Page 76 of A Miracle on Hope Street
He should probably call young Molly Flowers as well as she was always so forgetful these days and Nicholas wanted nothing more than perfection today. He had prepared and rehearsed for this for a very long time, but Molly, to his relief, was right behind him
‘Meet us there for the carol service, and for goodness’ sake, don’t let me forget anything,’ Molly had told Jack before she left home. He’d arrived back from his shift at the care home just in time to help get ready for the big day ahead. ‘I have complete pregnancy brain!’
‘You’ll be fine,’ Jack said to his wife, kissing her once on the forehead and twice on her growing bump. ‘Look after Mummy, you in there.’
‘Me look after Mummy too,’ said Marcus and Molly gave Jack a glance to say ‘now look what you’ve started.’
‘Go, go,’ said Jack, waving her out the door as she rushed to the car, pinning her hair back as she ran and laughing to herself at the irony of it all. There she was, makeup half on, hair half done and she was the one delivering the hair-and-beauty-pamper part of the day on the second floor to a group of ladies from a local women’s charity.
Molly loved this part of her life much more than she did her days at the salon in town but with Christmas coming up and another mouth to feed on the way, she was glad of every bit of work that came her way because she was going to need it.
Things had turned around for the better and the sense of community she felt when running her pamper events on days like this filled her soul like no other. Plus, she’d made so many friends and had familiar faces now who she loved to see coming for their weekly treat, be it a wash and blow-dry or a simple manicure to brighten up their day.
Molly stood on the pavement looking up the steps, winked at Nicholas, and then took a deep breath knowing she was going to need it by the time she made it to the second floor where she had set up her mobile beauty salon. An elevator would come in very handy, she thought. She’d put that forward at the next meeting for sure, for purely selfish reasons, of course, she siad to herself, chuckling, when she reached the front door, puffed out just like she’d expected she would be.
Her fingers and toes tingled with excitement. This was where she belonged and she absolutely loved it. She leaned into Nicholas, who linked arms with her, and they made their way up the steps, already hearing Kelly’s panicked but over enthusiastic bellows to her fellow young participants as they got ready for the big day ahead in the kitchen.
‘Is this flour or sugar?’
‘Flour!’ Kelly repeated to the little boy who looked up at her with flour everywhere except in the mixing bowl where it was meant to be. Baking with children had seemed like a great idea at the time, but now, as they showed more interest in throwing flour around, or sucking on the silver balls and green Christmas tree iced shapes that she had prepared earlier, she was beginning to wonder if she’d have the results she’d anticipated.
‘My mummy showed me how to do this all before, so I know already,’ said Elsie, her hands on her hips and her toe pointing at an angle as she showed off in the workshop.
Kelly’s heart soared and her mouth curved into a wide smile at the thought of how much her confidence had grown in the last twelve months, mostly down to a packed diary of orders for desserts for everything from private parties to supermarket shelves and classes like these that allowed her to give a lot back to people who were much less well-off.
Christmas would never be so frightening again and she knew that, no matter what happened, she would never be on her own over the festivities, unless she decided to spend it alone, of course, which might one day be a possibility.
‘Gingerbread men, can you line up and show me how you’re getting on,’ she said to the group of boys and girls from the town hostel whose efforts were definitely not the most edible looking, but it was the taking part that mattered.
Yes, the taking part was what had started this all, and Kelly was so proud of everything that had been achieved so far.
‘Is mine nice, Kelly?’ asked six-year-old Matthew, whose efforts resembled more of a fat beige snowman than a gingerbread man. Kelly gave him her widest smile and patted his head, knowing that after today, he would be going back with his family to their temporary accommodation at the hostel, waiting, perhaps, for the next event here to get them into the Christmas spirit.
‘Don’t tell anyone, but yours is the best, Matthew!’
Matthew’s eyes grew like saucers and straight away he blurted out just what Kelly had told him, causing a deafening, commotion amongst his peers.
‘No, mine is the best.’
‘No, mine is the best!’
Ruth popped her head in at the sound of all the action and Kelly put her hands up in surrender.
‘All going well, then?’ Ruth asked her.
‘Super!’ said Kelly. ‘How’s management getting on?’
‘Thrilled to bits! Isn’t it amazing?’
‘I’m so proud of you, Ruth. This is more than any of us could ever have dreamed of. My heart is full.’
Ruth blew a kiss and went back to work, doing what she did best which was to make sure that everything was running like clockwork and so far, it was. The best was yet to come.
Ruth
The bedlam I had always expected, the noise that bursts from each room I had anticipated, but nothing could have prepared me for the hordes of smiling faces and the magnificent atmosphere that seeps out of every room, onto every corridor of 41 Beech Row – a house that had been still and silent for far too long, but which is now exploding with energy from every corner as young and old chat and debate and laugh and sing together as strangers who are fast becoming friends.
It was Gloria who planted the seed to set this up, fuelled a little by Margo’s plea with me to stay put, and furthered by the look on Michael’s face when I told him I’d had an offer on the house to sell up and move away. Yes, a nudge from the people who have really got my back, the people who really know and care for me, gave me the visualisation and confidence to create this most amazing community project that soon became my baby for the last twelve months, with a lot of help from my new friends.
