Christmas Cheer

The long silver – brand new - Mercedes pulled up in front of my parked Ford, blocking my exit. I wasn't bothered ; I still had to get my ticket verified and pay the parking fee. I retrieved my ticket from the dash and exited the car, simultaneously checking my pocket for change. The driver of the Merc. barged past to take his place in the long queue that had formed at the pay-point. Two more customers also joined the line, separating us.

She sat, a few paces short of the pay-point; if pressed, I would have put her age at about fourteen maybe fifteen.
.
“Please help me”, she almost whispered.

We stood gathered in the bone chilling wind, waiting to get our ticket stamped. The Merc. driver looked down at her, as her large brown, hungry eyes, glanced up hopefully...

“Fuck off back to where you came from, you fucking Gypo!” he barked.

The girl shrunk into her shawl, a baby wailed once, high pitched for attention. She fumbled with hidden hand to reposition the hidden breast, shushing the hidden baby.

“Please....”

“Please, my fucking arse! Hitler was right about your lot; at least the Jews worked, not like you lot of useless beggars and parasites. You should be deported or jailed and definitely sterilized to prevent further breeding. If you can't feed the little bastard, you shouldn't have it!”

The young brown eyes, looked down and a tear fell and mingled with the driving sleet that carried on the bitter wind, threatening to fulfill the prophecy of the Met office, for a white Christmas.

By the time I got back to the queue, there were seven people in front of me. As I drew level with the girl, I held out a £5 note toward her. Her eyes lit up, like the lights on the Christmas tree, outside the shopping center.

“Thank you sir, thank you...god bless you...”

At that moment, the relative peace was broken by a wild wailing, interspersed with cursing that...I think could only be described as extremely profane. Everyone turned and looked towards the source of the disturbance. There, a few car rows away, was the Merc-man, jumping up and down, beside his car....

“What dirty fucker slashed my tyres, do you know the price of them?....I fucking kill them...FUCK, FUCK, FUCK....BASTARDS!”

It looked like there could be a slight delay getting home this evening and it really was bitterly cold. I looked back to the girl...the smile was still in place.

I winked at her...“Happy Christmas.”