Page 73 of A Season in the Snow
Chapter 33
Another hour and several long stretches of tunnels that scooped their way underneath the Alps later, and Alice, Marco and Bear were navigating their way through the streets of Zurich to find Vanessa’s apartment. They drove beside the river, alongside medieval buildings and pretty bridges. Alice craned her neck to look up, searching for the right block of flats, and Marco directed her with the confidence of someone who’d been here a thousand times.
When they arrived they found the other three already there in Vanessa’s apartment, Lola and Noah having checked in down the hallway, and David trying to play it cool, when it was all he could do to stop himself staring at Vanessa.
‘This is so nice,’ Vanessa enthused, greeting each of her final three visitors with a warm embrace. ‘I like having visitors! It gets lonely on these tours.’
‘Lonely, even with all the people you’re showing around?’ asked Marco.
‘I think it’s possible to be at your loneliest when there are lots of people around,’ Alice said as she took her shoes off, without stopping to think what she was saying.
She looked up to see them watching her. Wow, what a Christmas Spirit she was.
‘Exactly,’ said Vanessa, stepping in. ‘It’s gorgeous to have you all to stay because I don’t have to host. We’re equal.’
‘So let me start off by making a drink for everyone,’ said David, moving over to the kettle.
‘Oh David, you’ve had a long journey, I’ll do that,’ Vanessa countered, but David just touched her arm and stood in front of the kettle. ‘You’re letting us stay here, Lola and Alice drove, this is the least I can do.’
They smiled at each other and Alice caught Lola’s eye, noticing the sweet contact.
After a drink, a sit down, and a chance for Bear to sniff everything in the apartment, the group were ready to head out towards the Tree and the market.
It was already darkening when they set off, their breath foggy in the clear air despite it being several degrees warmer than up in the Alps. The group, led by Vanessa, weaved their way through the medieval streets of the old town until the amber lights formed a glow in the sky above, and they knew they were nearly there.
Alice sniffed the air, mirroring Bear who walked next to her, and smelled the cloves and cinnamon of mulled wine stalls. Bear pulled in small zigzags, exploring the streets and snuffling up fallen crumbs of gingerbread cookies. The streets were busy, the sky was dark, but somehow Alice – although with a sharpened mind, always it seemed, for any potential threat – was calm. Although Switzerland was proving to have light and dark times, she was certain she was experiencing more happiness than fear in this place. Seeing more light than dark.
‘There it is!’ Lola was the first to spot the Tree, tall and central, immediately obvious when they came into the square. It was a tiered pyramid stage, seven rows high, consumed by pine branches and silvery waterfall fairy lights that hung down like icicles. Shuffling on each tier was a line of people, dressed in red hats and scarves and long forest-green coats, holding song books. Excited chatter from the crowd, and the soon-to-be-singers filled the air, until loud speakers projected a burst of merry music. The choir took a breath, and . . .
DECK the halls with boughs of holly . . .
The joyous music reminded Alice of the Christmases of her past and all of the happy traditions that surrounded them. This was her dad’s favourite Christmas song. He liked to draw out the first ‘DECK’ for as long as possible, and then pull his family into a big bear hug. He was funny. She was lost in the music, with Bear sitting on her feet with his back to her, just happy to have all of them around him in a semi-circle.
‘FA LA LA LA LAAAAA, LA LA LA LA!’ sang Vanessa, Marco, David and Noah at the top of their voices, along with the rest of the crowd. Alice met Lola’s eyes and they chuckled, Bear bouncing up at the sudden noise.
’TIS the season to be jolly. . .
Marco grabbed Alice’s hand and raised it into the air with his. ‘FA LA LA LA LAAAAA, LA LA LA LA!’
Alice sneaked a look at her new friends. She would miss them at Christmas, all of them, and that was unlike her. She’d only known them a month, and maybe they were just rebound friends, but she felt like she was expanding her comfort zone, and for the first time, other people were part of it.
The song finished, the choir shuffled, the crowd clapped, and Bear lay on the ground and started licking fallen food scraps.
‘Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!’
‘Oh,’ said Alice as they started up again, and saw Vanessa, Marco, David and Noah look at each other in joy, their faces drenched in nostalgia.
Three songs later it seemed like the perfect time to top up with some Glühwein. They made their way through the crowd, away from the Tree, and strolled along the line of little huts that made up the Christmas market.
They drank the hot, sweet wine out of Christmas tree-shaped souvenir mugs, they nibbled on Swiss festive cookies and Austrian-imported cheeses and hams, Alice bought some delicate wood-carved ornaments for her parents, and they talked. There was a simple ease in the air which waltzed with their Christmas spirits, and Alice felt the same.
‘Shall we make a picture?’ asked Vanessa, pulling out her phone. It was late, and they were all suitably merry, safe in the cocoon of warm feelings and friendship as they looked out across the Limmat river, curling its way from Lake Zurich into the city.
They huddled together as a group, and Alice grinned a genuine grin into the camera.Make a picture. She liked that phrase, it sounded nicer thantakinga picture. Like instead you were making memories that you could hold onto.
‘And now we go around and tell our Christmas wishes.’
There was a collective moan and Lola said, ‘Man, Marco you are so lame, nobody wants to be all profound, we’ve had too much Glühwein. Or maybe not enough.’
