All is Bright - A Yorkshire Lad's Christmas

All is Bright - A Yorkshire Lad's Christmas - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Christmas Kiss

 Me and me dad were in the kitchen, untangling the Christmas lights for the tree, not that we had one yet. We always waited until just before Christmas cos that's when they got cheap.  

"Hey, you'll never guess what the carol singers from the church made the other night," said Mam as she came in. 

"No," he said. 

"Go on, guess," said Mam. 

"Ten quid," said Dad. 

"Twenty-seven pounds!" me mam said. "Twenty-seven!" 

"Twenty-seven quid! And they were only out for an hour weren't they?" 

"Yes," said Mam, "mind there was a good turnout, the full choir." 

It got me thinking did that. Twenty-seven pounds just for singing a few Christmas songs. I could sing.  By the time I went to bed the plan was just about made. I'd go carol singing the next night, and make a fortune. But I didn't like the idea of going by meself. I'd need a mate, someone who could sing, someone who could walk round the village at night, and most of all, someone who could keep quiet about it.  

Most of the kids in our school came in on a bus, from the farms roundabout. There were only twelve kids lived in the village itself. When you took away the infants and all the kids younger than me, and the five who were up at the big school, there was only one left. Josie Carter. A girl! Mind, she could sing. But I couldn't go round with a girl. Never. I couldn't get to sleep.

Next day at school I kept looking round at all the kids in our class. When we sang the morning hymn I listened to 'em all. Most of 'em sounded alright, but that was only when we all sang together. If Mrs Heath ever wanted just one person to sing, she either asked me, or... Yeah, Josie Carter. It had to be her. Or nobody, and I wasn't going to let all this money go as easy as that. I'd have to ask her at playtime, in secret.  

I kicked me football across to her, and when I went to get it back, I whispered. I want a word.  

"Yeah?" she said. 

Shh, I said, no not here, after school, at shop corner, right?  

"Alright," she said, and I went back to me mates.

After school she was waiting for me just around the corner from the shop. Now then, I said, do you want to make some easy money?  

"I'm not showing you me knickers," she said.  

No, not that, I mean carol singing.  

She said "Carol singing?" 

Yeah, you an me, tonight.  

"Where?"  

Round t'village. 

"Ooh, I don't know 'bout that," she said, "I think I'd rather show you me knickers." 

Aw, come on, I said, it'll be a doddle. And think of the money! That church lot made twenty-seven quid!  

"Oh, alright then, come for me at seven o'clock."  

No, I'll meet you back here.  

"Alright then, see ya" and she skipped off up Westgate, singing Away in a Manger.

I could hardly eat me tea I was that excited. At five to seven I went back to the shop corner and Josie was waiting. She was all wrapped up with a scarf and gloves, as well as her duffle coat. 

Now then, I said, let's start at the other end, and we walked up the village to Cottage Row. 

"Righto, shall we knock and then start singing?"