They knocked on Wullie’s door and waited expectantly as they heard the key turn in the lock. “Merry Christmas, Wullie,” they said, pressing small gifts into his hands, “Merry Christmas!”
“Come away in,” Wullie said, taking their coats. “Are your feet wet? Look, just put on these slippers.”
Murdo understood the reason for the slippers when Wullie showed him proudly into his brand new living-room.
They stood gaping in complete and utter surprise at the transformation, for Wullie’s living-room had, in the past, been a bit of a black hole. And that, I might add, is being charitable. Now it shone in shades of cream and warm reds. A big plasma TV set stood in one corner and a Christmas tree that reached the ceiling, decorated the other. Christmas decorations hung everywhere and the room was blissfully warm.
“Do you like it?” asked Wullie anxiously. “I’ve stopped smoking, you see,” he said proudly, “and I really had to have the whole place done over. It’s a funny thing but ever since I met the ghosts in the Underground City I haven’t been able to abide the smell of cigarette smoke. Makes me fair sick, it does!”
“But where did you get the money for all this?” demanded Murdo. “It looks as though you’ve spent a fortune!”
“Ocht,” said Wullie reddening, “the wee woman in the shop was a decent body and she said I could take it all on credit and I don’t have to pay anything back until next year!”
Murdo groaned. So Wullie had been conned into buying it all! “Why didn’t you ask me first, you great idiot?” he said, appalled. “They’ve done you! She gets a whacking commission and you’ve probably sold your soul to a finance company for life. Do you know the interest they charge?”
Wullie shook his head, high finance not being his strong point. “No,” he said, “they didn’t mention that!”
“I bet they didn’t!” growled Murdo. “Well, I’ll go and see what I can do for you although it’s probably too late!”
“Would you like some mulled wine?” Wullie asked, looking at them anxiously.
“Mulled wine?” Tammy Souter said, totally flabbergasted.
“Mulled wine!” Murdo repeated, in much the same tone.
“I was in Sainsbury’s, you see,” Wullie admitted, “and it was on offer!”
“Sainsbury’s!” Murdo’s mind went into overdrive. Wullie in Sainsbury’s when he’d never been beyond the corner shop in his life!
“Well, we’ve been through a bad time what with the robbery going wrong and everything and I thought that … well, it’s Christmas, isn’t it! I wanted you to enjoy it. I’ve got the wine all ready, you know. It’s heating up!”
Murdo and Tammy exchanged looks. It wasn’t the dram they’d expected but they didn’t want to spoil things for Wullie so, forcing a smile, they agreed that mulled wine was just the sort of thing to drink on Christmas Day.
The warmth of the room was having its effect and as they relaxed and looked round, they realized that Wullie really had gone to town in the furniture shop; pictures on the wall, ornaments and everything.
“Here we are,” Wullie said, bringing the wine in on a tray. It was steaming and fragrant in posh glasses with silver holders. New as well, thought Murdo, worriedly. What else had the old biddy in the shop managed to sell him?
Two or three glasses of wine later, Murdo was not quite as observant but he still noticed that the generous slices of turkey, the crisp roast potatoes and delicious greens were not of Murdo’s making. The mystery of his new cookery skills, however, was soon solved. Wullie beamed as he watched them eating the turkey hungrily. “Just tell me if you want another helping,” he said casually. “It’s no problem! The packets come frozen and I just have to pop them into my new microwave for a few minutes and they’re ready.”
It wasn’t until they’d had second helpings of turkey and Christmas pudding that they sat back in their chairs and voted it the best meal they’d ever had. It was then that their eyes strayed to the presents, wrapped carefully in bright Christmas paper and decorated with big bows of red ribbon, lying under the Christmas tree. Neither Murdo nor Tammy had thought it good manners to mention them although they were sure that Wullie would have a couple there for them.
Wullie opened his gifts first. Murdo had given him a pair of gloves and Tammy had bought him a scarf. Wullie beamed at them. “Just what I needed,” he confessed, delightedly. “The weather’s been that bad lately.”
Murdo and Tammy Souter sat up expectantly as he staggered over with a box from under the tree. “There are two for you, Murdo,” he said, his face slightly red with exertion, “and these two,” he said, hauling them over the carpet towards Tammy, “are yours!”