see it. There is an old woman with a stall full of bric-a-brac. Old Dinky cars still in their boxes, stiff porcelain dolls with white painted faces. They look kind of scary but a lady picks up one and pays for it. I watch as the old woman wraps it in tissue carefully.
“Her name is Violet,” she says. “And she is a very special doll … remember that.”
The old woman has white hair scrunched up with a silver comb and eyes so dark they are like two black beetles. I look at the brooches and bracelets, and an old snakes-and-ladders game, and then I see it, right at the back of the stall … a snow globe. I pick it up. It is heavier than I expected. The glass is thick and the dark wood base is patterned with silver holly leaves and berries.
Inside the glass orb there is a girl with dark hair and a red dress and beside her a tree and a deer. I shake the globe and like magic the snow appears and the tree sparkles and the girl’s dress seems to glow and the deer is covered with falling snowflakes. It’s beautiful.
I shake it again. As the snow falls I notice a small rabbit peeping out from behind the tree and a robin in its branches. It’s so pretty. I look at the price … Far too much.
“It’s Victorian,” the old woman says, standing in front of me. “Antique.”
“It’s beautiful.”
A man pushes in beside me. He wants to buy the red velvet box with four dice in it.
“These dice will bring you luck!” says the old woman as he passes her the money.
I shake the snow globe again. It’s so unusual, special. I watch as the snow slowly begins to fall again, sprinkling the girl’s long dark hair and red dress and covering the branches of the pine tree, a snowflake landing on the rabbit’s nose … I really, really want it …
“How much money do you have?” the woman asks, standing so close to me that I can smell her old-fashioned lavender-scented perfume.
Before I know it I have agreed to buy the precious snow globe and given her all my money and she is wrapping it up in lots of paper and passing me a plastic bag.
“It’s really old,” she warns me, “so you must take very good care of it. It’s full of wishing and memories.”
I walk off happy …
“Where have you been?” demands Robbie when I find him. “I was searching everywhere for you.”
“Sorry, but I was at that old antique stall at the back.”
“Did you get all your presents?” he asks as we queue to get doughnuts.
I’ve already got Robbie a game for his PlayStation. They were on special offer in Argos last week. And I’ve got Dad a tie covered in balls – footballs, golf balls, rugby balls – that I saw in the sports store, but I’ve got nothing for Mum or our little brother Ted.
“I forgot,” I admit to Robbie.
“Well come on and we’ll get something now.”
“I can’t,” I confess. “I’ve spent all my money.”
I show him the snow globe.
“Is it for Mum?”
“No, Mum wouldn’t like it! It’s for me – I just had to have it!”
“Cass, are you crazy? How could you spend all your money on that?”
I suddenly realise how stupid I’ve been. Money is tight with the move and the new house, so this year there is a family budget on presents and I’ve blown all my money on one thing.
“Maybe you can take it back – get your money back.”
Robbie and I return to the edge of the square, looking for the old woman and her stall. We pass the people selling jam and big iced gingerbread houses, but I can’t seem to find the place where I got the snow globe. I walk up and down, looking for the old-fashioned wooden stall with its fairy lights and mysterious owner.
“Where is it?” asks Robbie.
“It was here, I’m sure it was here …”
But there is no sign of it – just a stand with a man selling burgers and drinks.
“It was here, I’m sure,” I say.
“What are you going to do?” he asks, sighing.
I don’t know what to do. I can’t ask Dad for more money, not at the moment.
“I’ve
“Her name is Violet,” she says. “And she is a very special doll … remember that.”
The old woman has white hair scrunched up with a silver comb and eyes so dark they are like two black beetles. I look at the brooches and bracelets, and an old snakes-and-ladders game, and then I see it, right at the back of the stall … a snow globe. I pick it up. It is heavier than I expected. The glass is thick and the dark wood base is patterned with silver holly leaves and berries.
Inside the glass orb there is a girl with dark hair and a red dress and beside her a tree and a deer. I shake the globe and like magic the snow appears and the tree sparkles and the girl’s dress seems to glow and the deer is covered with falling snowflakes. It’s beautiful.
I shake it again. As the snow falls I notice a small rabbit peeping out from behind the tree and a robin in its branches. It’s so pretty. I look at the price … Far too much.
“It’s Victorian,” the old woman says, standing in front of me. “Antique.”
“It’s beautiful.”
A man pushes in beside me. He wants to buy the red velvet box with four dice in it.
“These dice will bring you luck!” says the old woman as he passes her the money.
I shake the snow globe again. It’s so unusual, special. I watch as the snow slowly begins to fall again, sprinkling the girl’s long dark hair and red dress and covering the branches of the pine tree, a snowflake landing on the rabbit’s nose … I really, really want it …
“How much money do you have?” the woman asks, standing so close to me that I can smell her old-fashioned lavender-scented perfume.
Before I know it I have agreed to buy the precious snow globe and given her all my money and she is wrapping it up in lots of paper and passing me a plastic bag.
“It’s really old,” she warns me, “so you must take very good care of it. It’s full of wishing and memories.”
I walk off happy …
“Where have you been?” demands Robbie when I find him. “I was searching everywhere for you.”
“Sorry, but I was at that old antique stall at the back.”
“Did you get all your presents?” he asks as we queue to get doughnuts.
I’ve already got Robbie a game for his PlayStation. They were on special offer in Argos last week. And I’ve got Dad a tie covered in balls – footballs, golf balls, rugby balls – that I saw in the sports store, but I’ve got nothing for Mum or our little brother Ted.
“I forgot,” I admit to Robbie.
“Well come on and we’ll get something now.”
“I can’t,” I confess. “I’ve spent all my money.”
I show him the snow globe.
“Is it for Mum?”
“No, Mum wouldn’t like it! It’s for me – I just had to have it!”
“Cass, are you crazy? How could you spend all your money on that?”
I suddenly realise how stupid I’ve been. Money is tight with the move and the new house, so this year there is a family budget on presents and I’ve blown all my money on one thing.
“Maybe you can take it back – get your money back.”
Robbie and I return to the edge of the square, looking for the old woman and her stall. We pass the people selling jam and big iced gingerbread houses, but I can’t seem to find the place where I got the snow globe. I walk up and down, looking for the old-fashioned wooden stall with its fairy lights and mysterious owner.
“Where is it?” asks Robbie.
“It was here, I’m sure it was here …”
But there is no sign of it – just a stand with a man selling burgers and drinks.
“It was here, I’m sure,” I say.
“What are you going to do?” he asks, sighing.
I don’t know what to do. I can’t ask Dad for more money, not at the moment.
“I’ve
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