A Christmas Wish

On a wintry December morning in 1957 Ellen Palmer sat beside the range in the scullery staring into the hot, red coals, a worried frown upon her face. Her husband Jack, a seaman on the ship Aramaya was due to return home in a few days but the ship had been reported missing two weeks earlier after being caught in a raging storm in the Atlantic. 1

Hearing her eight year-old daughter Amy making her way down the stairs Ellen feigned a happy smile and set about making breakfast. Amy yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes seated herself at the table. 2

‘How would you like to go to town to see Santa Claus?’ Ellen asked trying hard to sound cheerful.3

‘Ooh! Yes please!’ Amy exclaimed her face beaming.4

Wrapped up warm against the winter cold they left the house. Snow was falling softly as they walked the short distance to the floating bridge which would carry them across the river.5

‘I think we may have a white Christmas!’ Ellen said brightly as they boarded the bridge.6

The floating bridge chugged along the thick cable that guided it across the water. When it reached the shore the gates were opened and Ellen and Amy made their way up the stony slope and across the road to the empty bus station. 7

‘We’ll be much warmer if we walk,’ said Ellen shivering. So they continued on over the old iron bridge, and along Deanery Road then they turned right onto High Street. Amy’s face lit up at the spectactular array of Christmas lights that hung from lamp-post to lamp-post up and down each side of High Street. A huge Christmas tree with hundreds of tiny candlelights hanging from it's branches stood in front of the Bargate arch flanked by two enormous lion statues. From a church nearby choral voices could be heard singing a Christmas carol.8

Passing a newsagent Ellen gasped when she read one of the news-stand posters. ‘ARAMAYA MISSING! Fears for passengers and crew.’ Ellen had endeavoured to keep the news from Amy, not an easy task since half the men in the street were connected with the docks in one way or another. But Amy, hearing the gasp had followed her mother’s horrified gaze. 9

‘That’s Daddy’s ship, isn’t, it mummy?’ Amy asked her eyes wide with fear.10

‘Don’t worry love, that’s an old news poster. The Aramaya is a big ship. Daddy will be home soon, you’ll see.’11

‘Come on, let’s find Santa and afterwards you can choose a nice present for your dad’ 12

A faint smile crossed Amy’s face that didn’t quite reach her eyes and Ellen prayed silently that the Aramaya would indeed soon be home.13

Inside, the store was packed with shoppers heavily laden with various Christmas items. Shelves were festooned with brightly coloured balloons and paper chains. A group of staff members wearing Santa hats stood near the store entrance singing, ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.’14

Ellen and Amy found Santa in the toy department. Santa’s grotto was a faerie-tale scene of fake snow scattered with tiny coloured lights. Santa was sitting on bright red toadstool dotted with big white dots. Nearby, two stuffed, toy reindeer stood before Santa’s sleigh which held two large sacks. Three or four small children dressed as elves were Santa’s helpers. They kept the two sacks filled with toys for the children; one for boys presents and one for girls. Amy had planned to ask Santa for a puppy but had now decided on something else. 15

When it was Amy’s turn an elf dressed in green took her by the hand and she shyly followed him to meet the jolly, smiling man in the red and white suit. She giggled as Santa’s rosy cheeks puffed out like giant gobstoppers when he smiled.16

‘And what’s your name young lady?’ Santa asked her kindly.17

‘Amy.’18

‘And what would you like for Christmas, Amy?’19

Amy looked at the all the other children waiting expectantly. She didn’t want them to hear what she was going to ask him.20

‘Can I whisper it to you?’ she asked quietly.21

‘Of course!’ Santa lowered his head.22

‘All I want for Christmas is for my daddy to come home safe. He's on a ship called the Aramaya and it's lost somwhere on the ocean,’ Amy whispered.23

Santa glanced knowingly at Ellen and she realized immediately what Amy had requested.24

Outside, the sky had darkened and the ground was now covered in a blanket of snow. Amy clutched the brightly wrapped present from Santa and the gift she had chosen for her father. A man with a sandwich board passed them calling out to passersby.25

‘Extra! Extra! Read all about it. Aramaya on her way home. Extra! Extra…’26

Ellen and Amy stared at each other open-mouthed.27

‘Oh Amy! Didn't I tell you not to worry! Your dad’s coming home for Christmas!’ cried Ellen hugging Amy close. Amy looked up her eyes bright with wonder.28

‘But mummy! That’s exactly what I asked Santa for!’29

They skipped home kicking up flurries of snow throwing snowballs at each other as they ran to board the floating bridge. 30

‘Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…’ they sang as the bridge carried them back across the dark river.31

As they arrived home their grumpy neighbour Mr Lawrence passed them. He reminded Ellen of Scrooge. 32

‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence,’ they called. Ellen half expected him to mutter, ‘humbug’ but he just scowled at them. Giggling, they went inside to begin preparations for a very special Christmas homecoming. 33