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Father and Son.....and Holy Spirit? (Short and complete)
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Author:  Frogize [ 24 Dec 2007, 02:10 ]
Post subject:  Father and Son.....and Holy Spirit? (Short and complete)

I wrote this for my Secret Santa partner Grembles, so hope she doesn't mind my sharing it here. I couldn't get the Secret thingy to work (more haste, less speed I suspect!) so here it is anyway. Merry Christmas everyone!

Four-year-old David Russell lay curled tightly beneath his plumeau, the tears still glistening on his cheeks, as he waited for Daddy’s return. He was certain that Daddy would understand – after all, he was a doctor! It was Christmas Eve, and David had been sent to bed in disgrace by his mother.

“If only there weren’t so many girls around!” he thought crossly. Gloomily he realized that apart from Daddy and Dr Jack, and his older cousin Rix, his whole world seemed to be populated with them! Even his one and only sibling had turned out to be a girl, and not the brother that David had hoped for! It wasn’t fair!

Downstairs in the saal, Madge was at a loss to explain David’s behaviour. When Rosa came to her just before nursery tea-time with the news that David had once again gone out on his own and taken one of Sybil’s blanket’s with him, she had been really annoyed. It was the third time in two days he’d done the same thing, despite knowing he was never to leave the house alone, and she had determined that she really must get Jem to deal with him the minute he came in.

Knowing nothing of what lay ahead, Jem left the sanatorium that night with a smile on his face and a cheerful Christmas greeting for everyone he met. He had five whole days with nothing to do but relax and enjoy Christmas with his family, and he was looking forward to it immensely. It seemed like months since he’d been able to spend time with Madge, and the thought of several quiet evenings alone with her – not to mention several not-so-quiet nights! - was an eagerly anticipated pleasure.

As he left the building, making his way to the car-park reserved for medical staff, he even managed a kind word for Minette. Seated by the door, her thick hair all on end as she attempted to keep warm, she looked up hopefully as it opened and the great doctor himself passed through.

“Merry Christmas, Minette!” he smiled down at her as he hurried out and, as the door slowly closed behind him, she crept un-noticed into the warmth of the building.

Arriving home a short time later, and parking his car in the garage for the night, Jem sighed contentedly as he walked through his own front door, and felt the warmth surround him as he removed his out-door things and went in search of Madge. So, when he saw her worried expression as he entered the saal, it was hard not to let the disappointment show on his face.

“What is it, dear?” he asked, kissing her cheek and accepting a similar greeting from her.

“Is it as obvious as that?” Madge smiled ruefully, and Jem nodded, concerned at how tired she looked. He knew she worked hard to make his home a pleasant, happy place for him to return to and he wondered what had caused her worried look.

“It’s David,” she began as they sat together on the sofa. “He keeps taking Sybil’s blankets and going outside with them. I’ve scolded him for it three times now, but it doesn’t seem to be doing any good. You’ll have to speak to him, Jem. He doesn’t seem to be taking any notice of me at all.”

“You leave Master David to me!” Jem smiled grimly. “I’ll sort him out first thing in the morning!”

“But, Jem, it’s Christmas Day tomorrow! You mustn’t spoil Christmas for him!” Madge pleaded. “Won’t you go up to him now? Please?”

“Very well,” Jem sighed, getting to his feet. “Anything else I should know before I go?”

“Well, there was one rather strange thing,” Madge added. “Rosa says David keeps pulling his right ear. I can’t see anything wrong with it, and he hasn’t complained about it, but you might have a look at it while you’re there,” and she smiled at her husband, thankful to have his comforting presence at home once more. If she had noticed Jem’s expression on hearing this particular piece of information she might have wondered at it, but instead she smiled to herself, knowing that David was in safe – if very firm – hands!

The Secret Sign! Good Heavens! He hadn’t thought about it in months and, as he mounted the stairs to the night-nursery, he recalled how it had come about. When Sybil had first arrived there had been the usual out-pouring of baby-worship on the part of all the women-folk and David had very quickly found that the only way to get attention was to misbehave, which had not gone down well in any quarter.

Finally, during a father-and-son discussion – somewhat tearful on David’s part – Jem had invented the Secret Sign. Whenever David needed to talk to Daddy he was to pull his right ear repeatedly. Even if Daddy wasn’t around to see it someone was certain to notice and report it to him, and then he’d come in search of David so they could spend some time together. It had worked well at the time – eventually things had settled down and Jem had assumed that David had forgotten all about it, but apparently he hadn’t! Quietly opening the bedroom door, he crossed the room and smiled at the untidy heap in the middle of the bed, as David’s tear-stained face peered up at him.

“What is it, old chap?” Jem smiled down at David. “Do you want to talk about something?”

“Yes please, Daddy,” the boy answered quietly, sitting up and obviously not intending to sleep until his questions were answered. “Daddy, what happens to babies if they get too cold?”

Jem stared at David in surprise when he heard the question. It wasn’t at all what he’d been expecting – though he couldn’t have said with any certainty just what he had been expecting! Well, at least that went some way to explaining the taking of Sybil’s blankets, Jem thought, as he tried to explain hypothermia in words which David would understand.

“Does Mummy know all that, too?” came David’s next question, as Jem wound up his explanation, and he assured his son that Mummy knew exactly how important it was to keep babies warm.

“But what if it’s a baby that no-one wraps up, even when all the grown-ups are wearing warm clothes?” David persisted, and Jem wondered if perhaps he’d seen some poor family’s baby with little in the way of coverings, while confirming that it was essential to warm the child as soon as possible.

“But, Daddy, what if it’s a special baby? One that everyone should care about?” and Jem began to wonder exactly where Rosa had been walking the children lately! It was strange that the boy should be so fixated on ‘cold’ and ‘babies’. David had never seemed more than mildly interested in Sybil, as far as he knew.

“Did you have a particular baby in mind?” Jem asked, thinking that he might hear of some previously unknown needy child, and smiling encouragingly as David nodded.

“It’s Jesus, Daddy,” David confided, and Jem stared at his son in stunned silence. “I’m sure He’s very cold, and it’s not fair, because all the grown-ups have warm clothes and He doesn’t have any!”

“Jesus, David?” Jem asked softly.

“Yes, Daddy,” came David’s solemn reply. “In the Nativity scene at the chapel. All the grown-ups have lovely warm clothes – and He’s just lying there in the straw with only a nappy! I’m sure he’s cold, Daddy!” and tears began to glisten in his gentle brown eyes once more.

“But, David, you know that’s just pretend – it’s not a real baby at all!”

“Then how can He feel cold, Daddy? If He’s not real, why is He cold?”

How was he to explain to a tender-hearted four-year-old the physical properties of plaster? The reality of ambient temperature? The scientific fact that a statue doesn’t feel anything? This was the world of science in which Jem lived and operated every day, but how could he help David understand?

“Come with me, David,” he said quietly, searching for the boy’s clothes and dressing him with more haste than attention to detail.

Making their way downstairs a few minutes later, they paused to don warm outdoor garments – an irony not lost on Jem! Protected against the fiercely cold air, they stepped out into the brilliantly starlit night as their feet crunched through the light snow of the earlier afternoon snowfall. Opening the car door, David climbed in beside his father, enjoying the privilege of sitting in the front seat and the mystery journey outdoors, when he should have been fast asleep in bed.

A short time later the car pulled up outside the great sanatorium where Jem spent a major part of his life. As he led his son by the hand, they made their way to the room that had been used as a chapel for many months now. The nativity scene there had been Madge’s idea and Jem knew the younger patients at the sanatorium loved to sit and look at it. He hadn’t known that David loved it, too.

The room was in darkness now, but there were some candles near the door, left there after the candlelit carol service the previous evening. Peering through the darkness towards the Nativity scene Jem was just able to make out the form of the pink plaster baby, nestled on the painted plaster straw, and he shivered as he lit a candle and led his son forward. It certainly was a rather cold and chilly sight, but he was here to reassure David, not to indulge in flights of fancy.

“See, David? He’s perfectly fine…..” Jem began, then suddenly realized that David wasn’t listening.

“Daddy, look!” David whispered, enthralled by the sight, and Jem held the candle higher in order to see more clearly. There within the manger, her body curled closely around the bambino, was Minette. And nestled against her – forming a living blanket for the Child – were four new-born kittens, each one a warm, soft, purring bundle of fur.

Feeling his son’s hand in his own, Jem had the strangest feeling that he was the one who was being led here – not David – and that there was more to be seen. Lost in the delight of seeing his dream become reality in such a unique way, David smiled up at him and tugged him forward.

“Come on, Daddy,” he spoke softly and, as they watched, the little Christ Child seemed to stroke Minette’s head.

“No – that’s impossible!” Jem told himself. It was just Minette brushing herself against the little plaster hand. It had to be! Best not to encourage the boy to indulge in wild fantasies, and yet…..

As they knelt together, Jem and David both clearly saw the smile appear on the smooth plaster face and, reaching out to feel it in spite of himself, Jem had to acknowledge that the cheek he touched was as soft and warm as David’s own.

“Thank you!” David whispered delightedly into the darkness. “Happy Christmas!”

Jem realized he had no way of knowing just who his son was speaking to – but, as he bowed his head, he was absolutely certain to Whom he directed his own thanks.

Heaven only knew what Madge would say!

Author:  Elder in Ontario [ 24 Dec 2007, 02:53 ]
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That is just so lovely, Pat - the last section in particular really blew me away - what a way to cement a young child's faith and to reinforce his trust in both his earthly father and in God. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.

Author:  Fatima [ 24 Dec 2007, 05:43 ]
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That was absolutely beautiful, thanks Pat.

Author:  Fiona Mc [ 24 Dec 2007, 07:47 ]
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Ph Pat that was georgous. Thank you

Author:  Alison H [ 24 Dec 2007, 08:51 ]
Post subject: 

That was lovely, Pat.

Author:  Lesley [ 24 Dec 2007, 09:39 ]
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Thank you Pat - that was so beautiful.

Author:  MaryR [ 24 Dec 2007, 12:20 ]
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Very moving, Pat, Thank you.

Author:  linda [ 24 Dec 2007, 21:11 ]
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Oh, Pat, that really was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Author:  BethC [ 24 Dec 2007, 22:03 ]
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Thank you - that was lovely.

Author:  PaulineS [ 24 Dec 2007, 22:07 ]
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Thank you. I liked the signal that Jem had arranged with David when he needed his Dad and how Jem recognised it was a need to talk not an occassion for telling off.

A lovely story of faith and children.

Author:  JackieP [ 24 Dec 2007, 23:07 ]
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That was lovely. Thank you.

JackieP

Author:  Chelsea [ 24 Dec 2007, 23:19 ]
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Ahhh...that was so sweet.

Thanks!

Author:  Grembles [ 26 Dec 2007, 00:21 ]
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this gave me a big lump in my throat when I read it before and I am really pleased to see it here.
thank you again for writing me a drabble - and Merry Christmas!

Author:  Karoline [ 26 Dec 2007, 12:23 ]
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That was lovely Pat, thank you

Author:  leahbelle [ 29 Dec 2007, 16:43 ]
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Thank you. That was wonderful.

Author:  Carolyn P [ 29 Dec 2007, 21:03 ]
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That was beautiful, made me smile and shiver at the same time.
Thank you.

Author:  Tara [ 30 Dec 2007, 01:35 ]
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Definitely goosebumpy. So loving and warm. Thank you.

Author:  Kathy_S [ 01 Jan 2008, 15:53 ]
Post subject: 

Thank you, Pat.
And Minette. :D

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