Countdown To Christmas – Episode 04
SO I’ve ended up on the committee, Carole, and I’ve suggested that the Brownies and the Rainbows could put a little dance routine together,” Megan told her fellow leader as they got ready for the Brownies meeting in the hall the next evening. “I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me,” she added apologetically.Carole French was the kind of woman Megan envied. Nothing ever seemed to faze her. She was in her early thirties, had a good job as a travel agent, her own house in the village and an adoring fianc who was desperate to marry her, but whom Carole was keeping dangling until she felt the time was “right”.Carole had welcomed her with open arms when she had diffidently responded to the ad in the village store’s window, asking for volunteers to help with the Brownies. Carole had told her that a primary-school teacher was beyond her wildest dreams.The welcome had done Megan a power of good. She had retreated to this small village to lick her wounds after her own fianc had decided that the time never would be right for marriage with her, just when they’d bought the house and booked the honeymoon.“Why that village?” her mum had wanted to know when Megan had told her.“Because they have a teaching vacancy,” she had said simply. And that was partly true. She had been on only a temporary contract at the school she had left, so this opportunity had been heaven sent.But the other side of it was that, when the engagement had been broken off, Megan had felt an unexpected surge of relief. Her ex, Ryan, had done the right thing. He’d had the nerve to do what she couldn’t. She was too embarrassed to let her parents see that. What would they think of a daughter who had been going to let them spend so much of their hard-earned savings on a marriage that she suspected wasn’t going to work out? They would have been disappointed in her. Almost as much as she was in herself.“Are you OK? You’re miles away!” Carole’s voice broke into her thoughts, and Megan gave herself a little shake.“Sorry. Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking about Mum and Dad and going home for Christmas . . .” And she would. She would go home and tell them everything.Meanwhile, though, the clock had ticked round to six-thirty and the Rainbows were at the door.“I’ll not tell the little ones about the show yet, not until I’ve told the Brownies. I just hope they’re up for it.”Her fears were groundless. The older girls were an excited babble by the time she made her announcement.“We could dance to One Direction!”They had definite ideas and were shouting out names, most of whom Megan had never heard of, while dancing around each other and comparing the kind of energetic moves they saw on the TV talent shows.“How to make a girl feel old,” Megan muttered to Carole, who rolled her eyes in sympathy before clapping her hands to catch their attention.“The show’s in December. So you think we should do something Christmassy? And remember, the Rainbows will be joining in, so we can’t make it too complicated.”“Aw, the little kids will spoil it!” one girl protested petulantly, but she was quickly shouted down.“My little sister’s in the Rainbows and she’s a better dancer than you!”Carole stepped forward again to quell what could easily descend into a squabble.“I want you all to put your heads together to come up with one song a Christmas tune that you’ll make up the dance to yourselves. It has to be something that the Rainbows will know and be able to join in with. We’ll choose the best tune next week.”The girls nodded attentively, discipline restored.One girl raised her hand.“Please, Brown Owl, will the Scouts be joining in, too?”Carole looked at Megan enquiringly, and Megan blushed. “I forgot about them. They weren’t mentioned. Do you think they’d want to be included in a girlie dance?”“They’ll just get in the way, with their big feet and their pointy elbows,” one girl protested. “It’ll be more fun if it’s just us girls.”“I agree,” Carole said as most of the girls nodded, and Megan gave a little sigh of relief.She had met the Scout leader, Nick Evans, and had liked him a lot. That was the reason for that blush. It was a complication she could do without right now . . .
