Page 44 of The Village Christmas Party

‘Oh, I’m up for that,’ says Eileen, looking delighted.

We’re having a little break before dessert, everyone chatting away. At the other end of the room, Bella is opening her gifts wide-eyed with excitement.

‘Little people,’ says Flora, an eighty-five-year-old, looking up from her plate. ‘What are they doing here?’

‘I told you children would be joining us,’ says Sue gently.

‘Did you? Oh right, yes,’ she says and Sue and I exchange a glance. Flora’s daughter has been concerned that she is forgetting things and repeating herself a lot, so is keeping her eye on things.

An excited Bella is still receiving her gifts from the children, mainly girls, who are taking in the decorations with wows, oohs and aahs.

‘Would you like to say hello to our other people who are having a party here today?’ I ask the children before they sit down at their table and they nod.

‘It looks like a Christmas dinner, not a party,’ says a boy with black hair as we escort them across the hall towards the old people.

‘Well, when you get older parties are more about sitting and eating I suppose,’ I tell the boy.

‘And drinking. At least the dinner parties I go to,’ Kian whispers to me.

‘I don’t want to get old then,’ the boy says and Kian laughs.

‘I don’t suppose anyone does really. But it doesn’t mean you stop enjoying yourself,’ I tell him, but he looks unconvinced.

The children say hello to the old people and they all wish Bella a happy birthday when I tell them she is the birthday girl.

‘How old are you?’ asks Wilf.

‘Seven,’ says Bella proudly.

‘Are you? You don’t look eleven.’

‘SEVEN,’ Elsie shouts at Wilf.

‘Oh seven.’ He laughs. ‘Very nice.’

‘I remember being seven,’ says Elsie. ‘We went to the seaside and I had my first ride on a donkey,’ she reminisces, her harsh expression turning into a smile. ‘Blackpool, it was.’

The pensioners look delighted to see the children, apart from Flora, who is busy asking when the dessert will be served.

‘Oh, she looks just like my granddaughter when she was little,’ says a grey-haired woman, her eyes misting over. ‘I do miss that age, they grow so quickly, and then they rarely visit when they become adults,’ she laments.

‘I miss the children at my old school,’ says another lady, a retired headmistress from the village. ‘My one regret in life is not having children of my own,’ she says, almost bringing a tear to my eye. ‘This is a real tonic seeing all of these children.’ She beams. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s a pleasure and I am sure we will all have a chance to mingle later, so let’s enjoy our respective meals,’ I say, leading the kids towards their party table. So far so good.

‘So it seems the old folk don’t think the children are the spawn of the devil?’ says Kian, with a grin.

‘It would appear so. And I’m sorry if I was a bit over the top, I just didn’t want any accidents or for anyone to get upset, that’s all.’

‘Not a problem, I can understand that.’ He smiles warmly and I feel a definite glow inside.

The kids are seated and about to tuck into some food, when Kian makes an announcement.

‘Right, kids, get yourself some food and then you can all go on the bouncy castle outside,’ he says and there is a squeal of excitement from the children.

‘Actually, Kian,’ I say. ‘Do you think the children ought to have a bit of a play outside before the food? It will be like a washing machine in their tummies jumping up and down on the castle after they have eaten.’

‘I never thought of that. But Bella’s been telling me she’s starved.’ He scratches his chin, thinking.

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