12/24/11

Hush, Little Baby
By David Harker


Holly snuggled down into her quilt and once again forced her eyes shut; terrified that Santa wouldn’t come if she couldn’t get to sleep. She and Jacquie, her Mummy, had moved into the old thatched cottage after her Daddy was killed in Afghanistan.

She could still remember every detail of the time when the big black car had stopped outside their house in the middle of the night and the men in uniform had come to the door. Holly had been wide awake and crept out of bed to listen as the men spoke to Mummy. They were speaking quietly, saying something about an IED and him being killed? At just 4 years old Holly couldn’t understand all the words they used, nor why her Mummy had fallen to the floor. She just saw the men rush forward and grab her arms.

“Leave my Mummy alone! You’re hurting her!”

Holly had rushed down the stairs and was now trying to push away the men, hitting out at them with her tiny fists.

“Holly, honey, its fine, It’s OK! I just felt a bit dizzy that’s all!”

Her Mummy scooped her in a huge hug, tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s Daddy, these gentlemen have just told me he won’t be able to come home anymore.”

“Why not?”

“He was in an accident and he’s had to go to Heaven.”

There was the funniest sound in her voice and huge tears trickled down her cheeks. She rocked Holly in her arms and started sobbing uncontrollably. Holly wrapped her arms around her neck and whispered,

“It’s alright Mummy, you won’t be lonely – I’ll look after you!”

Back in her room, Holly shuffled once again in bed, still wishing she could fall asleep. In the night-time quietness, timbers creaked and the open fire sputtered and crackled behind its fireguard. A log settled in the grate, sending a flock of fiery sparks up the chimney. One of the sparks squeezed through the guard and fluttered its way over to Holly’s bed. She gasped, round-eyed in amazement, as she found herself looking at the tiniest fairy figure sparkling in the darkness.

“Hello Holly! I’m the fire fairy. Santa has sent me on ahead to ask you what you want more than anything in the world... I can give you anything so think carefully!”

The fairy’s wings fluttered and glowed in the darkness of the room, her elfin face smiling at Holly as little sparkles of fairy dust trailed behind her.

“So Holly, Close your eyes and make your wish!“

Holly squeezed her eyes shut and thought a moment, then an idea formed in her mind.

“Fire Fairy, I wish Mummy wasn’t so sad. I wish she could see Daddy again.”

Downstairs, the long case clock struck 12; there was a flash of golden light...

In her room Jacquie woke from a deep sleep. John’s strong arms folded around her and his warm body spooned against her back. She squirmed with delight and shuffled that little bit further back towards him. His male scent filled her senses, his stubble scratched against her neck.

“I’m so sorry I put you two through all this Jacqs… It wasn’t meant to be this way. ”

His deep, gravelly voice stirred things deep inside her body.

“That’s alright my love!”, Jacquie turned to face her husband, “You’re here now and that’s all that counts!”

He smiled, the familiar creases at the corners of his eyes deepened and his face lit up.

“I’m here for you but I can’t stop Jacqs, what happened really happened. But I promise I’ll be here whenever you want me, and for as long as you need me. Now, hold me in your arms and sing me the lullaby you used to sing for Holly.”

Jacqui pulled John into her body, nestling his head into her breast and closed her eyes.

“Hush little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird…”

“Mummy! It’s Christmas and Santa’s been!”
Holly was bouncing excitedly at the bottom of the bed as Jacquie rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up in bed and thought about the strange dream she had had. She looked at the pile of presents Holly had brought, still unopened, into the bedroom and stacked on the floor to the side of her bed. Something caught her eye and as she looked more closely, she noticed the head shaped depression on the pillow at John’s side of the bed. Could it be? She lifted the pillow and squeezed it to her chest. His fragrance once again filled her senses and for the first time in a very long time she truly relaxed and beamed a smile.

“Happy Christmas honey! Aren’t you going to open your presents?”

Holly looked at her Mummy sitting smiling at the head of the bed, then crawled up and snuggled under the quilt next to her. Jacquie couldn’t understand her daughter’s next sentence, but at this moment in time she wouldn’t waste time worrying.

“Oh I had my best present last night from the fire fairy - and your face just opened it!”


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David lives in part of a converted 17th century watermill in deepest, darkest South Shropshire. His interests are Writing, Landscape Photography, Travel and Nature, with all that entails. His work has been published at Pygmy Giant, Bewildering Stories, Short Humour and Daily Love.