A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS (PART THREE)

When the Reverend returned on Christmas morning,
he was shocked to find the door to the church was
open, as he entered, he also noticed the door to
the vestibule open aswell. He called out.
"Hello Pamela, Billy are you there?" but there was
no reply. As he entered the vestibule, he noticed
the mince pie had been eaten and the flask of tea
had been drunk. The old man had gone, it looked
like he had picked the lock, which also meant, he
was out there somewhere wandering around.
"Should I phone the police?" he said to himself,
but then decided not to, after all nothing was
taken and he believed the church should be open to
all.

Pamela was the first to arrive.
"Good morning Reverend, so how's are friend this
morning?"
"Gone."
"What gone, but where has he gone?" she questioned.
"I don't know," said the Reverend, "I just came in
and he wasn't here."
"Well I think we should call the police," said
Miss Hews.
"I was going to, but then I thought to myself no,
it's Christmas Day and he didn't actually steal
anything. I think he had just a bit to much to
drink."
"Well be it on your head Reverend," said Miss
Hews.

Agnes had been up since 8am, preparing a Nut Roast
for their Christmas dinner. The two sisters had
been devout Vegetarians for a year now, though
Audry did miss the turkey Christmas dinner, but as
Agnes was doing the cooking, she couldn't really
complain.

"Audry can you lay the table for me dear." Agnes
shouted up the stairs.
"Yes okay, when I'm out of the shower and ready
for church," replied Audry.
Audry dried herself and put some lip stick on, she
didn't much care for makeup, but lipstick was always essential. As she got dressed, she thought
about when she would give her sister the presents
she had brought her, she decided after lunch would
be best. Agnes loved cooking, so Audry had brought
her a Vegetarian Cook Book and also some new gloves and an amber brooch to go with her scarf.

Agnes loaded the Nut Roast into a bread loaf tin,
ready to go into the oven, when they returned from
Church. Just then there was a knock at the front
door.
"I'll get the door," Agnes shouted up the stairs
to her sister.
She opened the door, there stood the old man from
the church.
"Yes what do you want?" she said.
"Please is it possible to get a bite to eat and a
hot drink, only I'm starving and so cold!"
The old man stood shivering, his face almost blue
with the cold.
Agnes was not to happy.
"I dare say you are hungry and cold, but why are
you wandering around our village and where's your
home?"
"I don't know and that's the honest truth." the
old man said.
"Well I'm sorry," said Agnes, "but we don't invite
complete strangers into our home and anyway you
smell really bad."
"Can you not spare a hot drink and a sandwich,
then I'll be on my way."
Agnes by now was really irritated.
"Oh! just wait a minute," she shut the door and
went back to the kitchen, made a cheese sandwich
and boiled the kettle for a mug of hot tea. When
she returned to the front door, the old man had
vanished.
"Well!" she sighed.
"There's gratitude for you, I make a sandwich and
a hot drink and he vanishes."
Agnes shut the front door and went back to the
kitchen, she wrapped the sandwich in some cling
film and put it in the fridge, mumbling to herself. Audry came down stairs, wanting to know
what was going on.
"Who was at the door Agnes?"
"It was that weird man from last night, I don't
understand, he asked me for something to eat and
drink, I made him a cheese sandwich and a hot mug
of tea and he walked off, without even so much as
a thankyou. Well that's the last time I do a good
deed. Anyway Audry, have you set the table yet?"
Audry could tell her sister was now in a bad mood.
"I'm just about to do it now dear."

To be continued ...............