Winter Solstice

fate decreed otherwise

she was dead on time

I’ve already written down all the wonderful things that happened today, about Carrie coming back, and going out for lunch, and her saying maybe she and I can go away for Christmas somewhere. The cinema was really good, too. Well, now it is ten-thirty and I’m just going to bed. Writing this in my dressing-gown. What happened was I had a bath after supper and washed my hair, and while it was drying went into the kitchen to make a hot chocolate. Then the phone rang, and Mum came to find me and to say it was Carrie wanting to talk to me. I think they‘d already had a chat. I picked up the kitchen telephone and waited till I’d heard the click and knew Mum had put the other phone down so wasn’t going to listen. She does sometimes.
And then Carrie told me. We are going to Scotland for Christmas. Elfrida, Grandpa’s cousin, is staying there with a friend and they both want us to go. It’s a place called Creagan, and they say the house is quite big. It is so exciting, I could burst. Carrie says it’s too far to drive in the middle of winter, so we’re going to fly to Inverness and then a taxi will meet us and drive us the rest of the way. We’re going on December 15th, and she’s already booked seats.
Elfrida’s friend is called Oscar, but Carrie doesn’t know what he’s like because she’s never met him.
I said, had she told Mum and Gran, and she said no. And I said would I tell them, and she said no again, because Gran never much approved of Elfrida and it would be better if Carrie told them herself, so she’s coming over some time tomorrow to break the news and calm Gran down if she starts being difficult. Mum won’t say a word, because all she can think about is Randall and Florida.
I asked Carrie what I should pack, and she said fur coats and snow-shoes, but of course that was just a joke.
I can’t believe I am going to Scotland.
I am already counting the days.