Serendipity

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Hello and happy new year everyone! I have to tell you a lovely story of serendipity. A few days before Christmas I had to take the girls to the dentist. I haven’t yet organized myself to find one close to home so we still have to have a 20-mile round trip every time to go to the one we used to visit before we moved house (which was, ahem, 9 years ago!) This can be difficult to fit around school so I had booked an appointment in the holidays. The girls love to go because it means a trip to another town which also happens to have a lovely toy shop, among other things! After the check-up we had a little walk around the shops. In the toy shop Little One saw these unicorn hobby horses and really liked them, but at £15 each I wasn’t convinced she would play with one all that much, I mean how much fun is a horse’s head on a stick after a few minutes? (I know I used to have a wooden one as a child and I didn’t play with it that much). So I made some non-committal noises and walked on. While in town I also visited a charity shop as I wanted to ask if I could drive the car up to drop off a large bag of things I had in the boot (the main street is pedestrianised). While there we had a good look around of course and bought a few books and things. The lady explained I could drive round to the back door. So after we had finished our little walk around town I drove round to the back of the shop to drop off our donation. After handing the things over I noticed, just inside the door, a box of odds and ends with these two characters’ heads sticking out. I asked if they were for sale, but the lady (the same one who had served us earlier) said they were broken and couldn’t be sold so they were going to be thrown out. She said I could take them if I would like, for the two girls, so I said ‘Yes please’ and she stuffed them in a bag for me so I could sneak them into the car without being seen. Back home I found that it was just the end of the stick (just a piece of plastic pipe covered in fabric) that was broken on each one and they were a bit grubby, so I hacksawed the ends off straight, covered them up again and gave them both a good wash. Then we wrapped the two of them up as a Christmas present for Little One with a card saying ‘For you to play with a friend – or even a sister’. Well they have been a huge and unexpected success! I think the fact that there are two of them makes all the difference. They each have a name (‘Twinkle’ and ‘Sparkle’) and when you squeeze one ear they make galloping sounds followed be neighing and snorting. Although Big One is coming up to 11 and would probably not be interested in such a thing on her own, the two of them together have been galloping around the house while she has been making up knightly errands for them to carry out! It’s absolutely hilarious to watch (and listen to) and they have worn themselves out running about; what with all the neighing, clippety-clopping and shouting it’s been like the charge of the Light Brigade at times! Little One was so pleased with them that she even had to tuck them into their own bed. I have to go to the dentist myself in a couple of weeks so I’ll definitely be going back to that charity shop to make an extra donation! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2017.