Who's for TURKEY?

Clara couldn’t help feeling she’d been set up – but would the spirit of Christmas prevail?

- Fran Tracey

Ready, everyone?’ Santa called out, his words muffled by his cotton wool beard.

A few of the assembled group replied, some with enthusiastic calls of ‘Go, Santa!’ and some ‘Yeah!’.

Then the music started, Santa gave the lorry driver the thumbs-up, and they were off.

Clara tugged at her hat, although adjusting it wouldn’t make much difference. What she was wearing was never going to be a good look, especially with sunglasses. She didn’t need them, but she was hoping for a shred of anonymity at the Mattison’s Building Supplies Christmas charity event. This entailed following Santa – their sales director – who was strapped onto the back of a flatbed lorry and being driven around the streets.

Clara had been given a bucket to shake so they could collect coins for local charities, and she was dressed up, as they’d all been expected to be. She glanced around. Was everyone here? It was hard to tell.

Ouch! She almost went over on her ankle. This was an accident waiting to happen. The sunglasses made it tricky to negotiate uneven paving stones, especially with the snow that had fallen. Still, snow added to the magic, didn’t it? Only, she wasn’t sure she was feeling the love yet.

Part of the problem was that she’d been late and had been lumbered with the costume leftovers.