Recently I got paid by a local newspaper for my first story. I am very proud to publish it here for all my out of town friends and family.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Adelle lifted her violin to her chin and pulled the bow across the strings. Her violin squeaked like Suzy when she got her pigtails pulled. Adelle pulled her bow away with a pout.
“Mrs. Sampson, my violin isn’t working right,” Adelle whined.
Mrs. Sampson came over and lowered herself to Adelle’s height. “Adelle, there’s nothing wrong with your violin,” she said gently. “I checked it yesterday at practice, remember?”
“But I think something’s wrong with it today.” Adelle pinched her lips together and looked at Mrs. Sampson with clear blue eyes.
“Adelle, honey, your violin is just fine. I think,” and she tilted Adelle’s head so she could look right into her eyes, “that there is some other reason you do not want to practice for the Christmas program we’re putting on at Main Street Baptist Church.”
Adelle looked down at her little white sneakers with the pink shoelaces. She didn’t want to look at Mrs. Sampson because Mrs. Sampson was right. How would she tell her that she didn’t want to play because she was tired of all the nice-looking people sitting there, listening to Adelle and the other orphans playing while they held their children close to their sides with strong protecting arms. And after the concert Adelle would go back to the orphanage and lie alone in her cold little bed with no parent to kiss her goodnight.
“I just don’t want to play in the concert this year, Mrs. Sampson. I’ve made up my mind,” she said firmly.
“Ok,” the kind director said. “I think you should play and join in the Christmas celebration. I think you are making a mistake by not doing so, but I will do as you wish this year. You are almost nine and have been playing in the concert for four years. If you would like to sit out this year, you may.”
“Really?” Adelle was surprised. She had expected a bigger fight than this. But she was relieved to have her way…and a little sad, although she couldn’t say why.
Over the next few days Adelle sat in the playroom while the rest of the orphans practiced for the concert. But she was so confused. Instead of being happy to be playing toys while the other children were practicing, she grew more and more sad. She sat looking down at Ken and Barbie sitting down to dinner with a little girl Barbie. Even her toys had a family. Suddenly Adelle hit the barbies and sent them sprawling across the floor. With a big pouting lip, she left the playroom to wander the halls until the rest of the kids were done practicing.
The next day Mrs. Sampson took the children to the park to play. Adelle didn’t feel like playing. She walked along the path lined with trees and benches a little ways away from the other kids. She felt very sad. With her eyes on the ground, she almost ran into a man sitting on one of the benches. He looked a little like Santa but with a long brown winter coat. He smiled at her.
“Hello there, little miss. You look deep in thought.”
“Yes sir, I am,” she replied.
“You wanna talk about it?” His kind, warm face made Adelle feel like she was drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him everything.
“I was supposed to be in a Christmas concert, but I didn’t want to play this year. So Mrs. Sampson said I didn’t have to.”
“It’s sounds like you got what you wanted. Why the sad face?” he asked gently.
Adelle let out a big sigh and with large sad eyes said, “I don’t know.” Her little brow furrowed in thought, trying to puzzle through her problem.
“I think there’s something else about the concert you’re not saying…” the man prompted.
Then with a deep breath Adelle poured out in a fury, “I hate seeing all the parents there with their children, holding them tight. Every year I see them, hoping that one of them with take me home with them. I practice so hard to be the best violin player so that one of them will want me to be their daughter, but every year they just say ‘Good job, little one’ and go home with their families.”
The man watched her for a few moments. She was so adorable even with her hurt expression and angry eyes. He rubbed his beard with one hand. “Where is this concert of yours, little miss?”
“At the Main Street Baptist Church.” Her eyes were still clouded with anger.
“So you’re from Main Street Orphanage then?”
“Yes sir,” she replied.
Suddenly, a light came into the old man’s eyes. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up. “Little miss, you need to play in the concert this year.”
She looked at him sharply. “I don’t want to! And I won’t! Mrs. Sampson said I didn’t have to.”
“I know what you told me, but you have to play. This year will be different. Christmas is a time for miracles, isn’t it?”
“Not for me,” she grumped.
Then he looked her right in the eyes and said, “Let me tell you something, little miss. Your heart is sad because you have been disappointed year after year, but the true heart does not give up believing when the road is tough. It keeps believing because it knows someday its dreams will come true, no matter how difficult the road. Believing brings miracles.”
Adelle looked at him for a moment, then the frown came back. “Well, that’s not how it works out for me,” and she turned and walked back to her playmates.
The day of the concert came and Adelle sat apart from the other children as they tuned their violins. When the others filed out onto the stage, Adelle would walk down with Mrs. Sampson and sit on the front row with her. Adelle expected to feel better today since she had a special place beside Mrs. Sampson and all the other kids had to play for the concert, but she felt sad and angry and a little sick in her tummy. She sat twirling a ribbon on her skirt as the violins squeaked around her. Her face felt hot and her heart began pounding. Mrs. Sampson clapped her hands and called everyone’s attention. “Alright children, it’s time to go out on the stage.” The children moved into order. In the shuffle, Mrs. Sampson temporarily forgot about Adelle. As Adelle watched all the other children go, something pulsed in her heart. Her eyes became bright and her breath quickened. She didn’t know why, but suddenly she knew she had to play in the concert. She grabbed her violin out of its case and stepped onto the platform just behind the last child.
The lights shining on the stage were warm. Two trees were lit, one on either end of the platform. Pine garland looped along the front of the stage with big red bows pinning it up. Excitement thrummed in Adelle’s chest. She lifted her violin to her chin and the sweet melody of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” lifted out of her instrument and floated down on the crowd. She closed her eyes as the music sank into her soul. Next she moved her bow up and down quickly for the enchanting “Carol of the Bells”, one of her favorites. Then smoothly again for “O Come All Ye Faithful.” As she gazed out at the audience she saw the dim figure of an old man with a white beard in the very back of the church. She gasped. It was the man from the park! Her hear felt like it was going to burst, but she couldn’t explain why. She played as she had never played before, the music forming and spinning high into the air before swooping down on the audience and holding them spellbound. Adelle felt happier than she had ever felt in her life. That night as she lay down to sleep, she prayed, “God, even though I didn’t get a family this year, I’m really glad I played in the concert. Thank you for the home I have. Good night.”
The next morning was Christmas. The orphans traditionally had breakfast before running to open their gifts. It was all they could do to wait. But as Adelle walked into the dining room, Mrs. Sampson came to her and said, “Adelle, come with me to my office for a moment.”
Adelle wondered if perhaps Mrs. Sampson was going to yell at her for joining in the concert after all. But when they entered the office, a young smiling couple stood there. The man had his arm around his wife and looked very eager to say something.
“Adelle, this is Mr. and Mrs. Fields. They came to me this morning asking to talk to ‘the magical little girl who played the violin so well.’” Mrs. Sampson paused and Adelle thought she looked as if she was about to cry. Barely able to speak, Mrs. Sampson continued, “They want to know if they can be your new mommy and daddy.”
Adelle didn’t know what to say. The man leaned down toward her with shining eyes. “My wife’s father told us he met you at the park. He said you would be the perfect little girl for us. You see, we can’t have children, and we’ve been looking for someone special just like you. We just started attending Main Street Baptist Church a month ago and this was our first time at the Christmas concert. You captured our hearts with your violin playing, and when we found out that you wanted badly to be adopted, we just knew we had to give you a home. We know today is Christmas, but we couldn’t wait any longer to come see you. We wanted to give you a home for Christmas this year and make your dream come true.” Mr. Fields paused a moment then whispered, “Will you be our little girl, Adelle?”
Adelle looked at them both with big tears puddled in her clear blue eyes. “Yes,” she whispered back. And for the first time in her little life, she felt the hugs and kisses of her very own parents.
I would love to hear from you. You can contact me at
oneladyofshalott8@yahoo.com or leave a comment at the end of this post. Also, check out my children’s ebook, Betty Butter, at
Smashwords.com or
Barnes & Noble.com.
