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Christmas day and Mia had not risen early. Terry and Susie were in the kitchen, the clock on the wall tick, ticking to mid day. The beef was being basted and the roast potatoes turned before they both sat down to sip at some port.
"Traditional for me, bout now to enjoy a glass of Port." She smiles. Liking the sweater he was wearing?
"The one my sister brought me back from Canada. Her Christmas present! Snow and a moose!" He started to laugh. "I said to her, didn't they have any reindeer, she said 'No! we haven't any rein deer but plenty of snow!" It took a few seconds before Sandy realized the joke. She started to laugh.
"What is so funny Mama?!" "Mia. It pleases me to see you looking so well rested. Dinner won't be ready for a few hours, would you like some cereal or a bacon sandwich?" "Ooo bacon sandwich?" Terry lit the gas under the pan and took the bacon from the refrigerator. Minutes later, she was munching on the sandwich. Coca cola swigged back and burping!
"Excuse me young lady!" "I've tried Mama, but no matter how hard I've tried, its not working!" She giggled, burped again, but this time apologized. Leans in gives her mother a kiss. "Can I watch the television?" "Course you can." Terry walked with her into the main room. Flicked the on switch as the tv buzzed into life.
The local news. an extract from Denise Turner, a local reporter, doing a program called 'Cops at large.'
"Out with our local force last night and what a night it was! A heavy snow storm had created chaos and as it got to the end of the shift, we were called to a crash.
Well the evening had certainly been entertaining but this!" The camera panned to show the figure climbing from the car. White punk style flaired hair, ghoulish expression and mumbling hysterically.
There was a howl from Mia. “Mama!”
Sandy came running in to see her pointing at the image on the screen. "Well this guy is not going anywhere except the local hospital. Clearly out of his mind, screaming about being attacked by ghosts!" He had to be restrained and finally taken off in an ambulance."
"Well here's the latest from our reporter Denise on how that ended." "During the early hours of this morning, the patient broke free of staff, walked over to a, I have to emphasize this! A plate glass window. Slammed his head against it and it disintegrated.
Staff managed to grab him, but once again, he threw them to one side, and grabbing a chair, stepped up onto it and out of the window to fall 30 feet tragically to his death."
Mia had taken hold of Terry's arm, running her hand down it to slide into his. Sandy had moved closer to now rest her head on his shoulder as she pulled Mia in. "Its over. Now we can make a new start forget the past."
Glee? Mia stepped back turned the volume up and sat back on the sofa glancing at them kiss and then a cough as they moved apart for her to smile. "Uhh yes vegetables.. I'll go sort them out." Terry looked at her, looked at the present under the tree? Sandy nodded. Leaving them watching him go, as she walked over to the tree, bent down and retrieved the present.
"It would appear, there is a present here, with your name on young lady." Mia sat up as Sandy muted the volume on the tv. Passed the present to Mia. She read the label, tore off the paper. Falling into her lap the box? She stared at it. Sandy moved closer to her to give her a kiss.
"Told you to be careful what you wish for!" Minutes later she had helped her put the phone together, accept the activation text and with it now active, put the phone on charge. "Mama thank you!" Mia had tears in her eyes and Sandy was struggling to stop hers filling up.
Leaving her mother Mia tore into the kitchen with the box in her hands to show Terry. "Samsung latest phone!!" Sandy had come up behind her. Looked at Terry, smiled, pouted her lips to blow him a kiss.
"I think this little lady is a very lucky girl! Looks like everyone got their wishes come true." Terry pulled them in close. I don’t need anything more than I have now with you two here to share such precious time.
Sandy had stepped back, sniffing? "Not for that beef! Needs basting.” You Mia in the lounge and as for you sir!" She leaned in gave him a long kiss. "Go do whatever and leave me, sort dinner!" Mia stepped towards the lounge turned and looked back at Terry. "If I have to, looks like you will have to, DO as you're told!"
Giggling, she headed into the lounce to plump up a cushion before slumping back on it.
"You heard her!" Terry grinned. "I, will go sort the fire out! See what films are on for later." "Not too late, I have plans!" Anothe long lingering kiss, she shoves him away. "Go!" “Well I do have to ring Nina and wish her a Merry Christmas though it will be difficult not to laugh when it comes to what happened.
Talking to Nina and after wishing her a Merry Christmas? Into what had happened? Most of the essentials with Nina ooing and aaahing. In hysterics. “I told you Dad there were perculiar goings on. Grandad used to curse when his keys went missing or Grans knitting needles ended up in strange places.”
"Was not funny at the time I can tell you!" "Well if Mia likes my room Dad, the pink, why don't you let her have that room and I can have the one at the end. The one I liked, with the big window, that overlooks the back garden? I never said anything to Granddad, cos he had already decorated and painted the other room." "Done!"
"If you look in my wardrobe Dad, there's a beautiful pale yellow, silk scarf, still wrapped and ticketed that I bought the last time I was at Grandma's. Perhaps Sandy might like it?"
Minutes later Sandy was sipping on coffee in the kitchen whilst arranging the table. He slipped the silk scarf into her hands. "Nina wondered, as she bought this and forgot to return it, that you might like it? Your favorite color being yellow?" "It is beautiful!" She let it slide across her face.
"I'll pay her for it." "You! Will not! If she wants to give you a present you will Miss, accept it in the spirit it was given! Oh and if Mia likes the idea, Nina says she will move to another room and let Mia have hers, as its pink already?" Mia came into the kitchen. There was a loud howl from her. "Yessss!"
"Well you, can give Terry a hand to move her things!" Mia grinned. "Isn't that part of the housekeepers duties?" Terry stepped back, a smirk forming. "Mia would you leave us." Mia giggled and ran back into the lounge.
"Now you! After last night, think I am simply your housekeeper. With that Bentley? All the work to bring it back into service. You, will address me as the housekeeper and.." She grabbed him to kiss, pull back.
"The chauffeur." "I can see what you are driving at. now where did you put the corkscrew for the wine?!"
It would be in the afternoon whilst they were all chilling out after their excellent meal that elsewhere Tim’s was with his Australian buddy downloading files from the cloud and it took almost an hour before that was completed. Now to savor the sweet taste of his deceptions as they opened up the files on names, addresses, contacts. Perusing for account details, financial transactions?
“What the hell is this! “ Row after row of names, all in alphabetical order, no surprise there; uhh well until they realized the aweful unfolding truth. All from Yellow page directories, page after page after page.
“If you think I’m paying you good money for this, you can think again.” Might well have been the overall context of what followed cept it was not quite as amiable in its verbal sense.
Attempting to get into the offices was a failed attempt because Steve had waited in the afternoon for the locksmith to change the locks. Having completed that, he locked the outer gates and Aaron had provided him with a sensor that would detect anyone opening the gate with a text message to his mobile? That of course happened and within minutes police arrived to arrest two males caught trying to break into the premises?
It was Christmas Day; the evening at Charlotte’s place.
“So.” Charlotte raised her glass, smiled. “I hear that Tim’s was nicked today AND is currently detained at the local police lockup. Apparently he would have got bail, were it not, for the drugs they found in his possession.” Steve grinned. “I wonder who slipped those into the pocket of his overcoat? “ He glanced at Jodi who smiled.
“Just think after all he did, he was going to get away with attempted break in, his wrist slapped, a formal warning and let go?” If the business had gone down the pan, we would all have lost our jobs, whoever stitched him up gets my vote. Let the b’stard rot.” “That’s not including the amount of money spent on new locks and more that he’s gotten away with.”
“Not quite.” Charlotte held up a cheque made out to Tim’s. “Everyone of course, gets a Christmas bonus and it is clear in the contracts that a MINIMUM four weeks has to be given as notice to terminate employment, which he did not and therefore is in violation of his contract. No bonus, no salary for the month of Dec. Taking out of that amount the out of pocket expenses, the balance left will go towards drinks at our
New Years Eve party.
Merry Christmas everyone!”
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