Twelve More Days Of Christmas - Chapter 8

 

Twelve More Days Of Christmas 

A Novel

By Paul McCann

Chapter 8

The Christmas Rope

 

On Christmas Eve the homeless of the  city centre stumbled in the door after paying a penny to hang over a rope that was strung across a large room in the shelter . The shelter was dry and not so cold and a better alternative  to some alleyway or bench .

There were no seats or tables or other furniture except the desk at the front door where Danny was on duty . The shelter was provided by Street Talk a charitable  organisation who were trying to help the less fortunate people who were out in the cold during the winter .

Some of the regular people wandered into the shelter as  Danny opened the door .

First in line was Eugene who smiled and gave Danny a  penny and a smile . Eugene  was always positive minded no matter how bad things were . 

Danny smiled back and asked , “Eugene my man . How’s life treating you these days ?”

Eugene shrugged and replied. 

“It’s a wonderful life Danny boy No complaints . What more can I say , I’ve got hope and the penny rope for Christmas . Better than some with no hope sleeping out in the snow “.

Danny put  the penny in the cash box on the table and chained to the wall  .

Eugene went over and shook his arms and legs then took his place on the rope throwing both arms over it making himself as comfortable as he could .

The next in line to come in was a regular known as Crazy who looked at Danny with this angry anticipation of what was going to come as Danny said .

“ How’s Crazy tonight then ? “

Crazy snarled in his response .

“What the hell do you care . It’s minus twelve below outside and I’ve got no shoes on my feet to walk on the street and no food to eat to stop the rumble in my stomach .“

Danny  responded  ,

“ Don’t start Crazy . You’re breath’s  stinking of drink so don’t plead hard done by . Come on , hand over  your penny Crazy .“

Crazy replied ,

I’ll pay you tomorrow , all right ?”

Danny answered ,

“No, it’s not all right Crazy . You know the rules . No penny , No rope .”

Crazy began to get more angry and looked at Danny , moving closer and standing face to face with him  He repeated .

“ I said . I’ll pay you tomorrow. “

“No Crazy , you already owe sixpence from the other nights you came in drunk and there’ll be no more tomorrows Crazy . So, if you don’t have the penny, I’ll have to ask you to leave the shelter .”

Crazy pulls a brown paper bag from his overcoat pocket and then he pulled  the cork from the top of the bottle and put it to his mouth and took a swig then said. 

“ It’s Christmas Eve in case you forget . So, you mean you’d put me out on the street , with no shoes on my feet and nowhere for me to go but to sleep in the snow or in some shopfront on the corner , with the wind blowing in my face .”

Danny replied ,

“ Well maybe should have thought about that before you bought that bottle of wine .“

Crazy tried to change his tone saying .

“ Danny come on . Sure, you know me and you  know me well . I’m just a rough old diamond . “

Danny replied.

 “Well, you might be a rough old diamond but you know very well , you’re not shinning too good these days and you know what , take my advice and stay off the drink and you know very well ,

you shouldn’t be drinking  in the shelter.  Christmas Eve or not . Now out you go Crazy before I call the cops and the peelers will walk you out  and put you up in one of their community cell houses with the mad men and killers  . So now you better listen to me now or else you’ll have to answer to them and you’ve been in there before and know already know they’re not too fond of you Crazy . So go now  please or I’ll call the cops . “

Crazy shook his fish saying ,

“You better watch your back when you’re out on the street , for I might be behind you .“

Danny puts his arm around Crazy then kicked his backside on the way out the door saying .

 “Next time you come in looking for a night on the penny rope , be sober or don’t come at all . Good night, crazy .“

There was a sigh of relief from some of those who we waiting to get inside . Next in line was known as Mustang Sally the Gypsy who was carrying a bag with most of her clothes and other items . She also had  a dozen or more plastic flowers , tied up in little bunches in a bucket . She would sometimes sell one on those on the street . She was very quiet and like to be left alone . She paid her penny and took her place on the rope . Next in line Sly Sammy,  wearing thick black rimmed glasses over his two bloodshot eyes cradled by a nose that was almost permanently broken . 

He had  a cap on his Baldy head and a pair of trousers with holes and stains all over them . His jacket has seen better days . 

He paid a penny and took his place next to Mustang Sally .

who left the rope with a little bunch of plastic flowers and said .

“ It almost Christmas buy a bunch of flowers for your wife or maybe your girlfriend . 

Danny refused saying .

“I’m not married and I don’t have a girlfriend “

Sally turned and approached  Sly Sammy who ushered her away .She started asking everyone else before Danny said. 

“Be off with you . We don’t need anything around here. You know we’re all doing through so don’t try doing your business here “

Sally turned nasty and scowled. 

“ You’d send me away empty handed then and me with seven children to feed on Christmas Day and me who’s poor Mother hasn’t been on her feet for months . I’ll tell you what now , you’ll be thinking of me later Danny man when you’re tucked up in your warm bed with a full stomach of food in your belly . It’s a sad day indeed when you would turn on a poor gypsy trying to look after her family “ .

Sly Sammy called out. 

“ Ah come off it Mustang Sally , we all know you ran away with the travelling people six years ago . Your husband died in a street fight and you never knew your real  Mother , you’ve had many children to different men  who all left you cause of the fondness you have for the drink  .”

Sally shouted back.  

“ Sure, what  would you know .

You’re nothing to me . As a matter of fact, I’ve heard that tongue of yours is about ready to get cut out and fed to the stray dogs down in the dockyards for all the stories and gossip you’ve been spreading around town .“

Sly Sammy replied .

“ Tell me Gypsy woman , who is going to do it . For there’s not a person  in this city who would have the nerve to silence me .“

Sally answered back .

“I’ll tell you . who will do it , sure isn’t it myself  “

She pulled out a silver handled cut throat razor from the inside of her boot . 

Danny immediately threw himself between the two saying .

“ That’s enough . Here’s your pennies back and take yourselves the hell skates out of here before someone gets hurt and it’s not going to be me “

Sally said ,

“I’m doing no harm ; sure, you know I’d be doing the city a favour by cutting out that gutter snipe’s tongue  . He caused more than enough trouble for many and as far as I’m concerned, he’s a lying conniving  good for nothing weasel .“

Danny raised his voice and said ,

“Right, that’s enough Sally . On your way now and have a pleasant Christmas and you can go Sly Sammy as well .“

Sally makes her way slowly to the door as Sly Sammy whistles a little tune . Unexpectedly  Sally turns around quickly and slashes  her razor just grazing Sammy’s  cheek then she runs out the front door .

Sly Sammy screamed. 

“ See that . You’re all a witness to that attempted  murder . I want the police here right now “

Eugene came over and gave Sammy a big hug .

“ Life is good Sammy . Better to let things go . Go and make something happen out there . A little kindness goes a long way “

Sly Sammy stood for a moment and said. 

“ You’re probably right. “

 Then he had a bit of a laugh and walked out of the shelter . As he was walking  out , in through the door came Sister Pascal from the convent with a large pot of homemade soup in her arm and put it down on the desk .

Eugene smiled and said .

“Well, if it’s not the friendliest face this side of heaven . Hello Sister Pascal and how are you ?”

Sister Pascal replied ,

“Couldn’t be better my son and how’s the saint of the street fairing these days ?”

Eugene thought for a moment and replied .

 “I’m hoping for a sudden change of circumstances sister “.

Danny sniggered and said. 

 “Aren’t we all Eugene . What can I do for you sister Pascal?”

Sister Pascal responded.

“I was making some soup for everyone at the convent and I made a little extra  for all the men and women on the rope this Christmas . It’s vegetable soup flavoured with  our own special community bone that the sisters and I use every Christmas . So, I’m sure there would be a few empty bellies here tonight that might need filled . I must get back now before the mother superior notices I’m not there .“Just as Sister Pascal was leaving the shelter a came inside .

Danny asked. 

“Hello is this your first time here at the penny rope ?”

“The woman replied, 

“ Hello, my  name is Margaret but you can call me Mags .”

Danny  responded ,

“Right then Mags . It’s a penny to sleep on the rope “

She said ,

“I must confess I’m rather embarrassed you see . I’ve misplaced the keys to my house and I have no place to stay tonight . I was directed here by a policeman who said I may be able to find shelter .”

Danny said. 

“ Ok sure Mags no problem , have you got a penny. ”

Mags opened her purse and gave him a penny . The next in line was well known fella called Nervous Noel who said. 

“ Da  du Danny . We.wel ...well I ..I’d like ..ah ..I’d li..li..like “

Danny replied 

“ It’s all right Noel . Take your time son .”

Nervous Noel produced a penny in his shaking hands and took a spit on the rope . Next in line was another regular ,  Mad Mick who was in and out of Mental asylums for many years.  

Mad Mick said ,

 “ I’ll tell you what . No, I don’t think  I’ll bother .” 

Then Mick throws a penny down on the desk and took his place on the rope .  Next to walk in was another regular called Tapper Tucker . He asked for  penny .

“I need the bus fare home . I can’t walk. My feet are sore “

Danny replied. 

“ You can’t work because you’re half-drunk Tucker .”

Tapper Tucker said ‘

 

 “Don’t you know I was in the war and I’ve got the medals to prove it .”

Danny shook his head and said ,

“We don’t handout money here Tucker . So, if you’re not  staying the night , you better get out. “

Mags said ,

“That’s not a nice thing to say to a returned soldier .”

Tucker walked over to Mags and asked .

“Have you a spare penny . I need to get the bus home. “

Mags replied. 

“Sorry , but I’m a little embarrassed but right now , I’m not able to help. “

Nervous Noel called out “Here. ..I..I’ve a spare penny .“

 Tucker stands for there for two minutes while Nervous Noel tries to get the penny out of his pocket . Finally, he grabs the penny from Noel’s hand and as he makes his exit two more people come in . A lady and a man . 

The man has a hood over his head and softly says. 

“God bless all her .”

Danny replied ‘

“Can I help you ?”

The Man said,

“My wife’s and I need some where to stay . We have a child on the way . Please if you have room for us can stay here . There is nowhere else . We have looked everywhere “

Danny looked troubled  and replied. 

“Sorry . There’s no room left .”

The woman cries out in pain and said.  

“ I think the baby  is coming “

Danny panics .

“Oh no What are we going to do ?”

The Man said ,

“ Please help . The baby is coming.”

Danny asked Noel to run to the city hospital and get an ambulance .”

The Man looked and said.  

“There is no time . The baby will arrive at any moment .”

Danny said .

“What do we do . I’m no doctor .”

Nervous Noel stepped forward and said.  

“No o No bu..but I am or I us..used to be.. before , before the accident .”

Mad Mick says ‘

“What you mean , once you were a doctor Noel ?”

Nervous Noel said. 

“ Yee yes , ju just get mm me some rags and boiling water quick.”

Suddenly a change came over Noel , it was like he was transformation into another person . He stopped stuttering and his hands were calm . He placed the lady in the who laid it on the floor and helped her sit in  the delivery position . The woman’s husband sat beside her and held her hand saying. 

“Don’t worry . It’s almost over now . The doctors in control and  the babies on its way .”

Nervous Noel kneels down beside her and asks her to start breathing deeply now . The lady responded .  

“ Thank you “

Everyone in the room gathered around. 

After a few moments the cry of a new born baby echoed all around the room  . There seemed to be someone  singing as well coming from somewhere . The sound was soothing and it made everyone so relaxed and one by one all in the room fell fast asleep .

Morning came and Danny awoke and said ,

“Merry Christmas everyone .”

Everyone in the shelter shook  hands . Then they recalled what had been going on the night before , but there was no sign of the man woman or child . 

One by one everybody  asked  the same question .

“What happened to that young couple and their baby ?”

The new staff member arrived in the shelter  for his Christmas day shift .

Danny did his hand  over and gave him the keys .

 

 End Of Chapter 8

 

Link to chapter 9

https://www.abctales.com/story/mcscraic/twelve-more-days-christmas-chapter-9

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Twelve More Days Of Christmas  

A Novel

By Paul McCann