"Aye ..."

"Everything is going to be alright" Peggy assured him.

The clouds had suddenly disappeared. 

Harry Wood felt he was the happiest man alive.

When he opened his eyes again Harry was standing beside Luiza Wozniak in St Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

It was Midnight Mass.

The church was full of people and their faces were illuminated by the candlelight.

St Joseph's had become an otherworldly place inhabited by celestial beings. 

"Angels" Harry Wood declared. 

An ethereal peace had descended upon St Joseph's.

Peggy stood beside him in her white satin dress.

Her whole face glowed in the candlelight.

"Everything is going to be alright" she whispered.

Christmas Eve

It was 3pm when Harry Wood opened the front door to his daughter.

Carole was so overcome with emotion that she hugged her father and would not let him go.

"Steady, girl" Harry cried.

Her husband appeared at the door laden with presents.

Mitchell Jones was an architect by trade and had made a good life for himself and his family in Australia.

They were able to live comfortably in semi-retirement in the Sydney suburb of Rydalmere.  

"Crumbs!" Harry exclaimed at the sight of all the gifts. 

"The girls send their love" Mitchell informed his father-in-law, enthusiastically patting his arm.

Harry smiled.

As soon as he was alone with his daughter in the hall, Carole looked deeply into her fathers eyes.

She was small and blonde with engaging blue eyes.

"Are you alright daddy?" Carole asked with concern.

"Aye, love" Harry assured her as he gripped her hand.

"Why don't you come and live with us in Australia?" Carole asserted "We have plenty of room and the weather will do you good. Sydney is stunning and there is so much to see and do"

"I'm quite okay here, my dear" Harry Wood replied firmly.

Carole kissed her father on the cheek.

"Besides, your mother told me everything is going to be alright"

Carole Jones smiled.

Christmas Day

It was a frosty morning with a clear sky.

Carole arose with a jolt.

Leaving her slumbering husband behind she left the guest room and noticed that her parents door was ajar.

The big bed had not been slept in.

Carole smiled to herself.

Her father must have fallen asleep watching TV. 

She quietly made her way downstairs expecting to find her father quietly snoring in his favourite armchair.

The curtains were still drawn in the living room and an ethereal peace seemed to permeate everything.

Harry Wood was sitting in his favourite armchair and appeared to be sleeping.

As Carole Jones approached her father, she realised his chest wasn't moving.

He looked very peaceful.

She knew her father had gone.

Carole Jones noticed he seemed to be smiling.

She gently kissed her father's hand and then dissolved into sobs.

January 10

Crowds lined the streets of Ordsall as the funeral car passed slowly by.

A great hush had descended upon them.

St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was full that morning with many residents of Ordsall attending the funeral service.

Life would never be the same for the people of Ordsall who could not remember a time when Harry Wood was not around.

The quiet man had at last quietly left them.

A large crowd of mourners gathered at the interment to stand in solidarity with the family of Harry Wood.

Mitchel and Carole Jones with their daughters Grace and Emily and their own families were surrounded by a tidal wave of love.
 
Harry Wood was buried beside his wife in All Hallows Graveyard.

Just as he wished. 

Carole remained at the graveside beside her husband.

He put his arm around her.

"You okay?" He whispered.

"Yes" she replied.

She turned to look earnestly into her husbands eyes.

"Everything is going to be alright. Just like my mom said"

Somehow Love

Stretford, Trafford, Greater Manchester

One Week Before Christmas 

Katie Paige hadn't seen the car.

She was so immersed in her own thoughts that she stepped out into the road without looking.

Katie worked at the Town Hall and she left early that afternoon pleading sickness.

She just couldn't face the Christmas party.

Feeling lost and cast down, she drove into town and stopped at the Trafford Centre.

But it was one week before Christmas and every shop seemed to be packed with shoppers.

Katie Paige had never felt more alone as she walked around the centre.

She kept picturing him in her mind.

Fraser Douglas.

Manchester - Trafford Park 2 (by eemmzzz deviantart.com)

The dashing Scotsman that she had been in love with for three years.

He had broken the spell with a shock announcement on the last day before the festive break.

Fraser Douglas had just announced his engagement to the attractive woman clinging to his side.

She was fawning and grinning contentedly.

Daniella Davis.

A striking blue eyed blonde.

She was the Manhattan sweetheart who had only been at the Town Hall a year.

Daniella Davis exuded self confidence and self assurance.

Katie Paige hated her.

She hated her for stealing her man.

Daniella Davis batted her eyelashes and Fraser Douglas fell at her feet.

Now she watched as the dazzling couple kissed each other

The entire office broke into applause and terms of endearment.

Katie's world imploded.

Everything seemed to have happened so fast that it made her head spin.

Fraser Douglas and Daniella Davis had been conducting an affair under everyone's nose and they were so discreet that nobody had any inkling about it.

He explained how it was "love at first sight".

The words felt like a dagger to Katie's heart.

Men and women had gathered around the strapping Glaswegian and his pretty fiancée as he spoke and Katie listened with tears in her eyes at the back.

Fraser Douglas was the handsome action man who loved trekking through the Chilterns and climbing mountains ranges.

He was 6ft tall with red hair and piercing green eyes and a sonorous voice which sent shivers down Katie Paige's spine.

Fraser was polite and well mannered and Katie had been secretly in love with him since he arrived at the Town Hall, but she had never been able to pluck up the courage to approach him.

They shared surface conversations during lunch break or on the odd occasions co-workers went out to a bar or for a meal together.

Katie was always subtle but meaningful yet it always seemed that Fraser Douglas looked right through her with his glittering green eyes.

She wasn't sophisticated or assertive; she was just an unpretentious young woman who had fallen in love with a man who didn't seem to notice her.

Fraser was gregarious and athletic and Katie was the shy little girl who listened more than she spoke.

Katie Paige was a reserved and quietly spoken young woman.

She was a pretty brunette with indigo eyes and a winsome smile.

Katie lived in a modest little flat with her co-worker and friend Jenny Clay in Stretford.

She was a die-hard romantic who had never really been in love before and now she had lost the man of her dreams.

Fraser Douglas had been her Mr Darcy.

She fantasised about running away with him to a place where the sky was always blue and nothing bad ever happened.

But it was all just a dream.

Now Fraser Douglas was standing beside the woman who would one day be his wife.

Although she was surrounded by people, Katie Paige had never felt so alone before.

She retreated to the staff kitchen and splashed cold water on her face.

"Coming to the party?"

It was Jenny Clay.

She playfully nudged Paige with her elbow.

"No, I don't feel very well ..."

"Are you okay?"

"Aye ... of course I am"

"Sure?"

Katie was fighting back tears.

Jenny Clay smiled knowingly.

She knew full well her friend wasn't okay.

They had been friends since their college days.

Jenny Clay was an engaging brunette with hazel eyes and a jocular personality.

She knew her friend was in love with Fraser Douglas but had been too shy to let him know.

Now he had met somebody and the chance had gone.

Jenny Clay felt incredibly sad for her friend.

"You'll be alright, babe" She assured her.

Katie managed to smile.

But all she wanted to do right now was hide.

She re-entered the office and quietly gathered her things together.

Then she paused at the door.

Fraser Douglas was showing everyone the diamond and sapphire engagement ring on Daniella's finger.

Katie Paige closed the door quietly behind her.

As she walked around the busy centre she heard Fraser's voice in her head.

"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen!" He declared.

Tears were streaming down Katie's face.

She decided to go home to nurse her broken heart.

A long hot bath beckoned to her.

Suddenly Katie felt glad she lit a candle in St Ann's church.

It was such a peaceful place and she had paused at the altar.

Katie Paige wasn't looking when she stepped into the road and although the red hatchback swerved to avoid her, it drove into her from the right side and sent her tumbling across the bonnet onto the ground.

People quickly gathered around her but she couldn't make them out.

Her whole body hurt.

Everything seemed to go into slow motion as street lights got brighter and brighter before Paige lost consciousness.

Katie Paige had lost track of time.

It had become obsolete in her no-man's-land.

When she eventually came to, it was as if she had risen from the dead and was surrounded by shining faces in an unfamiliar place.

Katie had been in a dreamless deep slumber and as she slowly opened her eyes she could just make out the faces looking down upon her.

She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright room.

"Where am I?" Katie asked weakly.

"Stretford Memorial Hospital" a female voice informed her.

 "You've had an accident" another female voice added

Katie noticed that she was attached to an intravenous drip.

Her whole body felt numb and she was completely disorientated.

Her head felt groggy and her limbs heavy.

Katie squinted at the name tag on the nurses uniform.

Ayanda Adunola, RN

The Nigerian nurse was sturdily built with a round face, onyx eyes and a big smile.

"What happened to me?" Katie asked.

"You were hit by a car. The owner called the ambulance and stayed with you" Nurse Ayanda informed her.

The other nurse smiled.

"You are a very lucky lady"

Katie read her name tag.

Lucy Reeves RN

She was small and blonde with light blue eyes.

Nurse Lucy checked the drip and made some notes.

Both nurses were selfless.

Their faces seemed to glow.

"Angels" Katie Paige muttered.

Then her eyes became heavy again and she began to drift off.

Everything slowly receded.

"Katie! Katie! Katie"

She could hear her mother's voice calling to her from somewhere outside herself.

"Mother?"

Katie ran towards the partially open door.

"Miss Paige?"

The dream began to fade.

"Miss Paige?"

It was the familiar voice of Nurse Ayanda calling her out of her slumber.

"The doctor will see you now"

Town Hall (by belafon deviantart.com)

She moved aside and the doctor stepped forward.

Katie was still coming to, and she struggled to make out the blurred face.

Then she thought her heart had stopped.

Katie was immediately struck by how handsome the doctor was.

He was tall and imposing with wavy black hair, olive skin and sharp green eyes.

"My name is Dr Michael Kasabian" he informed her in a resonant voice "and I am going to be looking after you"

Katie noticed that he had full lips and a beauty spot on his right cheek.

He smelled of freshly cut flowers, goodness and hope.

Katie Paige's heart had somersaulted.

"You're beautiful" Katie told him.

Dr Kasabian smiled.

"Rest for now. You've been through a lot today"

He paused at the door.

"I'll check in on you later"

And then he was gone and the world suddenly felt very ordinary.

Katie Paige was unable to suppress a smile.

She had narrowly escaped death and the bizarre night was taking an unexpected turn.

Hope had entered the frame.

And Katie Paige was profoundly grateful for all the calamities that had befallen her.

"You're lucky your injuries were not life threatening" Nurse Ayanda informed her at the door.

Katie smiled.

Later she called Jenny Clay.

"My God, are you okay?" Clay cried.

"It could have been worse ..."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes!"

Jenny Clay was still wearing her Christmas hat when she arrived and she listened in shocked silence as her friend told her what had happened.

Clay clutched Katie's hand and fought back the tears.

"You've been through it!" She cried.

She was still struggling to comprehend what Katie was telling her as she sat on the side of the hospital bed.

She looked so small and fragile - like a wounded sparrow. 

There was a vivid blue and purple bruise across the left side of her face but she still looked pretty.

"Your friend is a very lucky young lady" Nurse Ayanda informed Jenny Clay.

When Katie had finished. Clay had something to tell her.

"Everyone is concerned about you, particularly -"

Fraser Douglas suddenly bounded into the hospital room with a concerned look upon his face.

"Katie!" He exclaimed "Thank God you are okay!"

Katie Paige looked up at the man she had secretly longed for for three years.

"I heard what happened and I had to come!" Douglas added earnestly.

She could tell he was slightly out of breath from exertion and that his sentiments were heartfelt.

He must have been running to get to the hospital.

How long had Katie yearned for Fraser to come running to her.

And now he had and she felt oddly hollow.

Fraser sat on the side of the bed beside Jenny Clay and his piercing green eyes looked longingly into Katie's haunted face.

It was the familiar handsome face.

But something had happened.

Katie Paige was no longer in love with Fraser Douglas.

The fairy dust had evaporated.

Fraser Douglas was just a man.

"Thank you, Fraser" Katie said "But I really am quite okay"

"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you" Douglas cried.

Katie smiled.

Once upon a time she would have given anything to have him so close to her and to listen to his dulcet tones.

But it was just a voice.

Jenny Clay knew instantly that something had changed in her friend.

Katie had let Fraser go.

Dr Kasabian had re-entered the room again.

Katie looked to him.

He had totally eclipsed Fraser Douglas.

"Everything is going to be alright now" Paige declared.

The handsome doctor smiled at her.

"I have angels to look after me"

Fraser Douglas looked at Jenny Clay.

Katie smiled.

Epilogue

Katie was able to spend Christmas with her father and mother in Bolton.

She was just putting the dishes away on Boxing Day evening when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi"

Katie's heart jumped.

She knew exactly who it was.

"I am your angel" Dr Michael Kasabian declared.

christmas (by garfieldgreen deviiantart.com)