It is the twelfth day of Christmas and the day the three wise men or Magi came to visit the infant Jesus. It is also the last day of Christmas when the decorations need to be taken down. I dismantled the tree on Thursday and left it out for the green recycling collectors and have put the decorations away for another eleven months.
Lakshmi is going to be dropped off in an hours time. Before she gets here I would like to go for a walk. I get ready quickly and leave the house. It’s a cold and crispy morning. Not cold enough for gloves and not windy enough for a scarf, but perfect for a nice long brisk walk.
I pass a guy in a balaclava. I am glad it’s daytime. Imagine running into him in the dark. There are a few runners out this morning. I can now endure the walks without headphones and songs ringing in my ears. It gives me ample time to contemplate and mull over things. I take my usual route, past the church by the pond. The lazy ducks are getting fatter every time I see them and multiplying. As it is daytime I take the longer route past the fields. The sun shines through the bare branches of the trees as they line and dot the fields. The storm has not wreaked much havoc here, unlike the ones near my home. I remember watching the New Year fireworks from Home. The view much clearer compared to fireworks night in November. As the trees have now completely shed their leaves I could see for miles across London and had an almost 180 degrees view of the skyline. It was a pretty spectacular sight.
I get back just in time. Lakshmi comes running to me with her arms stretched. We are going to have a good time.