CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHRISTMAS PLANS ©
On the drive home from church Louisa’s thoughts turned to Christmas. It was fast approaching with its usual Australian summer heat. She thought of the Christmas’ of England, not that she could really remember them, but she always dreamed of a Christmas with open fires and snow.
It was then that she decided they all needed a holiday. The last six months had been long and sad for all of them. “Let’s have a holiday this Christmas. It is on a Tuesday, so I think we should close the Inn on Monday. That would give us three days holiday before Christmas and Boxing Day. So that would mean a whole five days without having to work. We wouldn’t be able to go anywhere, but we could still have a fun holiday here at home.”
Her suggestion was greeted with many excited voices of confirmation. The little ones did’t even know what a holiday meant, but they joined in on the excitement just the same.
“When we get home, let’s all write down or draw one thing each we would like to do, this holiday” she suggested, thinking of all the ways this could be incorporated into valuable lessons for today.
Soon planning for their first holiday was set in motion. She drove the wagon around the side of the Inn to the barn. Alfred jumped down and started unhitching Jasper, while Magnus and Peter helped the other little ones down. As they all scampered to different areas to find pencils and paper, she settled down, with a hot cup of tea, to write a note for the paper saying that the Sugarloaf Inn would close Friday21st December and reopen Thursday 27th December. Alfred could take it to town tomorrow, and get some supplies at the same time.
But for now they were all going to get excited about Christmas, she thought, starting with some Christmas carols. She could remember a few from her childhood and maybe she could teach the children. She set them various tasks of making decorations, while she sang. Alfred and Magnus were given the task of finding a tree.
The next morning, she woke to the strains of “Jingle Bells, Alfred smells...” she made a mental note to correct this hilarity before it was sung to anyone else.
Hurrying with her dressing, she made her way downstairs. The children were all in the kitchen, how had she slept longer than them?
“Good morning darlings, how long have you all been awake?”
“Good morning, Mumma, can we sing some more Jingles today,” asked Willy?
“We’ll see, but first we have to get ready for today’s work, we still have to open the bar and do all our chores, Christmas isn’t for another week yet?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Checking for Alfred out the window again, she wonder what could be taking the boy so long. He had gone to town for final supplies for their Christmas feast and holiday. He was to get the mail before returning as well.
Relief washed over her when she heard the familiar whiney of Jasper as he got closer to home.
“Mam, I’m home. Boy can that Mrs Macey at the Post Office sure talk. She wanted to know everything, but I just pretended that I didn’t understand her and waited for her to give me the mail.”
How could she be angry with him when he took after her own heart, wanting privacy and minding his own business.
“Never mind Alfred, did you manage to get all that was on the list?” she asked while rummaging through the box of goodies he had placed on the bar. It had been a long time since she had prepared a Christmas dinner, usually they just celebrated quietly, it being their only day off.
“Mam, there was this letter for you,” Alfred said as he handed her a large official looking letter. She noticed that the inscription on the back was from Mr Treacher again.
She had inquired from the Magistrate after the last letter about Alfred’s estate, what it all meant and he had informed her that it would take awhile for it all to be sorted out.
Opening the letter she skimmed through the body of it until reaching the end, where it stated that Alfred’s estate, which was waiting for her at the bank was worth £523! Good Lord! She read it again.
Yes it definitely said £523. She never knew how much money Alfred had in the bank.
Thank you Alfred, she thought. We will be fine. If I am allowed to become Publican I will still run this establishment and I will make a good life for our children.
But tomorrow I am going shopping in town. I will close the bar for the day. I will call on Mrs Duncan for morning tea and ask if the children can visit, while I go shopping.
Thinking of all the wonderful things she could now buy, she decided on presents for the children and some fabric for a new dress for herself. Christmas was going to be different this year. But she would give it all back in a heartbeat to have Alfred back in their lives.
It was then that she decided they all needed a holiday. The last six months had been long and sad for all of them. “Let’s have a holiday this Christmas. It is on a Tuesday, so I think we should close the Inn on Monday. That would give us three days holiday before Christmas and Boxing Day. So that would mean a whole five days without having to work. We wouldn’t be able to go anywhere, but we could still have a fun holiday here at home.”
Her suggestion was greeted with many excited voices of confirmation. The little ones did’t even know what a holiday meant, but they joined in on the excitement just the same.
“When we get home, let’s all write down or draw one thing each we would like to do, this holiday” she suggested, thinking of all the ways this could be incorporated into valuable lessons for today.
Soon planning for their first holiday was set in motion. She drove the wagon around the side of the Inn to the barn. Alfred jumped down and started unhitching Jasper, while Magnus and Peter helped the other little ones down. As they all scampered to different areas to find pencils and paper, she settled down, with a hot cup of tea, to write a note for the paper saying that the Sugarloaf Inn would close Friday21st December and reopen Thursday 27th December. Alfred could take it to town tomorrow, and get some supplies at the same time.
But for now they were all going to get excited about Christmas, she thought, starting with some Christmas carols. She could remember a few from her childhood and maybe she could teach the children. She set them various tasks of making decorations, while she sang. Alfred and Magnus were given the task of finding a tree.
The next morning, she woke to the strains of “Jingle Bells, Alfred smells...” she made a mental note to correct this hilarity before it was sung to anyone else.
Hurrying with her dressing, she made her way downstairs. The children were all in the kitchen, how had she slept longer than them?
“Good morning darlings, how long have you all been awake?”
“Good morning, Mumma, can we sing some more Jingles today,” asked Willy?
“We’ll see, but first we have to get ready for today’s work, we still have to open the bar and do all our chores, Christmas isn’t for another week yet?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ANOTHER LETTER ©
Checking for Alfred out the window again, she wonder what could be taking the boy so long. He had gone to town for final supplies for their Christmas feast and holiday. He was to get the mail before returning as well.
Relief washed over her when she heard the familiar whiney of Jasper as he got closer to home.
“Mam, I’m home. Boy can that Mrs Macey at the Post Office sure talk. She wanted to know everything, but I just pretended that I didn’t understand her and waited for her to give me the mail.”
How could she be angry with him when he took after her own heart, wanting privacy and minding his own business.
“Never mind Alfred, did you manage to get all that was on the list?” she asked while rummaging through the box of goodies he had placed on the bar. It had been a long time since she had prepared a Christmas dinner, usually they just celebrated quietly, it being their only day off.
“Mam, there was this letter for you,” Alfred said as he handed her a large official looking letter. She noticed that the inscription on the back was from Mr Treacher again.
She had inquired from the Magistrate after the last letter about Alfred’s estate, what it all meant and he had informed her that it would take awhile for it all to be sorted out.
Opening the letter she skimmed through the body of it until reaching the end, where it stated that Alfred’s estate, which was waiting for her at the bank was worth £523! Good Lord! She read it again.
Yes it definitely said £523. She never knew how much money Alfred had in the bank.
Thank you Alfred, she thought. We will be fine. If I am allowed to become Publican I will still run this establishment and I will make a good life for our children.
But tomorrow I am going shopping in town. I will close the bar for the day. I will call on Mrs Duncan for morning tea and ask if the children can visit, while I go shopping.
Thinking of all the wonderful things she could now buy, she decided on presents for the children and some fabric for a new dress for herself. Christmas was going to be different this year. But she would give it all back in a heartbeat to have Alfred back in their lives.
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