Friday Fiction: Living In The Present

Welcome to my festive spirit

Here’s this week’s Friday Fiction. This post is for paid subscribers only.

“Friday fiction, Karl? It’s Saturday!” Yes, I’m a day late and a dollar short, so apologies for that. I was working at the cinema for the last few days. I now know all the songs from Wish and Wonka (but wish I didn’t).

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Living In The Present

“Brightly shone the moon that night,
Tho’ the frost was cru-el,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath’ring winter fu-oo-el.”

The girl sang, arranging tinsel round the huge tree in glittering spirals. The boy hung shiny baubles on the ends of branches, and when his sister finished he immediately started a new song.

“God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For we will fill our bellies
Upon this lovely day.”

Ronnie glanced at the kids. Something was off. Maybe just that neither of them could hold a tune. But they were happy, faces glowing, intent on putting the final touches to their decoration. He leaned forward in the chair, warmed his fingers in front of the blaze – a real fire! – and the finger-stinging cold melted away. Bliss.

“So, Mr Ronnie, have you been without a home for very long?”

The woman was smiling at him, head tilted slightly. The kids’ mother. A single parent, he assumed. He couldn’t tell if she was attractive or not – she wore way too much make-up – but the skinny arms and legs poking out of the old-fashioned dress were enough to put him off.

Then again, beggars can’t be choosers. If that was why she’d invited him in – a bit of rough for a Christmas fuck – then he wouldn’t begrudge her.

“Please, just Ronnie. Or Ron. Been homeless two years now.”