Page 18 of Light Up
“Do you know everything?”
“What do you think?”
“You probably do. So, here’s a tricky question for you. How much is enough?”
Tal chuckled. “I don’t know everything.”
“Right at this moment, I’m thinking it would be enough to be warm, but pretty soon I’d want more. Hot drink. Food. Dry clothes. Bed…”You to be gay and just who I’m looking for.
“You’re right. The answer to how much is enough, is that it’s never enough. It’s human nature to always want more.”
“But then is anyone ever truly happy?”
“That’s a good question. Probably down to individual circumstances, but at some moment in time, there must be true happiness otherwise what’s the point of existence?”
“Are we talking about existentialism?”
“The idea that individuals create their own meaning and purpose in life, rather than it being pre-defined? Except things happen by chance so…”
“Like having an interesting and fairly intellectual conversation while trying to survive snowmaggedon.”
“What are the odds?”
“There’s a happy moment coming up. We’ve made it.”
They’d reached the top of the hill. A stone sign set into a retaining wall saidSolas Suas.Possibly Irish but Corey had no idea what it meant. Something to do with the sun? Strange it wasn’t covered in snow. He suddenly felt colder and even more exhausted, as if extreme tiredness had waited to strike until they’d made it.
Well, they’d made it to the tree, which was real, about fifteen feet tall and dotted with multi-coloured lights. As they waded past, no footprints other than theirs, a building became visible at the end of a short snow-covered drive. There were lights at the windows. As they drew nearer, Corey saw a rather grand set of steps leading up to an oversized door with pillars either side that were wrapped with twinkling white lights. A hotel or a millionaire’s home? He just hoped someone was in.
When Corey reached the steps, he came to a halt. What if none of this was real? He could be lying unconscious in the car and dreaming.Well, dream yourself inside!It was Tal who walked up the steps and raised his gloveless hand to knock. Before he did, a man in a grey suit opened the door.
“Hello.” The man smiled at them.
Corey had the ridiculous urge to sing.Good King Wenceslasor some song about the weather being frightful or not wanting a lot for Christmas.He might have done, except his face was part-frozen.
“We need help.” Tal pulled off his hat.
“You’re in the right place. Come in!”
Corey stumbled after Tal into…a Hallmark Christmas movie.Oh my God.The scent of cinnamon and oranges… The sound of someone playingWhite Christmason a piano. Coreysuspected his mouth had dropped open but he was too tired to snap his jaw shut. A fir tree lit with thousands of soft white lights stood in the embrace of a curving staircase draped with swags of red-berried foliage. An elaborate gingerbread castle the size of a small grandfather clock perched on a plinth by a wall. Was it edible or ornamental? He almost looked for Father Christmas sitting in a corner by a fire eating a mince pie and drinking sherry.
“Is this…a hotel?” Tal’s teeth were chattering.
“It is. I’m Jefferson. The manager.”
As Corey bent to put down his guitar and his bag, his knees folded further than he’d expected and he slid onto the floor beside his things.Oh my God.Water dripped from him as the snow melted and he melted too. He was desperate to take off his wet clothes. That would be everything he was wearing, then, including his underwear. He didn’t even care if anyone was watching. He started with his trainers, but struggled to undo the tight laces with numb fingers.
“Are you hurt?” Jefferson asked.
“We were in a road traffic accident,” Tal said.
“Oh my gosh. Was anyone else hurt?”
“No. And we’re okay.” Tal groaned.
Corey glanced at him, then looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry. I know this is an awful thing to do when you’ve just walked into somewhere so…beautiful, but I have to get these off. My feet are frozen. I’m frozen. I’d cry with relief that we made it to safety but I suspect my eyeballs are frozen too.”
“A t-truck hit both our cars and didn’t s-stop.” Tal was shivering violently. “It happened about a mile down the road from the t-turn off to here.”
