Lonely This Christmas Read Online Free PDF

like a headless chicken and then Judy would end up having to take care of her instead. No, she would just have to deal with this alone. After all, she would have to deal with everything alone from now on.
    The living room door swung open and a loud voice broke the silence.
    “What’s going on Mum? I heard you shouting. Why are the police here, Mum? What’s happened,” Sophie screamed hysterically.
    “What’s all the noise about?” came another voice a few seconds later. Nicholas entered the living room rubbing his sleepy eyes, hair like a scarecrow.
    “Can you tell them please?” pleaded Judy as she stared at the officers.
    Observing that the female now had tears streaming down her face, Judy passed her a paper handkerchief from the box on the coffee table. Turning to the strapping male policeman Judy offered the task to him without saying another word. As he spoke Judy could tell that even he was finding it difficult to deliver the solemn news.
    This wasn’t like on TV movies at all, Judy would later reflect. On TV the police officers didn’t show a shred of emotion, as both Bruce and Judy had often commented.
    As the masculine officer delivered the news, his voice waivered and cracked in places, and before he had even finished speaking, Sophie’s wails echoed through the house. Nicholas just stood in disbelief, mouth wide open, eyes staring into space.
    This was the night that the remaining members of this family felt like their world had ended.
     
     
     

Chapter Eleven
     
    Now that the front door was secure, Judy berated herself as she climbed the stairs, for dwelling on such tragic events so close to bedtime. Now she wouldn’t be able to sleep and she would surely spend the night tossing and turning, if not having nightmares. Only a few hours earlier, Judy had been reminiscing about some of the happiest times of her youth. Now all she could dwell on was the worst period of her entire life.
    As she pulled back the sheets Judy decided she wouldn’t turn out the bedside light just yet. Instead, she would attempt to divert her thoughts back to happier events. It took a little effort, but once she was tucked into her warm and comfortable king sized bed she had moved her thoughts to memories. Judy was now reliving the evening of the City High School Christmas disco 1974; the monumental event that both Elaine and herself had eagerly been waiting for.
    The dance steps had been perfected, the new highly fashionable outfits were on, and the makeup was done to perfection. Elaine and Judy entered their high school, faced each other, and flicking their eyes up and down, checked each other’s appearance. They needed to look their best, and after they had taken it in turns to smooth out their locks with Judy’s pocket hairbrush, they nodded to each other in silent approval. The skinny brunette and her honey blonde best friend were ready to face the world; or more precisely ready to face the 1974 City High School Christmas disco.
    Arm in arm, they tottered nervously in their new platform shoes. The almost inseparable twosome had just about mastered the skill of walking on what Grandma Brown affectionately called their ‘Stilts’. They giggled and whispered as they climbed the staircase to the second floor where the school hall was situated. Sauntering along the spooky dimly lit school corridor their voices echoed.
    “Do you think we are early, or is everyone else late?” asked Elaine quietly, “I can’t hear a thing except for us, can you?”
    Both girls listened carefully, walking on their toes to stop the echo of their clicking heels on the hard concrete floor. As they continued to walk they began to hear the distant sound of voices and music; the former trying to rise above the latter. By the time they finally reached the double doors of the school hall the volume had increased significantly.
    On entering the usually drab school hall, they were met by a throng of gaggling teenagers. The dimly lit room had been