Miranda Rijks Short Story: Christmas socks

Christmas Socks

A short story written exclusively for Village Tweet by local author Miranda Rijks

Maddie closed the bedroom door Dora for you and your family are on the gently and leaned against it, table,” she said. letting silent tears slip down “Not more pairs of socks!” Felix her cheeks. When she first started exclaimed with a scowl. “They’re ugly, caring for Dora, she found the old scratchy and totally useless. We give woman cantankerous and them to the charity shop when we can judgemental, and she sympathised be bothered. Otherwise they go straight with Dora’s family members who into the bin.” visited as little as possible. But over Maddie turned around and walked out the past few years, she grew to love of the room. the elderly lady, smiling at Dora’s acerbic Some weeks later, Maddie received a phone humour and enjoying the many peaceful hours call. “This is Anton Faulkner. I’m the executor of when the two of them sat side by side knitting Dora Smythe’s will and she has left you a legacy. sock after sock while listening to Radio 4. She The code is embedded in your Christmas present; will miss Dora. a pair of socks, I believe.”

No one is sure exactly how old Dora Smythe Maddie sat down with a bump. She was was. Brian, the postman, delivered celebratory wearing the socks: a particularly fine pair knitted in cards from Buckingham Palace wishing her a a Fair Isle pattern with pale blue and cream happy birthday every June for a few years, so she merino yarn. must have been well over one hundred and five. “If you use the Morse code, you’ll be able to

Maddie walked down the imposing oak staircase decipher what you have been left.” and into the living room. There were thirty-two little Maddie burst out laughing. Clever old Dora. parcels placed on the floor in front of the fireplace, “One stitch in the darker colour is a dot and each wrapped up in brown paper and tied with three stitches, also in the darker colour, are a dash.” string. The recipients’ names were scrawled in Maddie pulled off her socks. It took her a while barely decipherable writing. These were Dora’s to decipher what was written in them and when Christmas presents; one for every member of her she did, she double- and triple-checked. Tears family and a few kindly people from the village sprung to her eyes as she read the message who bothered to ask after her. Maddie sighed. She aloud. had little doubt that Dora’s family would be “To whoever owns these socks, I leave my swooping down within the next couple of days, house and all my cash in the bank.” eager to discover who was to inherit the big house Unsurprisingly, there was the biggest furore. and who would get the collection of antique Most of Dora’s sock recipients had either thrown clocks, the silver platters and fine oil paintings. them away or donated them to charity. Dora’s Maddie reckoned she was the only person in the relatives scoured all the local charity shops in an world who would actually miss Dora. attempt to retrieve their socks, but how could

Two weeks later and just four days before anyone tell whether they were knitted by Dora or Christmas, Felix Carruthers, Dora’s pompous another kindly, unsuspecting knitter who grandson, arrived, peeling off his black leather unwittingly included a morse code in their socks? gloves and thick black woollen coat, before Besides which, many pairs had already found new signalling to Maddie that she should sit down. owners.

“I would like to thank you for looking after Dora. One young man whose home was a cardboard The house will be sold in the New Year. As we no box, came forward with his pair of red and fawn longer have any need for your services, I’m letting coloured socks which he had gratefully received. you go.” He produced a creased envelope and The knitted morse code stated, “To whoever owns handed it to her. “There’s a cheque for payment these socks, I leave my collection of antique clocks.” for the rest of the month,” he said. “I’m going to Felix was apoplectic with rage. He fully lock the house up, so I’d like you to leave by the expected the clocks to be his. Unsurprisingly, the end of the day.” family are mounting a legal challenge to the will.

“You’re chucking me out so quickly?” Maddie Mr Faulkner thinks they will lose, but Maddie stared at Felix in horror. Where was she expected doesn’t mind what the outcome is. She just to go at that time of year? There was no way she misses her old friend Dora. could afford to fly back home to her family in Auckland just before Christmas. Miranda Rijks writes psychological thrillers set in

“You can hardly expect us to keep you on with West Sussex, published by Inkubator Books. Dora gone!” Felix said, rolling his eyes. Paperbacks and ebooks are available on Amazon.

Maddie stood up. “The Christmas presents from Find out more at www.mirandarijks.com.

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