A dreadful mistake was made by a certain woman one Christmas.
To begin with, she believed she did everything right. She put on her sturdy boots, the kind soldiers would wear, and wrapped herself in a thick coat and furry hat. She got behind the wheel of her Land Rover and drove off to confront another womana real schemer, in her mind, with greedy intentions. She was determined to see things settled.
Lets say her name was Margaret Harrington. Shed had just one son, rather late in life, and he was her everything. For thirty years it had just been the two of them, together.
Margaret adored her son, lived and worked for him alone, thriving and making her fortune for his sake. But then he met a girl named Sophie at a bedsit, and to make things doubly alarming in Margarets eyes, Sophie already had a child!
Margaret, who prided herself on her insight, was convinced this girlshe never called her anything but that girlwas only after her son and his inheritance. So off she went, determined to settle the score. Shed found out where Sophie lived and had a plan: to scare her off, or maybe offer her money to walk away. Either way, she was desperate to break the hold this schemer had on her son, who no longer listened to his mum and talked of marrying.
Margaret rather resembled a bulldogheavy features, jowls, and deep-set folds in her face. Her eyes flashed with an anger that reminded one of the Hound of the Baskervilles. She was a large woman, most like Mrs Danvers from an old English novel.
On the way, she stopped and bought a few apples and pears, along with a rattle for the child. Christmas was coming, after all. It was important to begin on the right foot. They’re not savages, after all!
At the door, she pressed the bell, entered with her one-eyed glare, and took off her boots and coat. She greeted the startled girl with a Happy Christmas, prepared to launch into her speech, when her eyes landed on the child in the playpen.
A fair-haired little boy.
His names Oliver, Sophie said timidly, visibly trembling. Margaret had always been frightening when she set her mind to it.
Margaret approached the playpen and handed the rattle to the child. Here you are. Suddenly, Oliver erupted into peals of joyful laughter, startling Margaret with their sheer delight.
He snatched the rattle and, with comic determination, started to march up and down on tiptoe, gripping the playpens edge, as if doing a funny little dance. His bright eyes never left Margarets face, and his gurgling giggles filled the room with happiness.
For some reason, the child was completely enchanted by Margaret.
He reached out for her, squealing and laughing, his eyes nearly squeezed shut, grinning from ear to ear with just two tiny teeth showing. And so, Margaret made her mistakeshe picked up Oliver, quite without thinking. And at once, he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could, and began to explore her face with one hand, gently tapping her forehead with the rattle, cooing all the while.
And there she was, cooing right back, her voice soft and utterly foolishsaying things like, Whos this little squidge, then? Whos my little darling sugar-mouse? Gone was the fierce matriarchnow, she was melting from the inside out. Her heart warmed deliciously in her chest.
Oliver gazed at her with love and clung to her fiercely, determined not to return to his mother. He smelt of baby and happiness and everything good, as though angels had a scentif they did, it would surely be this.
Margaret didnt want to let go. She would have given anything in that moment for Oliver. Love had come, swift and overwhelming, out of nowhere.
Warm tears traced the lines of her face.
The rest is rather obvious. Margaret insisted her son marry Sophie, though he in truth required no marching ordershe loved both Sophie and Oliver dearly. Through a bit of emotional blackmail and promises, Margaret lured the young family to live in her grand house.
But she kept her distance for the most part, and their life together is peaceful and content. All of Margarets attention and affection are devoted to Oliver. The two of them are inseparable; utterly besotted with one another.
So, one woman made a grave mistake. Or perhaps, she very nearly made it? Whos to say? Instead, she found her Christmas gift in the most unlikely place. Christmas is a special day, and sometimes its gifts are quite extraordinary.
