A Stocking Full of Romance by Brigid Coady

Author:Brigid Coady
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007570225
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2013-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

Three Wise Men

They were sat in the corner of the bar, their bodies bent with age and their fingers gnarled with arthritis. One was all in black, his hair white and styled into a quiff. Next to him was a small, wizened man with faded red hair in braids falling out of the bandana wrapped around his head. The last man, with a round face like a deflated balloon, was dressed in a powder blue faded suit where dusty rhinestones twinkled gently.

“Another?” the man in the braids, the Outlaw asked.

“Aren’t we supposed to be looking for this kid?” the Man in Black said.

“Hell, Johnny we’ve been looking for years. Not likely to be a kid anymore,” said the other, the Rhinestone Cowboy.

“I take it that is why we’re hitting bars these days?” Johnny said.

“Hey this is called ‘The Wandering Star’… it is sort of appropriate.” the Outlaw said.

“Willie, just give up pretending. You use this quest as an excuse for us all to get together at Christmas,” the Man in Black said and then took a shot glass in a trembling hand and knocked it back.

“Might as well have some fun while we’re looking.” Willie’s lined face creased further as he grinned.

“To the new King of Country!” they all toasted and drank.

“So, as I said before, should we stay for another or move on?” the Outlaw asked.

They looked round the sad and dusty bar. Christmas lights twinkled pathetically on the stage. It didn’t look like anything would be happening tonight.

With groans and creaks, they slowly rose from their seats and shuffled from the bar. The few patrons ignored them or if they did see them, they only saw three old men past their prime.

Outside a long black Cadillac, as old and dusty as they were, was parked sloppily. The steer horns on the radiator grill were crooked.

“Glen, did you add a Rudolph nose to the car?” the Man in Black asked the Rhinestone Cowboy.

“Hey, it’s Christmas, Johnny. Wanted to make it festive, y’know.”

With a shake of his head, the Man in Black got in the driver’s seat. The Cowboy sat next to him and the Outlaw was in the back seat, rolling a joint.

“If we get stopped again…” The Cowboy warned.

“They never see us anymore. We’re the past, ghosts. It’ll be fine.”

The car started with a spluttered and a backfire. It rattled out of the parking lot and onto the long dark road.

Later that evening, out of the dark, a flickering neon sign caught their fading eyes. It was a pink star that flickered on and off, an arrow pointed from it to words that they strained to see, ‘The Stable Bar’.

“I don’t know about you guys,” said the Cowboy “but at my age, I need regular restroom stops.”

The dusty car came to a juddering halt under the pink flashing sign. The car park was packed with pickups and compacts, fancy imports and rusting heaps.

The faint sound of music could be heard from the bar.

“Might as well see what they’ve got here,” said the slurred voice of the Outlaw.

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