smallhobbit

“Malcolm’s mother knitted it for me for Christmas,” Lucas North replied.  “I tend to wear it underneath my coat.  It helps keep me warm.”

“I bet it makes a lot of difference when out on surveillance.  I’m quite jealous of you.  It’s a bit brighter than what you normally wear though.”

“As I said, I wear it under my coat.”  Lucas cast an apologetic look in Malcolm’s direction.  Malcolm smiled back having understood the look.

The scarf was never intended for Lucas to wear iso it could be seen.  It was multi-striped, and as Jo had said, not like Lucas’ normal attire.  That it was serving to help keep him warm was a bonus, its original purpose was as an aide-memoire.

Lucas had been invited to dinner with Malcolm and his mother the day after Boxing Day.  When they’d eaten, Mrs Wynn-Jones had given him her present.  Lucas had unwrapped it, and said, “Thank you very much, that’s very kind of you,” in the way he’d been taught as a child.

Mrs Wynn-Jones had laughed and said, “It’s all right, I don’t expect you to wear it if you don’t want to, just keep it somewhere around your flat.  It’s a scarf of remembrance.  Let me explain …”

She sat down on the sofa next to him, picked up the scarf and began by pointing at the block of blue at one end.  “The blue’s for water, I’m sure I don’t need to go into the significance of that.”  Lucas nodded.  “This block of red is for having to undergo the fire during your imprisonment.  The smaller purple block symbolises doubts and worries, and the green is for hopes and promise, in the same way spring brings new growth.  The thinner orange stripe is for those around who can help you, and then the yellow stripe is for the sunshine you will emerge into.”

Lucas ran his hand up the scarf.  “The proportions of the different colours change as I move along the scarf,” he said.

“That’s right.  It’s to remind you that although you’re beginning with a lot of blue and red and not much orange and yellow, it will change over time.  I hope that when you have bad days, and you start to despair, you will look at your scarf and feel a little encouraged.”

Lucas surreptitiously wiped a tear away.  “Thank you very much, Mrs Wynn-Jones.  I promise to take great care of it.”

Lucas had gone home and placed the scarf on the back of a chair.  Two nights later he’d had a nightmare, and got out of bed, retrieved the scarf, laid it beside him in the bed and slept with one hand on it.

He’d decided against wearing the scarf when he was out – tailing someone whilst wearing a scarf which would have been a credit to Doctor Who wasn’t advisable – but it had grown colder and as he said to Jo, the scarf was warm.  In addition, the case they were currently working on was proving emotionally draining for Lucas, for various reasons, and wearing the scarf made him feel considerably better.