by Mandy Baggot
‘I want to do it all again too,’ Angelica agreed.
‘Can’t we say that was a practice and do it actually again?’ Cherry carried on.
Emily didn’t want to do it again. Emily was exhausted and was wondering how she was still standing. She picked up her bottle of water and took a much-needed suck.
‘I don’t want to do it again,’ Makenzie announced. ‘My dads are going to take me to McDonald’s for tea. And I’m never usually allowed to go to McDonald’s.’
‘Listen, Year Six, we have one more song to perform and it’s our most special song, isn’t it?’ Emily reminded. ‘The one Ray wrote just for us.’
Ray had played it for them only a few days ago, here in the hall, and she had had a job to contain her tears. As soon as she had dismissed the children into the playground, she sobbed a whole river full and had to wave away Ray’s attempts to console her. It was beautiful. Every single line was perfect. The lyrics said so much and she really hoped it would resonate with their audience.
‘OK, has everyone got their mobile phones ready?’ Emily whispered. The hall seemed to have fallen silent which was exactly what was called for in this moment.
‘Yes, Miss Parker,’ the children whispered back.
‘Right then,’ Emily said, wiping at Cherry’s cheek with a tissue. ‘Frema, take your shoes off. And let’s go.’
The children quietly filed onto the stage and once they were in position they switched on the torches of their mobile phones and held them above their heads as Ray began to play the piano.
One Christmas Star by Ray Stone
Reaching for that tinsel, holding out a hand
Trying to remember how close it is we stand
Part of the same world, we’re moving now as one
Our first steps to the future, our journeys just begun
Chorus
There’s not one Christmas star
It didn’t make us who we are
We grew because of you and learn from the things you do
We are all Christmas stars
No matter who we are
Our love can reach forever, if we make kind together
We need strong, we don’t need broken
With open hearts we are awoken
Believe in helping, giving not taking
A better world we are creating
Chorus
We are all unique, it’s true, but we’re also all the same
All we want is love and peace to win this tough life game
Joining forces, as one team, it’s Stretton Park united
No matter how you celebrate it’s time to get excited!
Chorus
We are all bright Christmas stars…
Sixty-Eight
Ray played the last note of the final song of the show and looked to the stage and the children he had got to know over the past few weeks. They were all special, each and every one of them and they had worked so hard for this night. The momentary silence was shattered by an eruption from the crowd. Louder than any of the earlier applause, this was nearly greater in volume than his sell-out shows at the O2. Everyone was on their feet, the bishop clearly visible – his hat higher than William’s crown – whooping and cheering and celebrating the enormous success of this performance. The children had been incredible and focused for the entire night and they deserved every second of this adoration from their loved ones. But there was someone else who also deserved a whole lot of appreciation. And he was going to be the one to make sure that happened…
‘Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention for a minute?’ He took his microphone out of the stand and stood up from the piano as the crowd finally began to settle down. Emily was most probably going to kill him later, but, as he was going in for surgery tomorrow, that fact was pretty irrelevant.
‘Weren’t the Year Sixes fantastic tonight?’ Ray asked as he made his way up the steps and onto the stage. That question was answered with another round of thunderous applause and some loud whistles of appreciation. The children all began to put their hands up in the air for high-fives from Ray, like they had after rehearsals, as he joined them in the spotlight. He made his way down the line, connecting palms with everyone, being careful not to miss anyone out. The last to slap his hand was Jayden, his eye finally healed, the biggest smile at last reaching his eyes.
‘You were all fantastic,’ Ray spoke into the microphone. ‘Really fantastic.’
The llama made a noise from backstage and the children burst into fits of laughter.
‘Listen,’ Ray said, ‘I’m sure you’ll appreciate that for a show like this to happen, a lot of work has to go into it. And I want you to know that there is one person in particular who put her heart and soul into this performance so that your children could really shine tonight.’
*
Emily wanted to get on the llama, who was currently eating a mini-Bounty bar, and trot off to the petting zoo never to be seen again. She didn’t want the limelight. She had enough of that with her lip-locking with Ray spread all over Twitter. This was about her class, not her.
‘And that person,’ Ray continued, ‘is Miss Emily Parker.’
Emily closed her eyes, wanting to bury her head in the llama’s fur. She held her breath. What to do? What to do?
‘Come on, Miss Parker,’ Rashid said, taking hold of her arm.
‘Yes, come on,’ Cherry bossed. ‘Makenzie won’t get to McDonald’s before his bedtime if we don’t actually hurry up.’ Cherry gripped her other arm. When had her ten-year-olds got so strong?
‘I…’ Emily began, really not wanting to go.
‘I’ll look after the llama, Miss Parker,’ Alice told her.
Now going seemed definitely preferable to staying…
She finally let the members of her class lead her out onto the stage and, as soon as her feet hit the boards, she was dazzled by the lighting and the refraction from all the festive tinsel, baubles, garlands, coat hangers and lanterns she had decorated the room with. Ray was grinning at her, looking so super-sexy in those jeans that fitted him so well and a plain black shirt. She froze for a moment, then slowly, slightly pushed by Rashid and Cherry, she made her way over to him. Before she could think or do anything else Ray had handed her the microphone. It was either take it or let go of it and perform the worst mic-drop in history…
‘Hello everyone,’ Emily said tentatively. ‘I’m Emily Parker… Miss Parker.’
The children let out a collective laugh, presumably at her awkwardness. Who could blame them? She needed to focus on something out there in the darkness. Maybe her mother in a toga… Spurred on by that mental image she carried on.
‘I just want to say… how proud I am to be the teacher of this year’s Year Six class.’ She drew in a breath. ‘Your children come into my class every day full of enthusiasm and bursting at the seams with excitement for the world. And I know, for us as adults, it’s sometimes hard to feel the same sense of joy that these children do.’ She gathered her thoughts. ‘Life… life is hard. And, all of us, we are all going through different situations, all navigating the fast pace of living in today’s society.’ She took another breath, clasping her second hand to the microphone. ‘But, every morning, when I look at the hopeful, expectant faces of your children, I’m encouraged.’ She looked to her class then. Those sweet faces, growing up so fast. ‘They inspire me. They all inspire me. And, tonight, I hope they have all inspired you too.’ Emily smiled again at her children. ‘Thank you.’
Another rip-roaring applause rushed through the room and as it echoed back and forth, someone came bursting out of the audience. Susan Clark was making her way through the auditorium and Emily stepped back a little, quickly passing the microphone back to Ray.
‘She doesn’t look happy,’ Emily whispered to him. ‘And she really likes to be the one in charge of microphones.’
‘Am I going to get detention?’ Ray asked.
‘That’s not funny.’
‘Should
I give it over to her?’ Ray asked, looking at the microphone like it might be about to explode.
‘I think she’s coming to take it,’ Emily answered. ‘Or else she’s coming to fire me. Or both.’
The audience were still clapping when Susan mounted the stage and she bustled her way to the centre. Emily held her breath and Ray offered up the microphone which Susan duly snatched without delay.
‘Parents and governors,’ Susan began, her voice loud and calling for quiet. ‘Esteemed members of the clergy, children…’ She did a side-eye towards Ray. ‘Pianist…’ She straightened the amber beads holding her glasses around her neck. ‘Thank you so much for attending our annual Christmas show here at Stretton Park and for providing so much support to our little school since the beginning of September.’ She drew in a breath, gazing out into the crowd. ‘I too would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Miss Parker for her absolutely sterling work on the performance this year. I think you will agree that we haven’t laughed quite so much in any previous years and, I can safely say that we’ve never had as many animals in Stretton Park as we have had this term. Llamas… hedgehogs…’
‘Hamsters,’ Lucas called out.
Emily put at arm around him and drew him to stand a little closer to her, pressing a finger to her lips in a ‘sshh’.
‘But, as well as all the joy I feel about this night, it is tinged with sadness… because, in the New Year… in February, I will be stepping down from my role here at Stretton Park.’
There was an intake of breath from the audience, but it was Emily’s heart that virtually stopped. What had Susan just said? She was leaving? She was no longer going to be the Head of the school? This was bad news. This meant there would be someone new, someone who didn’t know anything about anyone, someone who might promote Dennis to Deputy Head. Dennis! Who she had been able to hear crunching on an everlasting gobstopper throughout the entire play. This was not what she had been expecting at all. Or, actually, ever.
‘My husband has been offered a new position, in Scotland no less, so I will be taking early retirement and becoming a lady of leisure in a brand-new country.’
There was a note of real sadness to Susan’s voice and Emily suddenly realised that although Susan was firm at times, she had, for the most part, always been fair. Grumpy most of the time, but fair nonetheless.
‘New beginnings,’ Susan continued. ‘That’s what I wish for Stretton Park. That and a new leader who will continue the fantastic work the current teaching staff do here. And, I for one, hope very much that that new leader will be… Emily Parker.’
Suddenly, Emily’s legs wanted to give way and it had nothing to do with vintage brogues that were killing her toes. She found she had to lean on both Lucas and Ray. What had the headteacher said? Her? The new leader? The new Head of the school?
‘Obviously,’ Susan continued, ‘we have to comply with employment law and advertise the position… blah blah blah.’ She laughed. ‘I don’t believe I said “blah blah blah”.’ She waved a hand in front of her face, tears springing to her eyes. ‘But I really think Miss Parker is the best person for the job and I would really like it if you would all support her application. Governors, teachers, parents and guardians.’ She pointed a finger out into the audience as if trying to locate someone. ‘And you, your Excellency, because I don’t know how Miss Parker managed to do it, but we had all the Christianity I ordered, and we had a touch of Hanukkah and Eid and we had… real life. Real Stretton Park life and… of course, a carrot.’
‘Carrot! Carrot!’ Felix called, cheeks rosy, eyes bright.
‘So, let’s have one last round of applause for a wonderful, heart-warming, seasonal show.’
As the crowd showed their appreciation once more, no one’s expression was more joyous than Emily’s. Susan had faith in her. She had always had faith in her. And, as the lights went up in the assembly hall and Emily gazed out into the audience, her lower limbs still wobbly, her heart overflowing, the people she could see clapping harder than all the rest were her parents.
‘You OK?’ Ray whispered, slipping an arm around her waist and continuing to prop her up a little.
‘I don’t know,’ Emily admitted, her voice a little uncontrolled. ‘What just happened?’
‘Well,’ Ray said, drawing her close. ‘I’ve heard about this thing called a Christmas miracle and I’ve never really believed in it before but…’
She turned her head to look up at him then. ‘But?’
‘It’s what you’ve done,’ he told her. ‘And, with these kids, it’s what you do every single day.’
She wanted to kiss him, right there on the stage, but if she was going to apply for the position of Head then decorum needed to be maintained. She reached for his hand and, interlocking their fingers, she squeezed tight. ‘Here’s to more miracles,’ she whispered. ‘Starting tomorrow.’
Ray smiled down at her. ‘Amen to that.’
Sixty-Nine
The Michael Munday Hospital, London
Christmas Day
Ray didn’t want to be here. It was four days after his surgery, and he was craving normality. But his reluctance to be here he was actually classing as an improvement. The day of the operation, in recovery, he had wept because he was alive and because his coming-out-of-anaesthesia very real nightmare that James Morrison’s comeback album was at number one had finally ended. The day after surgery everything had felt sore and tight and he still wasn’t used to not being able to speak and kept dropping either the Sharpie or the notepad – sometimes both at the same time. Day Three and Brenda and his dad had bought kebabs from Mehmet’s he couldn’t face eating no matter how good they smelled. And here they were, Day Four, Christmas Day. He had never wished for a sofa and James Bond re-runs more than he did right now. His gaze went to the Christmas tree Emily had insisted on bringing in for the duration of his stay. It was the one Jonah had put in the living room that she had never liked, but she had decorated it with some of the traditional ornaments from the other tree in her apartment. And he liked it. He liked it because Emily liked it and she had put it there for him. He just couldn’t wait until he got his voice back and he could tell her again exactly how much he loved her.
The door banged open and suddenly his room was like the pub at turfing out time. People rushed in and he had a job to quickly distinguish who was who amid the arms, parcels, hats, coats and… a dog?
‘Merry Christmas! I can’t stop long! Tucker’s halfway through his walk and needs a pee and although I’ve part-trained him not to do it in front of polite company, he’s still a little sketchy on the polite company part.’ Deborah grinned then made a tighter grab for the lead attached to her pet as he went to investigate under the bed. ‘I bought you something. Didn’t have time to wrap it. It’s one of those electronic notepads. I know you won’t be without voice for long, but I couldn’t bear to think about all those trees being murdered while you’re writing notes.’ She deposited the cardboard box on Ray’s bed. ‘Got to dash. I’ve left Oscar in charge of the Brussel sprouts. Merry Christmas, Ray.’ She leaned forward, kissed Ray on the cheek and, before he even had a chance to pick up his pen, she was gone.
‘Our turn!’ Allan announced, bouncing forward and delivering a beautifully gift-wrapped parcel onto Ray’s bed. ‘It’s a scarf!’
‘Allan!’ Jonah exclaimed. ‘You’ve ruined the surprise!’
‘Well, we do have to be at your mum and dad’s in twenty minutes or your cousins are going to eat my share of everything and who knows what burnt-out vehicle is going to be residing in the communal areas of the estate for us to navigate around today!’ Allan grinned at Ray as he sat down on the edge of his bed. ‘It’s a very nice scarf. Designer. I picked it. And it’s stretchy enough that if you’re being pursued by the paparazzi you can pull it up over your face as a kind of mask. A two-in-one gift.’
‘What Allan means is,’ Jonah began, edging closer, ‘while you’re recovering it will keep your throat warm and after tha
t you can—’
‘Use it to tie Emily up in the master bedroom,’ Allan interrupted, clapping his hands together and laughing. ‘Three-in-one gift!’
‘Two L’s!’
It was Emily admonishing now and Ray gave her all his attention. She looked so beautiful, hair under a woollen hat, fresh-faced from the winter weather, unfastening her coat, snowflakes falling to the hospital floor.
‘Well,’ Allan said, ‘a little bird told me Ray’s moved out of the spare room.’
‘How…’ Emily began. Ray smiled and watched her look to her best friend. ‘Jonah, I knew things in my kitchen had moved around!’
‘I popped in. I had a whisk emergency at work. I happened to notice a touch of maleness in your bedroom and nothing but two guitars in my old room.’
Ray began writing on his notepad.
‘Ooo, he’s going to speak,’ Allan announced. ‘I mean “write”. He’s writing!’
‘He can hear you, you know,’ Emily reminded, whipping off her hat and going to stand by the side of the bed.
Ray held up his notepad. It read:-
She still won’t give me space in her wardrobes!
‘Ha!’ Allan announced. ‘No, good luck with that. Jonah said it’s been brimming with all things deeply retro for a while.’
‘I can hear too, you know!’ Emily exclaimed.
‘Well, we’d better go,’ Jonah said. ‘Allan’s right. My cousins will devour everything if we don’t get to dinner on time.’ He smiled. ‘Merry Christmas you two.’ He held his hand out to Ray and Ray took it, drawing the man into a hug.
‘Aww, they’re hugging,’ Allan announced, sounding delighted.
‘Merry Christmas,’ Emily said catching them both up in a cuddle before they headed out of the room.