The Christmas List

Busking to earn money for gifts and heating, Abby paid forward the kindness of others

 

The sun was low in the wintry sky and the temperature was still sub-zero. Abby stamped her feet and blew on her fingers as she skirted the square in Wetherley. She and her family had only recently moved in and didn’t know anyone yet, but so far she liked it. There was a market in the middle and old-fashioned shops around the edges which looked like they’d been here since Shakespeare was alive.

The town was picture perfect with frost decorating windows and pavements like icing sugar, but it was flippin’ freezing! Hopefully people were feeling generous this morning, she thought, looking around for a spot to set up.

She stopped in front of the biggest Christmas tree she’d ever seen in real life. This would do nicely. Opposite the Christmas tree was the really cool candle shop that her mum liked. Merry and Bright. Maybe she’d sing White Christmas which had those lyrics in it and the shop owner would hear?

She set up her microphone stand, then unzipped her guitar case, slung the strap of the guitar over her shoulder and put the empty case on the ground. It looked depressingly empty. She rummaged around in the pocket of her coat and dug out the handful of coins she kept especially for this purpose and dropped them into the case. There, that looked better. Now she didn’t look like a complete loser.

She reckoned she had about an hour and a half before her mum came back from her interview. She needed this job. They needed this job. It was only part time an assistant warden at the Rosebridge Retirement Village but it was something, and Abby new how much working towards financial independence meant to her mum.