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It happened just the other day!

by Eric Gales

I see her sitting there; she is all by herself now. This morning several others surrounded her, but as the day wore on they left her. I am trying to decide if she is sad and lonely, or just resigned to her fate. No, it can't be loneliness, not with that perfect shape which was made to tempt and she looks so sweet. If only things were different, I would take care of her.

Wait! The door opens and a cold wind blows in, with it comes a rather large old woman. She eyes her suspiciously but says nothing. We all stay very quiet. After about five minutes the door opens again, in comes the cold air but out goes the woman., shutting the door after her with a tinkle.

I think we all breathe a sigh of relief as the status quo is maintained. Outside we can hear the sound of Christmas Carols and it brings a feeling of peace to me. I look across at her; she seems unmoved by the sounds. Maybe she has shut them out and is concentrating on her own inner thoughts. Am I imagining it? Has she noticed me? No, probably just a trick of the light, but for a minute I thought I had seen her turn to look at me.

She's been sitting there for over seven hours now. Has she begun to sag a little? Probably not, it is just my fascination for her. She has been sat there in isolation for nearly two hours. People pass her by with hardly a glance, but to me she is a thing of beauty and wonderment.

The door opens again; another icy blast enters along with a small boy and his mother. The boy is screaming and shouting. He starts to point at her and screams some more. She just sits there totally unmoved, seemingly oblivious of her surroundings.

The woman is trying to quieten the boy but to no avail. He just keeps pointing at the object of my desire and screaming louder. I can't stand the noise, it is getting me very agitated, but she just sits there totally untouched by the events. The woman is getting very flustered by now and speaking to someone. I close my eyes, trying to blot out the events.

I sit there waiting for peace to return, and suddenly realise that it had. I open my eyes and look around. Then, there, oh horror! The small boy is just stuffing her into his mouth with a look of pure bliss on his face. I close my eyes again, if I could cry I would, but chocolate soldiers are not made to cry. When I open my eyes again, the small boy is leaving with his mother. Wiping the remains of the last Mince Pie in the shop from his bloated face. Never mind good will to all men, I wanted to kill him.