Eli: A Christmas miracle is finding time to write in chaos. God bless you
all. Enjoy!
It was late now. They had been there since noon, and they weren't leaving anytime soon. Teresa stretched her arms and looked around. Auntie Vicky, Uncle Jake, Aunt Lee, Uncle Danny, and all their kids were gone now. Only Uncle Ian and Auntie Sara were still here, along with Beth and Jamie.
Teresa got up from her seat and walked over to the bed. Her dad was so pale, so lifeless. The I.V. tubes stuck into his arm looked painful. She hoped he didn't feel anything. Especially not the cut on his fore head. It was bandaged now, but she had seen it when the nurse was cleaning it. It was horrible, and bloody, and she just wanted her dad to be okay.
She traced his arm with her finger. He was so cold. Teresa started to cry again, but she didn't make a sound. Only silent tears came down her face. Inside her head, she prayed.
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hollow be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. God, please heal my daddy and make him better. I don't want my daddy to die like my mommy died. If you do, I promise I will be the best little girl in the world and I won't talk back, and I won't say bad words, and I won't hate Samantha any more. Just please make my daddy better. Amen."
Teresa looked at the clock. 11:11 p.m. She felt really tired. She sat back down in her seat and tried to get comfortable. She was almost asleep when a whole bunch of red light started bugging her. She opened her eyes and saw that the witchblade was glowing on her Auntie Sara's wrist.
It was so bright. Teresa cautiously reached her and out and touched the bracelet lightly. The red light went away instantly. Teresa tried to pull her hand back, but she couldn't. Then she heard someone singing.
~The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord lifts his countenance upon you.
And give you peace, and give you peace.
The Lord makes his grace shine upon you~
Teresa looked over from where the singing was coming from. There was a woman standing by the bed. She had on a white shirt and a dark blue skirt. Her hair was light brown and was in a strange bun in the back of her head. She was looking down at Gabriel and her hand lingered on his cheek.
~And be gracious unto thee.
The Lord be gracious
Gracious unto you.
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen~
The woman smiled sadly. She looked over at Teresa, her brown eyes at first filling with surprise, and then love. She moved away from Gabriel and came over to Teresa. She was very graceful. She kneeled down to Teresa's level.
"Hello, Teresa. I miss you very much."
"Will Daddy be okay?" The woman smiled.
"Yes, love. Daddy will be okay. It is not yet his time."
"Are you an angel?" The woman smiled became bigger and a soft laugh came from her lips. She nodded very slowly.
"Yes, Teresa. I'm an angel. You look very tired. Why don't you go to sleep?"
Teresa suddenly did feel tired. She nodded her head and closed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. The last thing she remembered was the woman saying
"Bye Teresa, I love you. And I always will."
Teresa woke up again what seemed like minutes later. But it was morning now. Teresa looked around and it was all as it had been last night. Bethany was still sitting next to her on her Uncle Ian's lap, asleep. Jamie was asleep on another chair. Her Auntie Sara was just starting to wake up, but that wouldn't really happen until she smelled coffee, since she couldn't drink it.
But the one difference was her dad sitting up in his bed, awake, and reading something.
"Daddy!" Teresa got up from her chair and lunged herself onto his bed, setting Gabriel temporarily off balance.
"Teresa. Oh, it's so good to see you." He was holding her very tightly as she had a death grip on his neck.
"Are you okay, daddy?"
"Yeah, a little tired, but I'm okay. I see you guys spent the night over here."
"Uh huh. But everyone was here to see you."
"Yeah, the nurse told me."
"Daddy, guess what?"
"What?"
"An angel came last night to see you."
"What?!"
"An angel came to see you! I saw her."
"Are you sure?"
"Uh huh."
"What did she look like? You might have seen a nurse."
"No, it wasn't a nurse. She wasn't dressed like a nurse. She had on a white shirt with a dark blue skirt. She was singing your lullaby to you."
"What lullaby?"
"The one you use to sing to get me to get me to sleep. The one about how the Lord blesses you and keeps you? She must have watched you a long time to know it by heart."
Gabriel stared at Teresa for a while. Then he reached over to his wallet and fumbled with an old picture that Teresa had never seen before. Gabriel handed her the picture and she took it.
It was of her daddy holding a woman in front of some arcade. Teresa looked closer at the woman and gasped.
"Teresa, did I ever tell you that it was your mommy that taught me that song?"
Teresa shook her head, not taking her eyes away from the picture.
"Daddy," She finally said, "This is the angel that came last night."
"That is also your mother, Angelique."
Coming Attractions:
Omen of disaster
It was late now. They had been there since noon, and they weren't leaving anytime soon. Teresa stretched her arms and looked around. Auntie Vicky, Uncle Jake, Aunt Lee, Uncle Danny, and all their kids were gone now. Only Uncle Ian and Auntie Sara were still here, along with Beth and Jamie.
Teresa got up from her seat and walked over to the bed. Her dad was so pale, so lifeless. The I.V. tubes stuck into his arm looked painful. She hoped he didn't feel anything. Especially not the cut on his fore head. It was bandaged now, but she had seen it when the nurse was cleaning it. It was horrible, and bloody, and she just wanted her dad to be okay.
She traced his arm with her finger. He was so cold. Teresa started to cry again, but she didn't make a sound. Only silent tears came down her face. Inside her head, she prayed.
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hollow be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. God, please heal my daddy and make him better. I don't want my daddy to die like my mommy died. If you do, I promise I will be the best little girl in the world and I won't talk back, and I won't say bad words, and I won't hate Samantha any more. Just please make my daddy better. Amen."
Teresa looked at the clock. 11:11 p.m. She felt really tired. She sat back down in her seat and tried to get comfortable. She was almost asleep when a whole bunch of red light started bugging her. She opened her eyes and saw that the witchblade was glowing on her Auntie Sara's wrist.
It was so bright. Teresa cautiously reached her and out and touched the bracelet lightly. The red light went away instantly. Teresa tried to pull her hand back, but she couldn't. Then she heard someone singing.
~The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord lifts his countenance upon you.
And give you peace, and give you peace.
The Lord makes his grace shine upon you~
Teresa looked over from where the singing was coming from. There was a woman standing by the bed. She had on a white shirt and a dark blue skirt. Her hair was light brown and was in a strange bun in the back of her head. She was looking down at Gabriel and her hand lingered on his cheek.
~And be gracious unto thee.
The Lord be gracious
Gracious unto you.
Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen~
The woman smiled sadly. She looked over at Teresa, her brown eyes at first filling with surprise, and then love. She moved away from Gabriel and came over to Teresa. She was very graceful. She kneeled down to Teresa's level.
"Hello, Teresa. I miss you very much."
"Will Daddy be okay?" The woman smiled.
"Yes, love. Daddy will be okay. It is not yet his time."
"Are you an angel?" The woman smiled became bigger and a soft laugh came from her lips. She nodded very slowly.
"Yes, Teresa. I'm an angel. You look very tired. Why don't you go to sleep?"
Teresa suddenly did feel tired. She nodded her head and closed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. The last thing she remembered was the woman saying
"Bye Teresa, I love you. And I always will."
Teresa woke up again what seemed like minutes later. But it was morning now. Teresa looked around and it was all as it had been last night. Bethany was still sitting next to her on her Uncle Ian's lap, asleep. Jamie was asleep on another chair. Her Auntie Sara was just starting to wake up, but that wouldn't really happen until she smelled coffee, since she couldn't drink it.
But the one difference was her dad sitting up in his bed, awake, and reading something.
"Daddy!" Teresa got up from her chair and lunged herself onto his bed, setting Gabriel temporarily off balance.
"Teresa. Oh, it's so good to see you." He was holding her very tightly as she had a death grip on his neck.
"Are you okay, daddy?"
"Yeah, a little tired, but I'm okay. I see you guys spent the night over here."
"Uh huh. But everyone was here to see you."
"Yeah, the nurse told me."
"Daddy, guess what?"
"What?"
"An angel came last night to see you."
"What?!"
"An angel came to see you! I saw her."
"Are you sure?"
"Uh huh."
"What did she look like? You might have seen a nurse."
"No, it wasn't a nurse. She wasn't dressed like a nurse. She had on a white shirt with a dark blue skirt. She was singing your lullaby to you."
"What lullaby?"
"The one you use to sing to get me to get me to sleep. The one about how the Lord blesses you and keeps you? She must have watched you a long time to know it by heart."
Gabriel stared at Teresa for a while. Then he reached over to his wallet and fumbled with an old picture that Teresa had never seen before. Gabriel handed her the picture and she took it.
It was of her daddy holding a woman in front of some arcade. Teresa looked closer at the woman and gasped.
"Teresa, did I ever tell you that it was your mommy that taught me that song?"
Teresa shook her head, not taking her eyes away from the picture.
"Daddy," She finally said, "This is the angel that came last night."
"That is also your mother, Angelique."
Coming Attractions:
Omen of disaster