Diane had now finished school for the Christmas holidays. Two whole days had been spent getting the house ready for Christmas not to mention decorating the spare room for the new arrival.
The great day had arrived. Diane was so excited that she hadn't slept a wink the night before
and now that it was here, she couldn't believe it. Her dad was to leave for work as usual
but when he returned, Lucy would be with him.
'You'll wear a hole in the carpet if you go up the stairs one more time,' laughed her mum,
as Diane was about to take her eleventh trip to Lucy's room.
' Just going to see if it's ok mum,' she said.
'You know perfectly well that it is. Stay down here and do something useful. I know what
you can do. Go and look for a Christmas tree and your dad can bring it in tonight when he
gets back from work.'
Diane's mum was glad for a bit of peace as she saw her daughter disappear through the back
door!
When Diane got to the wood, she went to find Snowman. Her second snowman was bigger than
the first.
'Well, Snowman, today's the day. I hope Lucy likes her bedroom. We've decorated it but I
wish flowers grew in wintertime. I'm sure she would like some flowers in her room.'
Just as she spoke, a twig fell off the Snowman's head and landed by her feet. Diane bent down
meaning to pick it up and put it back on his head but she looked at it for a minute.
'Yes, I think you are right. What a clever Snowman. I'll borrow the other twigs as well. You
wont mind being bald for a few days will you?'
Diane skipped all the way back to the cottage. She painted the twigs a bright yellow and hung
some decorations on them, put them in a vase and took them to Lucy's room.
'Yes, it looks a lot better now.'
She leaned out of the window and shouted, 'thank you, Snowman!'
'Whom are you talking to?' asked her mum who was just going past the spare room.
'Oh, Snowman. I was just thanking him for showing me how to make flowers in winter'.
'I see,' said her mum who didn't really. 'Have you found a tree?'
'Oh, I've forgotten about that. I'll go and do it now'.
'Well, for goodness sake, don't go and ask your snowman. I dread to think what he would find!'
Diane hadn't heard, she was running back to the wood.
After searching for half an hour, she found a beautiful tree. Very carefully she brushed the
snow off the branches.
'What a lovely tree, it seems a pity to chop you down. Perhaps we wont have to.'
Diane went back home and found a large plant pot and a spade, then she returned to the tree.
'I'm going to dig you up and plant you in this pot and after Christmas you can come back and
live in the wood.'
When Diane had put the tree in the pot, she found it was too heavy to carry.
'Never mind. I'll leave you here until tonight and when dad gets home from work, he can come
and get you.'
That afternoon, Diane finished wrapping her presents that she would put under the tree. It
was the longest afternoon she had spent. The fingers on the clock seemed stuck and that half
past five would never arrive.
At last Diane and her mum started to get tea ready. Diane didn't want to help, all she wanted
to do was to look out of the window watching for a boat that would change her life.
'Diane, what are those potato peelings doing all over the carpet?' shouted her mum who was
following a trail of peelings that stretched from the kitchen to the front window. Diane cleared
away the mess secretly glad that her mum had told her to keep out of the kitchen. Now she
could concentrate on the main job of looking for the boat. As she looked, a tiny speck appeared
on the water.
'They're here, they're here!' she shouted so loudly that her mum dropped a plate.
It wasn't long before Lucy and her dad were at the door. They didn't need to knock the door
was already open. In fact is was open long before they'd even landed on the beach!
Lucy was carrying a large brown suitcase and Diane thought she looked tired and bewildered.
So many questions but they would have to wait until after tea.
Diane had never eaten a meal as fast but it didn't do her any good because she had to wait
for Lucy to finish. After tea, Diane went upstairs with Lucy to help her unpack. Diane was
pleased because Lucy seemed to like her room especially the twig decorations. However, Diane
was upset when she saw Lucy's clothes seemed to be old and worn.
'That suitcase isn't much use,' said Diane looking at the tattered and torn case.
'Let me throw it away, you won't be needing it again.' Lucy began to cry.
'Please don't, it's the only thing I've got that belonged to my mother.'
'Then you can keep it for ever if you wish,' said Diane jumping on the bed and putting it on
top of the wardrobe.
Lucy was tired and she went to bed. Diane suddenly remembered the tree and she raced down
stairs to tell her dad.
Although Lucy had gone to bed, she was not asleep. Instead she was crying. Since her mum
died she had been to stay with lots of people and very few had been kind to her. Would these
people be different? She heard someone coming up stairs and she pretended to be asleep in
case they came into her room. Someone was coming in and that someone was Diane. She had been
upset at seeing the state of Lucy's clothes and had decided to do something about it. Very
quietly she opened the drawers, took out Lucy's things and put some of her own in there place.
Then creeping quietly she left. As soon as she had gone, Lucy got up to see what had happened.
When she saw the new clothes, she began to wonder. Perhaps these people would be different
after all. She would have to wait and see.
