I jump as a badly dressed Santa roars in our direction. ‘Merry Christmas. Ho ho ho.’ He rings his bell and rattles a box loudly, collecting change for charity. He seems intent on frightening passers-by and is clearly delighted with himself when everyone jumps in shock.
I throw a few euro into his box and then Jim says, ‘So fill me in on how this tradition of yours works.’
‘Well, ever since that year, I’ve come back each Christmas Eve. I start off in O’Connell Street, then walk over the Liffey, past Trinity College, say hello to the Molly Malone statue in all her glory, stroll up Grafton Street, then head over to the Ha’penny Bridge, before going home,’ I say.
‘You ever mix it up and change the route?’ Jim asks.
‘Oh, God no. Has to be in that order,’ I say. ‘Oh, I nearly forgot to say, I do have a quick pit stop in Captain America’s for hot chocolate and a slice of their, quite frankly, decadent Mississippi Mud Pie. Just to keep the energy levels up.’ I grin like a four-year-old.
‘Sounds like quite a nice tradition to keep.’ Jim says. ‘I’m glad I’m here to share it with you this year.’
‘I’m glad you’re here too. You know, I’ve had years of strolling up and down this cobbled street with boyfriends, girlfriends, school friends and, yes, I’ll even admit it – the shame – on my own a few times.’ I look at him, feeling a little shy. ‘But this feels special, more than any other year. That’s because of you, Jim.’
He grabs my hand and laughs, ‘I’m honoured. Come on then, Ms Bailey, show me what this great city of ours has to offer.’
My eyes greedily take in the view ahead of us, down Grafton Street. Red, flickering lights coil around luscious green garlands, which drape from one side of the street to the other. In the centre of each garland is a large red Victorian lantern and the light casts a warm glow over the busy cobbled street. Each shop window is alight with Christmas lights and resplendent baubles in rich jewel colours.
There’s something about the energy here … well, it is breathtaking.
About the Author
Carmel Harrington lives with her husband, Roger, and children, Amelia and Nate, in a small coastal village in Wexford. She credits the idyllic setting as a constant source of inspiration to her. She has won several international awards including Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year at the Festival of Romance in 2013. Her page-turning novels are published worldwide and have been translated into eight languages so far.
Carmel is a regular on Irish TV as one of the panelists on TV3’s Midday show and writes feauture articles for the Irish Independent. She is also a popular motivational speaker at events in Ireland, UK and US.
Carmel is the chairperson of the Wexford Literary Festival, which she co-founded.
To find out more about Carmel, go to www.carmelharrington.com
https://www.facebook.com/happymrsh/?fref=ts
@HappyMrsH
Also by Carmel Harrington
Beyond Grace’s Rainbow
The Life You Left
Every Time a Bell Rings
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The Things I Should Have Told You Page 33
