Charlie Girl's First Summer Christmas

By Claire Plaisted

This is a short story about a little girl called Charlie who has down syndrome. Her family have recently migrated to New Zealand from England where her father was given the opportunity for a good job. A Summer Christmas, a different English language and even some culture.

I look at the words in this story and see my own little girl, hopefully as joyful as Charlie if she had lived.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Plaisted Publishing House
• Release date: Apr 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310159824

Claire Plaisted

Claire Plaisted grew up in the small historical town of Sandbach, Cheshire, England with two older siblings and loving parents. At 19 she moved to the town of Colwyn Bay in North Wales and it was from here that her adventures began with her first holiday abroad on her own at age 21. New Zealand was the destination and this is where she met her husband to be and eventually moved to in 1991. Married with four children, sadly losing their youngest child. Claire engages her time in bringing up her children along with family history research. Starting a small hobby business in 2010 to format and print Family History Books for people. It was during the formatting of one book Claire opened a word document while waiting on receiving information to finish her latest project. Her first novel was born. Though this Regency Mystery Romance novel is yet un-published Claire learnt a lot about the writing world. Writing novels of many genre, her writing has now taken over her life during the week. With six books published as e-books and four paperbacks, Claire is getting ready to publish her first Regency novel, book three of GIB and another childrens story.

Book preview

Charlie Girl’s First Summer Christmas

Claire Plaisted

Copyright 2014 Claire Plaisted

All rights reserved

Published by Plaisted Publishing House at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

First Edition 2014

Second Edition May 2015

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

From the Author

About the Author

More Books

Contact

Dedication

To my darling Anastasia Caroline Plaisted.

Love and miss you always

Oct 2002 – Feb 2003

Chapter One

Christmas was approaching with the summer sun, glaring down with an intensity of an oven. Sunglasses on. Shorts and t-shirt with matching jandals (flip flops). Don’t forget the sun lotion, he muttered to himself gazing through the open doors out over the calm ocean waves, a gentle breeze soothing him. Water bottle in hand, he looked down at Charlie, who was bouncing around like she’d never been to the beach before. Smiling gently he took her hand leading her onto the deck the verandah keeping them in the shade.

Please dada beach, she pleaded beseechingly her short curly blonde hair flying about her face as she jumped up and down in excitement.

Go on Glyn, I said with a bemused smile. Charlie needs to use her energy, I laughed.

All right, I’m going, scooping Charlie into his arms charging down to the beach whooping loudly, making other families turn smiling at their antics. Charlie screamed in delight as she held on tightly shrieking as Glyn charged over the hot sands and into the ocean waves letting droplets of cold water soak them both. Turning back to our cabin Glyn and Charlie waved to me laughing with the greatest of enjoyment. It’s so beautiful to see.

This will be our first Christmas in New Zealand, it seems so weird after years of cold and snow, not that Charlie will remember much since she’s only three. We migrated here six months ago, Glyn having being offered a fantastic job opportunity we just couldn’t turn down. We live in Rotorua on the North Island, lots of lakes and beaches not too far away; it’s like a different world, a slower pace of life if you like. Stunning scenery surrounded us, so lush and green, the flowers, so vibrant in colour and fragrance. My favourite is the Pohutukawa Tree, which is known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree. Tall with gorgeous red flowers covering them, they are beautiful, so much more colourful than home. Mind this is home now, slowly getting used to being here. I for one miss my family back in the depth of Cumbria; though I don’t miss the freezing cold winters or snow.

Watching Glyn and Charlie enjoying the waves before settling down to build a huge sandcastle I smiled enthralled with their enjoyment wishing I could stop this moment in time capturing them on camera. Maybe Christmas would bring me