I wanted to share this short story again this year. Hope you enjoy it! It will be part of a future short story collection.

To celebrate my third blogging anniversary I am posting a short story I wrote last year. If you are just tuning in please go to Chapter One,  Chapter Two and Chapter Three. I hope you enjoy this story and that it puts you in the Christmas spirit.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Chapter 4  

Mrs. Antonelli, Angela, as most people knew her, grabbed her coat off the high coat rack and her keys off the counter and went out to the garage to her Bentley to drive over to Mrs. Davis’ to pick up the children. She was not a cold person but she was anxious about having to take care of three children. She never could have any of her own though she and her husband had tried for many years until she knew it was not to be. She didn’t know if she could do this but to refuse would be inhumane since Mrs. Davis was going to the hospital and had no one to take care of the children. She would just have to do her best and soon their mother would be back in good health.

Angela pulled into the drive next to the ambulance and ran up to the door as the EMTs rolled out Mrs. Davis on a stretcher. She moved aside and went into the house and was met by Dr. Harvey. Behind him stood three little waifs who looked scared, lost and sad. She noticed they had all been recently crying which touched her deeply. She wanted to wrap her arms around them and tell them it was going to be all right. But she found that she couldn’t move and didn’t until Dr. Harvey brought her out of her stupor.

“Mrs. Antonelli please come it. Let me introduce you to the children – Clarinda, Andrew, and Brenda. They have been looking forward to meeting you and staying with you until their mother is well.”

Dr. Harvey leaned forward and whispered out of earshot of the children, “Thank you, Mrs. Antonelli, for doing this. It means the world to me and to Mrs. Davis. Clarinda will pack up some clothes and things for herself and her siblings and be ready to leave shortly. Now I need to follow the ambulance and get to the hospital to take care of Mrs. Davis. Thank you again, Mrs. Antonelli. It is wonderful of you to do this. I will contact you to see how the children are doing in a day or so,” and turning back to the children Dr. Harvey said, “Take care children and be good for Mrs. Antonelli.”

Mrs. Antonelli turned to look at Clarinda but was at a loss for words as she watched the tears flowing from the ten-year-olds’ eyes. It hurt her deeply to see the child in such torment. She offered Clarinda her handkerchief to wipe her tears and watched as the child composed herself and put on a strong front for her siblings who looked on with frightened faces. They were just babies, thought Angela. What was she taking on? Could she do this?

Angela waved at the little ones and put her hands out to them and they came forward and grabbed onto her fingers as they were visibly trembling from everything going on around them. Angela could see they were confused and frightened and missed their mother. She waited at the door with the children holding tightly to her fingers as Clarinda came back with her hands full of clothes and a few ragged stuffed animals. She rummaged around in the kitchen for a plastic bag in which to put their clothes and stuffed animals.

I hope you have enjoyed this story so far and that it makes you appreciate all that you have been blessed with by God.

Thank you for stopping by.

REMEMBER:  Reading Gives You Wings to Fly!

Blessings of the Christmas season to you and yours!

-Janice-