A Desolate Christmas by Faye Godwin

Author:Faye Godwin [Godwin, Faye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tica House Publishing LLC
Published: 2019-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

Andrew was shivering as he tried to wrap his threadbare coat a little tighter around his gaunt little body. He had hardly grown in the past year, and his coat had been too small for him even then; now it was barely able to stretch around his body frame. He gave up on the attempt, plunging his blue fingers into his pockets instead.

“Why do we have to stay out even longer to beg around Christmas?” he asked, his plaintive voice as thin and tremulous as the cold breeze that fingered the back of Lena's neck. “It's the coldest time of year.”

Lena sighed. “People have looser purse strings around Christmastime,” she said. “They end up giving us more money.” She squeezed the hands of the two even smaller children who walked one on each side of her, silent in their cold and exhaustion.

“But what do Judas and Auntie D do with that money?” asked Andrew. “I thought you could buy food with money.”

“Of course, you can, Andy,” said Lena.

“But then why do we still get just one spoonful of gruel every night?” Andrew turned his big eyes on her, and they seemed deeper than ever in his pinched little face. “If they have more money, why can't we have more food? We have to work so much more at this time of year.”

“Yes, Lena,” one of the tiny children said, gazing up at her. “Why can't we have more food? We're so hungry.”

Lena sighed. She bent down to scoop the child up, planting him on her hip. “I don't know, darling,” she said, her heart heavy. “I just don't know.”

The children fell silent, too exhausted to speak, and Lena was grateful that their questions had ceased. She led them down the street to the big house where Delilah and Judas were staying. They had no servants, but there was a servant's entrance; Lena used it, sneaking in through the back way as she'd been told to do on pain of a whipping. She led the children toward the back staircase leading up to the top floor where they all slept while Judas and Delilah caroused downstairs.

“You!” Judas's voice barked as Lena passed the door to the drawing room.

She cowered instinctively, expecting a blow. Turning to shield the child on her hip, she didn't dare look up. But no impact came. Instead, there was something dangerously pleased in Judas's voice. “Send the little ones up to their room. You come in here.”

Lena looked up. Judas and Delilah were sitting in armchairs opposite each other by the hearth, and there was an opportunistic glitter in Judas's eye she didn't like. But she had no choice except to obey. Setting the child down, she placed his hand in Andrew's.

“Go to your room quietly,” she told them. “I'll be right behind you.”

“Lena...” Andrew began.

“I told you to go,” Lena hissed.

The children turned and bolted up the stairs as fast as their short legs could carry them. Bracing herself, Lena turned and marched into the drawing room.

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