Advent Drabbles: December 19th (part 3 23:16)
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The CBB -> St Scholastika's House
#1: Advent Drabbles: December 19th (part 3 23:16) Author: Advent Drabblers,  PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:29 am
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It was Christmas Eve, and Jo was alone at Freudesheim as Jack was on duty. The children who still lived at home were at a party at Len’s home, but Joey hadn’t really felt in the mood for the sort of party that she knew that would be, she preferred something quieter than the everlasting pop music that would be deafening everyone there, and so she had cried off. Now she was dozing in front of the fire in the Saal, and remembering pat Christmases. The first one she’d spent in Austria, when they had stayed with the Mensches and had such a wonderful, fairy-tale time. The one where she’d gone to Pretty Maids with Maynie. The first Christmas she’d shared with Jack in their new home on Guernsey, before the War had broken out. All the wartime Christmases where they tried so hard to make it a festive occasion on so very little. They all came flooding back to her as if they were yesterday.
She was still half asleep and dreaming when the door opened and Jack came in, carrying two mugs of gluhwein.
“Here you are Jo, something to warm you on Christmas Eve,” he said, handing her one of the mugs.
“Thanks Jack. I didn’t hear you come in. You must have been very quiet.”
“I think you were asleep,” he replied with a grin.
“I was not! I was remembering all the past Christmases if you must know!”
“If you say so Joey,” but his eyes were twinkling, and Jo knew that he was teasing her, so she just grinned at him as he sank into the chair opposite hers.
They were chatting quietly about nothing in particular when they both heard a noise outside. Jack stood up and went to the window, but he could see nothing. the lights stretched only a short way into the garden, and nothing moved that he could see. Then the sounds came again, but from above, and Jack frowned. It seemed to be coming from the roof, and he was about to leave the room when something came slithering down the chimney and landed in the fireplace, sending a great gout of smoke out into the room.
“What on earth...?” said Jo. “There’s nothing there. Was it just snow?”
“It’s never happened before,” said Jack grimly. “Whatever it is, it isn’t just snow.”
There were more noises in the chimney, as if something large was up there, and Joey hurriedly pulled the rug well away from the front of the fireplace and out of danger. there was a grunting noise, and then, with a rush and a cloud of soot, a figure appeared in the fireplace, dressed in red clothes, miraculously soot-free, and carrying a large sack.

Last edited by Advent Drabblers on Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:21 pm; edited 2 times in total
#2:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:53 am
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With all the kids at Freudesheim I'm surprised he didn't need half a dozen elves to help him carry the presents down the chimney!
#3:  Author: PaulineS, Location: West Midlands PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:36 am
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Glad someone has introduced the children to the twentieth century in music at least.
#4:  Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:49 am
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Thanks
#5:  Author: Advent Drabblers,  PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:25 pm
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Over in the school Karren was just dampening down the fire. All the girls had gone home the week before, and most of the maids were visiting family, taking some holiday before the big clean up at the beginning of the new term. She had stayed, and two of the younger maids who she suspected had been looking for an excuse not to go home. The staff had all gone, apart from the usual suspects, the two heads, matey and Rosalie Dene. She and Anna had managed to arrange for them all to be invited to Freudesheim for Christmas dinner, combining their resources and the school freezer to make sure they had as little work as possible to do. The entire dinner had been cooked between them over a month ago and frozen.

Tonight Karren had enjoyed a few glasses of brandy with the maids, and then when they went off giggling to bed, had sat in front of the fire, dreaming about what might have been. It was not that she begrudged her fate, she had a roof over her head, food and warmth, but somehow she was always put down. She knew that the staff saw her as being beneath them, beneath notice even, and that the maids and outdoor staff laughed at her behind her back. The trouble was that she just wouldn't settle for less than the best, and saw no reason why she too should not have her doctor.
Of course she knew it was unlikely, knew that doctors would be unlikely to ever meet her, but somehow it was her dream. She knew that it was also the dream of the two heads. Still, wrinkled old hags that they might be, they at least would have their opportunity. They were going to Freudesheim for Christmas Dinner. She was relegated to the kitchen, and they had a big thing of telling her how she did not need to remain at Freudesheim once dinner was served, she could come back to school and have the rest of the day to herself.

As she watched the last embers of the fire die down, she forced a smile to her face. This was not a new situation after all. She had been at the beck and call of the two heads for many, many years now, sweeping her dreams away with the cinders each morning. There was no reason why tomorrow should be any different.

It was as she turned away from the fire that her eye was caught by a movement in the corner of the room. Straightening up she grabbed the poker, ready to defend herself. Then stared in amazement, as the figure turned out to be a small old lady dressed from head to foot in white, who seemed to have a musical accompianment whenever she moved.
“No need for that dear,”she said waving what looked liked a silver stick with a star on the end towards the poker. There was a trill of music and Karen discovered she was holding a lime green feather boa.
“Oh dear, colours were never my best subject,”
“But, but,” gasped Karren.
“Oh, sorry, getting a bit ditzy in my old age, I'm 917 years old you know and I am your fairy godmother.”
#6:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:28 pm
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Interesting. Thanks for posting this before I have to go home.
#7:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:48 pm
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Hooray - it's high time she got a break!!
#8:  Author: Fi, Location: Somerset PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:17 pm
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"Wrinkled old hags"

rofl rofl rofl rofl
ROFLMAO
#9:  Author: Helen P, Location: Crewe, Cheshire PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:23 pm
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Phew! Finally caught up from the 9th December! Am also giggling at the wrinkled old hags Laughing

Thank you all for the past eleven drabbles; I will try to keep up until Christmas now... Very Happy
#10:  Author: Advent Drabblers,  PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:16 pm
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Karen laughed, "You're my what?"

"Fairy Godmother, dear, you must have heard of them, surely?"

Well, yes," Karen began, "but only in fairy stories, not in real life."

"Not in real..." the old woman frowned, "now see here, Cinderella, you must have had..."

"Karen," said Karen.

"Karen what?"

"Karen is my name," said Karen. "Sometimes it's Karren, sometimes even Karin, but that is my name."

There was a pause, "Not Cinderella then?" The woman said rather hopefully.

Karen shook her head.

"Damn!" The woman looked over at Karen, noting her surprise, "Sorry love but I've had nothing but trouble the last few nights, blasted sat-nav's taken me all over the place. Do you know where I ended up yesterday? No? I ended up in DisneyWorld, I was supposed to be at Snow White's christening. Heaven knows what's going to happen about that," she looked so wobegone that Karen thought furiously about how to cheer her up.

"Fancy a drink?"

The Fairy Godmother's eyes gleamed, "I shouldn't..." she began.

"Who will know?" Karen asked practically, reaching across to where she had a bottle of the best brandy for her own personal use. She poured out two generous measures and passed one across. The bottle disappeared rather quickly. Karen felt sure there had to be more than just the two of them drinking it because there was no way they could possibly have drunk so much. At least the Fairy Godmother, she'd said to call her Gladys, was a little happier now. Karen opened a bottle of Port that she had been saving for a special occasion and poured out two generous helpings.

"Thank you soooo much Cinderkaren," Gladys smiled rather glassily at the Austrian woman, "you're very kind."

"That's alright," Karen replied, "and I'm sure that Cinderella person will be far better off without a handsome prince."

"You could be right there," Gladys nodded, "I know that I'd never want a prince - they don't stay handsome, you know? A few years of State banquets and they look anything but handsome, I can tell you. Not that I mind a man that's cuddly, far from it..."

"I always wanted a doctor, myself," Karen confessed, rather drunk herself.

"A doctor? Oh no!" Gladys shook a very insteady finger at her, "married to the job they are, at least the good ones are and who wants a bad one? No, you want a man that's going to be home at night, like mine."

"Is your husband home at night then?"

"Most nights, yes," Gladys finished her drink then, with a wave of her wand, filled both glasses again, "apart from tonight, of course - reason I'm working tonight really, after all, it's his busiest...oh!"

"What is it?"

Gladys was scrambling in her bag and brought out a sparkling mobile phone, "Remember I blamed the sat-nav for ending up here? Well I wasn't the only one using it."

Only a short time later there was a small bang and a puff of smoke in one corner of the Saal in Freudesheim; unfortunately it was in the opposite corner to where two figures appeared about three foot up in the air and clattered to the ground. A big man in red trousers and with a red fur-lined jacket slung over the back of his chair, raised an eyebrow and got up,

"My wife, Gladys," he expalined to the Maynards, "I think she might have had a little to drink."

"I can drink you under the table, big man," Gladys said, brandishing her wand like a lethal weapon.

"I don't think so, darling," the man said, "most Christmas Eves I managed in excess of fourteen million whiskies in one night."

"There is such a thing as excess, you know?" Karen said, feeling she had to stick up for her new friend.

The man winked, "Karen Pfiffen, Head Cook for the Chalet School - wants - a doctor and to be appreciated, yes?"

"Well, I..."

"You're embarrassing her, Claus," Gladys nudged her husband and then pointed toward the Maynards.

"Oh, sorry Karen," Claus said, "it's just, I can only deliver things to people if they haven't already got them - so I'm afraid I can't deliver anything to you."

"Er. Mr Claus? Would your wife like to join us?" Joey Maynard said hesitantly, "and Karen too?"

Karen suddenly looked angry, "Wouldn't you prefer it, Fraulein, if I went to the kitchen with Anna?"

Gladys and Claus exchanged glances, Gladys nodded, "Well as Cinderella isn't here," she said quickly, "then I'm just going to have to help out here," she waved her wand, "Now, why don't we all see your thoughts?"

The others all looked across with puzzlement, except the big man who just smiled,

Joey Maynard thought, "Why do Anna and Karen never join us? Why do I not ask them? Just afraid really - it's so difficult adapting to new circumstances, things are so very different to when I was a child."

Jack Maynard thought, "Anna never feels comfortable with us, I've no idea why, she still seems caught in her timewarp, it's the 1960's now though, surely she can see that? At least she has Karen, I don't know what we would do without her."

Karen looked across in bewilderment, "You mean, you want to ask us to join you?"

Joey bit her lip, "I do," she said, "it's just, there never seems to be a good time. Were you really wanting to be appreciated, Karen? You must know we couldn't possibly appreciate you more."

"I didn't know," Karen said slowly, "but I do now."

"And Karen, you have not just one Doctor, but the entire medical team at your disposal," Jack Maynard said with a smile, "now, why don't you join us?"

Almost as though she were in a dream Karen allowed herself to be dragged toward the fire and the cosy gathering, within seconds it seemed all those present was drinking glasses of champagne, toasting themselves and Christmas.
#11:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:49 pm
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Hooray!!
#12:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:59 pm
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Awww!!!! That was lovely.

(and very funny! LOVE Gladys!!!)
#13:  Author: Sugar, Location: second star to the right! PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:08 am
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Thanks !
#14:  Author: Sal, Location: Walsall / Aberystwyth PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:19 am
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Very Happy Wonderful, thanks.
#15:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:28 am
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Aww - that was loverly

(can't type or do grammar cos the Baileys kept refilling itself -= honest!)
#16:  Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:00 am
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Love Gladys, thanks Lesley
#17:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:17 am
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Lovely, thanks. I wonder if I have a fairy godmother and what her name is.
#18:  Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:46 am
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That was hysterical - and very sweet at the end. Loved the sat nav, and am very glad Karen knows she's appreciated. Enjoyed Gladys's comments about princes and doctors!

Thanks, all three.
#19:  Author: Vick, Location: Leeds, Yorkshire PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:44 am
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That was good. Loved the fact that the Fairy Godmother is married to Santa!!! Very Happy

Thanks
#20:  Author: Rosalin, Location: Swansea PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:14 pm
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Loved Gladys, Claus, the sat-nav and Karen getting her happy ending. All of it really.

Thanks ADs.
#21:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:31 pm
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Loved it. Thank you so much.
#22:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:34 pm
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Thanks, Advent Drabblers. I'm glad that Jack and Joey asked Anna and Karen to join them.
#23:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:40 am
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You three are so inventive! Laughing
Very Christmassy ending, as well.

Thank you, Advent Drabblers.
The CBB -> St Scholastika's House


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