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        Stories & Imaginings >> Cookies & Drabbles >>  22nd December Reposted
        
(Message started by: Carolyn P on Dec 23^rd, 2003, 2:46pm)

Title: 22nd December Reposted
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 23^rd, 2003, 2:46pm

Just in case anyone missed this before the TEM ate it, here is my part followed by Rachel's.

This is a continual story from now onwards.

Felicity, Susan and Lucy finished putting their costumes on and went onstage to try and peek out through the curtains.
“Shoo,” whispered Miss Ferrars, “You three have been here far too long for that behaviour, you know that you must stay backstage,” then smiling at the excited girls who all had their first speaking parts in the play she added, “OK, all your parents are here, and they all have good seats. Now, be off with you and don’t let me see you up here again until it is your scene.”
The trio scuttled off and joined their classmates where there was a general buzz of excitement. Many of the form had speaking parts and all the others were taking part in some way, as angels, as choir, as minor characters, and the staff backstage had their hands full trying to keep the level noise to an acceptable minimum. Only one girl stood apart from the crowd. Nicola listened to the girls talking about their families who had come to watch the play and escort many of them home at the end of the week; and turned away slightly, affecting an interest in the beard being applied to the face of the Head Girl, Erica Standish. Felicity noticed her and nudged Susan, nodding in Nicola’s direction. Susan pulled a face, but trailed after Felicity and Lucy as they went over to Nicola’s side.
“Are you getting excited?” Felicity asked as an opener.
Nicola shrugged, “I suppose. The play is a big thing here isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. Mama says it sums up the spirit of the school, and she is especially intrigued by this one.”
“It’s the first time that staff have had parts isn’t it?” Nicola surprised the others by knowing this, but Felicity answered simply, “Yes, normally the prefects act the adults, as they are doing for the other roles, but the staff had to be in this time didn’t they?”
The girls giggled. “I wonder what they thought about being included?” asked Lucy.
“They didn’t have much choice did they, the parts were written for them after all,” added Susan, “I say, do you think that they had to audition like we did, deciding who would be the Abbess and who would play Miss Dene and the others?”
The four girls laughed again, risking nemesis if they made too much noise. “I wish I could have seen that, but I suppose they just talked about it and all decided to play themselves,” Felicity was practical after all. Just then the bell rang for beginners and they fled to their places.

The first scene was a departure from usual as it showed Miss Annersley in her office, represented by a desk, blotter and a few chairs, discovering in her mail a package containing a play, with an anonymous note saying that this was a gift to the school to be used as this year’s nativity play. The scene continued with first Miss Dene and then Miss Ferrars, Miss Wilmot and Miss Denny being shown the package.

The scene now set, the Play moved to a classroom, with the girls in their uniform during a hobbies meeting, the talk being one of the presents they were making. This was the scene the third formers were taking part in, with their form mistress Miss Stone and two of the prefects, Victoria Woods and Emilie St Laurent. They spoke of presents and of Father Christmas, and then Felicity Maynard asked the teacher how the legend of St Nicholas came about. Miss Stone bid them put their things away and come and listen to the story. The girls ran about the stage, taking the hobbies equipment to the wings and then sat at one side, round their teacher who spoke the opening lines of the legend.

Title: Re: 22nd December Reposted
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 23^rd, 2003, 2:47pm

During the darkness as the scenes changed the third form moved backstage, and the play continued. The thirds were shepherded back to their dressing room where they would wait until they were needed for their next scene, towards the end of the play. Whilst they waiting they milled around, now free to talk and the excited young girls were full of the people they had seen in the audience.
“Wasn’t that you sister sat in the front row?” someone asked of Felicity.
“Two of them, Margot who is going to be a nun, and Con.” She added this last name proudly as news had come just a few days previously that Con’s volume of Poetry, which had been accepted by a publisher earlier in the year, had just been published and received some favourable reviews, especially by the critics.

Nicola wondered away and opened her bag, looking inside for the storybook she had concealed there earlier in the day for this occurrence. She sat reading, the talk of families, presents, and holidays washing over and around her as she tried to ignore it. Felicity spying her, decided that she had done her part earlier and left the girl to her own devices.

On stage things were progressing. The legend of St Nicholas had been told, and other scenes had shown the tradition of Christmas boxes and of present giving in various forms. The scene now being shown showed an old grandfather who had gathered his grandchildren around him on Christmas Eve. He had a special present he told them, a story, written just for them, and he proceeded to read it to the assembled children who were all sucking candy canes from the tree, “’Twas the night before christmas…” he began, and little Phil Maynard, the youngest speaker in the play piped up, “Just like tonight grandfather.” The poem continued and the children then hung their stockings before being hurried off to bed by Gretchen von Ahlen who was playing their mother.

The play was now nearly at its conclusion. The lights dimmed and the third form re-entered, this time to sit around Miss Stone centre stage. “…and that is the legend of Father Christmas, or St Nicholas.” She said to the class. She left the stage, telling the girls to finish tidying up and then to wash their hands ready for Abendessen. Some of the girls also left, and those remaining picked up bits from the stage, chatting about the legend, then “It’s not just Father Christmas who gives presents is it?” from Susan.
“No, I get them from lots of relatives,” was Felicity’s line.
“I think Sue was meaning something else though,” added Jean and Carlotta Von Ahlen said, “My mummy says that the first Christmas was about a gift as well.”

The scene changed again, this time to the stable, and the nativity scene, with representatives of all the different scenes in the play coming in to bring their gift to the babe and to receive a smile from him, the babe being real and bestowing smiles and giggles on the girls as they each knelt before him. His mother, standing in the wings in robes herself in case she had to spring to the rescue breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back to ensure she was out of sight as the school and the audience began top sing “Adeste Fidelis”, the carol they traditionally finished with.

Title: Re: 22nd December Reposted
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 23^rd, 2003, 2:48pm

And Rachel's part...

With the Christmas play over, the school relaxed and settled back figuratively speaking to enjoy the last three days of term. Nicola, still very much alone despite her term in the school, watched with amusement as other girls wound themselves up to fever pitch ending up almost hysterical with excitement. She personally felt far too superior to be bothered, and instead spent her free time finishing making her notes on the school; it’s students and staff. Nobody was sure why Nicola was keeping notes, and the only person who had broached the subject had had to face Nicola doing an amazing impression of a cat in a hissy fit, so after this everyone left her to herself.

Nicola’s notes were very comprehensive, and she knew they would come in very useful for the person who had asked her to keep them; she wasn’t sure yet when she would have a chance to pass them on but assumed an opportunity would present itself at some point over the Christmas vacation. Hearing the sound of staggering in the corridor, Nicola put away her notes and was sat primly at her desk as the door opened and Matron wandered in.

Matron, normally so brisk and snappy had once again found the eggnog. Karen and her fellow workers had decided to ignore the commands from on high this year. Every year the orders came from Hilda not to make any eggnog until Matron had gone to bed, but as Hilda was the only person to retire later than Matron, this always resulted in Hilda “having” to drink the entire jugs of eggnog by herself, which resulted in some fairly interesting lessons for those pupils lucky enough to have the head for English Literature. One class of students remembered fondly the lesson near Christmas when Hilda had told them all quite seriously that Shakespeare had in fact been a woman married to a donkey. The donkeys name had been Wilberforce and Mrs. Shakespeare had rejoiced in the Christian name of Huffeluffelumph. Hilda refused to believe she had ever given such a lesson, and maintained her ability to deal with her alcohol long and loud to anyone who could stand to listen to her hiccupping denials.

Matron staggered up to the teachers’ platform, weaving unsteadily on her way. Arriving there, she sat heavily in the chair and beamed round at the students, all of whom were eyeing her warily, recalling tales from higher up the school about Matron’s startling habits this close to the end of term. Felicity, having the benefit of several sisters going through the school before her, recognized that Matron had reached the point of wanting to air her grievances, and knew that if nobody asked Matron to talk, they would be there all night. One unfortunate fifth form, in the mistaken belief that it would be safer to stay quiet with Matron in this state, had spent a full thirty-six hours in a classroom with the woman, who refused to allow anyone to leave.

“Is anything wrong?” Felicity asked politely.
“I’m glad you asked that,” slurred Matron, her glazed eyes attempting to work out which of the three Felicity’s was speaking. “Verry glad!”
Felicity sat back down, and by subtle sign language indicated that everyone should just ignore Matron and get on with their own business until the woman shut up.

Matron began to speak, slowly at first, and then faster, spittles of drool flying out in her haste to tell the class exactly where she had been so hard done by. Eventually the class gathered that Matrons gripe with life in general was the fact that she wasn’t allowed to have a man in her room, “or a donkey,” concluded Matron bitterly, before standing up and leaving the room, to the collective sighs’ of relief of the girls.

Eventually the last day arrived, the staff all managed to remain sober during this day, fortified by the knowledge that in just twenty-four hours they would be free to lie in a drunken stupor for three whole weeks.