The Gift
Ronnie was glad to see her friend show up bright and early on Christmas morning. The young woman, who seemed old to the nine year old Ronnie, brought a young man who, as the recent girl-to-girl confession had revealed, was a boyfriend. Maybe he was even more than that, her friend had said. Ronnie's friend was in love. That was obvious. Ronnie was happy for the volunteer named Tess.
Christmas carols were playing through speakers mounted in the ceiling, as it was the season for some of the most beautiful music ever written. Ronnie had gathered bits and pieces of the Nativity story. Her parents never considered the story anything more than a fable. An elaborate tale told by people who used religion as a crutch. Her parents would rather tell her about Santa Claus, but in her house, Santa rarely came, and if he did, she was too young to remember. All she remembered were hospital rooms and her wheelchair.
The young man with Tess seemed to have damp eyes when he came to be introduced to the broken girl in a chair she'd never step out of on her own. Tess knelt. Ronnie thought she was beautiful. Ronnie thought she glowed, even more so with her friend nearby.
"This is Ronnie," Tess said to the young man. "Merry Christmas Ronnie. I want you to meet my special friend. His name is Nicolas."
Tess gave Ronnie a present, wrapped in silver paper, tied neatly with purple and pink ribbon. Ronnie loved the color purple. She liked pink as well. "Merry Christmas," she said in return, as she untied the bows with care.
The box inside the wrappings contained a pair of mittens and a hat. The yarn that made the accessories was a deep shade of purple.
"I knitted them myself," Tess said. "You have a winter coat, but no gloves or hat. I intend to wheel you outside during a snowstorm... if you'd like."
"Will they let me?"
"As long as you're dressed warm."
Tess was radiant. Ronnie knew she liked being a giver. Ronnie understood the trait. Her heart was warmed by an action she'd taken upon herself last night.
"So, does special friend mean boyfriend?" Ronnie asked and relished the embarrassed look on her friend's face.
"I suppose it does," Tess said.
The young man named Nicolas simply smiled.
The instrumental, playing through the speakers, at the moment, was 'Little Drummer Boy'. Tess hummed. Nicolas joined her by singing the words of the first verse, softly.
"I like this song," Ronnie said. "The little boy doesn't know what to give the baby in the manger."
"Tess looked at Nicolas and explained, "We've been talking a lot about the true meaning of Christmas. Ronnie is very inquisitive. That's why I wanted you to meet her."
"What would you give?" Ronnie asked. The question was directed at both Tess and her boyfriend.
"My heart," Tess answered. "I would give Jesus my heart, and I have. Then, I would try my best to give it to the world. It's not as easy as it sounds. There is a lot involved with giving one's heart. Sometimes you give it to people who don't accept it. Not all people are like you Veronica."
"You know that is a forbidden name," Ronnie jested. "And what would you give?" She asked Nicolas.
"Every year I ask myself that same question. I've known people who gave a lot. I don't think I can possibly stand up to them."
"Humility," Tess said with a smile, seemingly fond of her boyfriend's humble nature. She stood up beside her him, reached out and held his hand, linking her fingers with his.
"I think I hear wedding bells," Ronnie said.
Tess and Nicolas laughed, but Ronnie sensed she'd hinted at the truth.
Nicolas pulled up two chairs, one for Tess, one for him. Ronnie liked to kid that she came with her own chair, complete with wheels.
"So, what kind of goodies did the hospital give out this year?" Tess asked. Every year there were gifts donated for the children who had no place to go for the holidays. Tess had suggested that Ronnie might like to visit with her family. Ronnie declined the offer. Her family were the children who were left behind.
"You know," Ronnie answered without interest, then added, "Things."
"Things," Nicolas chuckled.
"What did you get?"
Ronnie let Tess's question hang for a moment. When she spoke, she wasn't sure if she should. "You know... if I do something good, I shouldn't brag about what I'd done. But..."
"It's not bragging, if your words are not pompous," Nicolas said.
Ronnie considered his words. "I don't want anyone to know."
Tess pretended to zip her lips closed. Nicolas said, "If you don't want to share, you don't have to."
"I'm ready to burst," Ronnie admitted, then began, "There's a new kid. His name is Joshua. It's not good."
Tess nodded. She knew of the situation.
"One of the nurses said, they didn't expect him. There was no gift under the tree with his name on it. He didn't seem to notice. They have him hooked up to so many tubes. I hoped his family would come. I know what it's like to be abandoned. I heard another nurse say it was bad. Couldn't you love a child dying of cancer?"
The question hung in the air, answered by the expressions peering at Ronnie, waiting for her to continue.
"I opened the gift given to me. I wish I hadn't, but I did. It was a stuffed animal, a brown teddy bear. It was cute, but Joshua had nothing. I re-wrapped it, not very good though. I brought it to him. I told him that his name was on the package, the tag had fallen off and the volunteers missed it. I guess that was a lie. But it was worth his smile. He took the present and said, 'Thank you, Ronnie,'. I don't remember telling him my name."
"That is a beautiful story," Tess said.
"I felt really good after giving Joshua the bear. I felt like I feel when one of the littler kids shares with me about their life. Most of these kids are sad, especially if they are alone at Christmas. If I can say something that brightens them up, I feel wonderful. It was even more so, with Joshua. I prayed last night, just like you showed me, Tess. I prayed that God would heal him. What if He doesn't, does that mean God didn't listen?"
"He always listens, Ronnie, especially to His little ones. Sometimes, God's will is to bring one of His children home. Heaven is our home. We sometimes center our thoughts on this lifetime, but Heaven is eternal. Still, I don't think we ever truly understand God's will. It is so unlike ours. When my grandmother was sick, a few years ago, I prayed every night. When she died, I didn't understand why God wouldn't answer my prayer. My father said that when we pray we should ask for God's will to be done. Sometimes we don't want His will. Sometimes we want something completely different than God has planned. Jesus reminds us of that when he says, 'Thy will be done'. Heaven is our home. Why should I want to prevent my grandmother... who I love deeply... from going home."
copyright 2023 - Donald P James Jr
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