Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Home Group (11/29/07)
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TITLE: Stone Heart | Previous Challenge Entry
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12/06/07 -
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I wasn’t very big, just a scrawny girl with too many freckles and brown hair with too much red in it. I was a ‘poor thing’. I knew it cause I heard The Lady talking about me to the checkout lady. I never really understood what she meant by poor thing. A wet, almost drowned cat is a poor thing.
That Christmas I was probably five or six and probably in and out of that many homes. This home was different. The Lady was nice to me. I got hot meals, clean sheets and clothes and I didn’t have to share a toothbrush with anyone.
My only friend at that time was my doll, Julie. She went with me everywhere. Julie listened to me and knew how bad I felt about not having a mom and dad. She knew how scared I was living in different houses. I never let her out of my sight. She knew my heart was becoming covered with stone.
It was the day after Thanksgiving when Jason, one of the older kids, asked about putting up a tree. That afternoon, he and The Lady went to the pasture across the road and came back with a tree that stretched to the ceiling.
I didn’t like it. The needles were sharp and pointy, sticking your fingers and it hurt, a feeling I was too familiar with. It smelled funny too. I watched two girls cut colored paper into small pieces and made a long chain. Together they wrapped it around the tree, giggling and laughing. Julie and I smiled and it felt good. The Lady made popcorn. Fascinated, Julie and I watched as the kids strung popcorn, miles and miles of popcorn. I liked the way it looked on the tree.
Sarah, one of the older foster girls, got foil from the kitchen and cut it into long slivers. I thought she had gone crazy until she draped each piece on the tree. Jason helped with that too.
When they were done, we all sat on the floor in a circle around the tree. Julie said it was beautiful. I agreed. We all were very quiet, soaking in the peace and contentment. The Lady got out a book and read a story about a baby born in a stable. Julie wanted to know what a stable was. I didn’t know. The Lady read about the shepherds in the fields and the angles coming to them and singing songs about this baby. And they had to go find the baby and wise men came to see the baby. This baby was pretty special with everyone wanting to see it. I think The Lady said he was a king.
I liked the story and was about to ask The Lady to read it again, when Sarah said out loud, “We need an angel for the top of the tree.” I looked up and up. How would they get an angel all the way up there?
I felt eyes on Julie and myself. I quickly put her behind my back. “No!” I screamed and scrambled to my feet. “No!” I screamed at them as I dashed to my room and crawled under the bed. No, no, they can’t. Julie was staying with me. She wasn’t going to be on top of any Christmas tree.
The next day came and went, as did the next day, and the day after that. I stayed suspicious. No one said anything about Julie being an angel for the next couple of days. My bed became my haven. I just knew they were planning something mean. It happened before. I had to be ready, so I waited while hugging Julie.
Christmas drew near, came and went. Julie was by my side that whole time. Somehow a star magically appeared at the top of the tree one day while we were at school. I often think back to that Christmas with a smile. I know now why I remember feeling warm and good all over on Christmas morning. The source was a small seed of trust planted in my stone covered heart covered.
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