You're Welcome

‘But it is dark!’
It's Sunday afternoon. 16:40. Just over a week to go until Christmas.
I've promised my three-year-old son that we would go for a walk around the block to see the Christmas lights hung up outside people's houses.
He's looking out of the window to see if the lights on our neighbour's house across the road have come on already. And patience is not something a toddler has yet.

I give in and we get our coats and shoes on. Let's take the dog with us as well.

Our walk around the block takes in four roads. In a normal pace that would take about 20 minutes. But with a dawdling toddler that can easily double.

‘Lights! There are lights.’
Every discovery of some twinkling lights in the fading dusk is greeted with enthusiasm.
Trees in windows. LED projectors casting colourful patterns on driveways. Little Santa figurines sitting next to door steps. Manically flashing lights that surely would turn any sensible person insane?

We get to the end of the road and I glance over to him.
‘Where's your hat?’
He doesn't know. We trace back our steps. Half-way down the road we spot his mint-green hat on the floor.
On we go again.

Nearly there now. Just one more road to go.
‘I want to see the blue lights.’
It takes me a minute before I realise he is talking about the lights outside our neighbour's house.

A van drives past us and stops. The driver gets out and hurries to one of the houses with an Amazon parcel.
Efficiently it's placed on the doorstep, a quick knock and off he goes back to his van.
He drives a few meters and then stops on the other side of the road. The same ritual repeats.

And keeps repeating. It seems every other house on this street is expecting a parcel from Amazon. On a Sunday afternoon. Just before Christmas.
Even at toddler speed we are keeping up with him.

Another knock and another parcel placed.
The door opens and someone picks up their hallowed delivery. A quick shout. ‘Thank you!’
‘You're welcome!’ the reply sounds from somewhere in the darkness. No time to stop.

The van moves on again. This time round the bend into the next street.
‘There are the blue lights!’
My son has spotted them.
And there are the red lights of the van as well. Because of course another delivery has to be made. On and on until the van is empty.
On a dark Sunday afternoon. Nearly Christmas.