Page 88 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
‘Estelle!’ She calls again out into the hall. ‘Great!’ she says, coming into the sitting room and heading for the TV.
This Angela looks much older than the Angela from 1962. Her red hair is a big, frizzy bubble perm, she has a few more lines around her eyes, but her clothes – a pair of workout leggings, leg warmers, and a sweatshirt that saysPineapple Dance Studio, are just as bright and loud as both the Angela from the sixties and the Angela we know now.
Angela pulls a video tape from her bag and pops it into the video recorder.
Then she pulls up a chair, puts her feet up on a little side table and a familiar tune fills the room, as the opening credits of the movieFlashdancebegin to play.
‘“What a feeling!”’ Both Angelas sing at the same time. They’re completely out of tune, but in perfect harmony with each other.
The younger Angela suddenly gets up from the chair and begins to dance flamboyantly around to the music.
Ben, Estelle and I can’t help but smile as we watch her.
‘Don’t laugh,’ our Angela says. ‘I thought I looked great!’
‘Angela, is that you?’ Another familiar voice calls from the hall, and we hear the front door close again. ‘It is you.’ A new version of Estelle, who looks younger than her present self, but still much older than the one we saw last time, appears in the room. She’s wearing clothes not too dissimilar from what Estelle wears today – a neat dress and button-up cardigan. But on her feet, instead of smart little shoes, she has black suede pixie boots. Her hair is now fully grey, but she wears it long, and pulled up at the sides with a butterfly bow, and she has huge gold-rimmed spectacles that seem to cover most of her face. ‘What on earth are you doing?’ she asks Angela, staring at her.
Angela pauses her latest dance move and slowly lowers her leg to the floor. ‘Aerobics,’ she says innocently. ‘Just trying to keep fit – you know?’
‘A brisk daily walk will do that for you,’ Estelle says, looking her up and down. ‘You don’t need silly outfits and music to do that.’ She looks behind Angela at the television. ‘Flashdance?’
‘Yes – how do you know?’ Angela asks, aghast.
‘Angela, you should know by now I take an interest in many things, even if I don’t always share it. Now, switch that television off. I need to talk to you about something.’
Angela obediently stops the video but doesn’t switch off the television – she just turns it down so it’s still playing quietly in the background.
‘What’s up?’ she asks, sitting back down in the armchair.
‘Is everything on track for tomorrow?’ Estelle asks. ‘I mean with the Christmas preparations?’
‘Of course,’ Angela says easily. ‘If there’s one thing I’m good at, Estelle, as you know, it’s cooking. Christmas dinner will be everything you imagine and more this year.’
‘I’m sure it will.’ Estelle nods. ‘Do we have enough for two more guests?’
Angela thinks about this. ‘Yes, I should think so. You mean in addition to our mothers and their offspring?’
‘Children, Angela, please. You know I dislike the word “offspring”. Now, I know you’re already catering for quite a few with everyone at Holly House, but I want to invite Tanzy and Luke along too. They’ve been such a great help to us over the last few weeks, and they don’t have anywhere else to go. Tanzy’s mother lives up in Scotland, so it’s too far to travel in her current condition.’
‘Sure, not a problem at all,’ Angela says. ‘Consider it done!’
‘Wonderful,’ Estelle says. She glances behind Angela at the television. ‘Did they get to number one?’
‘Yeah,’ Angela says, following Estelle’s gaze. ‘Great, isn’t it? So much money going to charity.’
We all look at the television and see Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas?’ playing on the screen.
‘Tanzy said she wants to go out to Africa and help when she’s had her baby,’ Estelle says, giving Angela a knowing look.
‘Her heart is in the right place,’ Angela says, ‘but I don’t think having a newborn and volunteering over there are the best fit.’
‘I know, I tried to tell her, but she’s adamant. She’s told you about her deal, has she?’
Angela nods. ‘They were trying for a baby for so long, Estelle, you can’t blame them for thinking they’ve got to keep to their part of the bargain.’
Estelle gives Angela a reproving look. ‘You don’t actually believe they made a deal with Him up there, do you?Help me to get pregnant, and in return I promise to help others for ever?’
‘Of course not. But in times of desperation, people turn to the church, don’t they?’
