Christmas IN JUNE

Santa Claus in a bikini! Had Kathy totally lost the plot?

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Christmas lights?' tutted a voice behind her. 'But it’s only June.'

‘How ridiculous!’ said another voice.

Kathy finished attaching the flashing ‘Merry Xmas!’ sign to the upstairs window and climbed carefully down the ladder. The passers-by were still there, gawping.

‘I know it looks mad,’ she said. ‘But actually, there’s a reason.’ Then she told them her story.

‘Ahhh,’ said one of them.

‘I hope it all goes well. You've certainly got the weather for it!’ Very true. Everyone was in shorts and T-shirts, including her. Maybe this was what it was like in Australia at Christmas where her middle son Peter and his family lived. She had always wanted to visit them but her ex-husband Doug hadn't liked travelling. He hadn't liked Christmas much, either. Never mind. That was all in the past.

Now what was the next thing on the list? Of course. The tree! She’d been so worried about fixing those lights she'd forgotten all about it.

She usually got one from the local greengrocer, but when she popped in later...

‘A Christmas tree?’ he said. ‘But it's summer.’

Then she explained and immediately his face softened. ‘Actually, I remember one of my customers telling me you'd been through a tough time. Well, I could ask my supplier and see if he can help.’

‘Thank you!’ said Kathy. Her mind went back to when the children were small. They'd all help her decorate the tree with ornaments which she had carefully stored over the years. Some were from her own childhood, like the little bells that had been passed down from her grandmother.

However, the most special ones were those which her sons had made themselves out of papier mâché. Now her grandchildren did the same. How she’d missed that last year. At least they'd be able to make up for it now.

When Kathy was taking a brief rest on the sunlounger in the garden with a glass of homemade lemonade, the greengrocer rang.