Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related.
I am really loving all of the guesses! Everybody seems to keep changing their guess. Keep them coming, I love to here them and your theories.
December 9, 2011
Aro's POV
I hang my head as I sit at my desk at the church. Being the minister of Forks, it has always been one of my favorite things to be able to help the less fortunate during the holidays.
Unfortunately, this year we might not be helping anybody this holiday season. The food pantry's shelves are pretty bare right now. The people who are able to help have been helping, but there aren't many people who can help, and more people that need help. Help that we are finding hard to give.
"The donation van just pulled up." Heidi, my wife, smiled as she walked into my office.
"Great." I said standing from my desk. "We really need a big donation."
Heidi and I walked out the back doors of the church and met with the truck driver. We walked to the back of the van and waited eagerly for the driver to open the back doors.
"This is not good." I sighed as I took in the sight of the four lone boxes.
We carried the boxes into food pantry and started unloading the food onto the shelves. I looked around the shelves and felt depressed at the realization that this food would be gone before the week was out.
More and more have been needing, and we have had less and less to give. It was very frustrating.
"Let's go get some dinner." Heidi said. "We can think about this later."
I knew she was trying to take my mind off ours and the communities problems, but I couldn't stop thinking and worrying about it when later was looking dismal.
"I wouldn't worry too much yet." Heidi said as we sat down to dinner at our kitchen table.
"I know, but it's hard not to worry." I said.
"Yes, but we haven't taken a look at the donation boxes yet, and some cash donations came in today that I haven't added in yet." Heidi explained.
"That's good. Let's hope it's enough."
"How is it looking?" I asked Heidi. She was currently sitting at her desk going over the donations for the church.
She sighed and said, "With the donations that came in the mail and the collection plates at Sunday service we have another five hundred, which brings up to a total of about two-thousand."
I let out a large breath that I didn't realize I was holding and said, "That's not going to do much. I was hoping for more. I think it's time to start worrying."
"Aro, you are always saying we need to keep faith and hold on to hope." She said.
"I'm trying to hold on to hope, I really am." I said. "But Christmas is in two weeks and we have no food to give out. We have no Christmas presents for the families in need. We are in trouble."
"We have time." She smiled. "I have a good feeling."
"I believe you." I said giving her a small smile in return. I wasn't sure if she really did have a good feeling or she was just trying to make me feel better.
I turned and walked back to my office. Marcus, my brother was there waiting for me.
"Tell me you have some good news for me." I said as I sat down at my desk.
"The McRib is back." He shrugged.
I laughed and said, "Unless you can get us about four-thousand donated, that doesn't help me."
Marcus was always good at getting me out of my funk. I needed a little laugh, but I needed some serious answers.
"There are no more donations coming in." Marcus sighed. "All of our big contributors have already donated, Forks is over their spending limit already, so no donations there. All of the wealthy families in Forks have donated cash already. I contacted the churches in Port Angeles, and they are in the same boat as we are. I even went as far as contacting people in Seattle, that's where the donation came from yesterday. Four boxes I saw. There just isn't anywhere else to go, there is nothing left."
"I have been a minister in this church for over thirty years. We have never once not been able to help at Christmas. This is horrible." I said hanging head in my hands. "I don't know what to do."
"You are the calmest and most level headed person I know." Marcus said seriously. "You can't panic. If you do, everybody will."
"You're right." I said straightening up in my chair. I thought for a moment and said, "There is nothing more we can do about donations. So we are going to ration out the food we have to make it go as far as possible. We are going to spend the donation money wisely and cheaply. We are going to put more bell ringers on the street. I know most people find them annoying, but maybe we can just get a little bit more money. Every little bit helps, right?"
"Now you're talking." Marcus smiled.
I was talking, but I was also hoping it would work out.
"Umm…" Heidi said looking bewildered at my office door. "The donation trucks are here?" She said it like a question.
"Truck?" I asked. We never got anything bigger than a van.
"TruckS." She said putting emphasis on the s. "Plural."
"What?" I said hopping up from my chair and ran out the back door and into the parking lot with Marcus and Heidi following close behind me.
I stopped short in the parking lot and looked at the three semi trucks that were parked with their back doors facing the door of the church. All three of them had a large red bow on the back door.
The drivers got out and opened the back of the trucks to reveal that all three trucks were packed full. They started unpacking the trucks and bringing the boxes into the church. We started opening boxes to reveal food, winter clothing, toys, Christmas decorations, household items, and lots of other things that people were needing. Half of one of the trucks was even filled with live Christmas trees.
"Where did all of this come from?" I asked one of the drivers.
"I don't really know, I'm sorry." He said. "We were just told to pick it up and deliver it."
"I told you I have a good feeling." Heidi cried with a huge smile on her face.
I let a tear of my own stream down my face as I wrapped my arms around Heidi. "I knew I should have listened to your feeling. You are never wrong."
I smiled as I watched the guys unload the trucks. Just five minutes ago Christmas was looking dreary, and now Christmas was looking like it was going to be the best for everyone.
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I actually got the idea for this chapter in the local news from where I'm from. At Thanksgiving, none of the Churches or food pantries was getting any donations, and they had to give out roasted chickens instead of turkeys. (This is why I don't like watching the news, so depressing."
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