Page 138 of A Christmas Celebration
I could appreciate that.
‘I hope Angus likes it,’ he said, looking back in the direction of the hall again. ‘And Catherine, of course, but more than anything, I hope it will sweeten the blow of letting Angus down.’
I wanted to say that by not taking part he was letting himself down, but thought it sounded a bit harsh, so didn’t.
Molly, Brodie and I had just finished setting everything up in the woods when the sound of voices met our ears. The sun was already sinking and Molly was keen to capitalize on every second, so wasted no time in saying a few words and then sending us all out to search for Yule logs. I couldn’t help but feel relieved that there had been no immediate opportunity for Angus to corner Brodie and wondered if Molly had engineered it that way.
‘Do we really have to ask the woods for permission before selecting a log?’ Brodie asked me in a low voice, as we set off to look for something which would fill Albert’s grate.
‘Yes,’ I told him. ‘You heard Molly, she said that’s really important.’
It wasn’t long before we found one and, having self-consciously asked if we could take it, headed back to the clearing. Hayley and Gabe soon came back with a log for their cottage, Archie with another for his and Molly’s and last of all came Hugo and Oscar. They had selected a huge specimen for the hall. It took many hands to shift it but they looked thrilled with their choice as it was dragged into pride of place.
Molly then instructed us to make ourselves comfortable on the blanket covered logs around the central blazing fire she had set going.
‘What’s that smell?’ Oscar asked.
‘It’s frankincense,’ Molly told him in a dreamy voice.
‘It’s lovely.’ Oscar beamed at her, clearly smitten, as well he might be because she looked so beautiful standing wrapped in her cloak and with the dancing flames matching her ethereal cloud of hair.
She smiled at him and then, without another instruction or any guidance at all, we all fell silent and spent a few minutes staring into the fire. I don’t know what everyone else thought about during that precious time, but I thought back over the last twelve months and all the things that had happened during them.
It had been a year of exciting highs and crushing lows. I was still sad that my time working overseas had ended with a blunder, but also thankful that I had eventually had the sense to see it for what it actually was rather than keep playing over what it could have been.
As I watched the flames lick and curl, I realized that had I not made that error of judgement then I would never have come to the hall. I would never have met Brodie, and Albert would most likely still be holed up in his damp, dank cottage with little hope of surviving the winter. Molly was right after all, there were no such things as mistakes.
I lifted my eyes and found her watching me. I swallowed hard and she nodded, smiling as if she knew what I was thinking and the realization I had just made. I smiled back, but then felt Brodie shudder beside me. I looked at him and saw tears coursing unchecked down his cheeks. I went to reach for his hand, but stopped myself. Whatever each of us was experiencing as we sat around that fire, it was private and for no one else to intrude upon.
‘And now,’ Molly eventually said, ‘would the Oak King and the Holly King please come forward?’
Hugo and Oscar stood up and went to join her. She handed them beautifully crafted papier-mâché masks which they solemnly pulled on and then also picked up toy swords. There was a crown for Hugo too.
‘Behold the Holly King,’ Molly said loudly and Hugo bowed, almost knocking off the crown. ‘And the Oak King,’ Molly carried on and Oscar followed his brother’s lead only with more success because he was less adorned.
She then lyrically told the story of the battling kings and how the Holly King held power over one half of the year and the Oak King the other. As she talked, the boys mildly tussled around us, suppressing the occasional giggle. As thetale reached its climax, the battle intensified until eventually the Oak King slayed the other and reclaimed the crown with a fantastic flourish and unsuppressed delight.
‘And so, on this day,’ Molly reverently said, ‘in this very moment, we celebrate the rebirth of the sun, we celebrate the return of the light and from this day forward we rejoice in the lengthening of days. Take this timely shift in the wheel of the year to your hearts and let the light fill you up as you move forward to embrace the power it affords you. Be brave, be bold and above all be merry. Happy Yule!’
We all stamped, clapped and cheered, welcoming in the shifting season and even though I knew the worst of the winter was still to come, the days were going to get longer and lighter from that moment on and all would be well. Looking at the sea of smiling happy faces around me, I knew everyone present felt the shift too.
‘Thank you, Molly,’ I called over to her, trying to make myself heard.
She rushed over to me as Brodie stood up and walked away.
‘Look,’ she said, plucking at my sleeve, with her cheeks brightly shining in the firelight. ‘The magic is working already.’
I followed her gaze and watched as Brodie strode up to Angus, took him to one side and whispered something in his ear. Angus looked ecstatic and slapped Brodie on the back before shaking his hand and then, having looked at Catherine, whispered something in return.
Brodie laughed and catching my eye, gave me a thumbs up.
‘I don’t know what’s just happened,’ Molly laughed, ‘but something has.’
‘I do,’ I told her, knowing that Brodie had just found his own way to embrace the returning light. ‘I know exactly what’s happened and you won’t have to wait much longer to find out.’
Chapter 32
‘Hurry up, Dad!’ Archie exasperatedly called from his position next to the main hall door. ‘They’ll be here any second!’
